I spent a majority of my adult life teaching at a Reggio Emilia school in Chicago. “Reggio Emilia” is an approach to teaching that centers around the child as a person with developmental rights, each being people that learn and grow through their experiences with themselves, their relationships with others, and their environment.
The heart of my lesson plans were centered around watching and recording the children in my classes, and planning their days, weeks, and sometimes months based on the things they showed the most interest in. After years of teaching, I felt a strong calling to cooking—I found my own joy in teaching culture, tradition, and environment when I was teaching my students through the art of food. After years of teaching, I made the leap to begin my own cooking journey by enrolling in culinary school. This was a scary step, because I thought that I was leaving the comfort of being a teacher and embarking on a new journey. I had no idea that I would find a place where I could combine two different passions in a way that created such a beautiful harmony.
As a former preschool teacher turned culinary school graduate, I am now in the middle of my final internship as a class assistant at The Chopping Block. My journey has certainly been a unique one, and though teaching and cooking might seem worlds apart, I have found that there are many skills that overlap.
Organization in the kitchen is key—it is nearly impossible to work in a kitchen with zero game-plan. Mis-en-place, or “putting in place” is crucial when there is a busy day in a kitchen or restaurant. Planning ahead is huge in the classroom as well. In the kitchen, surprises happen all of the time—deliveries are late, reservations are changed, (insert other issue), but mis-en-place and ahead of time planning is so very important in both the classroom and kitchen.
In the same vein, adaptability is hugely important. One thing that I love and that drew me to savory cooking is that most everything can be fixed! There is always a tasting spoon to adjust seasoning, a sharpie to record notes, or a fellow friend to give a second opinion. Kids hold zero bars on telling it like it is, and ultimately, that is what makes us better teachers and cooks!
One thing that I love about The Chopping Block is that there is such a huge variety of classes that can fit all goals for the home cook. While some come to us to learn more about knife skills and gain confidence in the kitchen, others want to learn more about different cultures and regional cooking. This is why we have classes ranging from Culinary Boot Camp to Date Night to Korean BBQ on the Grill and everything in between. There is really something for everyone, and during my time here, I’ve seen that the most enjoyable part is leaving with great memories and really awesome recipes to recreate with loved ones.
I have also enjoyed assisting classes where I can practice the same skills I learned in culinary school. Here's one of my charcuterie boards from school.
Just last week, students in our first DIY Charcuterie Board class created their own masterpieces on our patio. It's the perfect centerpiece for parties, picnics and really any gathering. We have another session coming up on Saturday, September 28 at 12:30pm. Join us to create your own board which is yours to keep. You can bring it home to share with friends and family or stay and enjoy it with a glass of wine on our patio!
It's also been fun to watch the 'a-ha' moments that happen during our Knife Skills classes, much like I had myself in culinary school. In our class, you learn to slice, dice and chop your way to being more efficient. In culinary school, we get to play with our creative sides.
Ready to hone your knife skills? You take home all of your beautifully chopped veggies! Join us for one of these upcoming sessions:
We just released our October class calendar, so take a look and find a class that fits your passion!
