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Published on 11/25/1996 All articles from this issue

Student chefs prepare turkey feast at Foothill

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By Clyde Noel / Town Crier Staff Writer

It was their first annual turkey dinner. The cup and saucer were on the wrong side of the plate and there wasn't a spoon for the dessert, but the food was well prepared and easy to enjoy.

The turkey lunch last Thursday was prepared by the Foothill College culinary arts program. Forty-two students helped prepare lunch for more than 125 luncheons and 100 evening dinners.

The turkey dinner offered last week was described as a "New England Thanksgiving dinner," a basic down-home meal with sweet potatoes, stuffing, pearl onions, cranberries, and roasted fresh turkey served with dark and white meat. The dessert was a baked cinnamon apple.

"I'm sorry this wasn't here when I worked here. I would have walked up the hill for this every day," said Sophia Woodall, a retired Foothill secretary who came to lunch along with other retired Foothill College workers. Mary Kecskemeji, also retired, called the lunch a great opportunity for students at the Culinary Institute, but for Foothill College students, "What a lunch they get here."

Students cook and serve lunch and dinner in the main dining room Tuesday through Friday with a buffet on Thursday. Lunch is $5 and dinner $7.50. The restaurant is open to the public and most of the lunch crowd comes from downtown Los Altos.

The Culinary arts program is an intensive training exercise in preparing food in a two year program. The students receive 30 to 40 hours of instruction per week and have hands-on culinary training by certified instructors. Classes are held Monday through Friday in the Foothill College kitchen.

The program is supervised by Roger Amaral, the executive chef. The program is strictly culinary with no hospitality or hotel management included. Each student receives approximately 2,400 hours of training before they receive their cooking certificate.

Amaral said the culinary arts program will start two more classes in April 1997. Classes are full and there are more inquiries about the program daily from restaurants.

"The curriculum is not finished, but I believe our direction is very positive," Amaral said. "There are no boundaries in cooking today and we don't want to limit any one's potential."

For more information, call 949-7265.