TALOYOAK/SPENCE BAY
You might call Netsilik Ilihakvik principal Gina Pizzo a woman with a past, but she doesn't keep her secrets, she shares them.

Crystal Mitchell shows off her fruit and vegetable tray during food studies class called Creative Cold Cuts held at Netsilik Ilihakvik Jan. 26 to 30 in Taloyoak. - photo courtesy of Gina Pizzo

A self-admitted "Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen," each year she offers introductory, intermediate and advanced level food studies courses.

"I enjoy teaching food studies because the students love to cook and love to eat," said Pizzo. "They get to learn how to do things they normally wouldn't get to do and it is very hands on."

Pizzo explains she started working in the food industry at the age of 11.

"I started working in a club which my parents belonged to, serving food, busing, washing dishes, and when I was older I worked in several restaurants cooking, bartending and waitressing to put myself through school."

Although she doesn't have formal training, she worked alongside world-class chefs in the Niagara region.

"I picked up a lot of trade secrets along the way. I put those skills to work teaching food studies, cooking for family gatherings, school graduations and staff parties, etc. Cooking for large groups has never daunted me. I find it to be second nature."

As for her comparison with the notoriously fiery TV chef, Pizzo says, "I insist that things be done correctly in terms of hygiene, organization, following recipes and instructions accurately, demonstration of skills taught and excellence in the finished product."

She admits the students know she will be "extremely demanding."

"I will treat them like little chefs who have to perform in a given time frame. I have 20 students in this group so I will order them about like a drill sergeant. Everyone has to perform and everything has to be completed and ready for service by the end of the class."

By all accounts, her approach isn't daunting to the students, who, she says, respond very well and rise to the task.

"I always get a full house for this class so I guess the approach works."

The course she taught during the last week in January was called Creative Cold Cuts. The menus were healthy and attractive, with items such as salads, canapes, sushi, carved fruit and vegetable tray and dips.

The students learned how to carve vegetables and fruits, making tomato roses, radish and carrot flowers, orange fruit salad bowls, swan apples, spritzes of celery, kiwi flowers, sushi rolls and Japanese vegetable wraps.

"The kids absolutely loved making and eating the sushi. It was a challenge at first but once they got the hang of rolling everything into tight rolls, they didn't want to stop. I ran out of seaweed and rice sheets," said Pizzo.

All the prepared food goes home at the end of class, for the families of the budding chefs to enjoy.