FROGGY THAWEESAK MINGKWAN 4TH QUARTER MEDIA ARTS & ANIMATION (BS)
Senior Practicum Presents Silk Road Street Foods: A Charitable Adventure in Food Trucks By Mary Matthews, 11th Quarter Culinary Management (BS) Silk Road Street Foods is a sampling of handheld street foods from across the Mediterranean and into Asia. The menu consisted of such items as Kefta, a lamb kebab; Samosas, an Indian pocket-pastry; Asian pot stickers; and ribs, to name a few. The menu also features Kulfi, an Indian pistachio ice cream. All the recipes were created and prepared by the class with the assistance of fantastic volunteers that helped with the preparation and execution of the event. The idea to use a food truck felt natural, as food truck service has recently blossomed in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The class wanted to be the first group to use one for such a unique and charitable event opportunity. The class was fortunate enough to have the Smack Shack, 1029 Bar’s food truck, donate the use of their vehicle for a day. By Ally Wurts (8th Quarter Photography (BFA) In the spring of <strong>2011</strong>, the Senior Practicum class in the Bachelor of Science Culinary Management degree program was asked to create a charitable event to highlight the catering, food service, and event planning skills students have learned here at The Art Institutes International Minnesota. The result is Silk Road Street Foods: A Food Truck Experience. Chef Instructor Pat Weber and students Emily Magnuson, Martha Mayhew, Geji McKinney Banks, and Mary Matthews put on an event to support the Minneapolis area Cooking Matters Organization. Cooking Matters is an organization that empowers families with skills, knowledge, and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals. The group accomplished this by going out into the community and teaching families, children and adults, how to cook. Through careful and relentless planning, prepping, and marketing, the event was a great success. Over the course of nine weeks, the class created a concept, planned a menu, ran an e-marketing campaign, and executed a fullservice food truck experience. The Senior Practicum class provided a great opportunity for students to learn how to open a business to benefit charity, and the class ran with it full steam. The chance to be part of such a class honed the knowledge and skills students have learned while attending our college. The money raised for Cooking Matters will be used to help buy groceries and supplies for upcoming classes across the Twin Cities. The lessons about creating a small business will pay off for the student participants as they go forth into the culinary industry. For further information, or if you’d like to volunteer, search for Cooking Matters Minnesota online.