Tila spices up the dining hall

By Casey Dibari – Opinion Editor 

On Feb. 26, Chartwells brought in Food Network chef Jet Tila as the first special guest chef this school year. Tila is famously known for appearing on Food Network shows such as “Chopped,” “Cutthroat Kitchen” and “Iron Chef America.” He also has authored several cookbooks, such as “101 Epic Dishes” and “101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die.”

Chef Tila did not make the dishes himself, however, the dinner was based off his own recipes that the Chartwells staff prepared for students. Featured dishes included chicken and beef Pho, pad Thai, bamboo rice, and Asian sliders.

Students were able to put their names in for raffles for the latter book and take pictures with Tila from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Dinner was well received by the students, who were glad for the change in menu. Senior Brandi Johnson, one of the book raffle winners, said, “The food’s delicious. I felt really full after having it.” .

Johnson also commented on winning Tila’s book, saying, “I was really excited to win the book. It’s a really cool book with easy recipes that can take five minutes… I’m definitely going to use it over the summer.”

For anyone interested in getting Tila’s cookbook, “101 Asian Dishes…,” it can be ordered on Amazon, Barnes And Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, and at Target. His second book, “101 Epic Dishes,” which he wrote with his wife Ali Tila, is available for pre-order via Amazon.