Culinary & Business Collaborate: Making French Cuisine

Tri-Rivers’ C.C. Bistro was all about French Cuisine during a recent collaborative project. Suzie Arehart, the Career Center’s Business Communications Instructor, has been discussing France and the country’s culture and food with her students. So it just made sense to her that they learn more about the cuisine by working with Chef Sheila Hamm’s Culinary Arts students. “We decided our students should get together and make crêpes,” said Arehart.

The Culinary Arts students practiced the art of making crêpes and then the Business Communications students joined them in kitchen to learn the process. “Crêpes are made by pouring a batter onto a frying pan or flat circular hot plate, often with a trace of butter or vegetable oil on the pan’s surface. The batter is spread evenly over the cooking surface of the pan or plate either by tilting the pan or by distributing the batter with a spatula. Cooking takes 30 to 60 seconds, then it is turned over to cook the other side. You can flip it in the air by swinging the pan,” explained Chef Hamm. “Some of the students were actually pretty good at flipping the crêpes.”

“When students learn from students, it really is wonderful thing,” said Chef Hamm. “Both my Culinary Arts students and Mrs. Arehart’s Business Communications students did an amazing job for together.”

Arehart said her students not only learned how to make crêpes and all about savory types of fillings for the pancake-like creations, but they also had the opportunity to sample macaroons and French onion soup made by the Culinary Arts students. “They were also introduced to what it would look like to eat in a French restaurant with four forks at each place setting,” said Arehart.

“It was as much fun for the Culinary Arts students as it was for the Business Communications students,” said Principal Carol Bebout. “I loved seeing how as peers the Culinary Arts students shared how to make the food and the Business Communications students really listened and asked questions. ”

Bebout said, “Collaborative projects like this one have such a positive impact on students.”