Cori Burcham wrote this article.
In the kitchen of Vita Nova in early August — the University of Delaware’s student-operated restaurant located at the Trabant University Center — high school students in the Edge Summer College Program gather around a work table and begin mise en place for their daily recipe assignment. Chopping eggplant for caponata and a crudités platter to go with freshly-made hummus, each student prepared ingredients using cutting techniques learned earlier in the week at a deliberate pace.
In Hospitality Food Principles Laboratory (HOSP 211), an introductory culinary course taught by Gretchen Sianni, Vita Nova chef instructor, getting ahead in the fast-paced food industry starts with the basics of meal prep.
Experiencing the daily life of a UD college student, the Edge Program offers rising juniors and seniors from around the world the chance to live in residence halls on the Newark campus for three weeks in the summer and take college-level courses to decide if higher education is the right path for them.
HOSP 211 is one of the new college-level courses now available to high school students in the Edge Program. Previously reserved for undergraduates in the Department of Hospitality and Sport Business Management at UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, the course is being offered for the first time to Edge participants, giving them hands-on training from creating to delivering superior experiences in Vita Nova’s learning laboratory.
“We want to encourage [students] to see cooking, engagement and service as a viable path, not only as an opportunity at the University of Delaware, but also for their career,” said Nicholas Waller, director of Vita Nova.
Granting students firsthand access to a commercial kitchen, the course alternated between instruction on kitchen safety, cooking demonstrations and recipe execution under Sianni’s supervision. Drawing from his decades of experience in fine dining, Waller also taught a special lesson on the proper etiquette of high tea. These assignments cultivated confidence in the kitchen and experience cooking as a team in preparation for a final project: planning and executing a full-course menu within three hours.
“In a short three weeks, many of these students went from never having cooked a day in their lives to confidently execute a full buffet for 20 guests. This confidence will translate to more parts of their life than they’ll realize today,” said Sianni.
This proved true for Elizabeth Mielke, a rising senior at Walnut Grove High School in Prosper, Texas, who detailed that the class changed her perspective on living with a food allergy. After being diagnosed with celiac disease a few years prior, Mielke wanted to enroll in a culinary course to learn to cook gluten-free meals at home, but she struggled to find a program that could accommodate her allergy — until she discovered UD’s Edge program.
Learning to prepare meals she had not eaten in years due to her restrictive diet, Mielke was surprised how accessible food became in Sianni’s class through simple ingredient swaps. While making ricotta donuts for the class, Mielke recalled the desserts she baked as a child with her grandmother that first inspired her to consider the culinary arts, a path that now seems more attainable.
“I didn’t think it was possible to be in the industry with an allergy, but this is definitely showing me that it is possible,” said Mielke, who looks forward to demonstrating her new skills for her family.
“I can recreate all these recipes at home and I’m already so excited. These skills I’ll use forever even if I don’t go into the hospitality industry.”
Chase Davis, a rising junior from Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania who’s interested in studying respiratory therapy, decided to take the culinary course to gain some life skills, not realizing some lessons would extend beyond the classroom. His favorite part of his pre-college experience was adjusting to the freedom and independence of living on his own for the first time, sharing the story of when he forgot to do his laundry and ran out of clean socks during his first week on campus.
“When I’m with my mom, [she] reminds me to do everything,” said Davis, who needed time to adjust during his first extended stay away from home. Residence hall life continued to be rewarding for Davis since it also exposed him to another culture.
“My roommate is from Japan. He brought me Japanese snacks and I brought him things from New York. It’s cool because I ask him about life in Japan and he asks me about life here,” said Davis.
Witnessing domestic and international students from diverse cultural backgrounds learn to communicate and work together in the classroom has been a highlight for Waller, who notes the experience will equip students for the collaborative nature of UD’s hospitality program.
“We’ve got students from Japan, New York, Dallas — from all over the place — and the knowledge they gain and their ability to execute it only comes through collaborative work. That is one of the truest gauges of the lessons, and it’s mirrored by our regular Vita Nova experience for our full-time students,” said Waller.
Similar to the teamwork exhibited in HOSP 211, the curriculum at Vita Nova has students gain experience performing every role in the kitchen and dining room, taking turns as student and teacher to their fellow classmates on a rotational basis. Their mastery of a wide range of roles primes graduates of the program to become leaders in the industry.
“That’s why we call it Vita Nova. It means new life in Latin. We’re setting them up for their new lives in hospitality,” said Waller.
While Sianni hopes her Edge students decide to study hospitality at UD after taking her course, there’s a valuable lesson she believes every student can take away, regardless of their future plans.
“More than anything, I hope my students leave with a renewed sense of confidence and accountability. Working in any kitchen can be stressful and test your ability to effectively communicate and accept when things do not go to plan. Being part of a group and working effectively is a great life skill to acquire and hone no matter what career path they choose to pursue,” said Sianni.