Published: December 19, 2008 02:11 pm      

MV student honored by RLC program

From Rend Lake College

INA — Taking a page from the book of one of his instructors at the Culinary Institute of America, Rend Lake College Chef Associate Professor Brian Kalata has named his students of the fall semester — Bobbie Boczek of Mt. Vernon and Dawn Legier of Murphsyboro.

Kalata cooked breakfast for his two sections of Pro Cooking I and announced his selections days before they were to take their final examinations. In addition to recognition, the students of the semester signed their names to a chef’s coat – a tradition in the culinary arts program at RLC for five years now. The uniform has never been worn and hangs in Kalata’s office.

Many different factors are considered for the award, Kalata said. They include perfect attendance, daily participation, organization, good communication skills, leadership, appearance, attitude, and performance on quizzes, tests and research papers.

A big factor is consistent improvement, which is why no Pro Cooking I winner has ever received the award in Pro Cooking II, Kalata said.

“These students have made outstanding strides from the first day they walked into the program to today,” he explained. “They extol all the virtues of the kind of students we are looking for.”

RLC Interim President Charley Holstein congratulated each winner for her achievement while presenting each with a certificate.

“It’s a real quality program, having both chefs who are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America,” Legier said, referring to Kalata and Chef Instructor Loughton Smith. “It’s like I am getting a Culinary Institute quality education at Rend Lake.”

Legier, 40, said her dream is to open a bakery and Pâtisserie in Carbondale where she will create and serve specialty breads, sweets, koch des pastrou and more. As part of her culinary arts curriculum, she was to perform a feasibility study on opening a business in the area. She said it was a great way to build a business model for her dream.

, Sous le Soleil. That is what she will call it.

Boczek’s dream is all about the comfort in comfort food. A graduate of RLC’s associate degree nursing program, the 26-year-old wants to combine her hospital experience and training in baking and pastries to create The Comfort Cart Bakery.