The clattering of pots, the smell of spice floating around the air, the soft chuckles of students, the soft tortilla in one’s hands, and the savory taste of grilled chicken: that is the magic cooking club brews.

Cooking club is a club where students RSVP to create dishes on two Thursdays every month. Students have a chance to learn and master new cooking skills, as well as creating either a sweet dessert or a savory dish to take their creation home.

Kellie Campbell, cooking club sponsor and foods teacher, created this club because the Family Consumer Science Department did not have a club and she wanted students to get involved and encourage them to sign up for foods classes.

“Cooking club is a place where students come together and have fun with their friends to learn new cooking skills, and to make yummy foods. This is a great opportunity to come and cook for free and learn new skills. If they don’t have time to take a foods classes, this is a time for them to cook and have fun,” Campbell said.

Students are welcome to join the club anytime they want as long as they contact Campbell through email, so they can be added on the email list. However, students must RSVP to each meeting, which is limited to 24 students each time.

“What I do each month is one baking dish, like dessert, and the other thing we make is more of a savory food, something you would normally eat,” Campbell said. “I pick the food based on how simple they are because these kids are on all different levels and some haven’t even taken a foods class, so I want to make sure it’s something that’s simple to explain and easy to grasp.”

Alaya Arslan, freshman, recently joined the club and she finds the experience enjoyable, and the recipes “easy, but delicious.”

“I like learning new cooking/ baking techniques that I wouldn’t have known otherwise, since I don’t have the time at home. I would recommend this club, as it’s rather fun and easy, almost as if you’re simply hanging out with them outside of school,” Arslan said.

Campbell encourages everyone to try the club out, even with no skills of cooking at all. She feels that every week is a new learning experience and students feel accomplished after creating each dish.

“They seem like they have fun. They definitely like to come if their friends are coming and it seems like the baking days are more popular,” Campbell said. “I can tell they have a good time and they have fun with it.”