Cascade Culinary Institute is for learning. That is a given. As a chef, I entered into this occupation with my head held high and ready to teach what I have learned through trial and error, classroom work and sometimes dumb luck. I was ready to preach great cooking technique to students of all interests. I was ready to be an educator.
I new it was going to feel good to teach others a craft that I love but I did not know seeing the growth of the students was going to feel this great. As a teacher, being in the classroom with these students, some of them 4 days per week for 3+ hours I get very invested in their growth. Moreover, let me tell you, grow they do.
At the start, the questions they ask are vague and timid. They know they have a question but they are not even sure what to say. Some intimidated others overwhelmed, some jittery with anticipation. The questions roll in.
We are now over half way through the semester and the growth is great. No longer are the students moving around the kitchen skittering about trying to get their Mise En Place completed, they are now calm, composed and focused. They move with purpose around the kitchen, understanding where they need to be and where their cohorts are going. They understand the kitchen and how to make it work. It is like a machine and the students are the moving parts. Some days you drive fast on a winding road and the machine works harder and moves faster, some days it is a leisurely drive through a park and the motor is a low pleasant hum.
The questions are now pointed. The students know what they want but my not know the very best way to get there. These are the questions that make me smile. The progress from vague to specific. The questioning each step and striving for better. This is how I know they are ready to move on, ready to go to the next level.
Come on in. Experience Elevation Restaurant at its best, right now.