Bayview High School Students' Food to be on Menu at Local Cafe

An 11th grade U.S. History class at Bayview High School doesn't involve the typical book cramming and pop quizzes. Students are learning the curriculum through the culinary arts.

"It was amazing to see how we started off with just talking about Jamestown and how people were starving because they didn't have access to food to the Revolutionary War and the conditions that people were in. To see them be able to take those ideas and make their own dish..." said Cassie Mentzer, a Bayview High School U.S. History Teacher. 

A local non profit called Arts At Large partners with Milwaukee Public Schools to make classes like this happen.

"We focus on bringing local artists into MPS classrooms, from Kindergarten to 12th grade, to enhance education," said Evan Sandherr with Arts At Large.

Ms. Mentzer's class is the pilot class to bring culinary arts into the classroom. 

Honeypie sous chef, Christopher Bory came to the class once a week to teach them about how to make the most of local and seasonal foods, like the pilgrims had to.

The students divided into groups and created their own 18th century dish. A panel of judges tasted the food made by each team, and the winning dish will be featured at the Honeypie Cafe.

The winning dish was Goat Curry Couscous. It will be on the menu in the coming weeks, and profits from dish will go to a local food charity.

"I thought of it as an honor," said Zaquwon Appleton, a junior at Bayview High School who helped come up with the winning dish.