Georgia Magazine - January 2021 - 39

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER
Courtesy of the Culinary Institute of Savannah at Savannah Technical College
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 shallots, chopped
2 dozen oysters, on the half shell
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Rock salt, for a bed for the oysters
2 tablespoons olive oil

32 to 140 students in the
culinary courses. Another
80 are in the pastry program.
" I think the big attraction [of the pastry program]
is comfort food; nothing
smells like a good baked
product that evokes good memories, " says Caudell,
who expects even higher numbers in both programs when the school completes its new facility downtown. Currently under renovation, the
14,000-square-foot space will feature a student-run
restaurant, a grab-and-go bakery and commercial,
demonstration and theater kitchens (where patrons
watch and interact with chefs).
The popularity of TV and internet cooking
shows draws students to the International Culinary
School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, says Desmond
Keefe, culinary program director.
" There's a real surge of interest in these channels, and culinary education is still strong. We have
around 200 [students] in our program now, and we
give them the classic methods so they can be successful when they get out into the industry, " he says.
On-site industry training is part of The Art Institute's associate and bachelor's degrees, and students

COURTESY WIREGRASS GEORGIA
TECHNICAL COLLEGE

COURTESY WIREGRASS GEORGIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt butter in a medium-sized
skillet. Sauté garlic for 2 minutes to infuse the butter. Add
shallots and spinach; cook for 3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
In a bowl, mix together the olive oil and Parmesan; season
with salt and pepper. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the spinach
mixture on each oyster, followed by a spoonful of the Parmesan
mixture. Spread a 1/2-inch layer of rock salt in a baking pan.
Arrange the oysters in
the salt to steady them.
Bake for 10-15 minutes
until golden. Yields 8
servings as an appetizer.

Above and left: Culinary students from
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College in Valdosta
practice the basics of plating and presentation.

have had opportunities to get real-world experience
in local restaurants, including the school's Creations
dining lab.
" We also have a great partnership with [Walt
Disney World] in Florida, where students can take online classes while doing internships, " Keefe says.
" In fact, many go back there as their first and sometimes their career jobs. "
Kennesaw State University's (KSU) continuing education division gets
students working quickly as well. Its nine-month Culinary Apprenticeship
Certificate courses launched six years ago and have grown steadily.
" Ours is a hybrid of online and in-kitchen instruction each week that
covers everything from knife skills to food prep, " says Patricia Walker Cummings, director of community programs in the College of Graduate and
Professional Education. " Then students go through four rotations with our
partner caterers, local restaurants and the KSU Commons [dining hall]. "
The courses draw a variety of participants, including college-aged
students who want something other than a four-year degree and people
who have tried and grown tired of other professions.
" In the past, we've had vets coming out of the service who sought
other skills and students who wanted to do their own thing, " she says.
" We've had some open their own food trucks. "
While these future kitchen stars are honing their skills on culinary
basics, they're also coming up with their own creative dishes. Take a look at
some of the recipes they're perfecting and reinventing.
H.M. Cauley is an Atlanta-based freelance writer.
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Georgia Magazine - January 2021

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