 (sizzling flames)
 (tense music)
 - [Woman] This is a
 fast-paced career!
 - [Narrator] In the heart of
 Milwaukee, students observe
 and practice the techniques
 to transform themselves--
 - I did it! (cheers)
 - [Narrator] Into
 professional chefs.
- The cooking part of
it isn't the challenge,
it's being ready
to be in school.
 - It's stressful.
 Can you learn, can you
 adjust as you're going along,
and that's what you have to do.
 - [Narrator] Learning
 the art of cooking...
 - [Man] It's amazing that
 they can go through it,
 I'm always impressed.
 - [Narrator] From food
 preparation to presentation.
 (gentle chiming music)
 (sizzling)
 - Any time you learn something
 new, it's always a plus.
 You know, you feel
 good about that.
 - [Narrator] For many students
 attending Milwaukee Area
 Technical College's
 Culinary Arts Program,
 the desire to become a chef
 or work in the food industry
is a passionate pursuit.
 (flames sizzling)
 - You can't just come in
 here because you like food,
 you have to love to cook
 it, love to learn about it.
- If I can connect with
students and see a little light
go on in their eyes or a little
bit more self-confidence,
 I think that helps students,
 that they can
 learn from anybody.
 So if they go out
 into the industry,
 they can learn from anybody.
 - I hope as they move on that
 they realize this is lifelong.
That it's constantly
learning, and lifelong.
- [Student] Check on me!
 - [Student] It's perfect!
 - [Narrator] One important
 aspect of learning
 for student chefs
 at MATC goes beyond
 what they're taught in class.
 During their course of study,
they get to share their
culinary skills with the public
 in a very meaningful way.
 - I'm proud that I
 got a chance to do
a lot of volunteer work.
 - One of our core values at
 MATC is community service,
 and nothing brings community
 together better than food.
 Alright, come on
 in, gather 'round!
 Come on in, everybody!
 - [Narrator] In a
 unique partnership,
 the student chefs
 mentor Milwaukee area
 high school students
 and all help cook and serve a
 community Thanksgiving dinner.
 - [Mary] The Milwaukee
 Police Department
 has reached out to
 us, and the community.
 And this year, Messmer
 High School came on board
 with their Culinary Club.
 - I'd like to thank everybody
 for coming real quick.
 Thank you to the staff here,
 thanks to the students.
 This is our second
 annual holiday dinner
 that's been prepared by MATC,
 and in conjunction with
 working with the Milwaukee
 Police Department and Messmer.
 Last year, the idea came up
 to expand what we've always
 done before with the
 holiday Thanksgiving.
 Our district has always
 reached out to those in need.
 This year, we were able to
 expand up to 400 people,
 and in order to do that, I
 enlisted the help of the MATC
Culinary staff, who have
been very wonderful.
And again, these students here,
they're from the same community.
 - We're doing turkey
 breast with gravy.
 These two are gonna
 carve with Officer Ciano.
 I heard he got really
 good at it last year,
 so he wants to do
 it again this year.
 So the whole idea when
 you carve a turkey,
is you wanna take the wing off,
 you wanna take the legs off,
 and then you wanna take
 the breast off of the cage,
 off of that ribcage.
 Then you've got your pieces,
and it's so much
easier to carve!
- Oh, is that...
 Do you wanna do this now?
 - Okay, alright!
 (Officers laughing)
 - Alright!
 - What was the win?
 - Wishes do come true!
 Did you make a wish?
 - I did!
 - Alright!
 - Let the knife do the work.
 - Oh my goodness.
 - [Mary] That sounds like a
 chef right there! (laughs)
 - [Narrator] With so
 many guests to feed,
the MATC student chefs
get hands-on assistance
 from the volunteer
 high school students.
 - Do you wanna use the slicer?
 Okay! (laughs)
 Go ahead.
 - This year, we added help
 from Messmer High School.
 These are seniors who
 expressed an interest
 in the culinary arts.
 It was an idea brought
 up by the staff
 here at the culinary school.
 Students have been partnered
 up with student chefs.
 And they've each
 gotta take sections,
 making the mashed
 potatoes, the gravy,
 the cranberries, stuffing, and
 cooking, prepping the turkey.
 - Even if you think it's the
 dumbest question in the world,
 ask it, because it might
 mean the difference between
 having hard potatoes and
 having soft potatoes, right?
- [Officer Ciano] What
a better way to explore
 a future career than
 to spend the day here,
 and having that
 first-hand experience.
 - [Narrator] After
 two days of prep,
 the MATC student chefs,
 along with their Messmer High
 mentees are ready to
 serve up their feast
 at Messmer Preparatory
 Catholic School.
 - I have 14 volunteers
 here today that have helped
 with all the prep.
 Be patient, have a good time,
 talk to people, enjoy the day.
You're doing something
good for your community.
 Feel good about that.
(mixed chatter)
 - Thank you.
 - So it's a great way to bring
 the whole community together.
 Bring different forces
 from Messmer High School.
- Would you like a dinner roll?
- Sure.
 - [Girl] Would you
 like some gravy?
 - [Juan] Our college
 - How are you
 doing today, ma'am?
 - I'm good, thank you.
 - Happy Thanksgiving to you!
 - [Juan] The Police Station,
 you know, all these people,
 they brought all these
 different people together
 for a good cause.
 - I think it's a great
 thing that the school let us
 come out and be able
 to show what we know,
and just to help others.
I think it's great that
we're able to do that,
 to get our name out there,
 to get us out there,
 to get the program out there.
 - You want some potatoes?
- As far as students to
actually get involved
 on the serving end of it,
 and actually seeing the
 community come out for this,
as an outreach, it's phenomenal.
 - It's something I enjoy
 doing, and something that I'll
continue to do, even
when I'm out of school.
 - For them, it's a really
 good feeling to walk away
 knowing that what they
 do and love to do,
 which is cooking, can
 impact so many people.
 - Do you want some gravy?
 - Happy Thanksgiving!
 - [Woman] Thank you!
- You five years old right now?
Ooh, I remember when I was five!
 - I've got to say,
 it's one of the wonderfulest
 feelings in the world.
To have someone to thank
you and to say how good
 the food is, and you know,
 just to get to talk to them,
and I guess it's a good feeling.
 They say love people,
 cook them tasty food.
(laughs)
 - Happy Thanksgiving!
 - Thank you, same to you.
 (instrumental music)
 - [Narrator] Every spring,
 the Culinary Arts students
 rise to the occasion, where
 their skills in creating
 delectable dishes are
 served to the public
 for a very special event.
 - Our Five Star Food &amp; Wine
 Event is a yearly event
that we have, and it's
really a capstone event
for the public, that's a
scholarship fundraiser.
 - The entire event is
 geared towards showcasing
 what these students can do.
 - It's our only fundraiser
 in Culinary Arts,
 and also in the entire
 Hospitality Program,
 so it's not just
 us that's involved.
 - Yeah, pressure's on, man!
 - We started this about 20
 years, it's kind of morphed.
 It started more
 as a chef-driven,
sit-down type of dinner.
 We've moved to
 this grazing event,
 and we've found that this
 really clicks with the guests.
- Oh, the last scallop,
thank you very much!
 - Anywhere is fine, thank you!
 - [Man] Enjoy!
- [Narrator] The event
only lasts three hours,
 but it takes the students days
 to plan and prepare the food
 for an expected crowd of 500.
 - [Woman] It's
 really not that hard.
 - Every single class comes
 up with a menu for the event.
 They come up with what it
 is they wanna showcase.
- This year, this class,
the Mise en Place class,
 is gonna be doing Scotch eggs!
I figured I had to keep
it within the egg realm.
- It's a hard-boiled
egg, and then we wrap it
 in breakfast sausage, and then
 we bread 'em and we fry 'em.
 - [Patricia] We have a
 mustard sort of sauce on it.
 I'm gonna serve
 it on some greens,
 and a little bit of
 a vinaigrette with
 raspberries, I think.
 - Scotch eggs was simple,
 but it's delicate.
 And I love the greens
 that come with it.
 - We're doing what we called
 Southern Fried this year,
doing a little
American regional food,
 some fried chicken,
 some pulled pork,
and a variety of
sides with that.
- Do you like shrimp and grits?
- [Man] Yes, absolutely.
 - And would you like
 the red pepper sauce?
It's not spicy.
 - I'll try a little bit, yeah.
 - Okay.
 - It's really a
 big collaboration
 with our fellow instructors,
 and we have to really
 communicate a lot
 with each other
 on who's doing what and
 are we repeating something
 in a different area?
(mixed chatter)
We're in good shape, we
just got done opening
 about 400 oysters, so I'm
 very happy about that.
 - I don't know if I
 wanna shuck oysters.
 - [Man] Did you do one yet?
 - No, I'm afraid I'm gonna
 stab myself! (laughs)
 - [Man] You wanna go for it
 with the crook of
 the knife here,
 about a 30 degree angle, try
 to give a little pressure,
 and you'll feel it
 immediately pop.
 Now you can just get
 your knife around
 and just kinda work
 your way across.
 - And once you get the hang
 of it, it goes by fast.
You've just gotta
stick, twist, and slice.
- We have our Virginia
peanut salad over there
 for dishing up, she's working
 on the haricots verts salad,
and we just finished up
with guacamole! (laughs)
 - So I made the dressings
 and put everything together.
 Cut all the grapefruit, a
 little bit of everything.
 Just waiting for people to
 try all the food. (laughs)
 - I'm excited to see like,
 what kind of different
 people are gonna show up,
 'cause I've never done
 a MATC event before.
 - I'm excited to see people
 and see them smile and have
 fun and have a good time.
 So I've gotta get
 these in there.
 - Oh my gosh, I'm so
 nervous. 500 people?
 - It's my first time
 at a Five Star too,
so I wanna enjoy it,
see what it looks like.
 - [Narrator] Finally,
 all of the hard work
 in preparing and cooking the
 vast array of dishes is done,
 and all that's left to do
 is set them out and serve.
 - It is fast and furious, we
 get hit all at once usually.
- Green beans and
prosciutto is this one,
 that's a spinach,
 balsamic vinaigrette.
 - Ooo.
 - Is it spicy?
 - [Man] A little bit.
 - That means I'm
 gonna have to try it!
 (both laugh)
- There's a mild lamb,
there's a lamb merguez,
 which is the spicier
 one, and then we have
 some duck sausage
 which everybody ate,
so I just brought some more out.
 - That's a mango curry chutney
 with shrimp salad
 in a wonton cup.
 - [Woman] Let me grab
 the salmon. (laughs)
 - [Man] And some gravlax.
 - It's actually
 flowing pretty easily,
 I thought it'd be
 more congested.
 - It's a chance
 to see the public,
to actually interact with them,
 and it's customer
 service, of course,
and they also are going
to be preparing food
 in front of the customers.
- We've got a little of
this, a little of that,
 we split a lot so
 that we don't fill up
 before we can try everything.
 - It's actually a really good
 substitution meat as well,
too, especially if you're trying
to go too much off of beef,
but you really don't want fish.
Octopus is the best place to go.
 - Grilled octopus!
 - Here we go.
 - I'm normally set in what I
 like to eat when we go out,
 so I'm just opening my
 eyes to different cultures
 and different foods.
 - Everything seems to have
 love and presentation thought
 put into it, along with just
 the quality of ingredients.
 - It's good to see our
 culinary students here
 that are putting
 their sweat and tears
 in all these wonderful meals
 they are serving us right now.
 - [Narrator] Many of the
 faculty and staff at MATC
 also come to enjoy the food
 and support the students.
 - The training that we do,
 the services that we provide,
 the education that they have,
really top-notch students here.
 We're really proud
 of our students,
 and I think this is
 absolutely great.
 We need to make sure
 that the public know
 a lot more about what
 we do here at MATC.
- Obviously they've been
working hard this year.
 The desserts are
 especially impressive.
 - [Peter] Yeah,
 they are beautiful.
 - [Chuck] Now we're set to go
 to be able to handle a party
 of 600 people.
 - There's a whole
 area of pastry arts
 that are made by the Baking
 and Pastry Arts students.
 - You can see the
 beautiful fruit tarts,
you can see the wonderful
chocolate-covered strawberries,
 you've got some pretty
 flowers up on there,
and that's all student-produced,
that's really important,
 because we work hard, it's
 a win-win for everybody.
 - [Narrator] Served alongside
 many of the food stations
is a selection of wine pairings.
 - For the Five Star,
 we have to open
 about 90 bottles of wine.
So they really learn
how to use a corkscrew.
 - [Man] No, it's
 not the first one.
- I enjoyed the food experience,
 but I also had the
 opportunity to talk
 to one of the students
 who's in the program,
 and just having her
 explain her experience
 in the program was
 really encouraging.
- And for the community
to see what a great job
MATC is doing with their
students, you know what I mean?
I think doing community
events like this,
 it gets the word out there.
 - Really really great work.
 I'm proud of you guys.
(intriguing instrumental music)
 - They're like, raspberry
 strawberry things.
 - That's excellent.
 - [Narrator] As the
 semester winds down,
 the Advanced Culinary Arts
 students creating dishes
 inside MATC's
 on-campus restaurant
 are up early to cook
 for their final exam,
 which mimics what it's like
 in a professional
 restaurant kitchen.
 - This is the
 Cuisine Restaurant,
and it's actually a working lab.
 Today we have practical exams,
 so students had to
 prepare and present
 a four-course menu.
They have to requisition
the food for the menu.
 Your fish is going
 to be the black bass.
- Okay.
 - Let us know when
 you're ready for it,
we'll pull it out of the cooler.
 And then they come in and
 they have about five hours
 where they have to
 actually prepare the food,
plate it, and serve it.
Get yourself organized,
get things in the
cooler that you need to,
 and then just get rolling.
 - [Ivan] Perfect.
 - [John] Good luck.
 - Thanks.
- What we're really
looking for in this menu
 is mastery of techniques.
So it begins with a soup
course, a salad course,
 a fish course, and
 then a main course,
 which could be meat, poultry,
 or something like that.
 - I'm just searing
 the ribs right now,
 and then I'm gonna
 cook it in the oven,
 because it's a braised item.
 - On my menu, I had a cheddar
 cream of broccoli soup,
a Cobb salad with a
Green Goddess dressing,
 poached fish with
 eggplant roulade.
 And my braised entree, I have
 red wine-braised short ribs.
- [Chef Evans] Nice job, Curtis.
- I had a chicken Thai consomme.
 I'm making my raft
 for the consomme.
Well, it helps flavor the soup,
but it also like, takes
all the impurities out.
 It'll start at the
 bottom of the soup,
and then it'll rise to the top.
 I did a seaweed and
 red cabbage salad,
 sauteed fish with
 haricots verts,
 and the hanger steak with
 garlic, broccoli, cauliflower.
 - With five minutes
 to spare, Sarah!
 Once I got going and I
 got used to everything
 and just focused on
 what I was doing,
 it really all came together.
- I didn't even pay any
attention to the clock.
I was anxious to start.
 - Okay Ivan, your
 window is open.
 - Time goes fast, really fast.
 I'm like, I'm done already?
 It seems like it was like 10
 minutes, no, like, 25 minutes.
 Ooh, those hot ones, alright.
 I learned that I'm
 fast at cooking.
 Oh my god.
 - One minute, Sarah.
 - [Sarah] What I should have
 done was something different,
 I don't wanna say it now,
 'cause it's gonna jinx it.
 - We're taking everything
 they've been learning
 along the way, and not only
 do we pull in the culinary
 techniques, but we also
 bring in the food costing
with the menu planning.
Where they run into
trouble is organization,
 running out of time.
 When you have multiple
 things going on,
 you have to be
 conscious of well,
 I'm making this
 dressing right now,
 but on the stove, I've
 got a sauce simmering,
 that I have to
 keep an eye on it.
 - My parsnips burned! (laughs)
 I was doing the other stuff,
 and I forgot about it.
 - [Narrator] After
 surviving nearly five hours
 of preparation,
 cooking, and plating,
 the students are critiqued.
- I always like getting
feedback on how to better myself
 on my food and my techniques.
 - One of the things I
 noticed about the texture is,
 it's a little gritty.
 Did you notice that?
 - Yeah, a little bit,
 but I figured it was just
'cause I took a piece
of broccoli with my bite
 but I can see it
 being in the soup.
- Actually, what I think
it's from is the cheese.
 - [Curtis] Really?
- And getting a little too hot.
 - I was nervous with Chef
 Reiss, he's really tough,
but he critiques really fairly.
I agree with pretty
much everything he says.
 - You know, if you're gonna
 serve it with the skin,
 it should have
 some texture to it.
And it should be crisp,
 otherwise it's
 just not that good.
 - This is my last class for
 Culinary Arts, it was fun.
 I really liked this practical.
 I wish we had to do more.
- It's important to
have a class like this,
 'cause it's very hands-on.
 It really opens your eyes
 to what you're going to be
 expecting in the industry.
- If you go into a high position
job, they'll require you
to do something just like this,
and so having it already
been done before,
 we'll go in feeling
 less nervous.
 (sizzling)
It was a nerve-wracking
day overall,
 but it feels really
 good to be done.
 (upbeat instrumental music)
 - When I entered school here,
 I was never the back
 of the house cook,
 I was always in the
 front waitressing,
 so this really helped me.
- We can make you a better cook.
You know, that's really
what we're trying to do.
But also too that you
understand that there's
a bigger picture to all of this.
- I've just really been
looking for inspiration
 within the program to
 figure out what I wanna do
 with my career after this.
 You know, there are so many
 different opportunities.
 - It's kind of really helped
 me verify what I wanted to do.
 - All of the chefs will,
 here, they have experience,
and they're well-connected
throughout the city of Milwaukee
 or just the
 Wisconsin in general,
and they can help you get jobs.
 - A lot of people will think
 of a small technical college,
 and they won't give
 it the type of credit
 that it really deserves,
 but MATC's Culinary Program
is well-respected
throughout the country.
 - This is a great
 resource, I think,
 for the community chefs to
 know this is where you can get
good-quality employees.
 - [Narrator] As a student,
 Gary Morse thrived
 under the pressure of cooking
 in the Cuisine Restaurant
 kitchen on-campus.
As a recent alum of the program,
 he brings that same work ethic
 to his job as a line cook
 with the Bartolotta
 Restaurant group.
- Well I'm starting off
with the garde manger,
and now I've moved up to grill.
 After I conquer this,
 I'm sure I'll move on
to the next station and
do well in those, also.
Crab cake in the window!
 I appreciate MATC for
 giving me the opportunity
 that they appointed
 me by going to school.
 I have set my goals high,
 and I reach for 'em,
so I appreciate MATC very much.
 - [Narrator] Many of MATC's
 Culinary Arts Program alumni
 hire current students
 and recent graduates
 for their kitchens.
 - We promote a
 learning atmosphere,
so bringing in students,
young culinarians,
 and giving them the
 opportunity to learn,
giving them the
opportunity to succeed.
- What I got from MATC,
I wanted to bring back
 what I learned here.
And I've given the instruction,
 and I come back
 and follow through,
 and so that's not
 only helping them,
 it's helping me, because
 I'm working through them.
 So ultimately, it's
 to get the job done.
- I have been fortunate
enough to have a couple
 of MATC students that
 have been working with us
 for a number of years.
Me hiring MATC students
is a plus for me,
 because I know I'm
 getting quality chefs.
 - The goal for the future
 will be that we continue
 to evolve as the
 industry evolves,
 and make sure that
 we meet the needs,
 not only of the tastes
 of the consumers,
 but also the needs of
 the local employers.
- It's a tough
business, and that's why
 the MATC Culinary Program
 is so important right now.
 - The culinary world is just
 as hard as any other job,
 but it's just as rewarding
 as any other job,
if you put the work in.
 If somebody is excited
 and into cooking
 and wants to become a chef,
 I say absolutely go
 to culinary school.
- After going to
culinary school,
 I realized this is a
 perfect fit for me.
 I would encourage anybody
 to check out that program,
 because it was
 definitely worthwhile.
 - There are things
 that you do in school,
 and things that you
 do in the real world,
 and it's important
 to learn both,
 but it's important
 to get that exposure
 to how real kitchens
 actually run and operate.
- And making Milwaukee
a better culinary place
 is super important as we
 continue to evolve as a city.
 And I think MATC is a big
 part of that, I really do.
They're graduating a
higher-quality employee.
 - What I'm most proud of,
 being in this program,
 is the fact I can
 say I will be an MATC
Culinary Arts graduate.
 (upbeat music)
 - It's kind of exciting,
 to be after the two years
 of hard work, that
 it's coming to an end,
 and leading to a new future.
- I hereby declare the
Spring 2017 Commencement
from Milwaukee Area
Technical College open!
 (audience cheering)
 - We are proud of you,
 and excited to see
 what the next chapter
 holds for each of you.
 - I believe in you,
 everyone here at MATC
 believes in you, and I
 hope that you will always
 believe in yourselves!
This I believe that you all are
the future of Culinary Arts.
 - Some days I wanna quit.
- [Brian] We didn't
let you though, did we?
 - No, you didn't. I
 appreciate you very much--
- Stayed on you!
 - Yes you did, and they're
 still on me. (laughs)
 They're still on me.
 - Congratulations.
 - Thank you.
 - I'm proud of being able
 to accomplish all this,
 and you know, it's
 definitely not easy.
 - Now I know, I go into a
 kitchen, I'm not scared.
 It's like, oh, this is
 just a variation of this,
 or this is somehow a
 little tweaked from this.
 - I came back after 25 years.
 It was real hard, but
 I enjoy it, I love it.
 - Richard Brookshire!
 (audience cheers)
 - The more experience
 you accumulate,
 the more knowledge and
 wisdom you accumulate,
 the more it just opens the
 doors to your entire future.
 - With Scholastic Honors,
 Daniel Paul Zielski!
 (audience cheering)
 - By the authority vested
 in me by the Milwaukee Area
 Technical College District
 Board of Directors,
 graduates, you now may move
 the tassels of your caps
 from the right to the left!
 (audience cheers)
Congratulations!
 (upbeat instrumental music)
 - [Narrator] We'd love to hear
 from you about this episode
 of Cook.Plate.Dine.
Call us at 414-797-3760
with your feedback!
Discover more about
Cook.Plate.Dine. online,
 at MilwaukeePBS.org.
 And follow us on the
 Milwaukee PBS Facebook page.
(mixed chatter)
 - I wanna thank my husband,
 because he's put up with me
 spending time by the books
 and not so much time
 with him. (laughs)
 - I did it.
 - Thank you to, well,
 anybody who was around
 when I needed support.
 Like my mom, other members
 of my family and friends.
 - Mom and Dad and my
 brother Brian, thanks!
 - I'm glad it's over. (laughs)
 - I'd like to thank my parents
 who paid for my college,
 they've like, always
 stuck with me,
 and my girlfriend
 for helping me out.
- Thanks to my whole
family for supporting me
 along the whole way.
- I'd also like to thank Thomas,
 'cause he got me through it.
- My parents, Mom and Dad, they
stuck with me the whole way.
 And I wanna say thank you.
 - Here's my favorite student!
(laughs)
