Youths Get a Taste of Culinary Careers

The connection between kids and cooking isn’t just a matter of their asking Mom what’s for dinner. It can also involve a career option.

In Ventura County, some chefs are planting the idea in young minds that there may be a better way of linking food and dollars than just paying the dinner tab.

When President Clinton issued a call last Friday for American business professionals to volunteer their time to serve as mentors for youngsters in need of vocational training, Robert Garcia, executive chef at Capistrano’s at Mandalay Beach Resort, was already on the job, so to speak.

Garcia, who is also secretary of the Channel Islands Chefs Assn., is a veteran mentor. This week marks the beginning of his third year introducing young people to his profession--right where he works--by giving them hands-on training during weekends and after school.

Recalling his own early years, he said, “I had no idea there was an opportunity to go into gourmet cuisine.” He has, quite literally, worked his way up from dishwasher and short-order cook to executive chef, along the way also paying to attend a professional cooking school.

No one had told him as a youth that apprenticeship programs existed for kids. So he responded affirmatively when invited to be a mentor for the Ventura County Regional Occupational Program, a project offered through the Ventura County superintendent of schools.

The Oxnard Union High School District operates the program’s “Hospitality & Tourism Academy,” open to any high school junior or senior in the county. The program provides mentoring in the food, lodging and local tourism industries.

For an application, kids can ask a career counselor at one of the county high schools or call Ron Burns at the program’s headquarters, (805) 388-4430.

Elementary and middle-school students who want to find out what goes on behind the scenes at a restaurant can visit local eateries such as City Bakery & Cafe in Ventura or Local Squeeze in Westlake Village.

City Bakery’s owner Rose Burtchby and head baker Felicia Bentham regularly invite class-size groups to watch, step by step, the making of breads, soups, salads, pasta and pies. The visit, free of charge, can be arranged a week in advance.

But, said Burtchby, “We love giving individual gourmet cooking classes for parents and children.” This costs $35 for a three-hour session for adults--half-price for kids.

Lauren Bell, co-owner of Local Squeeze restaurant in Westlake Village, also hosts student groups from nearby elementary schools. She closes her place to the public in order to provide groups of up to 100 kids a hands-on program lasting two to three hours. There’s a fee of $5 per child--and they get to eat a lot of good food while there.

“The kids work at stations, moving from one part of the restaurant to another--where they make fresh juice smoothies, help make cookies from scratch and soup from fresh vegetables,” said Bell. “There’s music, and we actually dance from one station to another.”

The dance aspect of the junior cookery class is fun, but it has another value, said Bell. It is also aerobic exercise and good for health and well-being, concepts Bell also promotes.

She wants kids to adopt healthy eating habits such as those recommended by the American Heart Assn. At the final station, kids learn how to measure their own pulse rate--and learn how diet is connected to having a healthy heart.

To spread this word, and encourage kids to think about working in the restaurant industry, Bell recently participated in “Career Day” at a nearby elementary school. Dressed in her chef’s outfit and toting a selection of knives and fresh foods, she did what she called her “human Vegematic act” for the kids.

“Educating them before they have a mind-set unreceptive to healthy foods,” she said, “is important because they can see it’s fun to cook this way, and they’ll be more inclined to choose the apple instead of the Ding Dong.”

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DETAILS

* FOOD IN YOUR FUTURE: High school juniors or seniors interested in getting mentoring for food careers through the Ventura County Regional Occupational Program should call Ron Burns at (805) 388-4430.

For information about junior membership in the Ventura County District of the Southern California Culinary Guild, call guild headquarters at (714) 960-2120.

* RESTAURANT TOURS: Behind-the-scenes restaurant visits for elementary and middle-school groups may be arranged at City Bakery & Cafe, 2358-C E. Main St., Ventura, (805) 643-0861 or at Local Squeeze, 30869 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village, (818) 706-7706.