The Culinary Crusaders, moderated by Donnie Midkiff '03, Chris Vicknair, and Tina LaBeaud,  were back in action in October, partnering with Reinhart Food Service at their club meeting. In the kitchen, these Crusaders spent an afternoon with Reinhart Foodservice's Director of Business Development John Ace Hildebrand, Sales Representative Eric Dejean, and Division Chef Demetrio Marquez learning about their art and passion for serving and providing quality food for their customers.

Chef Marquez spoke with the students about his background while urging students to "respect food!" He encouraged students to think about the blessing of one’s hands while serving others, whether it is volunteering at school or cooking in the kitchen.  In addition, he highlighted how the background of various cultures influences the food from that region. Following Chef's introduction, he got down to business, with the help of the Culinary Crusaders, preparing a family-style appetizer of bruschetta, incorporating tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives, all sprinkled with fresh parmesan cheese for an appetizer. Then, what better entree to follow than homemade spaghetti and meatballs, freshly ground and hand-rolled by our very own chefs! Our Culinary Crusaders look forward to sharing their talents and skills at many more events in the future. 

Thank you to the Culinary Crusaders, Food Services, and Reinhart Foodservice for creating lasting memories and lessons about food and life.