It Ain't Cafeteria Food

High school sure is different than it used to be, and I'm not just talking dress code. Instead of the once ubiquitous but now disappeared home-economics classes, many school systems have developed programs that introduce culinary-minded students to the world of professional cookery and its attendant skills of hospitality, nutrition, and business. Two AISD schools that do so are Travis High School (see "A Shared Vision," Oct. 11, 2002) and Bowie High School, which offer students the opportunity for serious study with an experienced chef/instructor in beautifully appointed commercial kitchens.

At Bowie, part of the culinary curriculum is to prepare as many as 10 four-course lunches each school year. Guided by chef Richard Winemiller, a Four Seasons veteran and instructor for eight years at Bowie, a senior student designs the lunch's themed menu and leads the class brigade (36 students for 2006) in cooking and serving the meal. I had the good fortune to attend the first luncheon of this school year, where senior Taiz Green's menu, titled Tai Goes Nuts, was a celebration of – surprise – nuts.

Our appetizer consisted of crisp triangles of goat cheese baked in light, flaky phyllo, drizzled with balsamic syrup and sprinkled with toasted pistachios. This was followed by a crunchy fall salad of apples, almonds, red onion, and mixed greens, dressed in mild cider vinaigrette. A rustic round loaf of walnut and onion bread graced each table. Our entrée consisted of moist chicken breast with a crispy pecan crust, beautifully browned duchesse potatoes, and grilled asparagus. We finished with the lightest of peanut-butter mousse pies garnished with a dollop of cream, a sprinkle of roasted peanuts, and a silky pool of dark chocolate.

I'd love to tell you that this caliber of meal – for the whopping sum of $8 and served by smiling students in tuxedo shirts and bow ties – is available to you. Alas, these luncheons, complete with table decorations, place settings, and soft music, are so popular with parents, students, and school personnel that you must know someone to get in.

After such a pleasant dining experience and subsequent observation of the efficient breakdown and cleanup operation, it's no surprise that a number of Bowie students have successfully gone on to culinary school and into food-industry jobs. Last year, Bowie was designated a LEAP school by the Culinary Institute of America, meaning that a student completing the Bowie program is automatically qualified for acceptance at CIA.

On the morning of the day I dined there, the health department had arrived at Bowie unannounced and, after inspection, awarded the kitchens/dining room the enviable score of 96 points out of 100. (The infraction? A single dented can in the pantry.) Just one more thing for the students, chef Winemiller, and Bowie to be proud of.