Students gain life skills, teamwork, and confidence while discovering the joy of cooking

By Cherry Dumaual

NEW FAIRFIELD — Step into the kitchen of the New Fairfield High School (NFHS) Culinary Class, and it feels more like a professional restaurant kitchen than a typical classroom. Students work with commercial-style cooking equipment and tools used by professional chefs, learning skills that extend far beyond recipes.

Behind the program is Chef Andrea Forzaglia, who has taught Culinary Arts at NFHS for the past 10 years. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Chef Forzaglia is passionate about helping students discover confidence, creativity, and practical life skills through cooking.

“I love helping my students find their passion,” she said.

The culinary program includes Culinary I, Culinary II, and Culinary Honors courses for students ranging from sophomores to seniors. What was once called Foods and Nutrition has evolved into a broader culinary curriculum focused on hands-on cooking, teamwork and real-world applications.

Learning Through Teamwork

When students arrive in class, they first put on their chef uniforms, wash their hands and divide into groups to prepare the day’s menu.

At a recent class, students were making No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars. The atmosphere was energetic and collaborative as students took turns stirring oats and rice cereal, melting butter, honey and brown sugar over medium heat, and pressing the mixture into sheet pans before topping it with chocolate and colorful chips.

What stood out most was the enthusiasm of the students and the teamwork involved in the cooking process.

A common sentiment among students was how much they enjoyed working together while learning practical skills they could use at home.

Caylin, a junior, said she enjoys learning cooking techniques and wants to bring those skills back to her family. She also appreciates understanding the science behind cooking and learning how ingredients work together.

Another junior, Mia, said she hopes to someday become a master chef — a goal the class may help inspire.

Building Skills for Life

Speaking with juniors Austin and Macie reinforced how much students value the practical side of the class.

Austin joked that he enjoys the class because he likes to eat, but he added that it also teaches him skills that allow him to cook for himself and better appreciate ingredients. For Macie, the class has inspired her to cook more often at home. She especially enjoys the teamwork and collaboration involved in preparing meals together.

Senior Arianna, a member of Culinary Honors, said she has learned about menu planning, event preparation and safe food service practices. Culinary Honors students also help develop menus for teacher meetings and school events, giving them additional hands-on experience.

Chef Forzaglia said one of the most rewarding parts of teaching is seeing students gain confidence through accomplishments in the kitchen. For example, she described how students successfully made bagels completely from scratch. She also emphasized the practical value of culinary education. “They’re going to have to feed themselves,” she said. “They have this knowledge that they can just go buy a whole chicken at the store and then be able to cook four meals out of it.”

Inspiring Future Careers

Chef Forzaglia said several former students have gone on to pursue culinary careers, including attending Culinary Institute of America and her alma mater, Johnson & Wales. “If it’s something that they really want to do, I totally encourage it,” she said.

She also enjoys hearing from former students who continue using recipes and techniques they learned in class. “I still do the biscuit recipe that we learned,” a former student told her years later.

Chef Forzaglia believes students at NFHS are fortunate to have access to a culinary program rarely found in public schools.“I visited some other schools, but I think these students are very lucky, because there’s not a lot of public schools that have this program,” she said. She noted that many students interested in culinary education would otherwise need to attend a technical school to receive similar training.

In addition to teaching cooking techniques, Chef Forzaglia has also helped connect students with the broader community through collaborations with the New Fairfield Senior Center, helping bridge generational gaps through food and shared experiences.