Adam Leatherman, 17, center, a senior at Howard High School, and Xaviera Rosado, 16, a junior, use compressed air to cool and bond a chocolate creation by David Milburn, chef instructor at Howard Community College. (Baltimore Sun photo by Algerina Perna / October 21, 2009) |
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Adam Leatherman and Xaviera Rosado waited for the signal that it was time to attend to the delicate piece of chocolate, shaped like a branch, that was being attached to a chocolate mask.
The high school students, who were assisting Howard Community College culinary instructor David Milburn, quickly sprayed a steady stream of compressed air from an aerosol can onto the heated chocolate, which immediately cooled - bonding the two pieces together. Their masterpiece, which had the theme of "A Turn-of-the-Century Paris Carnival," was complete.
The pair from Howard High joined 98 other culinary and hospitality management students from across the Howard County school system this week to meet with the college's faculty and discuss the possibility of pursuing a career in those industries.
In addition to meeting with and talking to a slew of faculty, the students learned about the rigors of the college's programs. They also were able to watch adjunct professor Rudy Karson make a classic Cobb salad from scratch; carve a pumpkin for a contest; play a spirited game of food-themed "Jeopardy!"; and talk with culinary students at the college in Columbia.
"This has kind of motivated me more to go into the restaurant industry," said Rosado, a 16-year-old junior at the Ellicott City high school.
Rosado, who wants to eventually open a restaurant specializing in Hispanic cuisine, said it will be important to attend a culinary school or a school focused on business.
"This is going to help me focus on schools I want to go to," Rosado said.
Leatherman's mind is already made up. The 17-year-old senior wants to go to Howard Community College in the fall.
"It's a great bang for the buck," he said, as he got ready to eat the stuffed tortilla wrap that students were asked to make for lunch. "It's close to home. It has great articulation with other schools. Now I just have to figure out what to do."
Leatherman is trying to decide whether he wants to pursue a degree in culinary arts or in hotel management, which are both offered at the school.
"It's a nice experience for them," said Liela Razik, the culinary arts teacher at Atholton High School in Columbia. The annual visit to the college is the highlight of the school year for many of her students, Razik said.
Interest in the culinary arts has grown nationwide, according to educators and industry leaders. It has at Howard Community College. Four years ago, the college's Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies had 34 students. That number has more than tripled to 105, according to Vinnie Rege, director of the college's hospitality and culinary management program.
Rege attributes the growth in the program to recruitment efforts like those being offered at the college this week and to the popularity of cooking television shows and celebrity chefs.
"The Food Network has spread awareness," Rege said. "It has spread different types of cuisine. A lot of students are very well informed. A lot of students like what they see. A lot of students come to the program instead of their parents forcing them."
The sessions included frank discussion with Greg Wentz, a culinary arts instructor at the college.
"If you want to sit behind a desk and push a pencil, this may not be the profession for you," Wentz told the students. "This is a very energetic business. New things happen every day."
Wentz told the prospective students about the college's small class sizes, about a dozen students, and its focus on kitchen work.
"You will spend most of your time in the" kitchen, he said. "We just don't teach your minds. We teach your nose, mouth. It's all about education."
John Wimbrow, 25, a second-semester culinary arts student from Elkridge at the college, spoke to the high school students about the advantages of pursuing a degree in the culinary arts.
"I think it's great to see young minds at work," said Wimbrow. "I wish I had figured out that young what I wanted to do. They're already taking classes. They are going to be ahead of people already in the field. You can't beat that."
The high school students, who were assisting Howard Community College culinary instructor David Milburn, quickly sprayed a steady stream of compressed air from an aerosol can onto the heated chocolate, which immediately cooled - bonding the two pieces together. Their masterpiece, which had the theme of "A Turn-of-the-Century Paris Carnival," was complete.
The pair from Howard High joined 98 other culinary and hospitality management students from across the Howard County school system this week to meet with the college's faculty and discuss the possibility of pursuing a career in those industries.
In addition to meeting with and talking to a slew of faculty, the students learned about the rigors of the college's programs. They also were able to watch adjunct professor Rudy Karson make a classic Cobb salad from scratch; carve a pumpkin for a contest; play a spirited game of food-themed "Jeopardy!"; and talk with culinary students at the college in Columbia.
"This has kind of motivated me more to go into the restaurant industry," said Rosado, a 16-year-old junior at the Ellicott City high school.
Rosado, who wants to eventually open a restaurant specializing in Hispanic cuisine, said it will be important to attend a culinary school or a school focused on business.
"This is going to help me focus on schools I want to go to," Rosado said.
Leatherman's mind is already made up. The 17-year-old senior wants to go to Howard Community College in the fall.
"It's a great bang for the buck," he said, as he got ready to eat the stuffed tortilla wrap that students were asked to make for lunch. "It's close to home. It has great articulation with other schools. Now I just have to figure out what to do."
Leatherman is trying to decide whether he wants to pursue a degree in culinary arts or in hotel management, which are both offered at the school.
"It's a nice experience for them," said Liela Razik, the culinary arts teacher at Atholton High School in Columbia. The annual visit to the college is the highlight of the school year for many of her students, Razik said.
Interest in the culinary arts has grown nationwide, according to educators and industry leaders. It has at Howard Community College. Four years ago, the college's Center for Hospitality and Culinary Studies had 34 students. That number has more than tripled to 105, according to Vinnie Rege, director of the college's hospitality and culinary management program.
Rege attributes the growth in the program to recruitment efforts like those being offered at the college this week and to the popularity of cooking television shows and celebrity chefs.
"The Food Network has spread awareness," Rege said. "It has spread different types of cuisine. A lot of students are very well informed. A lot of students like what they see. A lot of students come to the program instead of their parents forcing them."
The sessions included frank discussion with Greg Wentz, a culinary arts instructor at the college.
"If you want to sit behind a desk and push a pencil, this may not be the profession for you," Wentz told the students. "This is a very energetic business. New things happen every day."
Wentz told the prospective students about the college's small class sizes, about a dozen students, and its focus on kitchen work.
"You will spend most of your time in the" kitchen, he said. "We just don't teach your minds. We teach your nose, mouth. It's all about education."
John Wimbrow, 25, a second-semester culinary arts student from Elkridge at the college, spoke to the high school students about the advantages of pursuing a degree in the culinary arts.
"I think it's great to see young minds at work," said Wimbrow. "I wish I had figured out that young what I wanted to do. They're already taking classes. They are going to be ahead of people already in the field. You can't beat that."
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