The NCTC Culinary Arts program is buzzing with activity as the students master the art of preparing grains and vegetables. This hands-on learning experience, currently unfolding over the past week and continuing into this one, showcases the different and new techniques the students are learning in the kitchen.
From vibrant carrots and sweet peas to crisp asparagus and delicious broccoli and cauliflower, a wide array of veggies are being transformed into beautiful dishes. Students are skillfully roasting, boiling, steaming, sweating, and sauteing this produce, finding out all of the different textures and tastes they have hidden. These perfectly cooked vegetables are then artfully paired with a variety of grains, including things like brown and white rice, nutritious quinoa, and more.
In the Culinary kitchen, valuable skills are being developed by the students. This is important because it shows what students are learning right here at NCTC, and how they are understanding how to cook these foods is a big part of the learning process. This unit in culinary highlights the importance of precise measurements and the creative process of building composed plates where perfectly cooked grains and seasoned vegetables come together with carefully chosen spices and other additions that the students can pick.
As Chef Paul Rocque emphasizes, “The students are doing great, especially when they come in prepared and with a good mindset and are ready to get started and learn.” The students work both independently and sometimes in teams of two, practicing how to make their own dishes and dishes with others. Still, they always come together at the end, tasting each other’s dishes, communicating on how their cooking processes went, and also giving feedback on what each other made. And of course, they all come together at the end of class to make sure the kitchen is always left spotless and ready for future classes for themselves and others.
Some students learned that they liked vegetables more than expected once they tried them in different ways with different spices and techniques. “I learned that I enjoy eating Brussels sprouts because I tried a different cooking technique on them,” said Emily Reynolds, one of the Culinary Arts students. Colten Goden said, “Learning how to cook veggies right makes me want to eat more veggies, and the grains are an added bonus.” These skills teach kids how to cook vegetables, but it also teaches them that they are tasty and create a healthy relationship with food, such as grains and vegetables.
Chef Rocque is enthusiastic about the upcoming units, which will explore laminated doughs, cakes, various proteins, seafood, and other exciting culinary delights. He encourages students to “Be a sponge to soak up information and keep an open mind about everything in this class, and try everything!”
