FARMINGTON — Culinary arts instructor Sean Minear gave instructions Friday to high school students as they worked in different parts of the kitchen to prepare food to serve at the Chef’s Table at Mt. Blue Campus.

Some worked on cupcakes for a student’s birthday, while others cut lobster into pieces, prepared sauce and boiled water for Cavatappi pasta for baked lobster Alfredo with a Panko and Parmesan crust. That meal would also be served with steamed green beans with black and white sesame seeds and fresh made yeast rolls. All at a reasonable cost, he said, of $4.50.

If someone didn’t favor that meal, then there would be grilled hamburgers with Swiss cheese and bacon accompanied by tomato and other toppings and shoestring french fries.

Another student was tasked to clean out the refrigerator to prepare for spring vacation while someone else took walk-in orders from staff.

Minear likes his new space at the campus that houses the Foster Career and Technical Education Center and the Mt. Blue High School. The campus went through a three-year renovation and addition project that concluded in late 2013.

The class space for culinary arts has stadium seating that overlooks the kitchen area.

“It is an incredible kitchen space with state-of-the-art equipment,” Minear said.

“We generally serve three days a week, usually on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays,” he said. The seating area seats about 45.

It will not be open during school vacation. They are looking to be open the two weeks following that. However, it all depends on what is going on at the school including student testing. The best bet is to call the school at 778-3561 to see if the Chef’s Table will be open, he said. The hours are normally 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

He plans to reopen in November.

“We don’t do lobster every week,” he said. There was some lobster left over from another event and he wanted to use it up.

“The curriculum drives what we are serving in the restaurant,” he said.

Some days there are two entrees, on others there is one.

The students learn about the 16 standards including food safety and cooking techniques that he has posted on a wall. They talk about the different foods to be created.

Students had to plan how to keep the Alfredo dish as fresh and tasty as when it is first served until the last serving.

He wants students to learn to figure out a complicated problem by determining the parts needed to solve the problem, he said.

Another goal of his is that they learn how to do a dinner party at some time and be organized and complete it on time.

They are learning chemistry and math, which is all part of culinary arts. Reading a recipe is a math problem, especially if they have to double or triple it, he said.

There are many kids that think they don’t like chemistry and math, he said, but once you explain it to them they like doing it.

“It’s really good to see the light go on with these kids,” he said, and for them to realize making bread is chemistry.

Over in the cooking area, junior Terry Storer of Chesterville, cleaned the grill.

“If I’m not doing anything, why not jump on it,” he said. He plans to take advance culinary arts as a senior.

“I like that it is never the same. We have some days that seem to be the same but they are different,” Storer said.

Beside him senior Jonathan Toothaker prepared to cook pasta and make the Alfredo sauce.

“It’s what I’m going to do for a living. I want to be a chef some day. Food is my passion,” he said.

Minear who has taught culinary arts for 22 years, told students someone needs to get the lobster cut up as he gave directions to make the sauce.

Juniors Richard Teele of Madrid Township and Mitch Adams of Wilton jumped to dice the prepackaged lobster.

Crystal Meldrum, a senior of Kingfield, shaped sweet dough rolls with others.

“When I get older I want to own my own restaurant. I hope to get into college and pursue that,” she said. First she plans work as a chef.

Ten minutes, Minear said, as time neared opening.

Someone was already at the counter waiting to order.

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