By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays Public Library put a new twist on its young adult cooking class on Wednesday.
The monthly class theme was based on the popular TV show “Chopped.”
The children in the class were split into two teams, each with a separate mystery basket of ingredients.
Group A received black beans avocado and fiesta-style cheese.
Group B was given fresh basil; a Greek Medley that included sun-dried tomatoes and olives; tomato sauce; and pizza dough.
The two groups were able to pull some items and spices from a shared pantry.
Group A made a black bean dip with freshly fried tortilla chips. They added cumin, black pepper, chili powder and salt to spice up their dip.
Group B made a pizza with cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, Greek medley, spices and a sauce containing fresh basil. The group even sprinkled on a little curry powder.
Their young hands flew over pots and pans, stretched dough, sprinkled cheese and lightly ladled sauce onto dough. The dishes may not have been as complex as those in the TV show, but there was no less excitement. The children laughed, joked and yelled with excitement when the judging was announced.
Some of the children in the class, who were 12 years old and older, had never cooked before while others had limited experience.
The teen cooking class is offered once a month at the library as part of the young adults program. Organizers of the program like to find a different theme for each class and usually take those themes from holidays.
However, several of the young library patrons mentioned they had watched the Food Network’s “Chopped,” which also has a youth version, “Chopped Junior.”
They encouraged the librarians to base a class on the program.
Carly McCracken, young adult librarian assistant, said the students learn a variety of things from the cooking courses.
“They are definitely learning cooking skills that they can utilize at home or when they are older,” she said. “They start to develop skills in the kitchen and have the opportunity to work with food, and they learn responsibility and how to work as a team.”
McCracken and fellow library assistant Rebecca Channel served as judges for the competition. Students were given positive feed back on the their creations. The dip was a little bland, but the A Team received high marks for their crisp chips. The B team’s pizza was very flavorful, but the students could have gone a little easier on the spice.
In the end, both teams got props. Team A won for creativity and Team B was honored for taste.
There will be no teen cooking class in July. However, if you wish to sign your child up for classes in August or after, you can visit the Hays Public Library website by clicking here or parents can sign their kids up on the day of the classes.