MIDDLE RIVER, Md (WMAR) — A Baltimore County high school used St. Patrick’s Day to teach culinary lessons.
Students prepared an authentic meal of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and onions to serve to students and staff.
“It feels good,” said senior Heaven Simons. “They said it was good so I think we did a good job.”
High Road School of Baltimore County culinary students have been working for the last week to prepare the meal, creating a brine from scratch and letting it soak. Thursday, for the first time, they served a school-wide meal.
“It really feels good because if it tastes good and they’re telling you it tastes really good, it puts a smile on my face,” said Alexis Lewis, a senior.
As part of the program, students learn how to cook in a commercial kitchen and how to handle food safely, using the National Restaurant Association curriculum.
“Preparing them to take a ServSafe certification to be food handlers so that when they enter the real world, if they were to go after a position in the food industry, they already have a certification under their belt.” said Patrick Jones, the culinary instructor
They’ve poached eggs, hand cut pasta and braised deer shanks. They also learn where their food comes from, and the cultural significance behind it.
“Like Black History Month, where we were learning about how different people and how different artists came from bringing southern food to another part of the country, opening up in New York,” said Simons.
It’s all preparing them for life after school. Previous seniors have gone on to work in commercial kitchens.
“I see myself as a chef in the future so that’s why I try to work myself hard,” said Lewis.
The High Road School of Baltimore County is an alternative placement private school that offers personalized instruction with small class sizes.
