Each month, dedicated volunteers or community partners will be recognized for the time and talents dedicated to Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS).
Dina Taylor and Chris Streebing, co-owners of The Grilled Cheese Bistro, are best known for their elevated grilled cheese sandwiches and lobster macaroni and cheese, but more recently, they are applauded for teaming up with Kempsville High School’s culinary arts program.
“I was in catering for more than 12 years so when I heard there was a catering class I was thrilled to help,” said Taylor. “I love everything about food and setting up for an event and love that I can pass what I have learned about the food industry over the years to these kids.”
Taylor and Streebing met with culinary students to help them prepare for an upcoming catered event.
“Do you have a plan for the menu yet, or are you still brainstorming?” Taylor asked.
“Grilled cheese!” shouted a student.
“Well, that is one thing we can help you with,” replied Taylor. “We can help you with ingredients from our kitchen.”
Streebing invited the class to test some of the cheeses they use in their sandwiches.
“Who’s heard of fermiere cheese?” Streebing asked as he hands out samples to each student. No one responded.
“How does it taste? What recipes could you use this type of cheese in?” he inquired. “Each time you try a new food or ingredient, try to think of how you can use it in your own recipes.”
Taylor and Streebing plan to continue mentoring the culinary students at Kempsville and schools around the division.
“Let’s plan to meet when you have your menu chosen,” Taylor said to the group. “Once the menu items are chosen then we can talk about how to prepare food for a large number of people. We also need to talk about how you plan to present the food because that’s another big part of catering.”
Providing industry knowledge and experience to those interested in being a part of the food service industry is something Taylor and Streebing are glad to be a part of.
Taylor adds, “These are future caterers and chefs in this class and I’m pleased to be a part of teaching them about their possible career options.”
Become a volunteer or community partner today and make a difference in student’s lives. For more information on volunteering visit vbschools.com.