The smell of sizzling garlic and soy sauce lingered in Room 114 after school as students took part in a new experience. On Wednesday, Feb. 11, The One Big Pot Cooking Club held its first official meeting with one recipe and goal in mind: to bring students together through cooking, collaborating and sharing—all with the Special Education students leading the way.
As a way to introduce Special Education students to a wider range of practical lessons applicable to everyday life, Multiple Disabilities teacher John Demers established the club as a collective effort by the Special Education department. For many Special Education students, learning to cook extends beyond preparing meals—it provides an opportunity to practice skills such as following directions, making decisions and working independently, all of which can support a smoother transition into adulthood.
“In our program, our big goal [and] overarching mission is to help our students become more independent when they’re adults,” Demers said. “Over the years, we were always looking for creative ways to get the kids excited and engaged, [and] cooking meals is one of the greatest tickets to independent living.”
Through Demers’ personal experiences with food—particularly writing cookbooks and running cooking classes, which earned him the nickname “Mr. Food”—he has seen firsthand how it can transform communities and be a critical step toward maturity.
“I’ve taught [mostly] adults and a few children’s cooking classes. They were fun, lively and people laughed a lot. I still really seek that,” Demers said. “[Through my prior experience,] a lot of [educational food] material was both researched and put into my head while getting ready for those classes. I’d like to think they are good stories that our McLean students will [also] enjoy.”
As symbolized in the name, the One Big Pot Cooking Club’s connection to food extends beyond its benefits for student independence. Demers’ goal is to also introduce new cultural dishes and further expose students to global culture.
“What I saw with our students is that they are rather international; they’ve grown up in a world where eating [international food] is a regular thing. I want to find them where they are on internationalism, and take them farther,” Demers said. “I find that food is a great peacemaker. It’s a great bridge between cultures. By gathering [together,] I hope to build the beginnings of a relationship, a friendship and a respect that this world needs a lot.”
During the meeting, students were introduced to Chinese beef and broccoli with cashews. The session began with a brief introduction of the dish by Demers, including its cultural flavors and history.
“I was excited to try something new,” sophomore Alison Villeda Lopez said. “[It was a fun challenge] because it’s different from the Honduran food [I eat at home where] they make food with more beans and cheese.”
Each student was assigned a specific ingredient to prepare as part of the group effort. While some chopped broccoli, others sliced the meat or minced garlic and onions. By designating tasks, every student played a role in bringing the dish together.
“[The greatest obstacle was] cooking the onions [because] it seemed pretty hard and I thought I would get my eyes burned,” Villeda Lopez said. “It was like overcoming a new fear during [the meeting] since I had never done it before.”
The session was filled with new learning opportunities for the students to build practical skills in a supportive environment. From mastering basic knife skills to frying vegetables and meat together in the pan, many learned unfamiliar cooking techniques while gaining confidence in the kitchen under Demers’ guidance. For Villeda Lopez, the experience transformed cooking from something done for her into something she could do herself.
“Mr. Demers helped me [become] more independent and learn how to cook [stir-fry] for myself in the future without relying on my parents,” Villeda Lopez said. “I had never been able to do that before the meeting today.”
Beyond teaching recipes, Demers created an environment where students felt confident taking on new challenges and developing skills they could carry into adulthood.
“You could say I’m teaching, but I am sharing a lot of methods, techniques and even tricks, with [the students while we cook together],” Demers said.
In just 30 minutes, students turned their prep work into a finished dish to share with everyone.
“The dish was actually really good. I have eaten Chinese food at a restaurant before, [but what we made together] was different,” Villeda Lopez said. “It was better because we made it ourselves, and it had more flavor than dishes I’ve had from restaurants.”
Many students hope to carry the skills they learned into their everyday lives, using them to prepare meals more independently at home.
“I think I’ll [be able to implement] the skills I learned today in the dishes I already eat, like chicken and mac and cheese [to enhance it],” senior Dagny Andrews said.
The One Big Pot Cooking Club created a space where students could learn practical skills through shared experience and collaboration. The club hopes to remain active throughout the rest of the school year, featuring a new dish from a different country at every session.
“For starters, we will meet once a month. [Every meeting], I’m going to make sure we are making food that comes from different places, and that they all have great stories to tell about people,” Demers said.
