Cooking Class

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to assistant-teach a cooking class with the Edible Schoolyard. It was somewhat of a nice change because I usually work in the cafeteria. This class was an after-school enrichment program from 3:30-5:30 so it definitely had a different feel than the typical classroom setting. For starters, we did not work in a kitchen. We cooked in a classroom using Bunsen burners while teachers came and went finishing up their after school work.

The setting definitely distracted the students. Also, you have to remember that they have been in class all day long. They got pretty rowdy. Sometimes, it was very difficult to get everyone to calm down and focus, but when we did, their reactions and comments to about the project were refreshing to hear.

We cooked two dishes based around sweet potatoes. (I wish I could remember the recipes. They were delicious and I would have liked to share them with y'all). Anyway, while we were cooking, I heard comments like "Yeah, my mom taught me how to do that. We cook together." And, "We should put LESS butter in the pot. It tastes better." And even, "This is too sweet!" Yes, perhaps the dishes may not have been first on the list of most healthy snacks. But, they were fresh, made of real ingredients, and based around a Thanksgiving theme.

I was shocked and delighted to hear their comments. They are all definitely much better cooks than I was at their age (9-13) and they all seem to also be rather healthy eaters. After we prepared the dishes, we all sat down and enjoyed the final products on real plates with real silverware. After all was said and done, I am still extremely proud of how the students behaved given the circumstances and I am even more proud of their healthy eating habits.