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When you think of culinary excellence, New York City, Chicago or maybe even San Francisco come to mind as the place to be for food. You can now add Huntington to that list.
The Marshall Community and Technical College proudly announces two new programs: The Cooking and Culinary Institute and a Pastry Degree. Both will “roll” out beginning in the spring term of 2007.
The Cooking and Culinary Institute, located at 917 Third Avenue, will be open to the public for classes on cooking, decorating, party planning and more. Classes will cover a variety of topics from cooking for diabetics, chocolate and baking bread to preparing international cuisine from China, Russia, Thailand and India. Additionally, there will be Chef Competitions, where local chefs will have a cook-off, using the same ingredients, and be judged by a panel of guest. “Mommy/Daddy & Me” classes for parents and children to cook together. “Rent-A-Chef,” allows you and your guests to receive a private cooking lesson of your choosing. Play with sugar. Bake cookies. Roll your own sushi.
Deborah Williams, program coordinator, has overseen the programs growth and direction since 2004.
“From birth to death, the major events of your life are celebrated with food,” Williams said. “The addition of The Cooking and Culinary Institute allows everyone the opportunity to take classes, learn new cooking techniques and have fun with their family, friends and with food.”
Classes will be offered to the public during the day, in the evenings and on weekends allowing everyone the opportunity to come and learn.
The Cooking and Culinary Institute is also a vehicle for students currently enrolled in the Hospitality Management programs to augment their book learning with real life experiences. Students will be responsible for ordering and portioning of ingredients, setting up for class and assisting the chef and public participants during the class.
Gift certificates can be purchased and can be applied towards the cost of individual classes, which will vary, depending on if the class is demonstration only or hands on participation.
An additional avenue of training for the students will be through catering. Creating menus, purchasing and preparing the food are only a portion of the cycle of food. Students will learn all aspects of catering, from securing the event, setting up the dining room, place settings, delivery and clean up.
Pastry Chef Joshua Campbell, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in New York, developed the curriculum for the pastry degree. The two year associate’s degree program will be added to the existing Culinary Arts curriculum which currently offers a One Year Food Service certificate and a two year associate’s degree in Culinary Arts.
Courses in the pastries program include breads and doughs, advanced cake decorating and show pieces and chocolate.
“Dinners may come and go, but dessert always steals the show,” Campbell said. “A well made dessert should not only taste good, it should also be visually stunning. An amateur baker can make something that tastes good, but for a professional appearance, it’s all about finesse.”
“The Hospitality Program is growing so quickly,” Williams said. “We have had several students complete a degree on the Culinary Arts side, and return for the Hotel/Lodging degree. We can now offer them a third track with the Pastry degree.”
“When I was a student, taking the cooking classes, I would never have believed the program would have grown as rapidly as it has in only two years,” says Larry Perry. “The interest in cooking and the opportunities for a career in food service are continuing to grow. Marshall Community & Technical College is meeting this demand by building on existing programs and adding additional tracks to provide a well-rounded education.”
The Culinary Arts curriculum will be making application to the American Culinary Federation in Fall of 2007 for accreditation.
“This is a huge step for the community college,” Williams said. “Students graduating from the program in the spring will have the certified culinarian designation in addition to their diplomas.”
For more information on The Cooking and Culinary Institute and courses of study in the Hospitality Management Program at Marshall Community and Technical College, please call (304) 696-3536 or visit our website at www.cookingandculinaryinstitute.com.
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