Students at Athens Intermediate School are exploring the art of cooking after Media Specialist Dana Pressnell and Library Instructional Aide Kathy Brooks created the Cookbook Corner to stir up interest in cooking and baking.

“A student came into the library and asked if we had any cookbooks available for checkout. The few we had were fairly dated — the format wasn’t fresh and the layout was basic without pictures or detailed instructions,” Pressnell explained.

Pressnell and Brooks acquired updated cookbooks and even began creating a unique cookbook for students.

“The most popular cookbook is compiled of Athens City School employees’ favorite recipes. It’s a simple 3-ring binder of photocopied recipes. Our students are dying to get their hands on it,” Pressnell said. “We hope to ignite a passion for a hobby or maybe even a career.”

Pressnell and Brooks’ effort has ignited a passion for cooking in many of their students, including Marleigh Burks.

“It’s fun, it’s really fun. Because you get to figure out new stuff,” Burks said.

To Burks, cleaning up the mess is a lot of the fun because she gets to “explore more stuff” in her kitchen.

Pressnell and Brooks are impressed by Burks’ creating a rating system for each of her meals.

“I normally rate the stuff I make because most of the stuff I cook is good but some of it’s not very good,” Burks said.

For Burks, she believes that part of the fun is trying new things.

“I really don’t know if it’s gonna taste good, I just like to try new things a lot,” Burks said. “I have tried so much new stuff…I just taste try everything.”

Her favorite thing she’s made is a gingerbread snowman bowl.

“It took about an hour or two to make it but it was fun molding it and getting it in the right shape and decorating it with my sister,” Burks said.

Community members can donate cookbooks and individual recipes to Athens Intermediate School for students like Burks to check out from the library.

Recipes can be emailed to Dana Pressnell at dana.pressnell@acs-k12.org and cookbooks can be dropped off in the front office of Athens Intermediate School.