The heat is on: Students embracing food-based subjects

Blackfriars is proving it has all the ingredients for cooking success.

The school’s first commercial kitchen, opened this year as part of the Albert Centre development, has been widely embraced by students, many of whom are learning to cook for the first time.

Boys from Years 7-9 are studying Food and Technology, Year 10s are studying Food Science and Hospitality and there are 17 boys who are part of the inaugural SACE Stage 1 Food and Hospitality class.

Food and Technology Teacher Olivia Punturieri was thrilled with how the boys had embraced the new subject area.

Year 9 students in the kitchen for Food Technology.

“From the very first lesson, there was such a buzz of energy in the kitchen,” Miss Punturieri said.

“The students are really curious, really engaged and excited to be in the kitchen.

“Obviously, being a new subject area, everyone was keen to get in and start learning. For many, it was the very first time they had been in the kitchen. Some kids had only cooked two-minute noodles or boiled eggs at home.

“So, it’s really exciting that they are so keen to get into the kitchen and discover how fun it can be when they get behind a stovetop.”

She said learning to cook was more than just another school subject.

“Food tech is a life skill. Cooking is always going to be a part of your life and it is really important for every student to have that life skill,” she said.

SACE Stage 1 Food and Hospitality students prepared a grazing board lunch for staff as part of an assessment task.

Year 11 Food and Hospitality student Jerry Thai is part of Blackfriars’ International Student Program. He grew up in France, where his parents worked in food.

He wanted to be part of the inaugural Stage 1 Food and Hospitality class to “discover new things” in the world of food.

“I consider that it is important to know how to prepare good dishes to take care of our health,” Jerry said.

“I want to strengthen and develop my culinary knowledge and improve my skills, such as properly cutting vegetables meat. Plus, discovering new varieties of food is really rewarding.”

He said it was important for boys to learn kitchen skills.

“Cooking is a very beneficial skill that connects creativity and imagination,” he said. “Knowing how to cook is a powerful means of autonomy, health and social connection.”

Welcome to MasterTef

Olivia Punturieri and Ida Masullo with churros made by Year 9 students in the MasterTef challenge.

Recently, Miss Punturieri ran the inaugural MasterTef (TEchnology & Food) Challenge with the Year 9 classes.

Each group had to cook 30 portions of sweet and savoury dishes, including a dietary requirement of their choice.

The menus included Portuguese tarts, churros, beef burger sliders, chicken kebabs, cheesy arancini balls and more. Staff members were then invited to judge the dishes on quality, taste and presentation and, MasterChef-style, vote for their favourite team.

Miss Punturieri said the boys had impressed her with their efforts: “That was beyond what I thought they could achieve. I am so, so pleased.”