For AHS students who are interested in cooking, classes have been limited to the ones that are offered in school. However, as of September 21^st, there’s another option; the M&M Catering and Cooking School.

The M&M Catering and Cooking School is run by Mawa McQueen and Daniel Liesener, and their goal is to help students feel comfortable with cooking, kitchen appliances, dining etiquette, baking classes, basic cooking, and much more.

When you walk into the cooking school, the first thing intended to catch your eye is a quote painted on the wall, which reads: “Welcome to M&M cooking school. A place where passion meets balance and moderation.” This is what McQueen and Liesener want people to see first, for they think that it sums up what the school is all about.

“It’s not all about the cooking. It’s about the experience, and learning and just having fun,” said Liesener. “It’s about the people you’re sharing the experience with.”

And the experience of an out of school cooking class with a variety of people is exactly what freshman, Nakiri Gallagher-Cave wants.

“I would want to take an out of school cooking class, because it wouldn’t be a graded course, and there would probably be less liability, so I would be able to experiment more. Also, if it was for all ages, I would be able to learn from people with more or different experience. However if it was all my age group, I’d be able to make new friends!” said Gallagher-Cave.

McQueen and Liesener express that cooking is all about the experience, and what mood you’re in effects your cooking, and that the people you’re with make a difference too. After each cooking class, the people who participated all sit down at a large, nicely decorated dining table and enjoy the product of the class together.

The cooking classes the cooking school offers vary from Butchering 101 to Intro to French cuisine.

“We offer almost anything you can think of,” said McQueen.

McQueen and Liesener say that they really hope teens will be interested in their program.

“It’s great if they’re looking for some out of school experience. We have eight different chefs, and each has his or her specialty. If people are looking to take cooking further, or focus on a specific form of cooking, it’s definitely a great place to come to,” said Liesener.

The first class, which was a kid’s cooking class from ages 8-11, that was offered was September 21^st, and it was a success. . McQueen said that they couldn’t have asked for a better start. The enthusiasm and appreciation they’ve received has been incredible.

Another focus of the M&M Catering and Cooking school is that it’s seasonal.

“You could take one class in the winter, and then take it again in the summer, and have a completely different experience,” said McQueen.

More than anything else, McQueen and Liesener just want people to take something valuble away from their classes, whether it’s learning how to cook a meal, or meeting a new friend.

“We really just want people to learn,” said Liesener. “Isn’t that what life’s all about?”