OUAB in the Kitchen offers variety of cooking skills to students

The Ohio Union Activities Board hosts multiple events for students throughout the semester including OUAB in the Kitchen. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor

Students seeking to learn basic cooking skills or expand their recipe book can do so by attending OUAB in the Kitchen.

The Ohio Union Activites Board provides students with lessons in the kitchen biweekly throughout this semester beginning Thursday with Middle Eastern cuisine. Students attending the three-hour event can expect to learn a variety of skills, including food preparation and cooking traditional dishes.

David Wolf, a culinary instructor, said he sets up a variety of international basic dishes for students to learn with fresh ingredients. There are also different themes set for each event for the types of foods they learn to cook and prepare, he said.

“They’re gaining knowledge on how to prepare from the scratch start phase versus the processed ingredients that are out and available to us,” Wolf said. “I think that’s the most rewarding that they have recognized that if you eat fresh and if you eat quality products, the more you’re going to feel good and it’s not as difficult as you might think. It’s about taking the time and being patient with the preparation there.”

Jesse Fernandez, OUAB graduate student advisor, said in an email he and Wolfe plan for themes usually centered around holidays but often get more creative.

“For example in the fall there was a Thanksgiving themed event, one themed for the OSU vs Michigan game, etc,” Fernandez said.

This spring, Wolf said students can expect Irish food in March and vegan and vegetarian food in April to celebrate Earth Day.

Each class is open to 35 graduate and professional students, and they can sign up through the student activities calendar that includes dates and times, Fernandez said.

Students can also expect to learn the science behind cooking and learn to differentiate tastes, Wolf said.

“There is techniques on cooking, based on cuisine they’ll be preparing,” Wolf said. “It has a lot to do with memory recall on the science behind it, the technique behind it, the sensory evaluation that they’ll pick up on the flavor profiling and tasting experience.”

Wolf said students will be able to leave the class with some knowledge in the kitchen, regardless of experience or skill set.

”They will definitely walk away with some technique that maybe they hadn’t experienced before,” Wolf said.