Magnet Academy of Culinary Arts at Wekiva High School
Magnet Academy of Culinary Arts at Wekiva High School
It was an interesting challenge: sophomore culinary students were asked to create a three course meal where EVERY course featured a vegetable. Everyone tried, but only one team earned all the votes.
Here is the vegetarian menu voted as BEST by Culinary 2 students, designed and presented by Culinary 2 students.
I will post photos of the student’s classroom attempts once the project is closer to being completed.
Over the last 7 years, our Culinary Arts students have cooked for elected leaders, catered wedding receptions, ran giant events, competed nationally for scholarships, and demonstrated a commitment to excellence. To get to the next level, they need access to industry-standard commercial tools.
Next year we are premiering a first period class devoted to helping students learn and master the accounting, inventory, technical and soft skills related to running a pastry and cappuccino cafe. Help us make this valuable class a reality!
Nuova Simonell Espresso machine and grinder – $13,000
The majority of our students are seriously considering a career in the F&B industry and LOVE helping with our large catering events. This tool will not only help students prepare for the industry, it will make our efforts to be self-supporting so much easier.
Vulcan 40 gallon Precipan Tilting Braising Pan – $32,000
About a third of our students are passionate about the bakery and want to pursue careers as pastry chefs.
While we don’t have the infrastructure to install all the tools they will use in a commercial bakery, we can make a giant leap forward by adding a rotating rack oven – the exact same piece of equipment they will use in any restaurant, theme park, or hotel they get a job in, later in their career.
Blodgett XR8-G Electric Rotating Rack Oven – $26,500
Many culinary schools already use these cameras to broadcast cooking demonstrations and upload them to the internet! Getting one for our demo kitchen will empower all our students to learn (regardless of where they can find a seat).
Vaddio DocCAM 20 HDBT OneLINK Bridge System – $7,200
We have had three very successful years competing in culinary competitions – both on the state and the national level. Our students have gone up against well-funded teams and have done well… but for these kids to get to the next level, to land one of those coveted top positions in the country, they need the support of industry partners – for transportation and hotel stays, for the right uniforms, tools, and equipment, and for the extensive preparation necessary to be competitive.
Fund one of our state/national competition students – $1000 each
Much like the secret handshake of a members-only group, diner slang evolved from the late 1800s as a form of oral slang used by wait staff to communicate food orders to the short order cook.…
Everything you need to know to master pizza – the perfect crust, toppings, and sauce to make ’em swoon.
In professional kitchens and among culinary students, mise en place (or mise for short) is essential. This post guides the beginning culinary student through the basics of what it is and how to do it.
Fudge History Fudge is an American invention: most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from an accident when a cook made a bungled batch of caramels. One of the first documentations of…
To understand why your sugar-based candy, fudge, or icing isn’t coming out the way you expected, you have to understand how to control the crystallization of sugar. This post does that (with yummy science).
There are 18 basic cooking methods involved in most cooking applications. This post doesn’t explain how to DO all of them, but it does provide a brief explanation of each with key terms highlighted. READ THIS FIRST.
There are three big categories of cooking methods and many, many variations. This series of posts serves to give you a big picture on ALL of them, then does a deep dive into a few specifics (with some tasty recipes to go along)
There is more to “who does what” in the professional kitchen than you might think and some important restaurant history behind it. Read on to discover the Culinary Brigade of Wekiva Culinary, adapted from Auguste Escoffier’s 150 year old brigade system.
