Culinary Apprenticeship Student Shares Chef’s Table Recipe

For our Culinary Apprenticeship students, eight months of classes, four restaurant rotations, and many hours spent learning in the kitchen all come down to one final event: Chef’s Table.

The assignment? A tasty task any aspiring chef would encounter in a restaurant or catering job:

• Plan and prepare a dish that represents your unique passion for food.
• Creatively plate your dish in samples for 60 guests.
• Arrange an inviting culinary station.
• Serve and discuss your dish with friends, family, and guests.

As always, this year’s Culinary Apprenticeship students shined while serving up their very best—beautiful dishes that prove just how far they’ve come since the beginning of the course. From Tyler Lemen’s Smoked Salmon Tartlets and Tamia Flemister’s Vegan “Lobster” Mac and Cheese, to Evie Osazee’s Pear and Almond Cream Tart, each dish displayed an impressive level of culinary skill and creativity.

During the event, guests mingled from station to station, enjoying samples from each of the 12 student chefs. As they served up their creations, the students shared their thoughts on the course and what’s next in their culinary journey.

“[This course] demonstrates that I have a specific skill set, and the reputation of the program is growing within Atlanta,” explained Evie Osazee. “I have had the opportunity to work at some of the top restaurants and catering companies in the metro Atlanta area. This has provided a lot of leverage in the job market.”

When asked how her Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate will add value to her resume, Evie was quick to point out the value of the program. “I highly recommend this program to anyone who has the desire to enter the culinary industry, she says. “This program makes the dream and opportunity of being a chef accessible to everyone.”

Evie’s dedication throughout the course has certainly made her dream a reality as she looks forward to an exciting culinary career at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta.

“I came to this course with absolutely no technical skills or knife skills,” said Evie. “I have learned so much, and I’ve been able to apply it here today.”

As she completes her course, Evie is pleased to share her Chef’s Table recipe.

Pear and Almond Cream Tart

Almond Sable Crust (makes two crusts)

• 375g AP Flour
• 140g powdered sugar
• 50g of almond flour
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 Tbsp of vanilla
• 1 egg

Almond Cream

• 120g almond flour
• 1 stick of butter
• 140g powder sugar
• 1 egg
• 3-4 pears

Baking Instructions

To make the crust, place butter in mixer with paddle and mix at medium speed until smooth. Add sugar, and continue to mix for 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, waiting until each one is completely incorporated. Mix flour and almond flour together and add the creamed butter mixture, one third at a time until dough forms. When mostly combined, put dough on floured table and kneed until smooth. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for one hour, then roll it out to about ¼ inch thickness and line the tart shell.

To make the almond cream, mix butter with a paddle at medium speed and add sugar until mixture resembles mayonnaise. Add the egg and mix until smooth. Mix in almond flour and mix until smooth. Refrigerate for one hour and then spread on the bottom of the tart.

Place sliced pears on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until crust is done and pears are set.