There are a multitude of clubs at SWHS that have yet to be explored, one of them being the Cooking Club. Cooking Club meets every other Wednesday in room 105, where students combine into groups and utilize different recipes to create a full meal. The meals tend to be cultivated around a certain theme, as Wednesday April 24th recipes were centered around Easter. Some of the recipes that were cultivated included apple tarts, potato mash, pasta with vegetables, iced tea, and carrot cake cupcakes. When students go into the club, they are shown lists of recipes to pick from and can then make them either individually or as a team. They then have an hour and a half, and at the end can pay $5 in order to eat all of the food that students have prepared.

Junior, Will Lewis, a long-term member of Cooking Club, encourages other students to join and experiment with cooking. He mentions that “Cooking Club is something I always look forward to each month as we get ready to make the most delicious food of all different cuisines, tastes, and meals. This past Wednesday my friends and I were there to make an amazing Easter themed meal which consisted of smoked ham, cheesy mashed potatoes, mini apple pies, as well as countless other treats. The food tasted amazing and everyone had not only had a fun time eating it, but preparing it as well. Mrs. Clifford and Mrs. Ruiz are the nicest and most patient teachers out there and make Cooking Club a warm and inviting place to go for an after-school activity. I strongly recommend that you try this club even if you have no cooking experience or are on the path to become a MasterChef.”

Mrs. Ruiz, one of the teachers in charge of the cooking club, is a strong advocate for learning how to cook and progressing your cooking skills. “I became an advisor to cooking club two years ago because I wanted to inspire other students to become passionate about cooking too. ‘Cooking from the heart for others gives me great joy!’ I love that this club offers students leadership opportunities. It is run by student officers who plan the monthly cooking themes and choose the recipes they are interested in making. Likewise, students get to learn cooking skills while applying decision making and problem-solving skills like substituting ingredients to change the consistency of a recipe. Of course, sharing a 4 course meal at the end is the highlight of the day, because the students get to taste their food and compare and contrast to previous recipes. Our members are great cooks and have fun and are proud of their dishes!” To all interested, new members are always welcome, and in the words of Mrs. Ruiz, “Come and join us next year! Cooking is love, chemistry, creativity, and art!”