RECETAS PROGRAM REPORT 2013 Recetas is a job training program designed to prepare residents in pursuit of a career in the food service industry. Whether they want to get a stable job in the food service industry, create their own business someday, or join our catering team, including selling products at a local farmers market, Recetas program will offer them the basic knowledge and help them to develop the necessary skills whatever option they choose from the three mentioned above. Bienestar's Recetas Para Exito Program was launched this summer thanks to funding from United Way and Paul G. Allen Foundation.

Our goals:  obtain food handlers card in Oregon  Understand the basic culinary principles  learn proper knife skills  Know how to identify and properly handle standard tools, and kitchen equipment.  Practice safe work habits, and identify hazards.  Show knowledge when measuring, weighing, using spoons, measuring cups, and other utensils.  Apply effective Mise en Place through practice.  Describe dry-heat, moist-heat, and combination cooking methods.  Prepare, and utilize basic stocks, sauces, and thickeners.  Lear how to identify foods and ingredients.  List common spices, herbs, and describe their uses.  Explain how to store food and supplies on shelves, in the refrigerator, and freezer properly.  Demonstrate proper cleaning, and sanitizing of foodservice equipment and utensils.  Gain hands on experience.

Classes were offered at our certified commercial kitchen located in Aloha on Tuesdays from 10:00 am to 1:00pm for 13 weeks. Each week was dedicated to a different subject, the core curriculum covered safety, sanitation, knife skills, mise en place, the understanding of ingredients, cooking methods, and the development of fundamental skills, and techniques. Our first week was devoted to the study of the Oregon food handlers manual, at the end of the class the ladies were able to present the test to obtain their Oregon food handlers card. With a duration of 13 weeks we started this journey through the wonderful world of cooking on July 31 st Four wonderful ladies with passion, commitment, discipline, and desire to learn were our first Recetas group.

Week after week the students were learning, practicing and becoming familiar with concepts, techniques, and processes in the wide world of cooking. Small assessments were applied as a method to determine whether they were progressing or not. Students were able to cater two events during these 13 weeks: The Homegrown fundraising event for Bienestar; an hours d’oeuvres for 150 people at a winery in Forest Grove, and a wedding rehearsal dinner for 40 people in Portland.

The first Recetas group certainly met all expectations; at the end of the 13 weeks the students showed to have learnt a lot about the culinary industry through their final test obtaining 93% of their answers right. In the same test given as a pretest at the second class, the students obtained only 13% of the answers correct.

Some of the questions that the students had to answer were: 1.- What are the steps for proper hand washing? 2.- Why is first in, first out storage used? 3.- What is cross contamination? 4.- Knife skills – different types of cuts? 5.- What is mise en place? 6.- What is a mirepoix? 7.- Types of sauces and stocks? 8.- What is a roux? …

On November 5 th a closing ceremony took place, the ladies received a certificate as a part of the completion of their training program. Staff from Bienestar, board members of Bienestar, and family members of the ladies were there to celebrate. Two of the ladies have started their own business, and are already applying all that they learned to increase their sales, and opportunities in the culinary industry. The rest of them have decided to be part of Recetas catering team, and are looking forward to the next event. Respectfully submitted by Seidy Selivanow