As soon as she took a seat at the long table in front of Rania Harris, Michael Ritchey was positive she recognized the dark-haired chef from somewhere, she just wasn't sure where. Her face lit up with recognition as she realized she was about to prepare Italian cuisine with a well-known Pittsburgh chef.

"I knew I knew her from somewhere," said Ritchey, 26, of Pine. "Now I want to go home and make the salad she showed us."

That's a big step for students at The Woodlands. Ritchey, who is diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder, is one of dozens of special needs young adults who will learn how to make basic meals during the next six weeks from various local celebrity and well-known chefs.

Geared toward the Bradford Woods non-profit young adult population, the program is a first step toward teaching its participants what it takes to be independent while in a social environment.

"It's tremendously critical. It's one step closer to being self-sufficient for themselves, whether they live at home or in housing," said volunteer Jean Fronzaglio, a former special education teacher who signed up to work with the program alongside her son, David. "And it looks like they're really enjoying the social aspect, the learning aspect and even the eating aspect of it."

Under the direction of Harris, a Mt. Lebanon native featured on KDKA-TV's "Pittsburgh Today" each Friday morning, the group prepared salad, homemade dressing, pasta alfredo, a winter tomato sauce and crepe fruzette for dessert. Harris also showed her students how to make pasta from scratch, with Ritchey helping cut the noodles.

Staff at The Woodlands made sure there was something for everyone to do, from shaking the dressing to cutting carrots or garlic. The organization, which offers enrichment programs for people with special needs, thought a cooking class would be a good opportunity for a social activity that could teach the group a life skill.

"We just want them to maybe take an interest, maybe they would now invite a friend over and make dinner," said Judi Cannava, music and creative arts coordinator for The Woodlands. "Instead of just doing macaroni and cheese, they can make themselves dinner. If nothing else, it might create an interest in doing something together with their family."

Alyssa Shangold already has that interest. A junior at Pine-Richland High School, Shangold takes a backseat to her sister, an aspiring chef, while chopping vegetables in her Pine kitchen. When she heard about the organization's cooking class, she jumped at the opportunity to participate, not only to interact with others in her age group with disabilities, but to learn a thing or two her sister might not know.

"I think it's cool because on my career path, I might not want to be a chef," said Shangold, 17, and a cancer survivor. "I think since you only have one career path in life, it's cool that you get to learn different things. You have to take that opportunity whenever you can.

"But for now, in the kitchen, I'll be happy to tell my sister she's not the only chef in the house anymore."