By Tom Devine ‘20

There are not too many better feelings than getting a whiff of fresh apple pie right out of the oven.

On Nov. 5, ten hungry Crusaders got to experience that wonderful scent from the Brother Rice cooking class.

Students met in the Brother Rice cafeteria to take part in the class. The class went from 5:30 to roughly 7 p.m.

Upon arrival, the aspiring chefs were greeted by Br. Hayes, who showed them the steps to create the pies. Br. Hayes was just the right fit for instructing class, not only because of his “master chef” abilities, but also his great sense of humor that helped students throughout the evening.

Br. Hayes said, “My goal is to teach students to cook using recipes with under six ingredients. Simple things they could do when they are in college. That way they will not just eat Ramen noodles.”

“My hope is that the students go home and try these recipes by themselves. My favorite thing is to hear back from parents who tell me that their son cooked for them and the food was good,” said Br. Hayes.

Cooking class veteran, Mark Kelly, also helped out the rookies with making the pies. Mark was a huge benefit to me since we are senior classmates and have known each other for many years.

“My favorite part about the cooking class is the hands-on capability of it. Br. Hayes teaches us the techniques on what needs to be done. Another thing I love about the cooking class is that we get to eat our food right after we are done in the cafeteria,” said Mark Kelly.

Even though the cooking class involves meeting new friends, having a fun time, and learning something new, the best part about the class is by far tasting the finished product. I was able to brag to my family that I knew Br. Hayes’s “secret recipe.” However, I was generous enough to share the pie and not eat it all by myself.

“The pie that Tom made was completely mesmerizing. I hope he can bake another one for our family on Thanksgiving,” my sister Theresa said.

For those who missed out on the action, you will soon be able to sign up for the next class in December. The class will be making pizza!