Granby Students Demonstrate Healthy Cooking Skills in Hartford

The Teen Battle Chef club at Granby Memorial High School took their culinary skills to the state’s capitol last week, where they instructed children from the Global Communications Academy on healthy cooking.

The club meets every Tuesday, and prepares meals that conform to different cultural themes, as well as take part in culinary competitions. Deborah Jacques, a culinary arts instructor at the high school and the club’s adviser, said the program emphasizes cuisine, culture and nutrition. 

Jacques was invited to be a guest culinary instructor at the Cooking Matters after-school program in Hartford, and decided to integrate Granby students as well. 

“I thought the students would respond well to students that were a little older, that were currently involved in cooking competitions,” she said. “The students stepped up and became wonderful mentors for the students.”

By the end of the afternoon, the academy students learned how to cook a vegetable stir fry and smoothies, with the help of the Granby students. 

“I really liked how enthusiastic they were at such a young age,” said Ally Brodeur, a senior at GMHS. 

Brodeur said she felt that cooking the meal “sparked their imagination.”

“Cooking with stir fry showed them that cooking isn’t just about following the recipe,” said senior Dan Chapple.

The students in the club emphasized the myriad of ingredients that could go into a stir fry, and Brodeur said as a result, “they had a passion to want to do more.”

Aaron DeLa Roche, a freshman in the club, said although the students were a little intimated at first, they eventually showed enthusiasm in preparing the meal.

“They definitely warmed up and it seemed like they had a good time,” DeLa Roche said. 

Brodeur, DeLa Roche and Chapple agreed that for most of the students, this was the first time they had cooked with the ingredients in the stir fry and smoothies. 

“The students sat down to the meal together and many of them tried some foods that they had not tried previously,” Jacques said. 

This Tuesday, the Teen Battle Chef club will again head to Hartford, to educate the academy students in culture, cuisine and nutrition. Jacques said she hopes to do more with the after-school program again. 

“I believe that both sets of students gained a lot from the experience,” Jacques said.  “I believe our students were just as excited as the Hartford students. They are looking forward to going again and in the future."

For more information on this after-school program, visit this website.