What’s your superpower?
In addition to her talent for teaching, Social Studies and Art Coordinator Stephanie Peterson loves to cook. If you visit her office, you may be lucky enough to taste one of her amazing snacks. Today, it was macaroons and roasted rosemary nuts.
Peterson, an 11-year veteran of District 742, is known for her food passion. Her love of food, creativity and cooking started years ago while she was working part-time for Williams Sonoma in downtown Seattle, Washington.
“I worked with a creative team,” explains Peterson. “It was a diverse staff and we always talked about cooking, food and restaurants.”
When she moved to Kansas City to put her teaching license to work, she started experimenting with food and cooking at home.
“I started trying things . . . and started collecting cookbooks,” says Peterson. “I have an adventurous spirit and am willing to try anything. Whenever I travel, as a memento, I buy a cookbook from that city, region or restaurant we visit.”
In fact, she loves cooking so much, she started a blog.
For her blog, (which is on the “back burner” right now) Peterson purchases a new cookbook every week. She and her children pick out 10 recipes to make during the week. As a family, they rate the recipes-good or bad-and then Peterson critiques the cookbook in her weekly blog. Although life has been busy this past year, she’d like to start the blog back up again soon.
“I like the mix of structure and creativity with it [cooking],” says Peterson. “When you get to a certain skill, you can read a recipe and know what it will taste like beforehand.”
She also likes the challenge of something new.
Just recently, Peterson’s neighborhood threw a party for a neighbor who’d moved. Peterson volunteered to do a crawfish boil-something she’s never done before but had always wanted to try.
“I get excited to research new things, ingredients, recipes and techniques,” Peterson smiles. “There’s a showmanship to it, too – taking a look at everyone’s reaction. Food builds community.”
That excitement is one of the reasons Peterson has been doing the United Way Progressive Dinner fundraiser for the Imagination Library for the last four years. It is her favorite fundraiser of the year.
“It’s fun to participate as a chef and a participant,” says Peterson.
The funds raised go toward the Imagination Library, a program that mails free books to kids each month to age five. Peterson knows it is such a critical time for kids to be reading. It’s a way to tie her passion for educating kids with her passion for cooking.
If asked what her signature dish is, she’ll say her kids love her spaghetti and meatballs. Her beef tenderloin for special occasions is another one her favorites.
And yet…
“Macaroons are my superpower!” exclaims Peterson. “But, I make great paninis. My daughter says I have a condiment problem, but when you’re making sandwiches, you have to have a lot of choices. That’s the secret. It’s all about the sauce.”
She makes very few dishes regularly because she loves to try new recipes. However, what she really likes is when her husband tries one of her new dishes and says, “Steph, this is restaurant quality.” That’s when she knows she’s reached a new height in her other superpower-cooking.
I am teacher. I am cook. #IAM742
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