Scholars and Chefs

Although we fancy ourselves food critics, Carol and I are both Middle School English teachers. I have worked at The Children's Storefront School in Harlem for the past ten years. Located in three brownstones on 129th Street, The Storefront is unique because it is the only tuition free independent school in the city. 

Dress-Up Day at The Storefront began three years ago when a fellow teacher, Juliana Garofalo, and I decided that we needed to inject some positive energy into the week before Winter Break. Anyone who works in a school knows that the days before a long break can be marked by exhaustion and anxiety.  Somehow our small idea turned into a feast that continues to remind us of the creativity and dedication of our students, parents, and faculty. 

Students in grades five through eight were given two expectations. The first was that they dress up (because school is always a special occasion), and the second was that they recruit their peers to bring enough food so that the fabulous women in our cafeteria could have a well deserved break. 

This year our students, lead by the 8th grade, truly outdid themselves. They planned, executed, and printed menus. They set up family style tables, and some even stayed up late cooking and baking for their classmates. 

Although, The Storefront is over 85 percent black, the variety of food represented the diversity of cultures in our community.  Students shared dishes such as vegetarian empanadas, yellow rice, hoppin' john, curry chicken, pasta salad, fresh fruit, and of course, cornbread. 

This year, Dress Up Day provided students the opportunity to bond with their teachers in a unique way. One teacher told me about waking up on the couch at midnight and running to the store to purchase ingredients for the macaroni and cheese he promised to provide for the banquet. Another teacher, who is known to be a stern disciplinarian, delighted the students with his pineapple pudding. (See the recipe below).

Today was a great day; watching our students develop the confidence that comes from envisioning a project and carrying it through to fruition was priceless. But now I am ready for vacation . . .

To learn more about The Children's Storefront please visit:  http://www.thechildrensstorefront.org/

Pineapple Pudding (The Official Dessert of the Math Department)

2 Cans Crushed Pineapple

12 Slices White Bread  (crust removed and cubed)

1 ¾ Cup Sugar

2 Sticks Melted Butter

8     Eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix butter and sugar.

3. Add eggs one at a time.

4. Add pineapple and juice.

5. Mix in bread.

6. Put cinnamon on top.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until knife comes out dry.