Perfect Recipe: For BOCES chef, culinary journey comes full circle
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For Chrissy Conklin, becoming a Culinary Arts instructor at the LoGuidice Educational Center is an opportunity to combine two things she has always enjoyed: cooking and education.
Conklin brings nearly a decade of culinary industry experience to her new role with Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES. She also knows the Career & Technical Education experience from the student perspective, having completed the Culinary Arts program at the Hewes Educational Center while in high school.
That firsthand experience, along with her belief in the value of CTE and the importance of showing students there are options beyond a traditional college path, helped inspire her transition to teaching.
"There is so much value in CTE, and it's important for students to know there are options other than traditional college," Conklin said. "I've always had a passion for cooking and worked in the culinary industry for close to 10 years before switching to higher education. Teaching culinary arts at E2CCB allows me to combine two things I really enjoy."
One area Conklin is excited to explore with students is the wide range of food and culinary traditions found around the world. She plans to introduce students to different cultures, flavor profiles, cooking techniques and cuisines, giving them a broader understanding of the culinary field.
Students will also have opportunities to experience the fast-paced environment of a professional kitchen. Conklin plans to incorporate simulations that replicate the experience of working on a restaurant hotline, giving students a taste of what it takes to work efficiently and effectively as part of a kitchen team.
Along the way, she hopes students develop strong communication and teamwork skills alongside foundational culinary skills, including knife techniques and cooking methods.
"The culinary field is very rewarding, but it is hard work and takes an entire team to be successful," she said. "Once the students have knife skills and cooking techniques down, they should be able to take on any recipe!"
For those considering a career in culinary arts or hospitality, Conklin recommends getting firsthand experience before committing to the field. She encourages job shadowing at a bakery or restaurant or spending time working in the industry to determine whether it is the right fit.
"The hospitality industry is early mornings, late nights, holidays, and weekends," she said. "The hospitality industry is equally rewarding and demanding. Make sure you love it."
Conklin knows that reality firsthand. Her original goal was to open a bed and breakfast, but after attending the Culinary Institute of America, her career took her to Houston, Texas, where she worked at a farm-to-fork restaurant.
That experience allowed her to develop a wide range of skills, from cooking techniques and South American and Mediterranean flavor profiles to creating specials, butchering, and processing meat and seafood. Just as importantly, she learned what it takes to work as part of a team in the heat and pressure of a professional kitchen.