I scream. You scream. We all scream for ICE CREAM!
What better way to cool down during a hot summer afternoon than with a delicious scoop of ice cream? Whether you prefer it in a bowl, on a sugar cone, or in a waffle cone, its creamy melty goodness is undeniable. And with so many flavor options, you’re bound to find some that tickles your fancy. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed July as National Ice Cream Month and established National Ice Cream Day as the third Sunday in the month of July.
Dorsey Schools Celebrate National Ice Cream Month 2016
In order to help you celebrate we recently visited our Waterford-Pontiac, MI campus to sit in on some of the cooking classes our Culinary Arts students are taking. We sat down with, Heather, one of our culinary arts students and she had a lot to share, both about her experience in the culinary arts program at Dorsey and some tasty tricks for the best ice cream, including the secret to perfect homemade ice cream.
Culinary Arts Program at Dorsey Schools
The Culinary Arts program at Dorsey Schools aims to prepare students to work in professional food serving facilities. Education takes place in both kitchen and classroom settings and students have the opportunity to participate in hands on learning which will enable them to gain skills that are needed to have a competitive and creative edge in the development of their culinary career.
Training in this program includes:
- Fundamental skills such as proper sanitation, knife cuts, “mise en place,” cooking techniques, food preparation, food purchasing, catering and professionalism
- Baking, butchering, healthy cooking and nutrition
- Introduction to menu planning/pricing, kitchen management, and inventory control.
- An externship allowing students to apply what they have learned throughout the program in a real-world culinary environment
- The opportunity to challenge the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe® Certification exam and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (“NRAEF”) Nutrition certification test
The Culinary Arts Program is offered at the following Dorsey Schools campus locations:
Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What module are you currently in here at Dorsey?
Third. I’m almost done – all that’s left is my externship. I’m so excited.
Q: What brought you to Dorsey for Culinary School?
In the beginning I wanted to learn more pastry and more chocolates – pulled sugars and things like that. And then I started and Chef Matt was talking to me and now I’ve been doing all the competitions I’m really going towards cooking now.
Q: What are some of the competitions you’ve been a part of?
We have a Chopped competition where they give you a mystery basket. We do cookies. There’s barbeque, with sauces and the meat.
Q: How did you hear about Dorsey Schools?
I actually saw the TV commercial. The one with Chef Matt.
Q: What has been the most beneficial thing you’ve learned in Culinary School at Dorsey so far?
ServSafe. It’s primarily about the temperatures, the cleaning, how not to get people sick.
Q: Have you had a favorite class in Culinary School here at Dorsey thus far?
I like the Healthy Cooking and the Baking the most. Chef taught me some sugar stuff and things like that – basically the things that I originally came here to do. And the Healthy Cooking I have a lot of restrictions so that helped with my diet and learning everything. I have Celiac’s so I can’t eat anything that might ferment my stomach. Healthy food can be so tasty. Everyone thinks if it’s good for you it has to taste like cardboard, but it doesn’t. It can taste so yummy.
Q: What advice might you recommend to someone considering attending Culinary School in Michigan?
My advice to anyone would be to make sure you’re doing this for the right reason. I’ve seen people join the program and then never show up. But you always have to show up because that is where you learn. You have to want to do it and pay close attention. You have to be professional we still have fun and it’s nice. We’re all a tight family – we joke around and we learn a lot. If you get frustrated shake it off, don’t hold grudges.
We also wanted to share a tasty vanilla ice cream recipe that Chef Matt and the Waterford-Pontiac, MI Culinary Arts students shared with us. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s a blank canvas of sorts – meaning, you can add various flavors/ingredients to it to create different types of ice cream.
Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups milk
4 egg yolks
1 pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation
- Scald milk over medium heat to 210*F in a nonreactive saucepan.
- Prepare an ice bath for the sauce pan.
- Combine the egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Whisk until light yellow and fluffy.
- Temper the egg yolks to create a custard: Whisk hot milk into the yolk mixture in a slow, thin stream.
- Return the custard to the saucepan and whisk constantly over low heat until the mixture reaches 180*F.
- Whisk in the cream and vanilla.
- Transfer the mixture to a clean, nonreactive container.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 3 days.
- Place a clean container in the freezer.
- Remove the vanilla pod from the ice cream mix, place the mix in an ice cream batch freezer, and churn freeze according to manufacture instructions.
- Pack the ice cream into the frozen container, cover with plastic wrap, close the lid and place in freezer for 1 hour to harden.
The Secrets to Making Perfect Homemade Ice Cream
After giving us a vanilla ice cream recipe, they also shared the secrets to creating the perfect homemade ice cream. Here’s what they told us:
- Use quality ingredients: Better ingredients result in a better product. Calder or Guernsey Dairy will create a rich and creamy texture.
- Get creative: Once the ice cream has been put into the mixer, add ingredients (fruit, cookie dough, chocolate chips, etc.), then freeze.
- Use an ice cream machine: The best thing that the ice cream machine does is churn while freezing, this removes any air pockets in the mixture and ensures that the ice cream has a smooth and creamy texture.
Happy National Ice Cream Month! Enjoy! Just remember to eat slowly to avoid the dreaded brain freeze.
If these tips were helpful and interesting to you, or if you have an interest in making all of the homemade ice cream you could ever want, Dorsey Schools Culinary Arts program in Michigan may be for you. Consider taking the next step towards beginning your new career in the Culinary Arts.
Interested in learning more about Dorsey Schools?
Give us a call at 888-422-1188 or Request Info Online
Culinary Arts Program – Gainful Employment Disclosures
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who have completed the program, and other important information, please click here.
