Reminiscing on his time in Theresa Mcdermott’s Intro to Culinary Arts class, Gabriel Agigian-Sanchez, explains how culinary courses at Paly have allowed him to flourish on his own.
“Well, ever since COVID, I learned how to cook,” Agigian-Sanchez said. “And freshman year I saw [culinary arts] class on the course selection and decided it was something I wanted to do,”
Agigian-Sanchez wishes other students to take culinary arts class, especially with the new addition of Baking and Pastry next school year.
“For someone who wants to pursue a hobby or a future career of cooking or baking, I would encourage them to take it.”
According to Mcdermott, as a new way to meet the growing demands of culinary arts, Baking and Pastry has been added to the CTE pathway as a new class. This course will include a range of concepts from fundamental kitchen skills to making delicious pastries as detailed in Paly’s 24-25 course catalog description.
While the course material will highlight topics touched upon in previous culinary arts classes, there isn’t a prerequisite requirement, opening doors to Paly’s entire student body. Following the standard for other culinary classes, Baking and Pastry, will stick to a one semester curriculum.
Culinary Arts teacher Theresa Mcdermott says she’s enthusiastic about the future of culinary arts classes at Paly with this new class.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to bring a new culinary arts course to Paly” McDermott said.
McDermott explains how her and Cindy Peters, Gunn’s culinary teacher, have explored workshops and other opportunities to prepare for the
“We have attended classes together and gone to culinary schools that have provided us with hands-on experience both in the culinary arts and with a baking and pastry emphasis,” McDermott said.
Agigian-Sanchez said he appreciates the importance of a class such as Baking and Pastry, and how it can ultimately be beneficial for students.
“I think it would be a good addition to Paly’s course catalog, considering that a lot of the courses offered at Paly are very rigorous and it’s nice to have a class that’s sort of on the down-low, that is not as difficult.” Agigian-Sanchez said.
The Baking and Pastry class will offer unique components such as allowing students to experience precision of measurement, different aromas of the baking process and the joy of sharing the product with others as stated by Mcdermott.
“I am especially looking forward to allowing students the opportunity to experience food as art,” McDermott said. “In many respects baking is a science that demands precise measurements and an understanding of chemical reactions, yet it can also be a beautiful and nourishing art form that tells a story and can hold deep significance.”
McDermott says she thinks new classes where creativity is invited and students can walk away with something magical should always be welcome at Paly, which is exactly what Baking and Pastry will try to accomplish.
“We all deal with stress in different ways and providing a creative outlet where students can relax and enjoy the process while interacting with friends and learning to bake — what’s better than that?” Mcdermott said.