Young chefs combine artistic and culinary skills at SCRF 2025

Led by Noha Elkhouly, an instructor from Skill Deer, the lively session taught children how to make fresh pasta from scratch, using natural colours and simple techniques to turn everyday ingredients into edible works of art. “We're teaching them that homemade cooking can be healthier and more fun,” said the Egyptian cooking enthusiast. “The focus is on giving kids hands-on experience — from kneading the dough to measuring ingredients and even understanding simple techniques like spreading and shaping.”

Since traditional pasta shapes can be a bit tricky for beginners, the workshop concentrated on spaghetti. Children were given pre-prepared dough — coloured bright red and green using food colouring — and learned how to stretch and cut it using special tools before cooking it on the spot in boiling water.

“I loved making my own pasta!” said Cedal Mahir, 11, from Syria. “It’s fun to see it change shape when you roll it.”

Hannah Yazar, 10, from India, added: “I didn’t know pasta could have so many colours. I want to try making it again at home with my mum!”

Meanwhile, Kinza Hussain, 11, also from India, said she enjoyed learning how simple ingredients could create something so delicious. “Mixing and kneading the dough was the best part,” she said, grinning.

Noha explained that although professional kitchens might use natural ingredients like beetroot or spinach to colour pasta, the team chose simple food colouring for this workshop to make it easier and more playful for the children.

“Our goal was for them to enjoy the process without getting stressed about perfection,” she said. “Cooking should always be joyful.”

The colourful session was one of 600 creative workshops and activities at SCRF 2025, taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme “Dive into Books”.