I walked into the FACS lab and saw students buzzing around, making final adjustments to their pizza creations. They were ensuring the best possible bake and presentation, opening the pizza boxes to display their slices for the judges. They stood proudly behind the counter, ready to serve, with freshly washed hands and mostly clean white aprons.
I grabbed a plate and walked up to the first table. A French-inspired pizza with toppings of brie, olives, and anchovies. "We decided for bold, French flavors," one student told me. Bold, indeed.
"I'm okay with anchovies," I said. I took a slice and added it to my plate, waiting to bite into it until I was away from anticipatory eyes. It smelled pungent to say the least.
On to the next table, "Our pizza is also French, but inspired by ratatouille," the student showed me the neatly diced veggies adorning the homemade crust. "This pizza is also cruelty free- no dairy or meat products." It was bright and colorful, and I admired the students' consideration of vegetarian/vegan diets.
I went down the line, collecting a Cuban-inspired pizza with gouda cheese and prosciutto toppings, a Thai-pizza with carrots, bell peppers, peanut sauce, and cilantro, a Lebanese pizza (dubbed "lebanizza") with tzatziki, yellow rice, and diced tomatoes, and an Argentinian pizza with white sauce, herbs, and carne asada. By the end of the line, I had a full plate of creations, some more promising than others.
I took bites of each piece and filled out the rubrics, deciding which pizza was the tastiest and most visually appealing. The students take the competition very seriously, and the vibe in the room was tense as other teachers made their rounds, tasting and voting.
One of the students from the bold French group stopped me before I went out the door, "Did you like it?" he asked.
"Let me ask you, did you like it?" I responded.
"Oh, I didn't try it! I'm not eating anchovies!" He exclaimed.
The rest of the group chimed in, "Me neither, that's so gross!"
"I'm fasting so I can't eat right now."
"That cheese smelled terrible!"
I laughed a little then paused, "Let me give you guys a little tip from cook to cook- always taste your own food!"
They nodded, picking up what I was putting down. I went on to teach my third period class with a full belly and high hopes that the culinary adventure would not turn into indigestion later.