Ever considered a career in cooking? Love to mix and bake? Have a passion for the culinary arts program? If yes, experience first hand cooking lessons and have fun with the culinary arts program. At Yorba Linda High School, students are blessed with multiple opportunities to seek different educations that allow them to pursue their passions. Whether it is taking art classes, orchestra, band, culinary or computer, each curriculum has different aspects to fit different personalities. For one, culinary arts is taught by Jenni Messick during 0, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th period. Because of the flexible time periods, this class can fit into anybody’s busy schedule. Also, the class starts from the very basics, such as how to hold a certain instrument or learning the safety procedures. Not to mention, anybody is free to join. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors are all welcomed in this class no matter what range of ability they possess. Best of all, meeting people with similar interests is a huge feature to the culinary arts program. Learn about the field and work side by side with colleagues with alike dreams. Want to be a chief? How about working with a chief and getting hands on experience. Want to be a culinary teacher? Why not ask Mrs. Messick for tips and advice. Clearly, culinary arts is one of the unique classes that display several pros including flexibility, hands on experience, and just enjoying one’s time. Yet, despite the pros, culinary arts is still a class and should be taken seriously as there are quizzes and tests, labs, presentations…etc. Likewise, the kitchen has multiple tools in which can be dangerous if not used correctly.

Some examples of culinary jobs are chef, restaurant owner, caterer, or food and beverage manager. Culinary arts also provides a variety of scholarships for students planning to choose culinary as their major. Even if they are not planning to be a chef or food and beverage manager, cooking is a fundamental skill that everybody should learn. Since meals are a huge part in one’s day, cooking can be used to create a delicious cuisine for oneself and others. Especially in the future, when students have to live away from the luxuries of their parents, cooking is an important aspect to learn. Not only cooking, but students will also learn menu planning, cost analysis, food service operations, and safety procedures. Kate Shepherd (10) wants to be a professional pastry chef. She recalls her “experience [as] very fun and [she] learned quite a lot from Mrs. Messick about the workings of a kitchen.” Clearly, the culinary arts program is a fundamental class to take.