Scents flooded the room as many different foods cooked amid the noise from each side conversation.

Students discussed what recipes they were thinking of cooking next as they waited for their soups to boil. They also made sure their bread was baking properly. 

Mr. Jason Johnson, an Upper School science teacher, was interested in cooking something such as pasta and sauce but also many different French recipes such as vichyssoise. These recipes would truly test how many skills the students had mastered.

“I actually think I’ve gotten 100 times better than when I started because now I can keep track of all the steps I need to do, and I can cook stuff without burning it,” said junior Jack Lemon.

Once the students’ soups boiled, it was time for a taste test. Students poured their soups into bowls, while the teachers grabbed multiple chairs to take outdoors where they would sample one another’s dishes. 

As students shared their soup and loaf of bread, a lighthearted competition slowly started to heat up. They were eager to hear their classmates’ feedback and ratings.

“Jack and I’s soup and bread are definitely the best. No doubt about it,” Taylor McMullen said, slightly sarcastically.

Mr. Johnson was proud and enthusiastic about announcing how well they all did before giving them slight corrections. 

“Okay guys you all did way better than I expected, but some of you could work on adding the right amount of seasoning,” Mr. Johnson said.

And in the end, it was juniors Laurel Davis and Ethan Jett who got the highest score from both the teacher and their classmates. 

“By being in this class, I’ve realized that my problem hasn’t always been I was horrible at cooking, it was just that I didn’t know how,” junior Laurel Davis stated.

McMullen said she had also learned what her problems were with cooking, and now is planning to use these skills in the future.

“From teaching this class I have learned that when my kids don’t want to help me in the kitchen, it’s not always that they don’t want to, it’s that they might not be able to,” Mr. Johnson said.