District News
![What’s Cookin’?]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754319144/shsdorg/iukx08mdlwid2edur0zl/10-WhatsCo.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1754319144/shsdorg/iukx08mdlwid2edur0zl/10-WhatsCo.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1754319144/shsdorg/iukx08mdlwid2edur0zl/10-WhatsCo.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1754319144/shsdorg/iukx08mdlwid2edur0zl/10-WhatsCo.png","width":900}])
What’s Cookin’?
We all know that age-old question… What’s for dinner? Well, Bernardsville Middle School 6th graders have cooked up a solution to that, in their recently published cookbook called BMS Cooks! The cookbook is a collaboration of family recipes; some are accompanied by drawings of the dishes, while others include a brief history of why the recipe is extra special.
The project was part of a STEAM class taught by Bernardsville Middle School Art Teacher Salome Chaffee. Students started collecting and sharing recipes in late fall 2024 and published the hardcover cookbook in April 2025. During that span of time, they even studied the history of bookbinding and publishing. Although it began with STEAM, her art students heard about it and were eager to join in! “The next thing I knew, almost the whole grade was included,” said Chaffee.
In addition to dinners, the cookbook contains breakfast options, lunch ideas, and, of course, an assortment of mouthwatering baked goods and desserts. A wide variety of countries were represented, including Italy, Israel, Guatemala, Germany, Paraguay, Ireland, Spain, Costa Rica, and Poland to name a few; some recipes were written in languages such as Hebrew, Spanish, French and more.
As Dr. Brotschul highlighted in his recent Superintendent Report at the May 13th Board of Education Meeting, “What struck me the most were the common themes in so many of the recipe write-ups. Students took such pride in their culture, expressed how a particular dish was a ‘tradition’ within their family, and shared how it was passed down four (or more!) generations.”
What is clear about this project is that some things transcend time. Recipes are rarely just ingredients. Food nourishes the body, heart and soul. Through recipes being handed down, younger generations get to know layers of their past; they see where they came from and how it influences who they are today. They catch a glimpse of their great-great-grandmother whom they never got to meet…while standing in the kitchen laughing with mom or dad…rolling out pasta dough, stuffing dumplings, or frying latkes.
Kudos to all of the grade 6 “student chefs” and to their teacher, Salome Chaffee.