April 24, 2012
Cypress Palm Middle Students Get a Taste of Spain

Lunch certainly wasn't peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for about one hundred Cypress Palm Middle School students on Tuesday, April 24, as they got to experience something with a little bit of Spanish flair.  Executive Chef Paul Schmidgall, from Fire & Rice,hosted a “Paella Tasting Event” starting at 11:00 a.m., at the school for students in CPM teacher Carmen Komninos’ Spanish 1 classes.  School Board Chair Roy Terry stopped by, as well, for a sampling of the dish.

The students have spent the school year learning about cultures and foods from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries.  As they got ready to embark on a unit about Spain, Chef Paul demonstrated how to make paella – a flavorful mix of tasty ingredients that many refer to as the country’s national dish.  Paella is a rice dish made with fresh seafood or meats, or a combination of both, plus some vegetables.  Traditionally, the dish is cooked on a “paellera” – a large, round, shallow pan with two handles, commonly made of polished steel.

CPM students watched as Chef Paul shared his knowledge and passion for cooking this traditional Spanish dish.  What better way to learn about the Spanish culture than by experiencing a taste of it first-hand?