Staff Blog
VIDEO: The Culinary Arts Program at the West Philadelphia High Community School
posted by Drew Lazor
Last week, Meal Ticket visited West Philly High to check out its culinary arts program, founded at the beginning of the ‘09-’10 school year. Run by UPenn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships and funded by the PHMC, the program comprises multiple groups of students, fro varying grade levels, meeting after school to learn culinary fundamentals from Thaddeus Duprey, a Teach for America instructor who’s worked in a number of restaurant kitchens locally.
On this particular afternoon, the kids engaged in an Iron Chef-style competition — each team was tasked with coming up with a meal highlighting the “secret” ingredients of hanger steak, baguette, tomatoes and parsley. Michael Solomonov, chef/co-owner of Zahav, and Zahav pastry chef Sarah Corvasce joined us to judge the cook-off. Both plan on getting more involved with the program as it grows.
We got down on some really great food, but the group that brought it home was the threesome of juniors Rahmir Venable, Marie Hines and Jason Rogers. Their perfectly seasoned and grilled steak was killer, but what really stood out to the panel was their French toast dessert, topped with a blackberry sauce made from scratch.
Really inspiring. Way to go PHMC. And the video was fun. Even turned on my sound for it.
I think it’s great that the students have an opportunity to be involved with the culinary arts program. One of my students is in the video and his behavior and academic performance in my class has really improved because his parents told him if it did not he would not be able to participate. Thank Mr Duprey.
I think it’s great that the students have an opportunity to be involved with the culinary arts program. One of my students is in the video and his behavior and academic performance in my class has really improved because his parents told him if it did not he would not be able to participate. Thank Mr Duprey.
By the way, really good work. Can’t wait for your next one!