19 Feb 2015 'Kids Night Out'

The St. Joseph After School Program recently hosted “Kids Night Out” for children whose parents attended the 10th Annual Helping Out Our Kids’ School (H.O.O.K.S) fundraising dinner.

After School Program Director Laura Hiegel Williams brought in celebrity chef Amanda Denys to teach the kids a fun recipe and to talk about her career.

Denys is a 1996 graduate of St. Joseph School. The youth center where she appeared is named after her late grandfather, Bob Nabholz.

Denys recently moved back to Arkansas after having spent nearly a decade in Nashville.

She was the head chef for two four-star hotels: the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and the Lowe’s Vanderbilt Hotel. She also catered for the Country Music Awards, the Grand Old Opry House and Ryman Auditorium. A list of high profile people Denys has cooked for include Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Condoleeza Rice, Taylor Swift and Blake Shelton.

During the “Kids Night Out,” Denys taught the children how to make spaghetti tacos. Now that she’s back home, she plans to host “Kids Learn to Cook” parties. She’ll also be the sous chef at a soon-to-open Little Rock restaurant called “The Heights Tamale and Taco Company.”