Of all the valuable lessons learned during a student’s time at Mount Carmel, nothing could be more pleasantly surprising than learning how to cook a good meal.

The Culinary Club started this past December, and since then, twice a month, moderators Mr. John O’Connor, Mrs. Erin Cronin, Ms. Mary Kate Byrnes, and Country House chef Mrs. Colleen Malone have brought students interested in cooking to the MC Commons’ kitchen to try it for themselves.

“This is something that I’ve been wanting to start for over a year,” Mr. O’Connor said. “It’s very important that they learn the very basics of cooking.”

The club had not begun doing any actual cooking until spring because members needed to first receive their sanitization certificates.

“Anyone can apply for one,” Mr. O’Connor said. “There’s about a 45-minute online class. It just kind of goes through the basic necessities needed to handle food and kitchen safety.”

Once members received their certificates, they cooked their first dish on March 3rd. It was an American, sharp cheddar, and pepper jack grilled cheese on asiago bread, served with pickles and chips. After familiarizing themselves with the kitchen, the Culinary Club began cooking, did their own cheese pull, and took their first bite.

“You take a bite and feel a little bit of that jalapeno,” senior member Gilbert Edmond said. Edmond has been cooking as a hobby for years. “We put a little celery salt on top of the bread. You just have a little bit of that earthy and salty taste. It was a good blend. It was just enough contrast to sort of complement the dish.”

The club has most recently made lemon chicken on March 18, served with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables. This was a dish suggested by one of the club members.

“This was my idea,” sophomore member Griffin Carney said. “I thought it would be a good idea because chicken is a great protein meal. Chicken is so versatile, you could cook it with so many things.”

Mr. Casey Gilhooly ’19, a chef from the Duck Inn, was invited to guide members while they prepared the lemon chicken.

“I think it’s good to learn from different people with different experiences,” he said. “Everybody’s got their own preferences and cuisines, so it’s better to get a wider view.”

After Mr. Gilhooly helped members dice their own vegetables, boil them in chicken broth, cook chicken, and prepare the sauce, the club was able to get their own taste. The review–amazing.

The next time the Culinary Club meets will actually not be to cook a new dish. Instead, they will be going on a field trip.

“Mrs. Cronin, who works at Tufano’s restaurant in Little Italy, worked it out that we will be going to Tufano’s on a field trip, probably the first week of April,” Mr. O’Connor said. “We’re going to be in their kitchen on a day when they’re serving their lunch so we can see what a real restaurant looks like during a time of day when they’re preparing food.”

This field trip is one of many future goals that the Culinary Club has in mind.

“We hope, before the year is over, to share a day with Country House in the cafeteria in the commons. ” Mr. O’Connor said. “Maybe even for a fundraising opportunity, we can sell some food for the walkathon.”

The Culinary Club is off to an ambitious and successful start, one that could not have happened without its members putting in the time, effort, and looking for growth.

“We need more members,” Edmond said. “Join the Culinary Club. It’s amazing, and it’s a good skill to have.”