Menlo Park Girl Attends Kids' State Dinner at the White House

Some of America's top chefs of the future dined at a special “Kids State Dinner” at White House.

Fifty-four kids enjoyed some of the winning recipes they created for a national contest. The 8- to 12-year olds from across the country were told to create healthy, affordable recipes using all food groups.

Among the winners was Genene Savall-Wedd from Menlo Park. The 10-year-old created a healthy Ethiopian dish called Kik Alitcha.

“I love cooking with my mom. It is fun spending time with her and talking about my day,” said Genene. “This is one of my favorite recipes because it reminds me of Ethiopia, my birthplace, and is a very healthy meal for my body. We added our favorite traditional ingredients together to create this comfort food to suit our tastes. When we make this recipe, we love to serve it with injera, a type of breadlike sourdough that you can use to pick up the Ethiopian Kik Alitcha with your fingers.”

All the winners got to dine with First Lady Michelle Obama. The contest is part of her “Let’s Move” initiative. “This event gives us the opportunity to showcase healthy creations from talented kid chefs from across our country,”said Mrs. Obama.

"I feel so happy. I never thought I'd have this chance," said Genene. "It's a big honor to see her."

Some other winning dishes include a chicken burger with kale and seafood tacos with lime coleslaw and peachy salsa. All of the 54 winning recipes are available in a free downloadable and printable e-cookbook available at LetsMove.gov.

[LINK] The 2014 Cookbook [PDF]
 
 

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