Kolten Hilterman, who has spent much time at home since he was diagnosed with cancer, is dressed to cook in his family's Jefferson Township home. As a Christmas gift, Kolten's teacher arranged for a chef to help the boy cook a Christmas dinner.

JEFFERSON TWP— With two chickens and the trunk of his car full of supplies, chef Bill Atkinson granted an 8-year-old's wish.

Kolten Hilterman, a cancer patient, has been at home or in the hospital since March. During that time, his love of cooking — and disgust with hospital food — has grown.

So, the teacher who comes into Kolten's home decided the perfect Christmas gift would be for a chef to help Kolten make dinner for his family.

It was.

"I had no idea this is what my surprise was, but it's a pretty good surprise," said Kolten, donning a loaned white coat and chef's hat.

Atkinson, a sous chef at Treesdale Golf and Country Club in Gibsonia and owner of Dr. Sous' Custom Catering, arrived at the Hiltermans' Friday evening, bearing all the supplies needed to make dinner for four and the required costuming for the occasion.

The two chopped celery and peeled carrots to pile under two seasoned chickens for the main course.

Seasoning is Kolten's favorite part of cooking, his mom Gloria Hilterman said.

As the two continued cooking, Kolten told Atkinson about cooking with his grandmother. They make soup without a name and homemade pizza, he said."Sometimes the pizza doesn't turn out round, but it's still pizza," he said.He's liked to cook for a long time, but his homebound instructor, Sonya Schmeider, said she's seen his interest grow since he's been staying at home.Kolten in March went to the doctor with a jellybean-sized lump on the side of his neck. Soon, the lump had grown to half-dollar size and he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma and started chemotherapy.Kolten can't go to South Butler Primary School because his body isn't able to fight off infection. He can't even risk going into the barn to visit his three new horses.So Schmeider visits to help Kolten with schoolwork, and he spends the day with his mom and his mastiff, Emmy.Mom, however, admits "I only cook because I have to."All that's better than the food he gets during his stays at Children's Hospital, he said. He could only name one breakfast sandwich he likes at the snack bar.So, Kolten had a lot to learn about how to hold a knife, the best way to check meat temperature, and a secret ingredient for mashed potatoes.Atkinson lifted a head of iceberg lettuce and smashed it against a cutting board to knock the heart free. The lettuce, sprinkled with sun-dried tomatoes, bacon and blue cheese, was to be the first course.Kolten's mother and his father, Mike, had questions for Atkinson, too, as they sat in the adjacent living room watching their son work.And when 5-year-old Kade Hilterman came home from kindergarten with his gingerbread, his own cooking creation, he was eager to show it off.Just as all the food was getting transferred to the family's finest serving china, Schmeider arrived to make sure Kolten had enjoyed his gift. He assured her that he had, and invited her to stay. She declined, but there was time for lots of photos."You sure will have something to tell them about at chemo (Thursday)," Gloria Hilterman said.This could be his final chemotherapy session before he is allowed to return to school. However, he has more than a year left of treatment.Kolten said he's excited about the possibility to return to school and see his friends."Some kids want to stay home, but they're crazy," he said.

Under the guidance of Bill Atkinson, a sous chef at Treesdale Golf and Country Club in Gibsonia and owner of Dr. Sous' Custom Catering, Kolten Hilterman seasons chickens before roasting them on a bed of vegetables. Kolten's love for cooking has sharpened since he was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.