Lamar Said '26   ~   January 2023

Food is a universal language…I had the opportunity to explore this “language,” or culinary world, through this year's Culinary and Hospitality Winter Experience. This experience was an incredibly  eye-opening experiences in my life. Not only did we get to create our own meals, but we were given the chance to learn about the food industry, and what it really is about. 

Starting the week off, I stayed at school and watched a documentary on the fundamental background of manners in the 1900’s. During this film, I learned a handful of shocking things that were considered the “norm” in the past. I also watched an interesting film called, Super Size Me. Even though this film may be seen as a ‘hard watch,’ I learned a lot of things about the fast food industry and how unhealthy it is for the body. Additionally, we also learned about cutlery. So, after watching the documentary we were given the task to make the finest table like the model picture, with the items we were given. The game was so fun, running around finishing as fast as we could and at the same time trying to make it look perfect. 

On Wednesday we went to Marco’s Italian Restaurant. We made gnocchi and meatballs. It was such an amazing new learning opportunity. We got to learn the skills we picked up, and set our own tables. I even got to plate everything and go into the kitchen. I felt like an actual cook in the kitchen, trying to bring out the food for the guests as fast as possible. I loved every bit of the day, and it made me realize I might want to work at a restaurant one day. The hustle and bustle of everything in the kitchen brings me so much joy. After we ate, Mr. Marco, the owner of the restaurant, spoke to us for a while about everything involved in running a food chain. He told us his story and how in the beginning he never pictured himself to be working in the kitchen as his job. Now, he has come to fall in love with it. With everything he taught us and informed us, the main thing I took from this experience is that cooking comes from the heart. It does not matter who you are cooking for, or what you are cooking as long as you are making others happy. 

On Thursday we went to Wegmans. This was our day to really learn how to make a meal substantially, organically, and on a budget. When we were at Wegmans, we put ourselves into groups and had to make any kind of meal that was on a $45 budget. The catch was we had to make the meal accommodate every member of a family, and one member was diabetic and the other was gluten free. It was fun to run around seeing everyone else try to finish up as well. My group made a quinoa chicken salad, and it took so long to decide what to make. When we were done, we formalized our projects on a google doc and added all the nutritional facts. When we got back to school we presented our projects and waited for the results. Furthermore, we went down to the cafeteria and made cookies and brownies for our trip the next day. 

The last day of the week, we volunteered at St. Luke’s Mission. Helping out, seeing everything that goes on, and being able to hear everyone’s stories was an extremely eye-opening opportunity. This trip has made me view everything from a completely different perspective. During our visit, we packed lunches for those in need, including sandwiches, burgers, and fries. We got to see the conditions some people have to live in. We also gave the kids there the brownies and cookies we made for them earlier, and it was a great experience getting to know them. Towards the end of our stay, we listened to some of the stories of the people also helping out. 

Like Ms. Testa and Mrs. Sperazza said, “The Culinary and Hospitality world is the hidden gem in the world.” I truly believe this, and now that I’ve got to experience it for myself I will carry that message with me forever.