They Never ‘Sausage’ a Lesson Until they Attended BOCES

Mike Lapi, Shianne Calitri

SCHOHARIE -- They may or may not have heard the old idiom "don't ask how the sausage is made," but that didn’t stop Culinary Arts and Hospitality Technology students from learning on Tuesday the finer points of sausage making.

Guest chef Mike Lapi, an instructor of culinary arts and meat processing at SUNY Cobleskill, guided seniors through the process of grinding, seasoning and stuffing sausage.

The high school seniors in Chef Chris Snye’s Capital Region BOCES program ate up the lesson – literally and figuratively.

“[The lesson] was very interesting and helpful for my future,” said Shianne Calitry, who attends BOCES from Middleburgh and plans to pursue a career in the culinary industry.

Classmate Jack VanPatten, who attends BOCES from Guilderland, also found the lesson interesting.

After learning how to make the sausage, the students then sampled their work.

“It’s a fun lesson. It’s very interesting and good information to know,” said VanPatten, who is enlisting in the Coast Guard as a culinary specialist.

Students in the two-year Culinary Arts program learn the skills necessary to enter the workforce as a sous chef or pursue additional training in college. Graduates work in restaurants and resorts around the region and beyond, own their establishment and even prepare food for professional sporting events.

More than 100 students are currently enrolled in the program that is offered at both the Albany and Schoharie campuses. For more information on the program, visit https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/culinary-arts-hospitality-technology/.