If silence at the dinner table unless someone is asking for seconds while smiling big is the indicator of a good meal, then lunch this past Saturday at Edgar’s Bistro was one for the history books, at least for the gathered families. The only sounds heard through the meal were sighs of delight, discussions about the ingredients used, and questions on when people could get seconds.

Walking around the room and talking with the families were high school aged young women in the Girls Dig Deeper Initiative (GDDI), a partner of the Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) program. They had just finished a Fall Break culinary camp at Helms College, and the culminating project was this opulent meal of spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, and dessert. They had learned every aspect of being a chef, from creating the ingredient list to preparing the material to cooking to serving.

“It’s been girl power all week. They created every aspect of this amazing meal,” Chef Jess Snider – also Helms College Student Support Advisor – told the crowd with a big grin after the meal. “Thank you for being the kind of families that let them do these kinds of activities and trust us to create these experiences.”

Before she spoke to the crowd and before they were introduced individually for a panel discussion about their experience, Chef Snide gave the girls a pep talk about what they had experienced.

“Make sure to cheer each other on and call each other chefs because that’s what you are now…chefs,” she told them.

“And I’m going to introduce you as chefs,” Najiva Timothee, GDDI Founder and Executive Director, told them as she also wore a huge smile. She then stood in front of the families and – to the wild cheers of moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, and community members – introduced each of them individually and as ‘Chef.’ Dressed in their new chef hats and aprons – which Helms College provided to each of them – they answered questions in front of their families about the experience.

“You can’t be a scared cook. Get in there and do your best,” Chef Autumn said when asked what advice she would give other girls. “If you make a mistake, just make sure to correct it before the food is served.”

“When you touch and cut garlic, it stays on your hand for soooooo many days,” Chef Queen said to a lot of laughter when asked for one thing she learned.

“I really enjoyed meeting the chefs; they are amazing role models,” Chef Emmalee said. Each evening, the ladies got to meet female chefs who had graduated from Helms College as a way to show them how to advance their careers in that field. And to show them there was a path for them.

“These past four days, I learned a lot more about cooking, and it helped me realize I can get in the kitchen to cook without being nervous,” Chef Neveah told the group.

It’s obvious the young women had a great time throughout the camp, and that they were confident in their skills. In the moments before lunch was served, they were not nervous at all on how the meal would be received. They were relaxed, joking with each other, and talking about different aspects of the camp.

For the first three days, the young women learned how to prepare a full, high-quality meal from beginning to end, including creating an ingredient list, shopping, preparation, cooking pasta, putting together the perfect salad, cooking garlic bread, table preparation, and more. On the fourth and final day is when they served the amazing lunch and held the panel discussion. The Throughout the camp, they learned more about Helms College, its programs, and the careers made possible after graduation.

“What’s the first thing we do before anything else?” Chef Jess asked the ladies at the start of the second night.

“Wash our hands,” they said in near unison.

“Good. I’m going to give each of you a prep list, and I’m gonna be working alongside you,” Chef Jess told them before showing them how to properly dice an onion. “You use your hands to stabilize everything. Cut in a straight line down, about a quarter inch apart.”

The ladies were watching attentively, some giggling nervously. But they were very focused, and when it was their turn, they moved purposefully and carefully.

“Do you know why we try to make the pieces the same size?” Chef Jess asks them. “It’s so they cook at the same rate.”

Among the sounds of vegetables being chopped, the chefs moved between each of the ladies, offering advice and guidance. Also present were them saying things like “sharp knife behind you,” “corner,” and other phrases familiar to anyone who has spent time in a commercial kitchen. Part of the training was to get them used to working in this type of environment, which meant treating it as if they were preparing a meal at all times.

“Our young ladies really expressed an interest in the culinary arts and becoming chefs, so I wanted to give them this chance to get some real experience,” says Najiva.

It wasn’t just the families that were excited about the food that was cooked…the ladies had obviously tried some new recipes they wanted to take home with them.

“I want Chef Jess’ cookie recipe.” The young women all cheered that on. Another chimed in asking for the banana pudding recipe. From the reactions to the camp itself and to the meal, it was a hit from start to finish, for both the young women and the families. Chef Autumn’s favorite part of the camp, which brought nods and cheers from the entire group of new chefs?

“Seeing everyone’s faces as they enjoyed the food.”