The Culinary Arts class at the Columbia Area Career Center (CACC) is in the midst of its annual holiday food sale. Until Friday Dec. 18, students and faculty will be able to purchase from a menu that includes different varieties of soup, sugary desserts and pounds of pulled pork, all prepared by CACC Culinary Arts students.
“We have a coconut curry and carrot soup that we’ve made on a consistent basis. but we ran out yesterday so we’re going to make some more,” Culinary Arts instructor Chef Brooks Harlan said. “It’s a pretty big list today in terms of specials, and it’s great because 100 percent of the proceeds go back to help keep running the class.”
Harlan and his students set up free samples in a kitchen in the RBHS basement yesterday, giving out tomato bisque and little grilled cheese sandwiches to any visitors. Junior Sam Speake, who helped hand out portions yesterday, said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
”It’s fun to interact with everybody and see the results of what we’ve made through the happiness it brings people,” Speake said.
In addition to the finished dishes on sale, the class is also selling products like chicken and vegetable stock, as well as CACC Culinary Arts’ specialty hot sauce. Speake said these items are very popular in the Columbia community.
“We constantly have individuals and restaurant owners coming into the career center to purchase things we’ve made such as demi-glace and stock,” Speake said.
Besides being a way to generate revenue for the CACC culinary program, Harlan said the yearly sale also provides his students with valuable experience in customer service.
“It’s a great showcase for [Culinary Arts students] to be involved in sales when somebody comes over,” Harlan said. “A lot of times in here we’re making things for our students to try, but now there’s an actual product that is going to go to somebody’s home, somebody’s table.”
The culinary sale menu can be found here.
Have you been able to taste the culinary class’ food creations? Leave a comment below.