Students will have the opportunity to learn how to make pepita pesto pasta and other delicious meals under the instruction of dietician Elodie Howell and executive chef Aaron Barton or executive catering chef Chris Velasquez with the Bean cooking class.
The Bean held teaching kitchens for the first time last year, with a variety of different meals including sushi, avocado toast, plant-based burgers and pumpkin-themed dishes.
Elodie Howell, one of the instructors, said the class is meant to be a beneficiary for students.
“This is a learning and life experience for students,” said Howell. “We are just trying to show cooking techniques from a trained chef and a dietician. We will go over the basics, from knife skills to burner safety. You don’t have to have any experience.”
The class is free for everyone, including those without meal plans, and there is no experience necessary. Students do not need to sign up for the classes as there is not a sign up or registration, but only twelve spots are available so it is advised to show up early.
Classes are held once a month and typically revolve around one main food item. One class focused on seeds by making a pumpkin seed pesto to go with the pasta, and next month will focus on winter squash.
Kameron Ladia, ACU Dining Marketing Specialist, said you can look on ACU Dining social medias to find out any events. This can be found @dine_acu. This information will also be posted around the dining hall.
“We put all of our information about any specials or events we have going on posted around the dining hall,” said Ladia. “You can also see all of it on our social media for anyone who wants to learn more.”
Alongside the teaching kitchen, the Bean also hosts a variety of other events. Starting off the year was the Joyful event, in which students could participate in trivia, decorate an ACU board with encouraging notes and join a raffle for a chance to win prizes.
Students can look forward to Thankful, a similar event taking place in November. In addition to this, students can also find special wellness tables and culinary arts stations, where students can find feel-good foods and create their own culinary masterpieces.
