West Mabee cooks Cajun

Hershey’s Hugs. Mr. Goodbar bites. Sweet Tarts. Chocolate cupcake. If you’re thinking, wow, kids really eat a lot of sweets on Valentine’s Day, you would be right, but actually I am the one who ate the above. So it was a treat to eat fresh-cooked gumbo and jambalaya when I visited the West Mabee Boys & Girls Club yesterday. West Mabee director Jamar Giddings said he came up with the Cajun menu as an antidote to all the sweets the kids had eaten at school. To celebrate Valentine’s Day at the club, eight kids in the Tuesday cooking class cooked and served the meal to the rest of the kids, a group of about 20. The class is learning about cooking, serving and etiquette. “Etiquette is all over the place,” Jamar said. Safety is too. As they are cooking, Jamar went over some of the rules. “Where are we when we’re cooking?” he asked. “At our stations!” the kids shouted. They learned how to simmer and slant their spoons when stirring. They learned how to salt food lightly and how to tell when rice is done. They stuck plastic spoons in their pots and took a taste. They know they can’t stick the spoon in again, so should they throw their spoons away? “Save them for later,” Jamar said. “We’re not Emeril yet.” Thanks to Jamar, Mia Hannah, Yakala Sharpe, Michael McHenry, Kevin Lovell, Nolan Walters, Destini Richard, Edward Gaston and Journey Jacobs for my most scrumptious Valentine’s Day gift! -Sallie

-Sallie