Booker High School and Scratch Made Kitchen recently welcomed chefs James Veldhouse and Hillary Diamond from Gecko’s Grill & Pub for its Tornado Kitchen culinary program, a hands-on training lab designed to build real world confidence, teamwork, and foundational kitchen skills with students.
The afternoon featured station-based cooking instruction and guided practice for both beginner and returning students. Students learned how to fillet and butcher a whole fish, worked through an orzo recipe, and made a delicious beurre blanc sauce, learning the “what” and “why” behind key steps while also practicing safe prep, organization, and timing in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
Amy Leithauser, director of training, provided hospitality-focused messaging
throughout the experience.
“I really enjoyed spending one-on-one time with these young people and sharing insights from my experience in the hospitality world. It was rewarding to answer their questions and help them see the many opportunities this industry has to offer,” said Leithauser, who also emphasized the value of connecting directly with students and giving them a realistic view of the opportunities available in hospitality.
The event wrapped up with students putting their newly learned skills into action – from ingredient prep to cooking execution – culminating in plated results that demonstrated focus, technique, and teamwork.
“Thank you for another amazing lab – the students loved it," said Andrew Grossman, managing director of Scratch Made Kitchen. "Chef Hillary did an incredible job guiding beginner cooks through an orzo recipe in just 15 minutes, and experiences like this show how meaningful hands-on learning can be for our students.”
Gecko’s Grill & Pub extended special thanks to Booker High School, Andrew Grossman, and Chef Gordon Gregory, who made the day possible.
Submitted by Fiona Farrell
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Booker High students learn pro cooking skills
