Preparing to work in the kitchen lab on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Technical Education Center in Eudora, senior Rylan Sutton opened his locker and retrieved his personalized white chef coat. Dressed for the assigned task, Sutton worked with group members to mix ingredients for cinnamon roll dough. The group worked together to problem solve when the yeast did not yield a desired effect.
“Did you use warm water instead of cold?” Sutton said.
Sutton, along with other Culinary Arts students, also catered food for board meetings and luncheons.
“We come in to serve them in chef coats and pants,” Senior Jessica Klempnauer said. “I’m glad we don’t have to wear the dorky [white] hats anymore.”
Midway through the baking process, students delivered dirty dishes to the industrial size dishwasher. Klempnauer put the collected dishes on a tray and ran hot water through the dishwasher.
“We all do dishes, except the first-year [students]. They just fling the dishes over [to the dishwasher]” Klempnauer said.
Instructor Chef Rick Martin oversaw the students and carefully inspected their work. With his approval, the doughy cinnamon rolls, lined neatly on a tray, went into the stainless steel oven.
First-year students collaborated in an assembly line to package finished rolls in plastic wrap and stack the rolls in a box.
“It’s easier to communicate in groups than you’d think because it’s really not chaotic,” Sutton said.
After baking the cinnamon rolls, staff members at Eudora High School and Tech-Ed Center purchased the final product from students, and the culinary program earned a small profit.
“We never give away the food we make because that would be a waste of our money and time,” Klempnauer said. “We sell to staff and that’s extra money for us to do fun stuff.”
Through use of quality kitchen equipment, experience with catered events and other class projects, students gained many culinary skills.
“I’m learning how to use [kitchen] tools and portion food,” senior Regine Payne said. “I really just took the class so I could learn to cook better and be more experienced with food.”
