Students work to ensure the kitchen is fully stocked following the closing of another busy day.
(Photos by Alyssa Richardson)

WARSAW — Everyone has a different learning experience with cooking. For some, helping in their family kitchens or even making their owned packed lunches marked the beginning of their future making meals. For others, making edible mac n’ cheese is a feat yet to be learned. At Warsaw Area Career Center however, learning to cook is not just a practical pursuit, but one that could open doors for a student’s future.

For those who attend the WACC culinary arts academy, learning the basics of cooking is just the beginning. According to Mark Bragg, culinary arts instructor at WACC, students are learning a holistic approach behind food preparation and restaurant management. Instead of simply preparing a recipe, students at the Blue Apron learn the basics of nutrition, building a menu, studying the cultural background a food, organizing a kitchen effectively and ultimately, preparing a gourmet dining experience not soon forgotten by guests.

Though the restaurant itself is cloaked in ambience, the true treat in this kitchen lies in the opportunities it affords students to prepare for their future. According to Bragg, students in the program have taken incredible strides toward pursuits of a formal education in culinary arts. Past students have been awarded with full-ride scholarships created specifically for them; granted admission to prestigious cooking schools; become employed in a variety of kitechns; and learned management skills to one day create their own restaurants.

Students in the culinary arts program embark on a two year course to becoming proficient chefs.

The menu at the restaurant is largely student created and changes biweekly. Every two weeks, a student in the advanced portion of the culinary arts program will take over as a head chef. These students will be responsible for creating a menu, determining the nutritional facts for the menu, studying the background of the food chosen and ensuring operations within the kitchen and restaurant run smoothly.

The ever-changing menu has offered a variety of options to the public. From beef and noodles to grilled salmon, delicacies from around the world have been created with an aim to diversify student’s techniques and understanding.

For those looking to sate their palate, the Blue Apron will reopen on Jan. 12. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday the menu offers a rotating entree two salad options, two soups and a number of delicious dessert options. Though the menu does rotate, guests can enjoy two mainstays: the Cuban sandwich and chicken fettuccine.

Money spent on meals goes back to restocking the kitchen and tips help pay for class trips to area colleges, restaurants and culinary programs. Students have visited Indianapolis to observe a statewide competition in culinary arts, which Bragg notes they will participate in this year. In addition, students have visited Chicago to sample fine dining establishments there as well as visiting culinary arts programs.