TRAINING FOR
Culinary Careers By Sophy Mott, Correspondent
PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS stuffed with goat cheese. Falafel scotch eggs. Baked ratatouille lasagna. Avocado-filled cherry tomatoes. While any one of these enticing small plates would be at home on the menu of the hottest new “foodie” spot in town, they are coming instead from the sophomore students enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Arts at Eastside High School’s campus in Gainesville. “Being organized in the kitchen – that’s been most helpful to me,” said Yuriko Calva as she readies her creation – chicken-fried mushrooms – for the deep fryer, after carefully rolling them in a savory mix of bread crumbs and spices. A sophomore with aspirations of a culinary career, Yuriko was accepted into Eastside High’s highly competitive, four-year magnet program as a freshman. On average, 85 students apply each year, with about 18
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | APRIL/MAY 2019
30 accepted – 75% selected by the school, and 25% by a lottery process. Students are under the training and watchful eye of Chef Pamela Bedford, director of the Institute. Bedford, who proudly identifies as an “Alachua County public school kid,” began her teaching career at Eastside in 2007 after 12 years of industry experience. She manages Eastside’s commercial kitchen, serving room – even the program’s ice-carving club – with ease, sharing teaching duties with Chef Richard Vaughn, himself a 2007 graduate of the program where he now teaches. “This program is a good motivator,” said Bedford. “Kids want to be in this program, so they’ll do whatever it takes to keep their grades up (in other classes) so they can come here and cook.”
Prepped veggies at the Culinary Arts Institute.
Maria Kremer of the Culinary Team selects edible flowers.
