Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series appearing occasionally that is intended to give readers a glimpse into unique courses available at Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

As students trickled into the kitchen, chef Chris Uyehara began last-minute preparations. Students looked excitedly at the strawberries, balloons and massive amounts of chocolate on the instructor’s table.

‘Gather around, everybody,’ announced Uyehara, culinary specialist in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. ‘Today, we’re doing chocolate.’

The students were clad in aprons and hats for his class, HPM 202: ‘Fine Pastries and Desserts.’ They observed carefully as Uyehara demonstrated how they would make this week’s dessert: a tulip-shaped chocolate cup filled with chocolate mousse and adorned with chocolate-covered strawberries and elaborate shapes made from, of course, chocolate.

The syllabus for the class reads like a menu. Each week, students make and plate a dessert. One week, they made baked Alaska; another week, they crafted fresh fruit tarts. Other items on the syllabus include cream puff swans, crme brle and phyllo dough filled with banana pudding and topped with caramel.

There are two class sections, each with 18 students. The non-major section takes place from 12:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. every Monday, while the major section goes from 5:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. on Monday.

According to chef Uyehara, the class used to only be offered for people majoring in the subject, but a class was created for non-majors due to popular demand.

‘A lot of students in different majors wanted to do something fun,’ Uyehara said.

Heather Rinder, a senior magazine journalism major, and Phillip Mackewicz, a senior biology major, both finished with their credits, decided they wanted to take a fun class and enrolled in Uyehara’s three-credit course.

‘I love it. It’s a great class,’ Mackewicz said.

Uyehara worked swiftly but confidently, not caring if chocolate splattered his white chef’s coat. He entertained the students with stories of chocolate-covered balloons, used to make the tulip cups, exploding and covering everything and everyone in the vicinity with chocolate.

After he successfully popped the chocolate-dipped balloons, leaving a perfect delicate cup, he filled them with mousse. Then, he showcased techniques for making chocolate-dipped strawberries. He dipped one strawberry in milk chocolate and drizzled it with white chocolate, and then he dressed another in a tiny tuxedo made of white and milk chocolate, complete with a little bow tie made of mousse.

He also demonstrated molecular gastronomy, a modern cooking technique that combines food and science. Uyehara used this method to create two faux caviars, one made of a basil mixture and another of a strawberry pure mixture. Using a dropper, he dripped the mixtures onto a plate and the beads solidified. He arranged the caviar, explaining to the enraptured students that this is similar to how the bubbles in bubble tea are made.

The students then tried their hands at replicating the technique, getting the chance to be creative with the arrangement. Each group of two gathered balloons, bowls of chocolate and trays so they could begin their work.

The kitchen filled with chatter and music. The students worked together to make personal chocolate cups and fancy strawberries. Kara Ramlow, a senior design and technical theater major, and senior mechanical engineering major Christine Lane used white and milk chocolate on their tulip cups and decorated chocolate designs on their plates.

The laid-back atmosphere of the class took the pressure off of students when things went less-than-perfectly. Some balloons popped before they even made it to the fridge, and a few chocolate cups were destroyed accidentally as the balloons were deflated and removed.  Whenever a balloon popped, surprised laughter erupted as the students nearby were sprayed in chocolate.

‘Since it’s for non-majors, if you mess up, it’s OK,’ Ramlow joked.

The student chefs seemed to agree that the best part about the class, other than the fact that they get to eat or take home everything you make, is chef Uyehara.

‘He makes it fun,’ Ramlow said.

 ‘He can tell a story about everything,’ Lane agreed.

It isn’t hard to see why the class fills up quickly – the work is enjoyable and rewarding. Uyehara creates the perfect atmosphere of fun while still expecting results from his students.

The chef’s love for cooking and teaching is apparent as he walked around the room, complimenting his students’ work and chatting with them about the day’s task.

Most students took pictures of their handiwork when they finished with their plates. Then they dug in, savoring the rich mousse and juicy strawberries. Anything leftover after their feast was hastily put into take-home containers, and the students quickly cleaned up the kitchen.

‘My passion is to train these guys and teach them what I know,’ Uyehara said. ‘What do you do when you’ve reached all of your goals? You share your knowledge with others.’

amhider@syr.edu

Published on March 26, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Anna: amhider@syr.edu