2008 Woodie Awards
Cooking classes now a part of leisure studies
Jon McEwen
Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 1
Chuck King grew up on a farm watching his grandmother fix meals from scratch. Today he is the instructor of "Amarillo College's Cooking Classes with Chuck," an addition to the leisure studies canon.
"These cooking classes are not academic; it's strictly leisure studies," King said.
You can catch a class in the East Campus cafeteria. Originally, three classes were planned: Entrees; Soups, Sauces and Gravies; and Salads and Dressings. Due to lack of enrollment, the Entrees class was canceled.
"I love to eat, but I love to eat good food," King said.
The Sauces and Gravies class will begin April 19 and end May 10. Each class is scheduled for two times: one from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the other from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students can enroll on the Washington Street Campus or the East Campus. Fee for the class is $43.
The curriculum will offer hands-on experience.
"It's not going to be me like Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network," King said. "All students will get the opportunity to get their hands dirty, so to speak."
King has the same affinity for cooking from scratch as his grandmother did, and he hopes to share that with his students.
"We will cover different gravies," he said. "People making gravies from scratch is almost a dying art. I want to show them how to make really good gravy like grandma made."
King said he also hopes to teach students general rules of thumb for cooking.
"A common mistake is a lot of people don't fully read through a recipe," he said. "That's one thing I go over in the class."
The cooking classes offer something new to AC.
"I think AC should have cooking classes because it gives students a break from the normal school routine," said student Brian Denney.
Students taking King's class also have the opportunity to use it as a springboard into AC's food service management course in the fall. Bud Andersen, a food specialist at Ben E. Keith who has 30 years' experience in the food business, said there is a need for educated people in the industry.
"I think that there is a huge need for managers to be trained on how to run a kitchen or restaurant," Andersen said. "There are a lot of people that are in management positions that haven't been trained properly."
For those who have a passion for cooking or are looking to experience a new career option, King's class is a starting point. The culinary business is a lucrative endeavor for those interested.
"People are motivated by how they can pay the bills," King said. "General managers can make between $75,000 and $100,000 a year."
With proper training, those numbers become more attainable.
"In the culinary world, the most valuable thing a chef has is time," Andersen said. "Because of that, most kitchen people are not trained properly. I am hoping that Mr. King's program will graduate people who are knowledgeable so that they're not having to start from square one."
"These cooking classes are not academic; it's strictly leisure studies," King said.
You can catch a class in the East Campus cafeteria. Originally, three classes were planned: Entrees; Soups, Sauces and Gravies; and Salads and Dressings. Due to lack of enrollment, the Entrees class was canceled.
"I love to eat, but I love to eat good food," King said.
The Sauces and Gravies class will begin April 19 and end May 10. Each class is scheduled for two times: one from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the other from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Students can enroll on the Washington Street Campus or the East Campus. Fee for the class is $43.
The curriculum will offer hands-on experience.
"It's not going to be me like Emeril Lagasse on the Food Network," King said. "All students will get the opportunity to get their hands dirty, so to speak."
King has the same affinity for cooking from scratch as his grandmother did, and he hopes to share that with his students.
"We will cover different gravies," he said. "People making gravies from scratch is almost a dying art. I want to show them how to make really good gravy like grandma made."
King said he also hopes to teach students general rules of thumb for cooking.
"A common mistake is a lot of people don't fully read through a recipe," he said. "That's one thing I go over in the class."
The cooking classes offer something new to AC.
"I think AC should have cooking classes because it gives students a break from the normal school routine," said student Brian Denney.
Students taking King's class also have the opportunity to use it as a springboard into AC's food service management course in the fall. Bud Andersen, a food specialist at Ben E. Keith who has 30 years' experience in the food business, said there is a need for educated people in the industry.
"I think that there is a huge need for managers to be trained on how to run a kitchen or restaurant," Andersen said. "There are a lot of people that are in management positions that haven't been trained properly."
For those who have a passion for cooking or are looking to experience a new career option, King's class is a starting point. The culinary business is a lucrative endeavor for those interested.
"People are motivated by how they can pay the bills," King said. "General managers can make between $75,000 and $100,000 a year."
With proper training, those numbers become more attainable.
"In the culinary world, the most valuable thing a chef has is time," Andersen said. "Because of that, most kitchen people are not trained properly. I am hoping that Mr. King's program will graduate people who are knowledgeable so that they're not having to start from square one."
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