Video: D'Arabian Guides Kids Through Kitchen Paces

Children got to enjoy the attentions of a top TV chef Thursday while adults got to feast on the fruits of their labors at Kids in the Kitchen.

The event, a fundraiser for , a youth and family group, offered youngsters the chance to learn the components of hosting a meal for their families. That included preparing it and  choosing ingredients and decorating the table and being hospitable.

Melissa d'Arabian, who hosts Ten Dollar Dinners on the Food Network, guided the children through work stations, where they prepared breadsticks and salads, made place cards using oranges and created centerpieces out of vases filled with root vegetables.

d'Arabian also posed for photos with each of the dozens of children who took the class, at the Coronado Community Center. The event culminated with a sit-down dinner featuring pasta and black-bean brownies.

(You read that last one right. d'Arabian said using black beans is a sneaky way to get some protein into an otherwise sugary treat that kids still will love.)

Parents were pleased with the results – Kelli Marovish, mom to Hudson, 7, pronounced the meal “delicious.”

The children received more than a little help, especially for the heavy lifting, the cutting, cooking and clean-up. 

Coronado middle and high schoolers served the food so the children could sit with their parents, while Allen Christensen of Crescent Moon Catering manned the kitchen.