Angela Petersen started cooking imaginary cuisine on a kitchen playset her mother bought her when she was four years old.
She has since traded her plastic pots and pans for real cookery as she pursues her passion in SUNY Morrisville’s culinary arts management program.
Classes like culinary restaurant, taught by Associate Professor Anthony Lupino, are flavoring the Bronx resident’s skillset.
In the course, students gain real-world experience working at the Copper Turret, a college-run restaurant which serves as a learning laboratory for students in hospitality-related majors. They’re learning how to plan, prepare and serve a fine dining menu among other tasks, while also rotating through all positions in the restaurant to gain practical experience.
This week, Petersen was among students prepping a special — chicken parmesan with marinara sauce on a hoagie, to serve for evening dinner at the Copper Turret.
As she prepared a garlic spread for the hoagie, Grace Roberts, of Oneida, was cooking a broccoli cheddar soup, while fellow culinary arts management student, Dillon English, was gathering ingredients for a pineapple cake he was making from scratch.
“If it sells out quickly, I will just make another one,” English said as he carefully measured ingredients from a prepared recipe.
SUNY Morrisville was an easy choice for English, who also wanted to play football. The Mustangs linebacker from Rochester, juggles classes, football and is also employed at the Copper Turret.
In addition to learning how to prep, cook and serve, he is taking courses in business management, which will be helpful in his plan to own a restaurant someday.
For Petersen and English, the icing on the cake of SUNY Morrisville’s culinary arts management program is being so hands-on.
“I am a visual learner and a hands-on learner,” Petersen said. “I really love to cook and we get to do it all in this class.”
Students who complete the Associate in Applied Science degree in culinary arts management can continue their studies at SUNY Morrisville through the Bachelor of Business Administration degree program in hospitality management.
