By Gabriel A. Perez

My zeal for cooking came from the Sunday morning baking sessions I once shared with my mother during my youth. To my best recollection I was no older than seven, and I could not help but watch with fascination as my mother ran back and forth from the kitchen, carrying arms full of ingredients - bananas, cinnamon, baking soda - all laid gently out on our countertop. From there we would begin mashing bananas, stirring the batter, sprinkling cinnamon, until we finally had our delicious golden-brown mixture. After we'd eat some with our family for breakfast and donated the rest to our local parish, she grabbed the pink piece of paper on which the recipe was already written, and jotted down "Gabriel's Banana Bread" atop the header. I still have it to this day. 

I started the Cooking Club in loving memory of those baking sessions we once held together, inspired the teachings of cooking and service she imparted with me. I am proud of the impact that my extended family of Chefs have been able to have on our small corner of South Florida, and am excited to continue this work for years to come.

-  Gabriel A. Perez (Founder/President, CCHS Cooking Club)