Joshua Small, a freshman at Upper East Side High School, is cultivating hope.
Small, a French-American student at the Lycée Français de New York, will be serving as acting executive chef on Saturday for a “Youth to Young” dinner to raise money for sick children, New York City’s East Harlem Tastings. entertained guests. At the Ronald McDonald House in New York.
“I’m proud to be a kid who helps other kids,” the self-taught chef, who has taken just one training course at the Culinary Education Institute in Lower Manhattan, told the Post.
For $150, attendees with tickets for the three-course fête were treated to cocktail hour gougères (French cheese puffs) hors d’oeuvres, domestic chicken meatballs and 14-year-old Small’s signature gazpacho shot.
As an appetizer, rump arancini was served over a salad of arugula with a dollop of microlentils, followed by Small’s signature main dish of duck confit, butternut squash puree and grilled springtail. Ta.
As a sweet ending, French-American General Alpha served banquet guests with Basque cheesecake paired with kumquats. A selection of snacks was accompanied by alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages created by this genius.
His friend Alexander Morris, also 14, worked as a front-of-house manager overseeing customer service and guest interaction at events at his mother’s restaurant.
The teenage duo raised more than $6,500 for children battling cancer.
Small says she poured her passion into each dish and it fed her soul.
“Getting cancer is very difficult and very painful. It’s a huge burden on children and parents,” the chef said.
“If I were a child or a parent, [a sick] We really appreciate the support from organizations like Ronald McDonald House. ”
Caitlin Conklin, director of volunteering and communications for the charity’s East 73rd Street branch, said she is grateful for his jaw-dropping generosity.
“It’s incredibly special to see young people like Joshua not only supporting their families, but also putting their passion into initiatives.” [in need]” she told the Post.
Conklin added that funds raised from the Small and Morris event will go towards providing temporary housing, health services, transportation to and from treatment, education and family fun activities for pediatric cancer patients.
Regarding Mr. Small’s work, Mr. Conklin said his “great approach to cooking” went a long way toward making a difference in small local lives.
This boy prodigy’s flame for the culinary arts was first ignited at the age of 8 when he watched his parents Olivia and Ben create magic in the kitchen.
At age 10, during the pandemic, the child searched YouTube for cooking “how-to” tips and began regularly preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for her family.
When he was just 12 years old, he became involved with the Ronald McDonald House through a collaboration with the Upper East Side cafe Chez Les Francies.
The owners of the brasserie that was adjacent to his private school at the time noticed the then-tween’s interest in creating fine cuisine.It was a thinly veiled secret, judging by the house-made lamb shank served atop a couscous and banana pudding meringue pie. Featured on his Instagram.
After the cafe received a letter from the neighboring Donald McDonald House family praising the croissant, a favorite snack for a sick child, the owners were inspired to create a special dish to sell as a donation to the mission. Mr. Small was invited.
Sales of his lasagna, curry and soup throughout the week raised more than $2,100 in donations.
And with the financial success of Saturday’s Youth to Youth Gala, Small plans to continue doing good through food.
“In this case, people bought tickets for a good meal,” the teen’s caterer said. “But it’s not just about eating, it’s about helping.”
He hopes his contemporaries and beyond will also use their talents to share with others.
“Anyone can support a good cause while doing what they love,” Small added. “Even if what you like is eating.”
