In a small pocket of the cafeteria, easy to miss if you’re just walking by, wondrous smells waft through the air in a student-run kitchen. Culinary students work diligently, cooking and baking not only to improve their skills but also to provide an extra little treat for their school, and even their community.
The culinary program here at East is no small feat. Students learn how to cook in class and apply those skills at events such as cooking competitions, meals for teachers and staff, and snacks for their peers. Every Friday during the school year, they sell delectable treats at the Eastside Bistro on campus.
“It’s mainly just a bake sale, we’re working on getting more things to put on the menu,” senior Landon Ihms said. “Every Friday we come out, mostly everything is a dollar.”
Culinary teacher Steven Pilat offers three double-block classes. Each one focuses on different levels of culinary skills, and the more advanced classes are reserved for seniors. During these courses, students spend time learning how to cook meals beyond just simple snacks. The classes plunge into many different dishes and culinary techniques that students create from scratch. Students learn a set of skills that teach them how to make substantial and nutritious meals.
“Through the curriculum, we do a lot of basics: stocks, soups, sauces,” Pilat said. “If we get caught up on that, I have a big list of foods that they want to learn how to [make] before they graduate.”
As of now, East is the only high school in the district with a solidified culinary program. Students from the other Plano schools have to travel just for one double-block class to learn how to prepare and cook food.
“This is the only class that’s taught between Plano West and Plano Senior and us,” Pilat said. “I have two students that come over from Plano Senior for this class.”
Culinary goes beyond the classroom as students prepare snacks each week in time for Friday. Eastside Bistro, the on-campus restaurant, offers a variety of treats at their bake sale every Friday during both A and B lunch. The treats are homemade and affordable, and their popularity amongst students is on a steady incline.
“We’re very good at what we do,” Ihms said. “We have a lot of good cooks in the kitchen, but it’s just not very known. [Eastside Bistro] is all the way in the back of the school, nobody sees it. But it’s been getting more popular as more people tell their friends.”
Culinary students also have the opportunity to put their skills to the test in a variety of cooking competitions. Whoever wants to participate signs up, and those who show interest form a team. A lot of these competitions are timed, and all of the food used has to be prepared from scratch. These competitions often offer cash prizes and even scholarships for winning teams.
“We did a competition at AT&T Stadium for the Cowboys,” Pilat said. “We won 4,000 dollars that goes back into our account so we can do more stuff.”
These students even cook meals for groups in the community. From multicultural day at an elementary school to luncheons for teachers and even a booth at Stay Day, culinary students are prepared to serve and cook for many different groups in many different environments. Not only do they gain culinary skills, but they also take on leadership and hospitality.
“I let them make the menus, work in the kitchen, I’ll have somebody be the chef in charge, and then we’ll have people in the front of the house waiting tables,” Pilat said. “Almost once a month we’ll do a luncheon for 45 people.”
Students who are passionate about cooking, such as Ihms, take a lot of pride and care in the work that the culinary program puts out. They make lifelong friends, hone their skills, and deepen their passion for creating delicious and hearty meals.
“I grew up around this, and I’ve always loved it. I love the passion people hold for it, the stress of it, all of that,” Ihms said. “I just love cooking. I always have my whole life.”
