Culinary Arts Program

The YWCA offers a Culinary Arts Program in its recently-renovated, commercial-grade kitchen. Training is offered at three levels - Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced - and ranges from entry-level food handling and sanitation to specialty cooking and food-service management.

The Culinary Arts Program:

• Prepares women for work in the food service industry, where jobs are consistently available
• Teaches nutrition and fosters more healthful habits
• Builds food-preparation skills that are a positive, nurturing and creative element of women's lives

Why "Culinary Arts"? Culinary Arts is an area in which to develop capacity and expertise for several reasons. Food preparation skills build on natural elements of women’s lives that are positive, nurturing, and creative. It is an opportunity to teach nutrition-related materials, thus fostering more healthful habits. More-over, there are jobs available consistently in the food service industry making it practical and results-oriented.

For the future, we envision an entrepreneurial culinary venture for low income women, possibly producing a line of specialty foods, or another small business that would enhance women’s economic self sufficiency and a sense of accomplishment. This vision is reflective of our mission: it empowers women and improves their chances for self-sufficiency.

Students of Culinary Arts are residents of the YWCA and a part of the Goodman Place program that assists women re-acclimating into society from mental issues and substance abuse.

This year the Culinary Arts Dept. ended 2009-2010 fiscal year with great hustle, bustle and excitement! For a brief moment in time on Thursday, June 24, 2010 from 12:00pm until 2:30pm, the Sunroom of the YWCA was transformed into a family style buffet “restaurant” elegantly named “A Taste of Italy.”

This year’s presentation of “Culinary Showcase” involved all the Culinary Arts students representing the New Beginner, Beginner, and Intermediate/Advanced classes. The event was open to the public for a nominal fee of $5 per person. Children under 12 dined free of charge. The day was beautiful, and the students anxious and exited as they awaited the arrival of the first guests. We had a steady flow of guests and surveys passed out to each were returned applauding the excellent flavor and professional presentation.

This event is the result of nearly six months of research and planning by the students of the Intermediate/Advanced class with input for menu suggestions from the New Beginner and Beginner classes They demonstrated their skills in both culinary and business planning by creating a functioning business plan, work schedule, restaurant design, lunch menu and execution of an authentic Italian restaurant. There were inquiries as to whether we were planning on opening a restaurant full time! Maybe in the future . . . but for now, we are satisfied that all went well and the students of the Culinary Arts Department have proven to themselves that they can accomplish more than they imagined.

Culinary Arts is also scheduled to participate in the craft fair held at the YWCA Hamilton annually during the Annual Christmas Walk. Last year the combined classes made and sold homemade candies, cakes, breads, and hot chocolate, chili, and hot dogs to take the chill off the guests taking part in the outdoor activities and coming in from the cold. This year, Culinary plans to offer the same fare and we hope you stop by our table and purchase Christmas goodies. All proceeds from sales go towards the Culinary Arts Department to purchase needed equipment. Be on the lookout for other events by our department in the upcoming year.

-Francine Burns, Coordinator, Culinary Arts Dept.