The 2011 Summer Culinary Institute for Young Women at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville “could not have been any more of a success,” said one of its organizers.
More than 40 teenage girls spent June 6-10 at ATU participating in workshops and hands-on training, led by professionals in the field.
“It was hard to come down,” assistant professor of hospitality administration Susan E. West said of the whirlwind events comprising the camp’s debut week. “Seriously, seeing this all come together has been a lot like giving birth.”
The institute was underwritten by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and supported by Unilever, Grace Manufacturing and a multitude of volunteers.
West said the camp was successful. “We didn’t have any accidents in the kitchen or with the knives, and we couldn’t have had more dedicated chefs, instructors and mentors,” she said.
West said she was initially impressed with the foundation’s mission statement, which is that the overall aim of the foundation is to “help women and girls achieve their full potential.”
“Believe me, the culinary world is a male-dominated field,” West said. “Traditionally, women do the cooking in the homes and during the holidays, but once it turns into a career, it turns into a completely male dominated field.
“There are 66 certified master chefs in the United States, and of those, only one is a woman, so we’re missing something somewhere.”
West, who said she doesn’t know how to cook, does know how to write a program. She is the former director of culinary and hospitality at Northwest Arkansas Community College, where she wrote the technical certificate program in culinary arts. Since 2007, West has worked on developing the culinary management side of the well-established parks, recreation and hospitality department at ATU.
The grant she wrote to fund the camp was the means to pave the way for local girls interested in culinary professions, she said.
“I wanted to teach girls about opening a restaurant, managing finances and kitchen basics. Everything else kind of ballooned from there.”
The culinary institute is one of three projects chosen for funding. The $10,000 gift covered the costs of uniforms and food.
“Every cent went into the costs of the chef coats and pants which the girls were required to wear when they were in the kitchen, and the cost of the food,” West said.
All the adult instructors, staff and mentors were volunteers.
“I was just blown away by their generosity,” she said. West added that one of the chefs, Dianne Bratton of Hot Springs, owner of Café 1217 and Taco Mama’s, presented each girl with a hardbound copy of her cookbook.
Chefs traveled from across the state to join West’s team. In addition to Bratton, other chefs who gave of their time and talents were Maudie Schmitt, owner of Café Rue Orleans in Fayetteville; Faith Anaya, owner of Kids Cook! In Little Rock; Chrissy Sanderson of NWACC and U.S. Foodservice; Vince Pianalto of the culinary arts for Springdale public schools and NWACC; Tandra Watkins, pastry chef for the Capital Hotel in Little Rock; Susan Curtis of the Market Place Grill in Conway; Jillian Ely, education coordinator for the Arkansas Hospitality Association; and Michelle Thompson, Mount Ida High School nutrition teacher.
Local chefs, some of whom graduated from the culinary program at Tech, were also strong contributors. Chefs Jennifer Keaton, owner of Kruton’s Catering; Tommie Harms, owner of Oak Tree Bistro; Glenna Howell, who wears many different hats and owns her own catering business, GLenna’s; and Michelle Mayer, owner of Custom Cakes by Michelle Mayer; participated.
The featured chef, who traveled from California, was Tracy Griffith, the first female graduate of the California Sushi Academy and one of the world’s first certified female sushi chefs. Her American take on traditional sushi has garnered nationwide praise; led to her first cookbook, Sushi American Style; and launched her fame in the echelon of gastronomic heavy weights concentrated in the Los Angeles area.
West had met Griffith while attending a conference in Orlando, Fla.
“What’s ironic is that that particular year, the theme of the convention was about adding diversity in the culinary field and, specifically, encouraging women to break the male hold,” West said. “Chef Tracy was inducted that year into the American Culinary Federation as an Honorary Fellow, a really elite group of culinarians. I was so impressed with her, and when I called her years later about the concept for this camp, she didn’t even hesitate before volunteering to come and teach the girls to roll sushi. We were so fortunate to have her. She’s such a wonderful mentor for these girls.”
Cathi McMahan, interim department head and associate professor, agreed the week was a huge success: “I personally feel that it was a wonderful opportunity not only for the girls, but also for our department, as it gave us the chance to show off our state-of-the-art facilities and to enhance the participants’ knowledge of the culinary profession, which falls within the mission of the university.”
“And I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls,” West added. “They were sharp and courteous, and the parents have called and sent such positive messages.”
The girls voiced their feedback via a survey, she said.
“I had several comments that learning math was their least favorite class, but that’s the basics of running a business or restaurant,” West said. “You can roll sushi and bake magnificent cakes, but if you don’t know how much your ingredients and labor cost, then you won’t know how much to charge, and you’ll never be able to stay in business.”
The sushi-rolling class was the big favorite. Many of the girls were leery before taking the class because they disliked seafood, she said.
“But Chef Tracy was sensitive to that and made a BLT Roll and a Caesar Chicken Roll using fried chicken. The ultimate was the Wonder Boy Roll she created just for us. It was served at the Friday-night dinner, and we were so thrilled. We didn’t tell her about the Wonder Boys being our mascot. She just researched that on her own before she came.”
The baking class was voted the second favorite, followed by the D.I.E.T.S. (Don’t Invest Everything to be Smaller) class, which talked about the ridiculous notion of beauty perpetuated by the media, West said, “and of course, the hype pedaled by the diet industry.”
Other popular classes included Jammin’ Java, an introduction to coffee; Food as Art, an introduction to herbs and garnishes; and Cutting Edge, an introduction to different types of knives and how to handle them safely.
Chef Maudie Schmitt held the girls’ attention with her real-life stories and tips in the “Getting Along in the Kitchen” class.
“There’s a place for drama, and it’s not the kitchen,” she told the campers. “You’ve got to get along with the people you work with. I’ve had to let people go in my restaurant because they were always stirring the pot, not because they couldn’t cook. Teamwork is always important. Leave your attitude and your personal problems at the door.”
Schmitt also shared that her pet peeve is tardiness.
“Don’t think your behavior doesn’t make a difference,” she told the girls. “When other employers call me for a recommendation, they always ask me if I would hire the employee again. I can’t really teach you initiative. Some people just don’t have it. In the restaurant business, you have to be willing to do whatever needs to be done. Feeding people is not just a business; it’s an honor for me.”
Two evening meals, although not covered by the grant, were part of the camp experience.
“Dr. McMahan wanted to make the whole week about women in the culinary field, and it just seemed natural to take advantage of the awesome chefs who were here,” West said. “Plus, it was a great way to raise awareness in the community of what we were doing and give folks a taste offine dining.”
The Tuesday dinner was available to the public at a nominal cost, but participants ate free, she said.
“Chef Chrissy Sanderson did a central-Arkansas menu using a traditional Southern theme, and everybody just loved it, and the Friday dinner was a gourmet feast prepared by Chef Tracy, and the dessert was prepared by Chef Tandra of the Capital Hotel.”
Class participants prepared the Friday luncheon.
“Dr. Lee (a Tech professor) had a summer culinary class, and her students mentored the teens and took over the charge of preparing the Friday buffet.”
West was unprepared for the turnout for the Friday luncheon, which was made available to family members.
“There were so many parents, and they were just full of praise. I’m still receiving notes,” she said, “and some of them make me cry because the parents are so grateful.”
“It was fun,” Victoria Anderson of Dover said. “I really enjoyed all the classes, and I know I want to do this as a career. I haven’t decided what kind of chef I want to be, though.”
Fellow camper Tiffany Arce of Russellville, who aspires to become a pastry chef, expressed her enthusiasm: “I just finished my first year of culinary classes, and my favorite part of this week was making friends.”
That’s what it’s all about, West said.
“We want these teens to embrace their dreams, and if the culinary field attracts them, then we want them to come to Tech and major in culinary arts and become mentors to a whole new group of aspiring chefs in years to come,” she said.
The camp has been a learning experience for West.
“If you have a really good idea and great people supporting you, amazing things can happen,” she said.
The following recipes are some of the dishes prepared during the camp.
PINEAPPLE FRUIT MEDLEY Submitted by Kids Cook!
Ingredients: 1 ripe fresh pineapple 1 pound strawberries 1 pound grapes 1 mango 2 bananas, not overripe Other fresh fruit of choice Fresh mint leaves, shredded Directions:
Carefully wash the strawberries and grapes. Lay on a paper towel to dry. Carefully slice the top from the pineapple and set aside. Using a pineapple corer, hollow out the pineapple, reserving as much juice as possible. Using a small paring knife cut the tough core from the pineapple and discard. Chop all the fruit into bite-size pieces. Put all the fruits into a bowl and stir very gently to combine. Do not mash or smash the fruit. Mound the fruit into the pineapple shell, pouring back the reserved pineapple juice. Put whatever doesn’t fit into the shell into a bowl to be served on the side. Sprinkle with mint leaves. Replace the pineapple top or put it on the side of the plate to present and serve.
Serves 8-10.
KIDS COOK! CUCUMBER YOGURT RANCH DIP Ingredients: 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt 1 medium English cucumber, peeled and diced small, or grated 1 clove garlic, minced 2 tablespoons fresh dill or 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon salt Pinch of pepper, to taste Vegetables for dipping: carrots, celery, snap peas, steamed green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower; or baked pita chips Directions:
Mix all the ingredients except vegetables in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients until they balance. Serve with assorted vegetables for dipping or baked pita chips.
Serves 10-12.
CAESAR CHICKEN ROLL Ingredients: 1/2 cup prepared sushi rice 1/4 pound chicken tenders, grilled and cut into 4-by-1/8-inch strips 1/2 cup Romaine hearts, shredded 1/4 cup Caesar dressing 2 tablespoons Parmesan Reggiano, shredded 3 tablespoons prepared fried onions 1 corn wrap Directions:
Toss chicken tenders with Caesar dressing and Parmesan Reggiano. Place corn wrap shiny side down. Lay in rice, Romaine, then dressed chicken tenders. Roll and cut into 8 pieces. Top each piece with fried onions. Serve with Citrus Soy Sauce.
Yield: 1 roll.
CITRUS SOY SAUCE Ingredients: 1 cup soy sauce 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 teaspoons lime juice Directions:
Whisk ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
BLT ROLL Ingredients: 1/2 cup prepared sushi rice 1 tomato wrap 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, grated 2 strips bacon, fried and chopped rough 4 strips tomato, cut into 1/8-inch strips 1/2 cup Romaine, shredded 1/2 teaspoon Wasabi Mayo or Aioli Wasabi WASABI MAYO Ingredients: 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon wasabi paste Directions:
Press sushi rice into tomato wrap, leaving a 1-inch border at top. Spread Wasabi Mayo in a thin line in center of rice. Lay in one or two strips of each remaining ingredient vertically.
Serve with Wasabi Mayo and soy sauce.
Yield: 1 roll.
SUSHI RICE Equipment needed: 1 free-standing wire-mesh sieve 1 rice cooker1 large shallow wooden bowl (without salad dressing residue) or 1 large glass baking dish 1 rice paddle Ingredients: 4 cups short-grain white rice (Hitomebore variety - any brand - or Kagayaki brand, preferred) 4 1/4 cups water 1/2 cup Sushi Rice Dressing Directions:
Pour measured rice into sieve and rinse rice until water runs almost clear, about a minute. To dry, fan rice up and around sides of colander. Let rice sit for about 30 minutes until completely dry. Place rice and water in the rice cooker and cook as usual. When rice is finished cooking and has rested undisturbed for 20 minutes, dress with sushi dressing. Return to cooker with damp towel covering rice.
Makes 8 cups cooked rice.
SUSHI RICE DRESSING Ingredients: 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt Directions:
In a small saucepan, stir all ingredients over low heat until sugar and salt dissolve. Don’t let mixture boil. The microwave option calls for 60 seconds cooked on the high setting. Stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool before using.
Dresses 8 cups of cooked rice.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 63 on 06/23/2011