Every Wednesday, the school’s hallways fill with a new delicious scent of a freshly prepared meal. Inviting all teachers and staff to have an enjoyable lunch, the culinary arts students prepare meals with Chef Lopez and Chef Tori to learn new techniques in the kitchen.
Chef Lopez, the head of the culinary arts program, creates the menu for the upcoming week to coincide with the meals his students will be making in class. A survey is sent out to all of the staff to indicate their interest in purchasing that week’s lunch. This ensures they will have enough food, while also not having any waste. During the preparation days, the level three and four classes automatically help, while the level one and two are encouraged to help if they have extra time.
“We really wanted to get Chef Tori more involved in the program,” Lopez said. “She mentored the students last year in competitions, but we weren’t able to keep her working on a regular basis. This allows us for her to be more involved in our programs with the students. It also helps students see the commercial and production side, as opposed to just being instructed on what to make.”
Each week the students in the classroom divide into a few small groups, while each group is assigned different parts of the meal to prepare. Josh Smith ’26 thinks that this is a good way to learn teamwork and collaboration skills.
“I enjoy using my class time for this program,” Smith said. “While making food for ourselves is fun, I enjoy doing this for our staff. I have learned a lot of different techniques in cooking, and I think this is a great thing that should continue in future years.”
Following Chef Lopez’s work in competitions for over a year, Mrs. Cavera, the attendance clerk, decided to try one of his meals. Before the first week, she was unsure, but after hearing the outstanding reviews from the students she quickly became excited. Ever since Cavera has ordered every week, and has loved every meal.
“I think they are gaining valuable life skills,” Cavera said. “I think it is great especially if they’re going to live on their own or at college next year, it is necessary to have the independence and lessons being taught.”
Chef Tori, inspired by her experience with Chef Lopez in the classroom, is excited to engage in the teaching aspect of this class. Each week, she is eager to oversee the students and create a bond with them.
“It teaches another aspect of learning how the industry works,” Tori said. “Inside the classroom, it’s a lot of small portions that help show industry portions. When working inside of restaurants, you’re not only making 6 portions for your group but enough for an entire day of customers. I truly hope it teaches them life skills and how to work with other people, and if one day they work in a restaurant they use the lessons learned here to better their work experience.
Cutline: Lunch made by the culinary arts students and Chef Lopez and Tori, showcase their talent with a meal prepared for staff on Wednesday, October 30.
