Cooking and learning how to prepare food is an essential part of life. Everybody eats food, so why not learn to make some of your favorite dishes yourself? This is the thought process behind the creation of Culinary Connections 520. As established last spring, Culinary Connections 520 is the first cooking club at Townsend Harris High School and aims to help Harrisites bond with fellow cooking enthusiasts.

After a lengthy process, CC520 was approved, becoming one of three new clubs to join THHS recently. Junior Kayla Kha, co-president of the club, said, “The way the club was created was complicated. There were two cooking clubs that wanted to form, but we had to merge.” Initially, one potential club wanted to have a central focus on East Asian recipes. However, they were forced to merge in order to qualify for a chance to facilitate a cooking club at THHS. After merging, there were many complications , such as leadership positions, cultures to focus on, and how the club would run. Aside from their initial deferring ideas, both clubs wanted to educate students about the culinary field and expose them to different types of foods. Nonetheless, the club attracted many eager Harrisites and piqued their interest with this newly added activity. 

Junior Camille Lin, co-president alongside Kayla, encourages students to come and learn the basic skills of cooking. She said, “Now, we prioritize school [but] in college, some people aren’t able to go out every day, so…it’s a special skill to have.” Kayla added, “When you live on your own, you’re going to be independent and can’t rely on delivery food. It’s good to know how to make your own food, save money, and make healthier choices.”

As for the future of the CC520 club, the cooks wish to have more resources for their club. Kayla stated, “We hope to use hot plates because there isn’t enough power in classrooms. We [also] hope to use actual heat for cooking.” Unlike cooking clubs in many other schools, which have direct access to the appliances and tools necessary for creating more advanced dishes, THHS has no kitchens available for student use. 

Despite these setbacks and a lack of resources, the board members have found ways to continue making delicious snacks. So far, the club has held four meetings and each has been met with success as they introduce new treats for all of its members to try. Some of the many easy and heatless foods they’ve already made include poppin’ cookin’, Japanese fruit sandos, DIY desserts, and pumpkin parfaits.

The club meets bi-weekly on Thursdays in room 635. Their Instagram page is @thhsculinaryconnections520.

Photo by Shuvarthee Barua