Recipes for Connection by Jamaya

Recipes for Connection by Jamaya - February 2022 Scholarship Essay

Given the opportunity, I would design a “Recipe Discovery Course”. In this course, students would learn how to cook. However, they would have the freedom to develop their style of cooking. The class would meet once or twice a week. Each session would explore a common recipe such as chicken parmesan, shrimp tacos, or dumplings. Guest instructors may come in to introduce methods of cooking the recipe of the day. Otherwise, students would have the freedom to alter details like methods of seasoning, methods of cooking, or even adding or subtracting ingredients as they please. However, they are required to write down how they prepared that recipe. At the end of the year, a number of the students’ recipes will be gathered and made into a cookbook. The only prerequisite for joining the course is to vow to be safe and respectful towards the other students in the kitchen. Otherwise, the course would be open to all who are willing to attend.
I chose to create this course because cooking provides the opportunity for a person to cook from the heart. Also, cooking is such a universal skill that would attract a myriad of students. From my personal experience, it’s really fun to experiment with a recipe and be surprised at how good it turns out. I would love to foster that kind of environment. In this environment, even if the students’ passion for cooking varies, they would still be able to get together and create something great.