Somerset Berkley seniors learning to cook in special after school class

SOMERSET — When Somerset Berkley Community Evening School Principal William Aguiar Jr. offered signups for an after school cooking class to seniors at the high school, the class filled up in one day.

The cooking class is being taught by Mauricio Ossa, an adjunct professor at Bristol Community College who is an instructor of culinary arts, and Isabelle Jaffe. Ossa said the students will be learning several cooking techniques, as well as how to make cuisine from different places in the world, including Italy, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Ossa said the students will also learn knife skills.

Ossa said one of the most important aspects of the class is reinstating a culinary arts program at the high school. The school has a state-of-the-art kitchen that was built for a culinary program with the new school building that opened about 4 1/2 years ago, but the culinary program was cut two years ago.

“This is a life skill, not just an academic skill, but it combines all of them, including math and science,” Ossa said.

Ossa said because some of the students will be moving to college after they graduate, he will show them tips for cooking to help them survive and be healthy while they are living in dormitories. He said he will also be helping the athletes in the class with how to cook for their nutrition.

The class started last Thursday and will be held for four more Thursdays. In the first class last week, students were learning how to make homemade pasta with a red and green sauce. There were nine students in the class.

Student Nicole Pimental said she did not know much about cooking before she started taking the class last week.

“I’m not involved in any sports or music, so I might as well learn something that will benefit me in the future,” Pimental said of why she is taking the class. “The only thing I know how to make is mac and cheese, so I might as well learn how to make real food.”

Jonah Perry, a senior at SBRHS, signed up for the cooking class.

“I’ve always wanted to get into the culinary field,” Perry said. “I love food.”

Student Kaylin Cunningham said she wanted to take the class to improve her cooking.

“I already know how to cook, but I wanted to be able to make more of a variety of things that are homemade,” Cunningham said. “I usually make things from a recipe.”

Cunningham said the cooking skills will help her when she goes to college.

Aguiar said students at the high school should have an opportunity to participate in a culinary arts program. The class was only offered to seniors at the high school. Aguiar said if it was offered to the other grades, as well, he thinks three or four classes would have been filled up. He said two students who took a culinary arts class at the evening school last year are now in the culinary arts program at Bristol Community College. He said those students were not interested in a career in culinary arts until they took the class.

“It’s a skill we all need to know at least the rudimenary part of it,” Aguiar said. “For some students, it could be a career decision to make.”