Chefs searching for the ingredients to success

A ladleful of satiny batter hits the frying pan with a sizzle. Gripping the handle, junior Greg Lightfoot deftly swirls the skillet until it is covered with a thin layer of dough. Seconds later, with an assured flick of the wrist, Lightfoot flips the pancake over and slides it onto a waiting plate, where he adds the finishing touches. With a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a few squirts of whipped cream, the crêpe is ready to be served.

Lightfoot, who has been cooking for his family since he was seven, dreams of one day owning his own restaurant. Like other Blazers serious about the culinary arts, he is working hard towards achieving his goals, most recently by enrolling in Thomas Edison's Restaurant Management program, where he is honing his skills in the kitchen.

On the front burner

Edison's two-year program provides aspiring student chefs with an environment in which they can practice their craft. Teresa Smith, the program's chef-instructor, says she aims to cultivate a love of cooking in students while preparing them for a career in the culinary arts. "This is not high-school home-ec," she explains.

According to Smith, programs similar to Edison's are growing increasingly popular as more students become interested in the culinary arts. "There's three restaurant management programs in Montgomery County alone, and most school districts offer at least one program," she says.

At Edison, students cover a wide range of subjects, from knife skills to basic cooking methods, while working to develop their own creativity, Smith says. Her holistic approach to food - an emphasis is placed on fresh ingredients and cooking from scratch - is an attempt to instill in students an appreciation for cooking. "Taking frozen fries and dropping them into a fryer doesn't teach a kid anything. But giving them a raw potato, now that's cooking," she says.

Lightfoot, whose passion is for desserts, enjoys the creative aspects of the program. He has been working on making his dishes look more appetizing by using various toppings, garnishes and sauces to breathe life into the food he cooks. "I feel like Edison is doing a great job of preparing me for the future," he says.

Instruction at Edison takes place in an industrial kitchen that is periodically inspected just like any restaurant; the students open the kitchen for business twice a year. Serving the community as well as Edison's staff and students, they operate a snack bar for two weeks in the fall and open "Café Edison," a full-service restaurant, for six weeks in the spring.

This professional atmosphere is what most appeals to senior Lisa Dupree. Last March, Dupree worked the grill at the Café, preparing home fries, bacon, ham and eggs, juggling as many as 12 orders at once for crowds of hungry customers. The kitchen was chaotic, but Dupree thrives under pressure. "You really have to stay on top of your job, or else you'll end up back-logged," she says. "I like the chaos though. It's fun because you're trying your hardest to do everything right."

Senior Sabine Jeanty, who is also in the Edison program, appreciates these intense exercises and the effort required to succeed. "Working in the café has really taught me patience and given me experience in serving and interacting with customers," she says. Next fall, Jeanty hopes to bring her knowledge to culinary college, where she will work towards achieving her ultimate goal of opening a restaurant and owning a catering business.

Heating up

Doula Makao-Scheid, a 2004 Blair graduate and Edison Restaurant Management alumnus, is already well on his way to establishing a career in the culinary arts. Currently a sophomore at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, Makao-Scheid is taking courses ranging from restaurant law to culinary math while also building hands-on kitchen experience. He feels he is getting the best possible culinary education. Although he is uncertain where his skills will lead him after graduation, Makao-Scheid knows that plenty of career opportunities await. "Cooking's versatility is appealing. With my degree, I don't have to be a chef," he says.

A CIA graduate herself, Smith's experiences exemplify the myriad of career options available to those with a strong foundation in the culinary arts. Smith has held a variety of jobs throughout her career - from cooking at a hotel in Switzerland to working as a chef on a boat in the Caribbean. After a few years, cooking gave way to teaching, and Smith presided over Paint Branch's Restaurant Management program before she settled at Edison. "The options are almost endless," Smith says.

The icing on the cake

Cooking's allure, however, must be taken with a grain of salt. The professional cooking world is intense and physically demanding, and chefs are notorious for the long hours they work. Smith puts the career path into perspective for aspiring chefs: "It's very lovely to think food is great, but you have to have a reason for being there."

For Lightfoot, that reason is the reward of having people enjoy the food he prepares. "It's really gratifying to make something and have it be appreciated," he says. "It makes all your efforts worth it."

Try it at home: Crêpes

Crêpes, thin French pancakes, are Lightfoot's specialty. He often prepares them for friends, sometimes with brightly-hued batter (thanks to a few drops of food coloring). While he doesn't rely on a recipe, you can try making your own crêpes at home with this recipe from "The Book of Crêpes & Omelets" by Mary Norwak.

Basic Crêpes Ingredients:
•     1 cup flour
•     1 pinch salt
•     2 eggs
•     1 cup milk
•     1 tablespoon butter, melted
•     Vegetable oil
•     Garnishes (jam, sugar, sliced fruit, chocolate sauce)

Directions:
Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the eggs and a little of the milk. Beat well with a wooden spoon. Gradually beat in the remaining milk until bubbles form on top of batter. Stir in butter.
Heat a small frying pan over high heat with a small amount of oil — enough to barely cover the base. Pour in two to three tablespoons of batter and quickly tilt the pan so that the batter covers the base thinly and evenly. Cook about 1 minute over high heat until lightly browned.
Turn crêpe with a metal spatula and cook other side for about 30 seconds. Continue until batter is used. Serve with garnishes of your choice.
Makes eight crêpes.