Shawn Styles guest chefs at La Mesa Arts Academy in new cooking kitchen

LA MESA, Calif. — You may have noticed CBS 8’s Shawn Styles knows his way around a kitchen. Recently, his alma mater La Mesa Junior High – which is now La Mesa Arts Academy – asked him to share his culinary skills with students in their new kitchen classroom.

I am back on the campus of La Mesa Arts Academy and we’re in their brand-new cooking kitchen

“The kids are alive and enjoying being together learning all kinds of skills,” said teacher Debra Sands. 

She asked me to guest chef a class. I decided I would share baked maple brown sugar acorn squash. I took care of the cutting part and then showed the kids where to start. You just put the spoon in and you’re scraping the seeds out like that. 

Debra Sands teaches more than cooking in this kitchen.

“A lot of areas come into play – math, science come into play in the culinary class,” she said. 

That includes nutrition as well, which the students explained to me.

“I’ve learned about how the body takes in food… not just cooking,” one said. 

While talking with the kids we continue to get the squash ready to go in the oven with some seasoning, brown sugar, pepper and salt. Then the olive oil and maple syrup.

I’m making sure the apprentice chefs are getting hands-on training. And teaching them you can never have to much maple syrup, right?

Now it’s in the oven for one hour at 350 degrees.

I ask Debra Sands about the response to the class.

“Parents love it,” she said. “I had one mom say she’s bonding with her son.” 

“I bake stuff, I cook dinner for my family,” said one. “Steak on salad and hamburgers.”

These are smart kids planning ahead.

“It helps me learn how to do things to be ready for the future,” said another student. 

Speaking of the future our squash is done.

I liked how the maple brown sugar acorn turned out but the real test is the kids:

“You can taste the after taste of the sweet – it’s kind of buttery.”

The kids at La Mesa Arts Academy know what they are doing and it shows in their excitement to learn.

WATCH RELATED: Shawn Styles cooks with future chefs at La Mesa Arts Academy  – May 2019