Confetti Park Children's Workshop

Tag: food

  • Storytime: Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day by Alysson Foti Bourque

    Storytime: Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day by Alysson Foti Bourque

    Alycat and the Thursday DessertIn this episode of Confetti Park, we hear Louisiana children’s author Alysson Foti Bourque narrate her adorable award-winning book, Alycat and the Thursday Dessert Day.

    Alycat is an adorable kitten whose whole week has been spent daydreaming about dessert day at school, when she gets her favorite: ice-cream filled popsicles! Poor Alycat…. He daydreaming causes her to be last in line, and she misses out. After a little tantrum, Alycat has an epiphany. She realizes she can make her OWN dessert! Imagination saves the day.

    We love this book from Alysson Foti Bourque, of Sunset, Louisiana. It’s so fun to see Alycat grow, and her can-do spirit bounce back when she is disappointed. Alycat discovers that trying new things can lead to fun adventures and tasty inventions.

    The book contains sweet, delicate illustrations by Chiara Civati and a recipe for Alycat’s new dessert! It makes the reader want to try new things, too. 🙂

    Expect more from Alycat…. the Cute kitten Alycatnext adventure in the series is Alycat and the Monday Blues! Buy it in local bookstores, on Amazon and B&N, and at the Alycat website.

    Thank you, Alysson Foti Bourque, for sharing your wonderful story with Confetti Park.

    Allyson Bourque
    Allyson Bourque
  • Interview with Kid Chef Eliana about her foodie inspirations & aspirations

    Interview with Kid Chef Eliana about her foodie inspirations & aspirations

    eliana-on-chopped-teen-tournament-sept-2016In this episode of Confetti Park, Katy Hobgood Ray interviews Kid Chef Eliana de Las Casas, a New Orleans-based chef who is seriously one of the hardest-working kids around.

    Eliana has been cooking since she was four years old! Her interested hasn’t waned over the years from those early days of watching her family elders make food in the kitchen. Now at 16 years old, Eliana has bloomed as a chef, as an entrepreneur, as a cookbook author and as a culinary personality.

    Eliana was born in Gretna and has a whole lot of cultural influences driving her style. She describes herself as a gumbo of Filipino, Cajun, Honduran, and Cuban.

    “My whole family taught me how to cook, everyone. We always loved being in the kitchen together and having huge family gatherings,” says Eliana. “There would just be all kinds of different dishes at the table. I never wanted to leave the kitchen! I was never the kid to ask for toys. I always wanted something kitchen-related.”

    Eliana’s mom is notable Louisiana children’s author Dianne de las Casas, and she encouraged Eliana to start a food blog when Eliana was touring with her at book signings around Louisiana. From there, Eliana’s abilities as a media mogul, too, grew! Soon Eliana was doing cooking tutorials for kids on YouTube, and before long she declared her intention to publish a cookbook. She was only ten years old when her first cookbook came out—today Eliana has three: Cool Kids Cook: Fresh & Fit, Cool Kids Cook: Louisiana, and Eliana Cooks: Recipes for Creative Kids. 

    lets-get-cookin-promo-picIn this interview, Katy and Eliana dive deep into Eliana’s early inspirations and her current aspirations, which include launching her own line of spices. They also talk about some of Eliana’s adult mentors, such as New Orleans-based chefs Tory McPhail (Commander’s Palace), Chef Adolfo Garcia (Primitivo, RioMar) and Chef Ryan Hughes (Purloo).

    Eliana is currently a full-time student at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. She takes traditional academic classes in the morning, and in the afternoon, she studies in a culinary arts program funded by the Emeril Lagasse Foundation. She is also a radio host! Every Friday at 6pm CT, listen to Kid Chef Eliana’s weekly radio show, Let’s Get Cookin’, on 102.3 FM WHIV.

    Learn more at http://www.kidchefeliana.com

    Eliana is competing on Chopped Teen Tournament on Food Network in September. The tournament has 16 teens battling for a cash prize of $25,000. Let’s all support this teen chef representing the city of New Orleans!

  • Storytime: Snoballs for All by Alex McConduit

    Storytime: Snoballs for All by Alex McConduit

    Snoballs for All by Alex McConduit
    Snoballs for All by Alex McConduit

    In this episode of Confetti Park, New Orleans-based children’s author Alex McConduit narrates his adorable story Snoballs for All. 

    The best part of a hot, humid New Orleans summer is slurping up a big, round, icy-cold, brightly-colored snoball. That’s exactly what Paul wants to do, but he can’t find the snoball festival! He searches all through the city for just one snoball (although two would be better, and three would be best). Where will Paul find snoballs for all?

    Snoballs for All is a perfect gift for any Southern kid. We all understand the need for an icy snoball on a hot summer day! Kids from the Confetti Park Players provide the chorus in this narration.

    Snoballs for All was illustrated by Paulina Ganucheau. It is available through Pelican Publishing and for sale on Amazon.

    Alex is the owner of Big Boot Books and founder of W.R.I.T.E., a youth publishing program that transforms students in New Orleans into published authors.