NMC students show off cooking creations

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer

March 05, 2008 04:00 am

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It was a dessert lover's dream: a 24-foot long chocolate bridge filled with tortes -- dozens and dozens of tortes.

The confectionery Mackinac Bridge, which included two seven-foot towers, was actually wood covered with a spray of chocolate featuring a "roadway" made of Cocoa Pebbles cereal. Butcher's twine coated by hand with chocolate served as cables.

Even though it was not edible, the desert table structure was a jaw dropper for many of the 500 attendees at the 14th Annual Grand Traverse Taster's Guild Auction.

The creative team of Nicole King, David Chapman, Victoria Chapman and Andrew Quick, all students at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, worked on their own time for two weeks to design, build, cover with chocolate and assemble the structure.

"It was pretty scary because we didn't build it here: we planned it, cut all the pieces, brought them here and set them up," said King. "We put it together yesterday and sprayed it today."

The Taster's Guild Auction showcased the talents and creativity of 100 students at the Northwestern Michigan College institute, who presented samples of food from a dozen cultures or regions around the world. Cuisines covered included Mexico, the Caribbean, Japan, France, India, Greece, Spain, the Middle East, Germany and New Orleans.

Pairing the gourmet offerings with local wines and select international wines, the annual event is an epicurean's delight.

"People are starting to get a little bit more adventurous," said Adam Willsey, a student at the institute pouring wine for the evening.

Dan Elliott of Traverse City has been a regular attendee for a few years now: first as a student himself and now as a paying guest. Graduating from the program two years ago, he enjoys "being on the other side" of the cooking tables.

"Other than I have to check out the sushi room first, I just kind of roam around," said Elliott of his strategy.

A native of Traverse City, Elliott segued from a 20-year career in nuclear engineering into the culinary world and now works at Burritt's Fresh Markets. He praised the Culinary Institute's program and appreciated how it helped him turn a serious hobby into a rewarding vocation.

"A lot of this they get to some guidance from their instructor but a lot of it they get to do on their own," Elliott added of the Taster's Guild student perspective.

A fund raiser every year for Great Lakes Culinary Institute students, this year the event raised between $25,000-30,000 for future scholarships. In addition, 20 current students in the program were awarded $23,000 in scholarships Friday evening.

Students started working on the menu for the Taster's Guild Auction in January, noted Institute director Fred Laughlin. They signed up for regions, researched recipes and ingredients, taste-tested results and prepared budgets. This comprehensive approach provides invaluable real world experience.

"We give them a lot of free reign, within reason, to exercise a little creativity, if they have the motivation to do it we encourage it," he said.

Laughlin also noted that the quality and freshness of the food, which is made from local ingredients as much as possible, is another delight for attendees' palates.

"All the food we make is from scratch and that's a rare treat for Traverse City, for anywhere, actually," he said.

"I don't know how they get better every year but they do," Laughlin added of his students' efforts. "Running around talking to people, they just loved everything."

For more information on the Grand Traverse Taster's Guild and the International Taster's Guild, go to www.tastersguild.com. For more information on the Great Lakes Culinary Institute, see their Web site at www.nmc.edu/culinary.

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