Cooking class, club popular with the guys, too

  The culinary arts class at Kofa High School can be an eye-opening experience for a few of its students, some who learn not everything on the kitchen table comes out of a box, according to the instructor.

  "It's fantastic to watch them develop," Sheranne Dampier, Kofa culinary arts teacher, said. "After a year, a lot of them are culinary knowledgeable and would be beneficial to anyone in the food service industry."

  Students are learning to prepare dishes from the most basic ingredients such as their own pizza dough and sauce, mozzarella cheese, even their own bread and jam.

  In addition to teaching, Dampier is faculty adviser to Kofa's culinary club, King Chefs. The club focuses on cooking trends, informs students about culinary education opportunities, guides them to financial aid and applications, and is organizing tours next month to visit the Art Institute of Phoenix and the Scottsdale Culinary Institute.

  King Chefs also offers students a chance to compete with other high schools through SkillsUSA, a nationwide career and technical student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to ensure a skilled work force. Recently, King Chefs competed in a Phoenix cook-off for the first time but failed to place in the finals.

  The club is largely funded by selling prepared teacher and staff lunches, which they deliver right to the classroom.

  "Teachers only have 24 minutes (break) so we try to make them happy, anything to make life a little easier," Dampier said.

  She also dispels the myth that cooking is a "girl thing," noting that nearly half of the 150 students in her six classes are young men. Culinary arts are a good way for anyone to express themselves and show their creative side, she stressed.

  But even more surprising is the handful of males who want to make a career of cooking. Although she acknowledged professional kitchens have been male dominated for years, some male students seem to thrive in the class, especially grilling chicken dishes and a lot of Mexican food. She added, she enjoyed it tremendously when her students taught her how to cook carne asada.

  "I'm not from here and it was the first time I had it, sad to say," Dampier recalled. "But they are very proud of their heritage and I'm pleased they can teach me."

  Dampier points out that one of her students is on the Kofa football team. David Calvillo, 17, plays as a wide receiver and a free safety and explained to his teammates who were surprised he was learning culinary arts that he wanted a practical skill he could fall back on.

  "At first, I took it because I thought it was an easy credit, but then I discovered I liked knowing what to do in a kitchen," David said.

  When he began, David relied on boxed ingredients. After a year, he said, he prefers to cook from scratch and has learned to prepare cookies, cakes, pies, pasta and bread pudding, which he says, tastes like french toast.

  The only thing he ever worries about is if his food turns out good, David said. On Wednesday he was working on turkey-apricot salad sandwiches, and chef's salad for a Friday Teacher's Lunch, which he will miss that day because of an away football game.

  "Sheranne is a really good teacher and has showed me a lot," he said. "Culinary arts is a fun experience and you learn skills you can have in the future." 

  Dampier is a former restaurant owner who said she regrets having to abandon her two business launches, Sheranne's and Bon Vivant, because it is hard for small businesses to compete against chain operations.

  But Dampier is proud of her students and appeals to the food service industry to offer high school culinary students apprenticeships.

  "It's difficult to find qualified people, and the culinary class is a well of excellent chefs. It's a win-win situation for students and employers looking for fresh talent."

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William Roller can be reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.