We had a chilly afternoon for cooking class, a perfect day for New England Clam “Chowda “!

Only Brianna Veletenga had tried clams before and was excited to try again, whereas, her classmates were not that thrilled , however, Cheddar Cornbread got them excited!

They started chopping, peeling , and mixing , like the pros they are.Some assisted with the Chowder and others with the corn bread.

Taylor Rodriguez and Ezian Delgado peeled and chopped the onions and celery, while Angy Reyes and Laura Ramos took on the carrots. Meanwhile , Milany Rupert and Brianna assisted Maureen with preparing the corn bread.

Maureen noted that measuring the ingredients had to be exact, because unlike cooking, baking is chemistry. The kids took note of that and measured flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and milk carefully.

We started cooking the onions until they became “translucent “. Milany asked what that meant. Belinda told her “until the onions become clear.”

The rest of the vegetables, potatoes included were added along with clam juice, bringing it to simmer. While the cornbread started to bake, Maureen introduced the concept of creating a “roux”, butter and flour mixture, to give added thickness to the chowder. We melted butter and stirred in the flour until it became a paste, then added a little of the broth from the soup to thin it out before we added it to the pot of soup. Finally the clams were added, four cans!

We all waited with anticipation, for both the cornbread to bake and the soup to simmer, which seemed forever!!

Fortunately, they all took turns washing and drying until the timer went off!

When all were served the chowder and cornbread, the room became silent!.

Yum, it was a hit , especially the cornbread which everyone loved!

Belinda said she does not love clams, however, the chowder made her a convert.

Maureen then discussed voting for the favorite recipe next time we get together , for the upcoming “Parents Party “ to finish up the semester. It will be interesting to see what they vote for. So far the favorite seems to be turkey tacos.