Tasty Subject | Buchtel Culinary Students Creating Recipes of Success

There is always a long lunch line for carryout on Thursdays at Buchtel CLC. It's not the students in line, rather teachers feasting on meals prepared by culinary arts students.

The school has offered the culinary arts pathway since 2012. The program allows students to provide meals and catering opportunities. 

Typically, the meals are offered at a reasonable price. Everyone is encouraged to pre-order, partly because meals sell out quickly.

Lunch is served on Thursdays 11:30 am - 1pm. The Culinary Arts instructor, Holly Henderson, sends emails in a Google form to the staff with the students menu. 

“The pre-orders are closed after about 30 orders so the students aren’t feeling overwhelmed in the short time frame,” Henderson said.

This semester the students work on their senior projects. Each senior takes a turn as the chef and comes up with their own menu. They do all the pre-planning and work with a team of fellow students with the planned meals following a chore list. 

On this particular day, Lelianne Turcios, was the chef of the day. She decided to do a Mexican-themed meal. 

“I’m Hispanic and I love everything about Hispanic food,” Turcios said. “I learned how to make a lot of things from scratch, like tacos and every time I made them for my friends they liked them so I wanted to try something I’m familiar with.

“Even the tortilla chips were made from scratch and the flan. I had never made flan from scratch before.

“I was really nervous and kind of scared about the whole assignment,” she added. “The feedback really helped the most, hearing that people really liked everything.”

Turcios puts a lot into her prep work, which includes chopping and dicing vegetables. Most of the cooking is done the day of the week’s special.

The menu offered a choice of two appetizers: Crisp tortilla chips served with fresh guacamole or roasted tomato salsa ($3) or Refined mexican beef consomme with tender chuck roast and vegetables, garnished with fresh cilantro and lime served in a bowl with white rice ($4).

The main courses were a choice of slow braised birria beef, mozzarella cheese in crisped flour tortillas, served with consomme and yellow rice ($10) Or Grilled flour tortillas filled with a blend of melted traditional Mexican cheeses, served with salsa and sour cream ($8.50).

The dessert was a sweet and light sponge cake soaked in a blend of three milks, topped with fresh strawberries and Puerto Rican Flan baked with caramel. Both are priced at $4.

The students also mixed specialty drinks priced at $2. There was a choice of fruit-infused waters, choosing from flavors cherry-lime, strawberry and mango and a creamy coconut drink with vanilla and cinnamon served chilled.

She toned down her preferred spiciness because the class tries not to cook anything that might be too fiery, thus potentially unsettling for the palates of most students and teachers. 

“Since I was the chef of the day I had to address any concerns,” Turcios said. “They checked with me if something didn’t look right or something wasn’t right or when they wanted to know if they were doing it right. It all comes back to me, but I think things went pretty smoothly.” 

She said close friends in the program helped her a lot and that made her job easier. She loves the camaraderie in the program helping each other in all the different roles they have to experience.

“The chef for the week selects each person’s position based on watching them and placing them where their skills can be utilized most,” said Henderson. “We use eight to 10 students to operate the restaurant depending on how complex they make the menu.”

Although Turcios loves to cook she’s not sure if she wants to make a career out of it working in a restaurant, but does like the idea of maybe being a private chef. She also hasn't ruled out going to college to study forensics. 

Trying various roles for the first time can be intimidating.

Tracy Summers was checking orders and working the cash register for the first time while in the program, but she was prepared.

“I’ve worked as a cashier at McDonald’s and Marc’s and worked in the kitchen at Romano's Macaroni Grill,” she said. “My favorite thing to do is to work the line and be in the back so I miss doing that today.”

She’s had jobs in restaurants since she was 15 and has loved every job she’s ever worked.

During her stint at the chef, Summers prepared Louisiana Cuisine. She chose the theme of a Princess and the Frog. Her choice was a side salad fully loaded with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, egg, cheddar cheese, croutons and choice of dressing ($3.50).

The main dish was Gumbo with a choice of sausage and chicken or vegetarian, priced at $12. For $2 more, she amped up the dish with shrimp. All were served with a side of white rice and crackers. Dessert was beignets dusted with powdered sugar ($4) and a choice of two beverages: Fresh Strawberry Lemonade ($2) or Lemon Cucumber water ($2).

The chef grades fellow students, and the teacher grades the chef.

“I have a general rubric for the chef and the chef grades students on overall performance, communication, professionalism and food safety,” Henderson said. “If they take points off anyone they have to have a one-on-one conversation with that student to explain why they took the points off.

“It's great to see students owning their mistakes, holding people accountable and it helps students reflect on what they would expect from their staff when they operate their restaurant later in life.”

Summers has plenty of interests, and while she would like to open a restaurant, she would prefer it be in the distant future. She wants to build some capital first. 

“I want to go to a trade school first and learn about construction, then work my way into the restaurant industry,” said Summer, who already learned a few things about hair from her mother, who is a beautician.

Zaiden Harris, 18, a senior, said his reasons for choosing the pathway were simple.

“I like cooking and I like to eat, and I like learning how to make new foods,” said Harris, whose favorite foods include making eclairs and preparing a good steak.

He has yet to do his senior project, but has a few ideas on what he is planning to serve. 

The program has provided some basic do’s and don'ts in the kitchen including safety and sanitation tips.

Henderson shared some of her do’s and don’ts:

• Do's: Slip resistant shoes, yelling "hot pan" or "sharp knife" 
• Don'ts: horseplaying, unprofessionalism, unsafe food and equipment mana.

The Culinary Arts Program’s Curriculum

• Sophomore year - Fundamentals of Food Production- they learn food safety and sanitation, cooking methods, mother sauces and knife cuts
• Juniors- Baking and Pastry- cakes, cookies, pastries, breads all finalized with an eclair webcam proctored by Henderson and a community pastry chef. 
• Seniors- Catering and Banquet and Contemporary- food costing, menu planning, people management, the senior project of planning and operating their restaurant for a week. 

The Culinary Arts students also get a chance to cater for events  

• Lunches for Project Grad every week (20-50 people)
• Spring Fling- open to the public! April 30th
• Senior breakfast and picnic (150 people)
• Breakfast with Santa every December- open to the public (300+ people)
• Fall Harvest/Student showcase including a cupcake war from the baking students
• Goodyear picked up an order for over 700 boxed lunches this month.(April)
• Community groups order catered lunches for take out
•  The students often prepare cakes and cupcake orders for staff members and their families birthdays