By Rabita Aziz (Dec. 8, 2002)

The parents were greeted with delicious aromas as they entered the home economics classroom on the night of Mon., November 18 and again on Thursday, Nov. 28. They looked around the beautifully decorated room with awe. One thought ran through their minds: Did my teenager do this?
 

Gourmet cooking student Annie Maynard pours a drink for two family members who attended the Gourmet Cooking class’s special dinner for parents and family. (Photo by Vineet Gordhandas)	Paco Huizenga prepares to serve the main course, Cornish hens.  (Photo by Vineet Gordhandas)

Parents sat down and admired the red, long stem roses, and the cut glass and silverware. "They were quite amazed that the students could do so well. One parent just expected a regular dinner and was shocked to see that it was a true gourmet dinner, complete with tablecloths and candlelight!" said gourmet cooking instructor, Sally Twentyman. 
 

The night started off with delicious appetizers of salad of baby lettuces, dressed with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and orange flavored crème fraiche swirled in a spicy pumpkin soup. As parents took pleasure in this gourmet starter, they enjoyed watching their children prepare delectable cuisine for them. The cooking students said that they weren’t nervous because they were serving their parents, and that their parents would not make fun of them. "My parents liked the dinner a lot, and they especially liked the food," said gourmet cooking student, senior, Nick Huizenga.  The special guests enjoyed the main entrees of cornish hen with orange cranberry sauce and salmon stuffed with baby spinach and pimento, after the appetizers. They then savored the desserts of flourless chocolate cake with crème chantilly and rasberry sauce and apple phyllo bundles drizzled with honey. Asked why she wanted to hold this event, Twentyman said,. "Our classes are large. I’d like to be able to give each student more individual attention, and these dinners did just that. I was able to get to know the students on a very different level than during the school day. I also wanted to show the parents what the students are learning in class."

Soup’s hot and ready. Gourmet cooking students  Paco Huizenga (left) and Vineet Gordhandas  prepare the soup for the special dinner for parents. (Photo by Sallie Twentyman)

There have been two different dinners so far with one more planned. Each had about 18 guests in attendance. Both students and Ms. Twentyman agreed that the students learned a lot about planning lavish dinners, such as presentation, timing, and decoration. "They said that they had a lot of fun, along with a lot of work. They enjoyed wearing the chef’s jackets and impressing the adults. I think that this is something that they’ll remember for years," said Twentyman. When asked about how gourmet cooking class has affected him, Huizenga playfully replied, "We get to eat fried chicken for breakfast, you can’t beat that."