SUMMER 2011

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 2011, 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.