Cooking is an essential skill. Having the ability to make nutritious meals that taste great is an added bonus.
At Homewood-Flossmoor High School, students can learn the basics, or choose to go beyond into the professional realm of food preparation, thanks to major improvements in culinary lab spaces in the North Building. These improvements were part of the updates for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. H-F readied four new spaces in 2024 for CTE’s clothing construction and interior design classes, and the residential and commercial kitchens.
It took years for staff to review trends in the market, visit other schools, develop ideas on how to reconfigure spaces so that classes could continue during construction, then work with architectural designs and get cost assessments before the District 233 school board approved the renovations in 2023.
“H-F can now offer enhanced educational opportunities. These state-of-the-art spaces enable H-F to develop college-aligned curricula where students can earn high school and college credits while mastering professional culinary techniques,” said Michelle Meadows, director of CTE programs.
The improvements also give H-F graduates “industry-recognized credentials and the advanced skills needed to excel in culinary careers,” she said, “giving them a valuable head start in their academic journey.”
Teacher Christina Clark has been on staff for 11 years. She’s taught both residential and commercial foods classes in the old space that looked much like a home kitchen that had limited work spaces and equipment.
“The kids now are doing far more, skill-wise. Where they are now compared to last year (in the old facilities) is phenomenal. It’s good to know the community’s investment is worth it,” Clark said.
The residential kitchen
In the new residential kitchen lab, students divide into small groups working around six long white islands, each with a sink and cook top stove. Shelving below holds various kitchen appliances. Drawers hold spatulas, measuring spoons, etc.
The teacher’s workspace stretches across the front of the room. The latest LED TV at the teacher’s station allows students to view demonstrations on strategically placed monitors around the room.
Teachers give Culinary I students all the necessary skills for working in a kitchen — from preparation to clean-up. The curriculum covers measurements, safety, sanitation skills, reading a recipe, converting measurements, the nutritional food groups and preparations of balanced meals. Along the way, students learn to use various kitchen appliances.
During class, students prepare eggs and quick breads for breakfast, sandwich wraps and soups for lunch, cookies and a no-bake cheesecake dessert.
“We have the space now for upgraded equipment. We have things like a bread proofer so they can do more two-day experiences,” Clark said, in addition to six ovens. The room’s flexible seating allows students to sit and observe the teacher’s demonstration and take the seating away when they work. Clark appreciates the storage for students’ things, a separate storage room for prep materials, a commercial grade washer/dryer to launder the hand towels and chef jackets, and a walk-in cooler.
Clark also appreciates the “flex” room, a classroom between the residential and commercial kitchens that gives teachers the option of using a classroom for teaching rather than always instructing in the kitchen space. A. glass folding wall acts as a partition between the classroom and the industrial kitchen.
The commercial kitchen
The room becomes a hive of activity when students get busy preparing meals, like this tempting combo: chicken filet with waffles served with peach chutney.
The set-up has six prep stations, six stove tops, commercial-style double-door ovens, kettle pots for soups, two deep fryers, a walk-in cooler, proofer/warmer that expedites heating. Off to the back of the room are large sinks for clean-up of items used during class.
Stretching nearly the entire length of the room are metal prep tables where students do food preparation. Each row has sinks interspersed. Hanging from hooks overhead are 10- and 12-inch skillets, strainers and other kitchen utensils. Electrical outlets hang from the ceiling for power when students need to use mixers or other appliances.
The commercial kitchen is open to students who have completed the prerequisite Culinary 1 and 2 classes. Students work in groups of three or four when they prepare meals. Typically, one student is doing the prep work dicing, cutting, measuring and blending seasonings, etc. Another will work at the stove preparing the meat portion. In about a 45-minute time-period, the students prepare small portions of a meal.
Some students are serious about culinary careers, hoping to prepare for a job in a professional kitchen. Others are in this kitchen because the class is interesting.
“I really like cooking,” said Jayda Bend, a junior. “It’s a life skill; it’s something that I actually enjoy doing. Not only was Culinary 1 fun, but it was something that makes you want to come to class.”
Teacher Jontil Grubbs reminds her students that being part of the foods industry doesn’t mean you’re always in a kitchen. She moved into teaching with 21 years of experience in the field, including serving as a research and development chef for Chick-Fil-A.
“They’re going to know that it’s not just being a chef in a restaurant,” she said. “They can do food science, dietetics, research and development. There are so many avenues they can go down and that’s what I want them to learn.”
