MARLBOROUGH – On a typical day, culinary arts students at Assabet Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School learn how to whip up anything from appetizers and desserts.
For the second annual Culinary Arts Food Show on Wednesday, Nov. 6, students got to work with 20 chef instructors, as well as meet fellow culinary students from 13 other vocational schools.
“I’m so excited, it seems really cool,” said Elliot Chetwynd, an Assabet senior from Maynard.
She was part of the dessert crew that helped create mounds of whoopie pies and coffee cake for the event.
“Any time working with the kids I love it,” said Jimmy DiMarzio, a chef and member of the Epicurean Club of Boston, a professional chef organization. “Not everyone is meant to be a PhD.”
ECB President Tim Foley said the club helps high school students with scholarships ($16,000 was awarded last year) along with mentorships.
The Epicurean Room at Assabet, and its adjoining kitchen, provided the stations for 15 food brokers, including A.J. Letizio, Smithfield Culinary, Epicurean Club of Boston, Piantedosi, The Bone Sauce and Mike’s Hot Honey. Two Marlborough restaurants did demonstrations – Firefly’s Steve Uliss, owner and executive chef, showed the difference between St. Louis ribs and spare ribs; Dave Kennedy, co-owner of Kennedy’s Market and Restaurant, showed the art of tumbling steak for steak tips.
At one station, Assabet senior Jack O’Toole learned the proper way to cut Wagu beef from chef Chuck Leonardo.
Students had the opportunity to sample a variety of items, from tortillas to cannolis. They also received a drawstring bag to collect vendors’ products; and a JavaSOK thermal sleeve.
According to chef Louis Trudeau, an Assabet culinary instructor known as Chef T, the event was an opportunity for culinary arts students to gain experience from seasoned chefs.
A survey by the National Restaurant Association said that 62 percent of operators reported not having enough employees to accommodate customers effectively.
In addition to the ECB, sponsors included Main Street Bank, Marlborough Rotary and BJ’s corporate office.
For information about the Assabet Valley Regional Vocational/Technical School District, go to https://www.assabet.org/
