What kind of cooking did you do when you were 15 or 16 years old? Out in Ewa this summer, a dozen or so teens were whipping up everything from hamburger steak and lasagna to sushi and tempura — not to mention hoisin spare ribs and chicken won ton tostada.

“These kids, they amaze me. They’re making their own dough for pizza, their own bread, making garlic bread into croutons,” said Darryl Shinogi, executive chef at Roy’s Ko Olina, shaking his head with a smile.

But the fact is, Shinogi is central to the youths’ abilities. The chef makes time to teach his craft to high-school students enrolled in Ewa’s Weed & Seed Summer Culinary Arts Program, now in its 13th year.

Weed & Seed was established by the U.S. Department of Justice with a mission to “weed out crime and seed good things,” said Ewa program director Gale Braceros. In 2011, when the Washington, D.C., Weed & Seed office closed, Hawaii’s U.S. Attorney’s Office picked up the ball, and in partnership with the Honolulu Police Department, runs programs in three areas: Kalihi to Chinatown, Ewa to Ewa Beach, and Waipahu. Each program responds to specific community needs.

Braceros said that a survey of the Ewa community revealed that among the high population of latchkey youths were kids who wanted to learn to cook.

With the assistance of James Campbell High School, which lends its facilities, and the sponsorship of a long list of businesses, the six-week course has turned into a for-credit program.

Those who put in 60 hours earn a half high-school credit.

They also develop lifelong skills.

“I learned how to do different cuts with a knife and about different cuts of meat,” said 14-year-old Cody Young, who will be a freshman next year. “It was really fun to collaborate with others and learn from actual restaurant people.”

Cody can run through the steps of making the hoisin spare ribs from memory, ingredients and all, only the way someone who’s internalized the process could do. Steam the ribs, mix the sauce ingredients, coat the ribs and broil, he recited.

“I cooked it for my family, and they loved it,” he said.

Shinogi admits that showing up for the twice-weekly classes adds another level of hectic to his crazy schedule, but he understands the multifaceted benefits of such a program and is committed to it.

Beyond cooking skills, he sees growth of self-esteem, leadership and teamwork, and an opportunity to display a sense of respon­- sibility.

“I tell them, surprise your parents with a meal — and when you cook, you clean up,” he said. “Show them you want to be more responsible, and when you want to drive or you want to go out, you’ll be more trusted.”

Along with Shinogi, HPD officer Roland Pagan and Cpl. Mark Ramos showed up for every class. Though the police are responsible for the “weed” aspect of the program, Pagan and Ramos realized that they can cultivate “seeds” as well.

“Some of the kids, especially the ones coming in for the first time, find out we’re officers, and they become stand-offish,” said Pagan. “But we work with them. Then they realize they can interact with the police in a nonthreatening manner.”