Richard did an excellent job today! He got some great practice with his knife skill while prepping the various ingredients, and the pizzas were well balanced and tasted delicious. He first wanted to make a meat-lovers pizza with a cheese stuffed crust, which we then followed with a sausage and veggie pesto pizza with fresh basil and a balsamic drizzle.

Lucas did an excellent job planning out the burger and balancing the various flavors. He talked through his thinking when assembling ingredients for the burger sauce and it's clear that his understanding of ingredients and flavor has improved substantially. He also did a great job seasoning the burgers and cooked them perfectly.

Teddy's tacos were delicious! He was at first a bit nervous about the spices I added to the chicken (garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder) but once he tasted it he loved it. He did a great job leading us through the steps and setting up the taco assembly station, and he even had a particular method for assembling the tacos that he taught me.

Libby loved making miso soup! She specifically requested it last week and then shared with me today that its her favorite food, so I'm glad it lived up to her expectations. Libby did a great job prepping the tofu and even helped slice the scallions for the garnish. She had two big bowls herself and enthusiastically shared the rest with teachers. We may have to make another batch soon so that she can bring some home to share with her parents.

PJ did an excellent job designing his ideal burger! His knife skills continue to improve and he seemed to have a lot of fun throughout the whole process. He particularly seemed to enjoy sautéing the onions and mushrooms, choosing the exact moment they were "perfectly cooked."

This dish allowed us to review making hash-browns (a great tool for understanding moisture and temperature when cooking) and Lucas did a great job remembering and implementing the relevant concepts. He also got some good practice with the "sauté," motion or pan flip when cooking the beans and peppers. His flavors were nicely balanced and the burritos came out delicious. His only note for next time was that we could've added more heat/chili's.

PJ began class today by sharing with me that he baked cupcakes, cookies, and homemade bread for his family this past weekend. He said that he really enjoyed the process and even said that he came up with his own recipe for the bread! From there we discussed what PJ would like to make next. He had lots of good ideas but we ultimately landed on hamburgers for this week. From there we discussed the many regional differences that exist throughout the country and watched some videos on YouTube to get a sense of the different directions we could go in. PJ seemed to enjoy learning about the different burgers and had a lot of fun designing his ideal burger based on our research.

Nico did a great job! He was engaged and careful while in the kitchen and did a great job practicing some basic knife skills while preparing the toppings. He really enjoyed the process of shaping the dough and was very intentional and thoughtful when topping the pizza with sauce, cheese, etc. The pizza turned out delicious and he was very excited to try recreating it at home.

Lucas was absent today