Culinary Creativity

Alina Argueta’s Spanish 2A students applied their language skills to designing restaurant menus this month, offering popular dishes from various Hispanic cultures worldwide. While the cuisine might be from Guatemala, Valencia, or Argentina, the restaurant had to be located in the United States and cater to expats missing food from home. Each student chose a Spanish-speaking country and researched the food and drink that best characterizes their cuisine. Then, they crafted realistic-looking menus with the name and information about the restaurant, pictures of dishes, and choices for at least three drinks, three appetizers, five entrees, four soups or salads, and three desserts.

However, designing a culturally authentic menu was just one part of the assignment. Each student also had to give a presentation in which they played the part of the restauranteur, sharing their recommendations (in Spanish, of course) for what their classmates should order at the restaurant, describing each dish and its ingredients in as enticing a way as possible. The class is currently studying direct and indirect objects, so Alina required them to craft their script for the presentation to include both as they described each menu selection. They also had to include pricing information and offer discounts to persuade potential customers. 

To make the presentation even more exciting, Alina challenged students to vote for their favorite restaurant based on food quality, menu variety, and affordability. One student added a sweet touch by bringing in alfajores, traditional Argentinian sandwich cookies, for classmates to sample during his presentation. Others enjoyed Alina’s hot chocolate and Mexican bread, creating a lively and delicious atmosphere as students showcased their language skills and culinary discoveries.