CAMPUS

Waking up at 8 on a Saturday and spending hours in a hot kitchen may not seem like fun but I have spent many Saturdays this way and not regretted a single one.

The culinary department offers one hour classes in a range of culinary areas. They each last two Saturdays and run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.. Over my college career I have taken many of these courses ranging from Cooking with Herbs to Meats and Fish and from Cooking Organic in Mississippi to New York Style Italian. I love to cook and these courses give me a chance to learn new recipes and cook with ingredients I would never have heard of outside of a culinary class.

Each class follows the same basic format. I trudge into the Culinary Department right before nine and join other sleepy eyed students. Usually, there’s a pot of coffee made in the kitchen which I always take advantage of, as I need caffeine to function before 10 a.m..

There’s always a short lecture on whatever topic the class is focusing on. Honestly, I think the lecture serves two purposes, to teach us and to wake us up before putting sharp knives in our hands.

Usually around 10:30 or 11:00 we split into groups and each group is responsible for making a certain number of dishes. Then we head into the kitchen.

The time in the kitchen is basically trial by fire. No one holds your hand and walks you through the process, though help is given if you ask for it. However, the constant rush of the kitchen leaves little time to show everyone how to do something. The classes are a mix between culinary students, people who know how to cook, and students who know how to use a microwave, but not a stove.

I love the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. Students are cooking like crazy, smells fill the air and make your mouth water, and people are constantly having you taste dishes to get just the right combination of seasonings. There is a focused energy during this time like nothing I’ve ever experienced and its easy to see what lures students into the culinary field.

After the dishes are finished, everyone brings the final products into the classroom. The counter fills with food and as we fill our plates, there’s always a sense of accomplishment. As we eat we talk about each dish, taking notes on what we liked and didn’t and ways to improve them in the future. After everyone is done we fill to-go boxes with leftovers and clean the kitchen.

These classes are perfect for everyone. Culinary students get to relax and have a bit more fun than in their regular class time, faculty get to mingle with students, and students get to cook up food far better than anything they could get in the cafeteria.

Whether you just need one credit or actually want to further your cooking skills, I’d recommend these courses. While you might miss out on sleeping in, the food and experience makes the lack of Saturday morning snooze time worth it.