TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The head chef and owner of the local restaurant, Tito and Pep, went to Miller Elementary School to motivate students to explore the connection between food, math and science.
Chef John Martinez taught three fifth graders how to make a Caesar salad, turning a simple recipe into a fun science lesson. Martinez and his sous-chefs made all components of the salad from scratch, using their five senses.
“I think it's an important thing for the kids to really be able to kind of think about how food comes together, or at least think about how they're tasting things," said Martinez. "It kind of activates, you know, that connection between their palate and their mind and their thought process.
Martinez tells me he started cooking at a young age with his grandma. He says learning to cook at a young age helps develop lifelong skills like math when measuring ingredients.
Fifth grader Anolani and two others had the opportunity to cook alongside Martinez only after submitting a paper about why cooking is special to them.
“I wrote about how I just always wanted to cook and I've loved it since I was a little girl and it's always been my dream to cook on television," Anolani said.
It was Anolani’s first time cooking with a professional, but says she’s very familiar with the kitchen.
“I cook for my little brother all the time and I just love helping out with everything," Anolani said. "It’s like a hobby for me, to help out.”
Anolani says she wants to become a chef and open her restaurant one day just like Martinez.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
