There was an atmosphere of urgency and intimidation, which will help students prepare for other cooking competitions, first in regionals, and hopefully state.
Whitney Norvell of Monroe High School was a member of the winning team. They prepared salmon with linguine, snow peas and fresh fennel.
“I’ve always had a passion for cooking, and I always will,” she said.
While learning culinary skills, students also learn what it takes to run a restaurant. Their first year — or junior year in the program — they begin designing a menu for Butler Tech’s restaurant. Each student gets an opportunity to design the menu for the week. At the end, the selections are ranked based on how much money they raised.
Long encourages students to continue their culinary education in college. Kystral Yeager, a 2005 Butler Tech grad, is Long’s teaching assistant. Yeager is attending Cincinnati State. She said Butler Tech’s program helped her succeed in college.
“I was bored” at the first six cooking classes at Cincinnati State. Her long-term goal is to teach, just like Long.
“The more I worked in the program, I saw cooking as a career opportunity,” she said. “I love it, and I love working here.”
Norvell also plans to continue her studies. She hopes to major in nutrition and minor in culinary arts at Sinclair Community College in Dayton.
Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5237 or kcano@coxohio.com.
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