Food & Wine
Local club provides valuable career experience for college student
Jan 3, 2010
By Laura Dillavou
By Laura Dillavou
When searching for her first internship in the culinary science field, Melanie Snyder didn’t look to restaurants in Chicago or test kitchens in New York City. She knew that a well-rounded apprenticeship could be found right here in Iowa.
Snyder, originally from Ankeny, and a junior at Iowa State University double majoring in food science and culinary science, looked no further than the Tournament Club of Iowa (TCI), located in Polk City, for her semester-long experience in food preparation, cooking, and exposure to large-event catering. The required internship not only added to her cookbook of skills, but solidified to Snyder her future career direction was right on track.
“I’ve always loved food, and when I came to Iowa State, the idea that you can explore the science of food and ingredient interaction really appealed to me,” Snyder said. “I also love that food is a very universal thing to all people. As I learn more in this area, I love to share my knowledge with others.”
Before Snyder began her internship, she and other food science students were required to work in the Iowa State Dining facilities. Exposure and practice in a large-scale kitchen was a first for Snyder, but one that offered a solid base for learning and refining culinary skills.
“Working in the ISU kitchens was my first time being around large, industrial-sized equipment,” Snyder said. “It’s a lot different than the kitchens in your home, but the staff is very knowledgeable and patient. They were really good at helping us learn while answering our questions.”
When it came time to find an internship, Snyder said one of her top priorities was finding a restaurant or club that would teach her a variety of skills. She described the TCI as “upscale but casual,” and because their kitchen does everything from lunches to weddings and catering events, she gained experience in many culinary environments.
Snyder went on to say that the slower pace of the club - as compared to a busy restaurant – allowed the chefs to give her one-on-one coaching and training. While she started out in food preparation, Snyder soon became familiar with the rigorous pace of cooking during lunch or dinner shifts.
“At first, it was a lot of food prep work – washing and chopping of vegetables, getting different cuts of meat ready, mixing salad dressings, and making house items from scratch,” Snyder said. “One day, I found myself in the kitchen, faced with four orders for hot sandwiches. It was a challenge, but eventually – with help from the experts – I got the hang of it.”
While Snyder came to TCI with an impressive skill set from the classrooms and kitchens of ISU, she said the hands-on experience in a real working environment gave her an education unlike any other.
“In the classroom, you’re not faced with customers needing a delicious meal in a timely fashion,” Snyder said. “These real-life experiences allowed to me assess my strengths and weaknesses, and further understand the importance of the consumer in terms of their tastes, needs, and wants in a food product.”
Another unique aspect of her internship was working with local farmers to bring fresh, Iowa produce into the kitchen of TCI. Snyder said the club had long-standing relationships with vegetable producers that allowed consumers to have fresh, organic produce in their food.
“Anytime a kitchen can offer their customers a fresher product, it will make the dish even better,” Snyder said. “I think it’s great that companies try to keep business in Iowa and support local Iowa farmers. It’s better for everyone when we’re using produce that has been picked that day, as opposed to a week ago and then shipped across the country.”
With her newfound knowledge and skills, Snyder will enter the spring semester with a deeper understanding of ingredient interaction and recipe development. Already on the hunt for her next internship, she said working in a test kitchen would be ideal.
“I learned so many new techniques at TCI, and my classroom experience furthers my interest in the science of ingredients and food development,” Snyder said. “Working in a test kitchen would allow me to combine those interests. For now, I’m content to look around Iowa and hopefully network with alums to gain this experience.”
For more information on the food science and culinary science program at Iowa State University, visit: http://www.fshn.hs.iastate.edu.
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Laura Dillavou is a communications professional for Iowa State University with a passion for tasty food and fine wine. Her favorite places to dish on the latest dishes include Sbrocco, The Café, Trostel’s Dish, The Waterfront, and Ohana Steak House – but she’s pretty happy with a pizza and cold beer, too. While not writing about food and wine or consuming them, you’ll find Laura baking up a storm of cookies, cakes, and other desserts in the kitchen.
