Students in Chef Brian Neumeyer’s Advanced Culinary classes have been preparing for their Final Exam for two weeks. Planning the menu, experimenting with recipes, calculating and ordering supplies, and (finally) preparing and presenting their products. The Culinary Department Gala, or ‘Epicurian Showcase’ was an invitation-only event attended by parents of the students, and a few special guests. Read the rest of this entry »
Archive for the “Culinary” CategoryNewtown High School Advanced Culinary students catered the recent BEST/TEAM (teacher induction program) end-of-year ceremony in the school lobby recently. The students prepared the menu, arranged the layout for seating and serving, prepared and presented the food, and cleaned up after the event. The Advanced Culinary program is self-funding, students use the proceeds from these catered events to purchase food for future instructional units. Students enrolled in the program are exposed to every aspect of running a small enterprise throughout the school year, rotating through all positions from Lead Chef, to Bookkeeper, Menu Designer, and Lead Dishwasher. Effective collaboration skills are among the most critical characteristics developed through the program. Students in Chef Steve O Shana’s Culinary 2 class recently learned how to prepare a shoulder of pork for roasting. Before and after pictures tell the story, the pork tasted as good as it looks. Meanwhile, Alex Norwich (grade 12) demonstrates how roasted peppers get their flavorful taste. Alex is a student in Chef Brian Neumeyer’s Advanced Culinary course. Good nutrition and healthy eating habits are a part of every instructional unit in the Newtown High School Culinary Department. Students also learn that preparing healthy meals is always less costly than purchasing the same amount of fast food. Important lessons for those who will soon be living on their own. Hoods for the demonstration station and the student cooking areas have been installed. It is beginning to look like a kitchen! The importance of good nutrition and healthy eating are fundamental concepts common to all courses offered in the Newtown High School Culinary Dept. Chef Steve OShana is always pleased to show students they can realize these goals without sacrificing taste or convenience. Chef OShana’s students recently created a ‘meatless red-sauce’ from scratch, and enjoyed it with some all-natural pasta they also prepared. As students sampled their success, Chef OShana pointed out that the entire process took less time than bringing burgers home from a fast food store. The students agreed; Healthier, Tastier, and Faster! Newtown High School Chef Brian Neumeyer is seen critiquing the presentation prepared by his Advanced Culinary students for the Chinese delegation welcoming breakfast Thursday, February, 18, 2010. The students worked until 8:30pm the night before and returned to school by 6:30am to ensure all the details were ‘just right’. Following Chef Neumeyer’s critique, the students are seen proudly manning their stations just prior to the start of service. Read the rest of this entry » Chef Steve Oshana’s Baking & Pastry class hosted World Language teacher Laura Battisti’s French class for a collaborative lesson on creating traditional French Crepes. All students agreed that the greatest challenge was developing the proper wrist action needed to flip the crepe in the pan. Successful students enjoyed garnishing their results with a variety of toppings including powdered sugar, fruit, and chocolate. Students have been studying the historic and cultural significance of ethnic cuisine, including the crepe, the favorite street food of Paris. Tags: FrenchThe Ladle is a student-run enterprise managed by Chef Brian Neumeyer’s Advanced Culinary students. The enterprise runs during the winter months, providing unique offerings suitable for the colder weather. The menu varies from week to week, but always features unique sandwiches and soups. Matilda Dean is pictured preparing an NHS favorite, Grilled Vegetable Panini. Matilda is using a new Panini Maker, purchased with funds generated entirely by the student enterprise. The Ladle is open to Newtown High School staff and students during the lunch period Wednesday through Friday each week.
Chef Steve Oshana posed a variety of challenges to his Baking & Pastry students last week. Performance Assessment was the rule of the day as students were required to demonstrate skills they had acquired during the semester. The 2-hour exam produced several appealing items. Students celebrated their success by eating their classmate’s exams. Kevin Carney and Eric Koegler keep a watchful eye on grilling veggies, while Alex Norwich carefully roasts red peppers over an open flame. Evan Barreto and Evan Kennedy are also pictured carefully preparing spinach. The vegetables are being prepared for this week’s menu at The Ladle, a student-run enterprise within the NHS Culinary Program. The Ladle offers sandwiches and soups as a lunch menu for faculty and staff during the winter months. This week’s menu will feature Panini’s prepared with the new panini maker purchased with proceeds from the culinary enterprises. All cooks pictured are seniors in Chef Brian Neumeyer’s Culinary course. Austin Puleri, sophomore, proudly displays a pizza he helped build from scratch. Can you tell the pan was a bit hotter than Austin thought? Other students are pictured carefully measuring flour using a digital scale, melting butter for a rue, and mixing the results into a pot of popular teenage fare – Mac & Cheese! Students are learning how to prepare these and many other meals in Chef Steve O’ Shana’s Culinary 1 course. Newtown High School Culinary Chef Steve OShana instructs his Culinary 1 students in the art of making onion soup from scratch. Students followed a provided recipe and all agreed the final product was perfect for a wintry day. Newtown High School Advanced Culinary students catered a special appreciation breakfast for all faculty and staff at the high school last week. The event was hosted by the high school administrative team. NHS Culinary Chef Brian Neumeyer reviews the finer points of preparing stuffed peppers with Austin Hall, senior, and Logan Mammen, junior. The peppers were stuffed with goat cheese, spinach, a variety of other ingredients, and covered in a special batter before cooking. Delicious! Students enrolled in Chef Brian Neumeyer’s Culinary class planned and prepared a special Veteran’s Day meal as part of a school-wide effort to honor local veterans. Members of the NHS Band and Chorus participated in a formal ceremony held in the school auditorium. Veterans of the U.S. Military from WWII to the present were in attendance, and very appreciative of the effort by NHS students and staff. NHS and District administrators also attended the event, along with local elected officials. To all who have served; Thank You!
Amuse-bouche (to amuse, or surprise the mouth) is a French culinary tradition wherein a Chef prepares a variety of bite-size, flavorful delicacies to showcase his/her mastery of craft. Chef Brian Neumeyer’s students hosted an amuse-bouche event this past week, featuring several student-created offerings. Read the rest of this entry » Newtown High School Chef Brian Neumeyer and his Culinary students assisted students in Sr. Tomas Rozas’ Spanish class in the creation of authentic Spanish Paella. The feast was preceded by appetizers, which included Spanish Tortilla’s, Bruchetta, and Croquettas. Read the rest of this entry » Tags: SpanishSpanish Teacher Tomas Rozas took his students on an in-school field trip to Chef Steve O Shana’s kitchen recently. Chef O Shana instructed the students on proper food preparation techniques, while Mr. Rozas explained (in Spanish) the cultural significance of the ingredients and of the final dish: Spanish Paella. Read the rest of this entry »
Students in the Advanced Culinary program manage the Snack Shack for all sporting events held at the Blue & Gold Stadium. This talented group of students create and staff their own rotating schedule and make feeding 1,000+ spectators seem easy. The practical application of classroom knowledge and dedicated work ethic are inspired by their leaders, Chefs Brian Neumeyer and Steve O Shana, and their irreplaceable assistant, Lori Hoagland.
If we cannot make it to Spain, Spain made it to us today. Spanish UConn students Señor Rozas, with the invaluable help of Mr. OShana and Mr. Neumeyer, made a wonderful round of tapas in the Catalonian way “pa amb tomaca”, literally, bread with tomato, beautifully sprinkled with virgin olive oil, and topped with crushed tomatoes and slices of cured ham, ‘jamón’. Read the rest of this entry » Tags: Spanish
All Culinary students learn the importance of Safety & Sanitation, and must score 90% or higher on a rigorous test, to prove their understanding and earn the privilege of working in the NHS Culinary kitchen. Read the rest of this entry »
The Newtown High School Culinary Department students catered the Relay for Life fundraiser this weekend. Pulling pork or washing pots and pans, all jobs were critical. Culinary students assigned themselves 6-hour shifts for attendance at the 30-hour event. Students were assisted by Chefs Brian Neumeyer and Steve Oshana, and T.A. Lori Hoagland. Read the rest of this entry »
On the menu: Read the rest of this entry » Tags: SpanishThis year the Art Club and Culinary “The Ladle” will be sponsoring a fund raiser for C.A.N.T.E.R. We are offering Art Plates and sandwiches from “The Ladle” Plates are on display in the main lobby. Just sign up for one the chart, submit payment to the Art Department and pick up your plate and sandwich at the “The Ladle” anytime between March 3 and 17. Art_Plate_Special_Order_Form Tags: CANTER
Students in Stephen OShana’s Culinary I class practicing whipping egg whites
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