Just Enough Cooks in the Kitchen

Day 13 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

Thank you to guest blogger, Kris Mickelson, for visiting the Culinary Arts kitchen and writing this blog!

You’ve probably heard the old saying, “too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth.” But the day I visited Shepherds College, just enough cooks were in the Culinary Arts kitchen—11 to be exact—to prepare a luscious-smelling beef stock!

The 2^nd year culinary students will make 40 gallons of stock this semester altogether. Some will become part of the recipe for New England Clam Chowder for Preview Days on Oct 12 and Nov. 9. A lot will be used in the school commissary to prepare meals, such as chilies, pastas, pot roasts, soups and stews. 

The students start by chopping celery, carrots and onions, which will add flavor and aroma to the stock. Chef McCarthy tells me this veggie combo is called a Mirepoix in traditional French cooking. 

The chopped vegetables soak in bowls of cold water for 10 minutes, allowing any soil that may remain after washing to float to the top. Emptying and filling the huge bowls results in a lot of splashing around the two sinks. 

Chef McCarthy reminds the class the more mess you make, the more you have to clean up. 

 

“Simply turn down the water so it doesn’t splash so much," he advises. "Get in the habit of making less of a mess. That way, you won’t have so much to clean afterward.”

The faucets are turned down and a frenzy of mopping begins.  Christian stands at the ready, towel in hand, as Miranda rinses the last batch of veggies. 

The students all work together remarkably well, considering the close quarters of the kitchen work stations.

Chef McCarthy explains that teamwork is part of culinary school, because it’s essential to working in any restaurant kitchen. He’s developed an acronym to help the students remember called H.O.T., for Help Others Thrive.  

Next, the students fill metal half-trays (about the size of standard cookie sheets) with veal bones and baste them with tomato sauce using pastry brushes. The trays are loaded into a professional stainless-steel oven, and within minutes the aroma starts to make my mouth water and my stomach grumble. It’s not even close to lunchtime!

The final kitchen task is clean up. While the students carry bowls, cutting boards and French knives to the dishwasher (handles up, blades facing back), they stop to chat with me for a second or two.

“Chef McCarthy is a good instructor,“ Lindsay tells me with a big smile. 

“I’ll give you that $20 bucks later, Lindsay,” Chef McCarthy quips in response. 

“I just love food, that’s why I want to learn to cook!” Miranda offers. 

“My dream is to work in the Cobblestone Creek restaurant in Brillion, Wisconsin,” Lindsay adds. 

Based on my observations, I fully believe Lindsay, Miranda, Christian and the other 2^nd year culinary students at Shepherd’s College will reach their dream goals, and become part of the perfect number of new cooks in restaurant kitchens and bakeries in 2014!

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.

JOY!

Day 8 of the 31 for 21 Challenge

Hi, my name is Kris Mickelson. And as part of the 31 for 21 Challenge, Shepherds College has graciously asked me to post a guest blog for you. 

I am a huge fan of the college’s mission of training students with intellectual abilities to live lives of Appropriate Independence. In my former job, I was delighted to help the college by putting faculty in touch with my colleagues at Taste of Home to visit the test kitchen and publish a mention of the college in the magazine. 

Culinary Arts students visiting the Taste of Home Test Kitchen

You can imagine my excitement when I was invited to spend time with the students by attending classes and sitting down to lunch to talk one-on-one, then writing about my experiences. 

Some of my observations are what you might expect of any school or college… 

…the “ah-ha moment” when the light of understanding flipped on for a student. You could see it on Zoe’s face in Ready 4 Life class, his hand shooting up like a rocket! 

…a presentation by another student gifted with natural story-telling ability and dramatic flair. Charlie’s animated gestures during his “picture speech” won the hearts and appreciative laughter of his audience. 

But the biggest discovery I made during my visit at Shepherds College is something I think is rare in many of today’s classrooms. 

That rare quality is JOY!  

Whether attending class, walking down the hall or sitting at lunch, the students, teachers and faculty show genuine gladness in their work and their studies. It’s hard to explain, but I know I saw it when…

…in a warm classroom of sleepy students Mrs. Kolkman stopped the lesson for a mid-class exercise. “Walk, spin, wake up, ok, sit down,” she instructed. The students, now fully awake, were all ears!

…Lindsay raced down the hall and tackled Mrs. Griffis in an appreciative bear hug.  Several students stopped to pose for her camera, their smiles lighting up the hallway!

 …I sat down to lunch with Kati, Katy, Crystal, Amanda, Josh, Christian and Donovan and was immediately accepted into their exuberant conversation. “What are you doing here?” “I watched the ‘Avengers’ last night, have you seen it?" “ Have you read ‘Breaking Dawn’?” “ I’m going to see the Special Olympics tonight.” 

Since I can’t seem to find quite the right words to sum up my experiences at Shepherds College, I looked for and found a bible verse:

“For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.” Psalm 92:4

You see, I left the campus exhilarated and full of joy, because that’s what I saw and experienced. Sure, there was also hard work…but it was covered in the joy of learning (or teaching others) to use the gifts God has given us. 

I hope to return to Shepherd’s College again soon. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to visit or volunteer among students and teachers who share the joy of what God’s Hands have done for us.

  

Shepherds College - Guiding Your Transition to Appropriate Independence. Please visit us at www.shepherdscollege.edu.