Cooking in The Culinarium Challenge

Team building can be tested and vested in a kitchen.

This is my "OMG I am cooking dinner face!"

 I was recently invited to an event at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific. I didn't know what to expect, but thought the evening would include of course -- food! I arrived and found out there was some sort of cooking challenge and we were going to be separated into teams. I had hoped I was wasn't going to be cooking, because I wasn't prepared. But as luck would have it, I was placed on a team with a Chef de Cuisine (an actual student from KCC) to help us and given the task to whip up a 4-course family style dinner in one hour. I was surprised to learn that 2 out of my 3 teammates were not versed in the kitchen and while I've worked in restaurants from the age of 15-30, I was a server and never a cook. But this team building challenge helped us to quickly harness our skills, divide our assignments and truly learn patience, kindness and understanding as a whole. 

I volunteered to make the first course... a Lobster salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette, our second course was a freshly made Mushroom Risotto, main course was grilled Lamb & Asparagus and our dessert was a Chocolate Berry Tart. Time flew by, we needed help getting organized and our Chef that was assisting us was a lifesaver, he was amazingly kind, helpful and resourceful. He told us the first thing to do was to write a list of what we had and what we needed to do. Help was extremely essential to us completing our tasks and getting the food cooked on time, properly and deliciously. 

Overall, this team building experience was an exceptional time spent with some amazing people. I left with a new sense of respect for chefs, a better understanding of the challenges faced by those in the kitchen aiming to create tasty and nutritious meals, and made some new friends. The great thing about this program is it is something that anyone can sigh up for. This new event is actually a team building experience, similar to a ropes course or a bonding outing for co-workers, teams, groups, etc. 

"This innovative, hands-on program encourages groups to be actively engaged in a unique team building experience disguised as a culinary competition. Executive teams, command cadres, destination groups or any party that wants to take its organization to the next, higher performance level will find the culinary experience motivating and satisfying," Kapiolani CC staff said. 

After our meals were created, we sat down and ate the fruits of our labor together, the master chefs and instructors also gave us feedback and critiques, meanwhile we also thought about what we learned, how we worked as a team and what we gained from the experience. I highly recommend this activity for those seeking a creative, innovative and challenging yet fun opportunity to utilize your skills, embrace your inner obstacles and of course dine on homemade culinary gems. 

For more information - check out this link: ​https://continuinged.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/culinarium/

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