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Class Serves Up Tips On Cooking

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By LENORA LAKE

llake@tampatrib.com

Published: January 28, 2009

UNIVERSITY AREA - Alex Torres has gotten to use at home some of what he has learned in his cooking class.

Alex, 9, a third-grader at Mort Elementary, has been talking about food and wanting to help at home since he began the program about six weeks ago. It was offered through the Mort NFL Youth Education Town (YET) Center, an education and recreation center, supported in part by the National Football League, at Mort Park.

"I love it; I liked that they showed us the recipe and it was hands-on," said Alex, one of 15 students who recently completed the program, taught by William Mitchell, a chef from Publix Apron's Cooking School.

The students celebrated their successes Jan. 20 with a dinner for their families, members of the YET Center board of directors and representatives of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The meal, prepared by Mitchell and two other chefs, was served by the students to 70 guests at the University Area Community Center. Mitchell said dinner of lasagna, white bean soup, salad, fresh vegetables and strawberry pazzo, required too much preparation for the number of guests for the students to accomplish after school.

"The kids have been awesome," Mitchell said.

Over the weeks, they cooked grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, chicken soup, tomato soup, chocolate and other dishes.

Teresa James-Scavotto, 10, a fourth-grader at Chiles Elementary, said pudding was her favorite because she liked the dark chocolate in the recipe.

Several YET Center representatives, speaking to the guests, said the program was designed to encourage families to cook and eat together.

"One of the initiatives of the NFL is to healthy kids; we do the fitness and now this is the heath," said Joe Troupe, Hillsborough County community coordinator for the center.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851.

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