By Anthony Ciano, Staff Writer

October 28, 2023

ROCKLAND- Cooking classes have been a popular and fulfilling elective in the Rockland High School Community.

Three levels of cooking classes are available to students at Rockland High School.

Exploratory Foods 1 is a required introduction to the cooking program. Taking this course gives students the opportunity to advance and take other classes. 

Following Foods 1, Exploratory Foods 2 is a middle-level cooking class in which students who have taken Cooking 1 and want to pursue more can choose to take.

Lastly, Culinary Arts is the most advanced cooking course, in which students who have taken all previous culinary courses are able to participate. In this class, more advanced recipes are made and explored.

The cooking electives have been known to the school community as competitive to reserve a spot in and to fill up abnormally quickly. 

These classes offer the ability to learn all kinds of skills rather than just cooking. 

Cooking and Fashion Teacher, Mrs. Adrienne Donovan, describes her cooking classes as “Adulting 101” and the opportunity to provide “further exploration of a vocational path” as “some students may want to go into culinary, hospitality, or fashion/design careers.”

Students who plan to pursue a career in the culinary or consumer science industry have the opportunity to become involved and express their passion in high school. 

Every semester a Johnson and Wales cooking program representative visits Rockland High School to inspire and motivate students interested in culinary to pursue their passion and how to do so.

Throughout the year, different recipes are taught in lessons that provide students with not only the opportunity to learn to make foods but also the opportunity to learn about the different utensils and how to use them.

Senior Brianna Persichini took both Exploratory Foods 1 and 2 and says that her favorite recipe she made was “the monkey bread recipe because of the cinnamon flavor and how it just tasted so buttery and sweet.”

While students start off with basic recipes in Exploratory Foods 1, as they advance into Foods 2 and Culinary Arts they are able to explore and cook recipes that require more detail and patience. 

For example, students who cook pancakes in Exploratory Foods 1, will make whole wheat pancakes in Exploratory Foods 2, and then crepes in Culinary Arts. 

Mrs. Donovan said that her “favorite type of recipe to make and teach to the class is a recipe that has come from a family. Something that has been passed down and has been part of someone's family history, and meaningful recipes.” 

Meaningful recipes offer students the ability to learn about each other, families, history, and culture.

Mrs. Donovan said that her classes learn recipes, “that were taught to me by my grandmother.”

Past and present students of the cooking electives, praise and are thankful for the things they have been able to learn. 

Senior Mary McPartlin, a current Exploratory Foods 1 student, said that it’s really interesting to learn “the different ways you can make food even if we are not making it that way.”

Students are able to learn so much about life and overall success when taking Culinary courses. This is just one of the many reasons why these electives become so popular. 

Overall, Mrs. Donovan said that “the main goal for students in my cooking classes is for them to explore. I like my students to go out, take chances, learn how to do things properly, get organized, and then execute.”