Our Spanish department recently teamed up with Acre Gourmet and Tali Biale (Food Program Manager), to combine language learning with preparing Mexican cuisine. On February 13, Chef Jose Suarez (Acre), was interviewed by middle school students. They asked him a variety of questions in Spanish, learning about his Yucatan Peninsula origins and his favorite dessert (flan). In conjunction with the interview, Mr. Suarez showed students all of the ingredients needed to make Pico de Gallo.

On February 14, students worked in groups preparing Watermelon Agua Fresca and Fruit Salad, Salsa Verde with Avocado, Pico de Gallo, and Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Vanilla. While making the dishes, students used their reading skills to follow the recipe in Spanish. As part of the lesson plan students also wrote down 4-5 Spanish words to describe the taste of food items.

This photo shows students creating rice pudding with cinnamon and vanilla.