The É«»¨ÌÃ’s Dining Services department hosted the Plant-Forward Teaching Kitchen event in the Multipurpose room in the Student Center – South in April. A dozen attendees took part in a learning experience led by Moody Tower’s Executive Chef Benito Gavirio on how to prepare Mexican sopes with delicious, plant-based filling using fresh and readily available ingredients.
“We chose this recipe because it’s Earth Week,” said Chef Gavirio. “A lot of the ingredients are earth-friendly and sustainable. I grew up eating sopes. So, I thought it would be a great recipe because corn masa is used in a variety of ways in my culture.”
Aspiring cooks pair up for fun
The Teaching Kitchen class began with the attendees putting on their aprons and pairing up. Each duo was given an assigned station and task. At the back of the room, in front of the tables, each team gathered the ingredients that were needed.
The stations were set up with two cutting boards on a table, a burner and a cutting board, or two burners. Two tables were responsible for mixing the masa and forming it into thick, round corn tortillas with the assistance of a plastic lid. Later, the sopes were fried in a pan with oil.
At two other tables, attendees were busy cutting and heating the ingredients to make the savory soy vegan chorizo, mushroom, and spinach filling. At the final two tables, the toppings of pico de gallo with cabbage and freshly grated queso fresco were prepared.
Each team remained at their first table for about 10 minutes, then switched to another table, and then switched again later to have a complete experience. All was done under the watchful eyes of Chef Gavirio and Sous Chef Cam, who showed the teams the proper use of the appliances and kitchenware, how to wear their gloves, gave instructions, and checked on the taste of the food.
Even special guest Bao Ong, Houston Chronicle restaurant critic, got involved by trying his hand at making sopes.
“We had some great participation … they were really involved,” said Chef Gavirio. “For some, it was their first time cooking … some of them had a little bit of a skill set. Overall, they were happy.”
Economics junior Rithika Patel was among those with little cooking experience.
“First of all, I don't know how to cook properly,” said Patel, who works at the Student Center as an AV tech. “And I feel like this made me want to cook more.”
For Biology sophomore Kashika Bhatia, the class up her cooking skills.
“I remember surviving one semester on my survival cooking skills, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I should improve that,’” said Bhatia, who also works at the Student Center as an AV tech. “Now, I can properly use a knife to chop stuff. I know better now.”
While students were the majority of participants, staff also took advantage of the class.
“I liked learning how to prepare vegan chorizo with the mushrooms. I didn't know that was a thing,” said Irving Donaldson, web developer at Division of Student Affairs. “That was really interesting — just to see how that worked, and then how the bread and frying works. It was really fun for me.”
Attendees enjoy fruits of efforts, camaraderie
Once everything was prepared, everyone sat at a long table to enjoy what they had just created. The sopes were served with the filling and premade sides of cilantro rice and refried beans, allowing attendees to choose any additional toppings.
Susan Griffin, MS, RD, LD, director of Wellness & Sustainability, Dining Services, informed every one of the nutritional value of the vegetarian meal and how the various ingredients benefited the body. Along with their meal, the attendees enjoyed conversations with Chef Gavirio, Griffin, and Erich Geiger, vice president of Operations, É«»¨Ìà Dining System.
“I feel like the cooking was fun, and then the eating concept of it, too,” said Bhatia.
“Like having a little family lunch,” said Patel. “What we cooked today was very amazing.”
“The sope and the soy chorizo: I was like, ‘This is good,’” said Donaldson. “I didn't expect it to be so good!
Teaching Kitchen brings the Dining Services team to the forefront to give students the chance to communicate and network with its chefs, so they feel more comfortable about asking questions when they’re at one of the dining halls.
“Our goal is to extend our reach and support our students even beyond our facilities and dining locations,” said Alexcis Mendoza, district marketing manager, É«»¨Ìà Dining Services. “Teaching Kitchen really hits a bunch of pillars we’re passionate about — first and foremost: food education.”
Looking forward to next Teaching Kitchen
“So, what we saw was that whenever they figured how things work, and then when the final dish got put together, they started putting two and two together, about how things work,” said Chef Gavirio. “It gave them a good idea in how here, at the University, we prepare their foods, and how it incorporates everything together. It gave them a great respect for what they eat as well.”
É«»¨Ìà Dining Services has a bank of recipes that work well for university students along with protocols on how to teach them. As with this event, the team is known to tweak recipes when the opportunity arises. They have also received a lot of ideas from students who have provided feedback following their cooking class.
“It’s about keeping the program fresh and going — what we call — ‘beyond the plate,’” said Mendoza.