Community Corner

Teens Took The Heat And Stayed In Kitchen

18 Teens Signed Up For International Cooking Class

Outnumbered by approximately 18 teenagers, librarian Andrea Buka, was't flustered nor was she intimidated.

"I do this all the time," she said of directing five groups of students at varying age levels from seventh grade to twelfth grade who signed up for the International Cooking Class hosted by the Ledyard libraries.

The libraries' teen summer program this summer has an international theme and is loosely tied to the children's reading program, "One World, Many Stories."

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As part of the program this week, teenagers learned to cook a five-course meal, each course came from a different region of the world.

The students made:

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Summer Rolls from Asia

Cream of Peanut Soup from Africa

Paprikash from Eastern Europe

Papas Huancainas (potatoes with spicy cheese sauce) from South America

and, Anzac Biscuits from Australia

Timur Mason, whose favorite food is tuna casserole, was looking forward to expanding his cooking expertise to include the summer rolls.

"I've never cooked much," he said, though he admitted to being good at making pizza, omelets and spaghetti.

Samuel Epperson, who was assisting with the papas huancainas said that he doesn't cook much but it isn't that hard if you have the right role model.

"I've watched my mom cook," she's always cooking, he said. "I'm just putting what I saw from her into this. It seems pretty simple."


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