With the Fire on High: 19. An Art Form Summary & Analysis

Emoni struggles not to cry as she enters the classroom kitchen. She’s never been in a professional kitchen before, and she admires the shelves of bowls and utensils, the stoves, and the gleaming walls of refrigerators. When the teacher, Chef Ayden, enters the classroom, Emoni is certain this is what it must feel like when a conductor steps in front of an orchestra. But just as Chef Ayden stands in front of the class, Malachi hurries in late and stands next to Pretty Leslie. Emoni is annoyed, though she’s not sure why.

Chef Ayden addresses the class. He says this is a real kitchen with real food and knives, not just a classroom. They’re also going abroad in the spring, though not if students are late to class. He tells them he’s going to run this class like a kitchen—do the students understand? Everyone nods or mumbles a yes. Looking each student in the eye, Chef Ayden says that cooking is about respect, and any chef who is disrespectful isn’t a chef. Students unwilling to show respect should drop the class.

Then, Chef Ayden tells students how to rent their chef’s jacket and hat, raises a butterknife, and announces that today, they’ll learn how to use knives. Emoni can’t help but sigh. It seemed at first like Chef Ayden knew what it’s like to grow up in the city, where kids start cooking and using knives early—and where kids get stabbed in the street. Clearly, he’s not a city person. Pretty Leslie pipes up that everyone here knows how to hold a knife, and she thought this was a cooking class. Chef Ayden says this is a culinary arts class, so it’ll teach students about science and creativity. If students just want to learn to cook, they can consult the internet. They should stay if they want to “make art.” Nobody leaves the room.