This week I had a super sweet opportunity to teach a cooking class at Maybeck High School.

Because it’s Berkeley, the schools have farming and cooking programs so people can get to know good, nutritious food at an early start. Like, every public school has some sort of garden or cooking program. I kid you not, when I was a kid at LeConte elementary we had a garden and a barn with chickens.

A friend of mine works at Maybeck High School and reached out about a more intensive two week program they’re doing. In addition to cooking demos, the students will actually visit a couple of farms to see where their produce comes from, and the city itself is doing a restaurant week in honor of the school’s farming and cooking programs.

But wait, I thought. What if they hate me? What if they think this is boring and lame? What if they’re *gasp* like YOU when you were a high school student? 

Thankfully, they were not.

The students seemed like they really enjoyed themselves. With a group of 11, we decided to switch off tasks to make breakfast egg cups and stir-fry. The students who were more eager to get in and prep would chop the veggies, while others helped clean up as we moved along.

We kept two separate batches – one for vegetarians, and another for omnivores.

Some of the students also set up a table outside, so we could all enjoy a home-cooked lunch together. This really is a perfect example of why I love cooking so much: it’s an activity you can share with friends and/or family, and you end up with this tangible result in your hands (which then ends up in your mouths). Sitting around a table to share the meal you just made together really is a one-of-a-kind experience.

I can’t thank you all enough for having me! You were all such great sports and I hope you enjoy the rest of these next two weeks 🙂