What Cha got cookin'?

Students get expert instruction at Satellite Center

Susanne Hinkle

Students in the Culinary Arts Program at the Satellite Center work on food for their senior project.

Chef Pat Phelan and his students are always cookin' up something good. Students interested in pursuing Culinary Arts as a profession need to go no further than the Satellite Center. The program is designed to prepare culinary students for college instruction or work in the industry.

The center offers two ProStart courses for students enrolled in culinary arts. ProStart is a program designed to prepare students for entry into a post high school Culinary Arts program.

he first ProStart course focuses on preparing students for careers in the food service/hospitality industry. The second ProStart class provides laboratory experiences in the school, outside learning experiences through field trips, work-site tours, catering experiences and guest speakers from the food-service industry.

The handful of students who participate in the Culinary Arts program are always busy little chefs. “We recently catered the Rotary Luncheon and continue to cater different social activities in the parish,” said Chef Phelan. “Our biggest goal is to start a full scale restaurant next year. We will be open for lunch to serve members of the community,” he went on to say.

The students enrolled in this class have the privlage of working with state of the art restaurant equipment. The restaurant quality kitchen is just what any student needs to learn about cooking, hospitality, and the process of preparing a menu for a large number of people.

“The program is hands on. There is little text book work and we work in the kitchen all the time. It is very enjoyable,” said Terrel Roussel, a student in the class.
Chef Phelan is a veteran of the culinary arts. His resume includes an apprenticeship at Maurice French Pastries, Emerils Delmonico, Executive Sous Chef at Mike Ditka’s and Pastry Chef at Cuvee. With his talent and experience, the Culinary Arts Program will continue to grow and serve members of the community.