CATEC's Culinary Arts program served up large helpings of Thanksgiving food to the public, but also portioned out big lessons in skills development for the 45+ students enrolled in the program.
The program’s annual Thanksgiving Catering Event accepted orders from the public November 13-17. This year’s event offered brined, ready-to-roast turkey breast, mac and cheese, green bean and sweet potato casseroles, gravy, and three kinds of cake. In order to make all of these items from scratch, Chefs Kayla Mays and Ryan Robinson relied on their students to quickly learn how to prepare, cook, bake, and package food items for pick up before the holiday.
Chef Mays says, “We have been working with students for the past 10 weeks to develop a variety of skills they need to make this catering event successful, including both technical skills as well as workplace skills like teamwork, following directions, and work ethic.” Students have been reading recipes, practicing their scaling and measuring techniques, working on their knife skills, practicing baking procedures, and developing menus.
Chef Robinson says, “We are more than proud of our students and their effort in preparation as we draw closer to the catering event. An event of this magnitude challenges students on multiple fronts. And it affords us the opportunity to highlight students' strengths and build their confidence, while also helping them explore their potential.”