I had the absolute delight of witnessing a 2-hour cooking class at the beautiful Salazar Elementary School; it was part of the Cooking with Kids program that operates in 12 of Santa Fe's 21 public elementary schools. The 25 eager sixth-graders learned about potatoes — their origins, varieties and history — then prepared delicious potato pancakes and homemade apple sauce.

Cooking with Kids food educator Linda Apodaca, working with Salazar teacher Joyce Sanchez, had as much fun as the kids (and I) did, guiding them through the informational part of the class and then overseeing the cooking procedure. I was impressed to see how excited the kids were through the whole process; apparently most of them have been a part of this wonderful program since kindergarten.

Cooking with Kids is a nonprofit organization started in 1995 by Lynn Walters, who at one time owned and operated the Natural Café where Mu Du Noodles is now. Its mission statement is a simple yet important one: "We believe that connecting kids with fresh and healthy foods instills lifelong interest in eating well. Through experiencing the joys of cooking and eating foods from around the world, kids learn how to take care of themselves." I couldn't agree more.

I had been invited to observe because I've been asked — along with The Santa Fe School of Cooking's Rocky Durham, Geronimo's Martin Rios and Fernando Olea of La Tacqueria — to become a mentor to the program. This was the first step for us to see how the program and classes work and to help us ascertain how our ongoing involvement can be helpful.

For more information on Cooking with Kids, go to www.cookingwithkids.net.

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I spent part of the Thanksgiving holiday in New York City, where I had the most amazing lunch at a fantastic restaurant called Momofuku Ssam Bar. Owner/chef David Chang has created quite a culinary stir with a completely new type of Asian-fusion cookery.

We started with a pristine sliced filet of lightly cured hamachi, a member of the yellowtail family, served with edamame and a hot horseradish wasabi drizzle; it was so fresh it seemed to quiver on the plate Knockout of the day were steamed pork-belly buns — delicate light circles of puffed dough folded over moist pork chunks with hoisin sauce and sliced cucumbers. If I had to choose a dish from 2008 that I could eat every day for the rest of my life, this would be it. Sided with a hot salad of crisp fried brussels sprouts with a Thai fish sauce-mint-scallion vinaigrette and a couple of glasses DeLaille Sauvignon Blanc, it truly was the meal of the year — outside of Santa Fe, of course.

If you're headed to the Big Apple any time soon and consider yourself any kind
of a foodie it's a must-visit. Momofuku Ssam Bar is at 207 Second Ave. at 13th Street (212-254-3500).

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Closer to home, Dish and Spoon Café and Gifts at 620 Old Santa Fe Trail (983-7676), has acquired a beer and wine license and is planning to extend its hours to open for dinner soon. Owner Anna Soeiro e-mailed me to say they are in the process of building a menu and would love some feedback as to what types of dishes folks would like to see. If you have any ideas for foods you would like to see added to the Santa Fe scene, you can e-mail Anna at annasoeiro@cybermesa.com.

To share a tip or dish about the local food scene, send an e-mail to chefjohnnyvee@aol.com or call (505) 699-3419.