Employees Take a Look at Being a Cook

>>> Chef manager Donald Calvanese (far left) demonstrates to cook trainees the proper way to cook breaded pork. It was part of a three-day course in the basics of professional food preparation.

Learning to cook well can be a lifelong project, but nine MHC employees learned the basics of professional food preparation in a January 7-9 introductory course. The cooks' training program attracted current dining services employees wishing to brush up on their skills, and drew some other employees hoping to move into cooks' positions in the future.

Associate director of dining services John Fortini says the program, which he coordinated with the help of three section managers, "doesn't make anyone a cook, but in three days it can introduce basic knowledge." Trainees were taught by section managers Rick Kroll, Richard Sanders, and David Norton, each of whom oversees a cluster of residence hall kitchens; and by chef managers, each of whom is in charge of a single kitchen. "The program's not only good for the trainees; it's also good for chef managers and section managers," says Norton. "It makes us all think through what we do."

Topics ran the gamut from meal planning and preparation, weights and measures, and care of hand tools to converting family-sized recipes to dormitory-sized proportions. Information on soups, stocks, and bases; seasonings and flavorings; and cooking methods for dry and moist foods were also covered. Cook trainees then planned a menu and prepared an elaborate luncheon for invited guests using the newly learned techniques. The main course choices alone included turkey piccata, tofu ribbon terrine, baked haddock with lemon and herbs, roast pork loin, and Szechuan stir fry. And the three choices of soup proved the old proverb wrong; too many cooks didn't spoil this broth!