TU Arts writer Steve Barnes critiques a dish prepared by C’Anna Sprague (L) and Heather Brown (R)
Seniors in the Culinary Arts program at Rensselaer Educational Center in Troy had a special guest visit their class February 3. Arts writer Steve Barnes of the Times Union’s “Tablehopping” blog came to the school to taste students’ dishes and give them a glimpse into his job.
The students in the program are working on a beef, poultry, and seafood unit, and each student (or pair of students) prepared a small beef dish for Barnes to sample and critique. The visit is part of the Integrated English curriculum, in which students are working with reviews – and how they can make or break a restaurant.
An nontraditional beef Stroganoff prepared by Randy Jefferson and Cody Chandler
Students presented six plates to Barnes, who discussed the dish with the students before tasting it and giving some very valuable feedback. The dishes offered were either a variation of beef Stroganoff or chicken-fried steak, and Barnes had great things to say about every plate.
Before Barnes’ visit, students read several published restaurant reviews, including of Barnes’. One of their recent assignments was to write their own reviews. Students chose a variety of establishments including Burger King, Chili’s, Friendly’s, and even a school lunch.
They also had a chance to sit down with Barnes to ask questions and learn about what exactly he does. He began the discussion by plainly saying he was not a food critic, but a journalist. He shared with the students that his father owned a restaurant, and a couple positive reviews kept business going strong and provided for the family. He says he takes the responsibility of his job seriously – both for the restaurant owners and staff and the people who decide where to go on what could be the only night out in a month based on what he says about a restaurant, play, or concert.
Barnes shares with students about what his job entails.
Students in the class said his visit gave them some valuable insight.
“It allowed us to see the perspective from a customer’s point of view, on things that we either did well or could improve on. The knowledge he shared of his time in the industry also showed us what to prepare for in this career field and how we should handle them, which is greatly beneficial,” said Jessica Korkemaz from Troy.
“Having Steve Barnes come in and taste our food was a great experience. This gave us a professional perspective on the food we made and ways to improve on it. Also hearing him speak about his career as a food blogger was very interesting,” said Hoosic Valley student Paul D’Avella.
You can read Barnes’ post about his visit on his blog, Tablehopping.
