South Lakes Culinary Arts Gets State-of-the-Art Oven

culinary art students will now roast chickens and bake bread in a state-of-the art Groen ComboEase oven-steamer donated recently by Equipment Solutions Inc. (ESI), a local manufacturer's representative firm.   

"This is not your mother's Home Economics oven," said chef and teacher Cynthia Stowers.  "It is top-of-the-line equipment used in professional kitchens, and I think it's fantastic to have it here."

Both the school and ESI benefit from their partnership.

"This gives us a venue to showcase the oven to chefs and others in the food industry and the students work on stellar equipment with a host of practicing professionals," said George Spears principal with ESI.

South Lakes' culinary arts classes are 70 percent hands-on and 30 percent classroom and theory.  Students learn about cooking techniques, culinary math, knife skills, management techniques and menu development. 

Many culinary art students continue their studies at colleges and universities, including Johnson & Wales, Culinary Institute of America and James Madison University. 

 Two weeks ago, the culinary arts students hosted their first guest chef, Michael Williams, who started cooking at age four when he flipped his first burger.  Now he is the corporate chef for Unified Brands, an umbrella group that includes Groen.

He is a member of First Lady Michelle Obama's Chefs Move to Schools Initiative to combat child obesity by educating kids about food and nutrition.

Williams and the students prepared roasted pork loin, salsa rice, roasted vegetables and cornbread soufflé, hardly a typical school meal. 

Cooking with the combo steam-oven keeps food moist and tender, intensifies flavors, retains nutrients and reduces shrinkage, Williams said.

Williams' lesson focused on economics and nutrition.

 "I stopped at and spent $228 on ingredients, but that doesn't account for additional expenses like renting kitchen space or paying other employees and that impacts your bottom line, the paycheck," he said.  

Students pureed carrots and zucchini to add to the rice.  

 "We're going to hide the little buggers [veggies] from the kids so they won't complain," he told the students.  

 South Lakes will hold several culinary programs during the rest of the school year.

Nothing helps kids more than seeing the direct connection between a classroom experience and their future profession, " said South Lakes principal Bruce Butler.