Put Some Sizzle in Your Summer
Lakeshore Chefs Dish on Program Offerings and Seasonal Cooking
July 23, 2025 -
July may just be the tastiest month of the calendar year. Known as National Culinary Arts Month, it serves up a good reminder to celebrate the connection point summer cuisine has to offer.
Exploring Culinary Career Paths
Among the program offerings at Lakeshore College are the Hospitality & Tourism clusters, including Culinary & Baking Basics, Culinary Arts, and Culinary Technical Diploma. Lakeshore’s Culinary Arts associate degree is accredited by the American Culinary Federation. The college has had some iteration of food-related courses of study since the 1980s. Whether students have an interest in working in a traditional restaurant or bakery, resort, food service in the corporate environment or healthcare, catering, styling, writing, or research and development, becoming a personal chef or operating a food truck, there are many facets of the industry that can be explored and lead to a fulfilling career, including within Lakeshore’s district.
“I definitely try to open the perspective of what the industry offers and not just that you’re going to work in a restaurant. That’s only a small part of our industry.”
-Chef Ben Reynolds, Culinary Arts Program Instructor
He enjoys experiencing this light bulb moment with his students when they realize there are more avenues available to them than they may have thought.
Smaller Sizes Creates Big Impact
Lakeshore offers the unique advantage of having a slightly smaller program by comparison to other Wisconsin colleges, which lends itself to being able to incorporate programming centered around industry trends, including sustainability, sourcing locally and cooking with seasonality.
The smaller classes also help to build one-on-one relationships between students and instructors. On average, there are between 35 to 45 students in the program. As Chef Amanda Weber, Culinary Arts Program Instructor, explained, this provides the opportunity for her to get to know students’ stories, goals and dreams, which was not the experience she had while attending school.
“I was a number. I barely remember any of my instructors,” she shared. “There is something to be said about a well-oiled machine, but also there was very little accountability from the students to the instructors, so I felt that. They’re just doing whatever and going through the motions. That’s very different here. We listen to our students.”
Respect, Mentorship, Real-World Learning
While public perception of the culinary world may be a bit skewed due to the likes of reality TV, creating mutual respect between chef and student is a key ingredient to creating a successful learning environment, according to Chef Amanda and Chef Ben.
“We’re here to share our knowledge because we’ve been in it a little bit longer, but we also want to learn from our students. There is never a day that I walk away that I don’t learn something new, whether it’s about food or something else,” Chef Amanda explained.
Fostering Confidence and Community
Chef Ben, who teaches primarily the introduction classes, says he takes great pride in seeing the confidence grow in his students and makes a point to stay connected with them. It is important to him to create a safe space in the kitchen where students can excel.
“We can learn from each other and help each other, rather than compete with each other because food tastes better when more perspectives and more influences are there,” he said of the artform. In addition to creating a tight-knit environment where everyone matters, there also is the opportunity to explore through the student-led Culinary Club. These activities lead to advancing and enhancing learning by doing things outside of the classroom, including networking, which can in turn lead to job opportunities prior to graduation.
Tips from the Pros
For those looking to take the heat outdoors this summer, Chef Amanda recommends quicker cooking methods and preparing meals – or portions of them – ahead of time, when possible, to keep things cool and save time.
While grilling may be intimidating to some, there is no need to fear the grill. Having a reliable meat thermometer, and basic understanding of temperature fluctuations and adjustments is key, but anyone can try their hand at grilling.
Chef Ben is a fan of the classic charcoal Weber grill. His favorite tricks include:
- Using lump charcoal and arranging it to create direct and indirect heat zones
- Spinning the grate instead of moving meat to maintain grill marks
- Utilizing a charcoal chimney for quick, even heat
- Investing in quality tongs with a square head—he recommends ones from The Vollrath Company, LLC in Sheboygan
- Brining meat with equal parts sugar and salt to lock in flavor and moisture
Produce also is a good way to make the most of the season. Grilled fruits and veggies add depth, while raw ones can bring fresh bursts of flavor. Chef Amanda recommends:
- Cutting sweet corn off the cob and mixing it with lime, mayo or sour cream
- Creating a simple tomato sandwich with hearty slices, salt, pepper, bread (even white bread will do), cheese and chips for crunch
- Experimenting with melons and fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, parsley and thyme
Summertime Sweets
And, don’t forget about dessert! Take advantage of rhubarb, berries and the sweetness of summer. A nostalgic favorite that brings Chef Amanda back to her childhood is Schaum Torte, a light and crispy meringue shell, often baked in individual portions or a larger torte.
“I love a pie, or a good crumble with ice cream,” she said. “But, one of the things that I make every year, that my mom used to make for my birthday in August, is Schaum Torte. They’re very underrated.” (If you haven’t yet experienced the heavenly goodness of this sweet concoction, try Chef Amanda’s recipe below and top as you wish!)
Chef Amanda encourages everyone to experiment with seasonal produce, not turn on their oven unless they have to and venture to area farmer’s markets. Or, if you want to take a night off from cooking, there are always local restaurants – or, ice cream shops – that would love your support.
Wherever food draws you this summer, be sure to create delicious memories!
Ingredients:
- 6 egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fresh berries, for serving
- Whipped cream, for serving
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. With a pen, trace 6 3-inch circles on each sheet of parchment paper, and flip over in pan (pen side down).
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or using an electric hand mixer at medium-high, beat the egg whites, water and salt until stiff peaks form.
With the mixer still on medium-high, very slowly add, over the course of 2-3 minutes, 1 cup sugar, cream of tartar and white vinegar.
Add the remaining sugar, again very slowly, and vanilla extract. Beat for 10 minutes at a medium speed.
To prepare the piping bag, snip a corner off a large zip plastic bag or pastry bag. Optionally, place a large decorating tip into the corner opening. Spoon half of the meringue into the bag and twist the top closed.
Starting in the center of each circle and moving in a circular pattern outward, fill each circle with meringue. Continue piping around the outside edges, forming walls. Use your finger to smooth out the top where the piping stops. Repeat with remaining meringue until all 12 tortes have been formed.
Place in a preheated oven and bake for 1 hour, then turn heat off and leave tortes in the oven for another 30 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DURING THIS TIME! Remove and store tortes in an airtight container. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream.
Storage:
Store leftover Schaum Tortes (baked and cooled) in an airtight container in a cool place out of direct sunlight for up to 2 weeks. Separate tortes between layers of parchment or wax paper if stacking them. Schaum Torte shells can be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
Ingredients:
- 4-5 tablespoons of onion, finely chopped – red onion, green onions or chives
- 4 cups fresh corn cut off the cob – raw, boiled or grilled
- 1 cup summer veggie, cut appropriately – cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, radishes, asparagus, etc.
- ¼ cup crumbly cheese – feta, cotija, blue, goat, sharp cheddar, etc.
- 3 tablespoons fresh herbs, thinly sliced or finely chopped – basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, etc.
- 2 tablespoons fat - olive oil, sour cream, mayo, crema, mashed avocado, etc.
- Juice of 1 citrus – limes, lemons, oranges, grapefruit, etc.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Any spices you like – tajin, chili powder, curry, cumin, garam masala, etc.
Instructions:
In a large bowl, toss everything together. Let sit in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. TASTE! Adjust as needed. Toss again right before serving.
Ingredients:
Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce:
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp finely minced ginger
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Pork Lollipops:
- 1 pork tenderloin (approximately 15-17 ounces)
- 12-14 5-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water overnight
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
Instructions:
Combine soy sauce, lime juice, minced ginger, honey and sesame oil in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the sauce aside.
Using a sharp knife, cut the tenderloin into ½-inch medallions. You should end up with 12-14 medallions. Skewer each medallion with a bamboo skewer. Season the pork with salt and pepper.
Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking by placing a chimney full of lit charcoal briquets on one side of the grill's charcoal grate. Adjust the grill vents to bring the temperature to about 400°F.
Grill each side of the tenderloin lollipops for 4-5 minutes over direct heat until cooked through (145°F). If the exterior chars too quickly, move them to the indirect heat side of the grill.
Remove the lollipops from the grill and serve immediately with the soy-ginger dipping sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 1-pound loaf crusty Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (12 cups)
- 2 tablespoons, plus ½ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Pinch, plus ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 pound tomatoes (red and/or yellow), cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- ¾ cup pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake until slightly crisp (like stale bread), but not toasted, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
Preheat the grill to medium high. Whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, the garlic, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss. Set aside while you assemble the salad.
Whisk the red wine vinegar and remaining ½ cup olive oil in another large bowl. Add the tomatoes and onion and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Add the olives, capers, bread cubes and basil. Toss and let sit at room temperature while you grill the shrimp.
Grill the shrimp, turning once, until just opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Once the shrimp are cooked, taste a bread cube. If it's a bit dry, drizzle the salad with a few tablespoons of water and toss. Add the grilled shrimp to the salad and toss.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450g) fresh asparagus, trimmed
- ¼ cup Caesar dressing (store-bought or homemade)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
- Croutons or toasted breadcrumbs, for garnish
- Fresh parsley or chives, chopped (optional)
Instructions:
Heat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
Rinse and trim the woody ends off the asparagus. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus with Caesar dressing until evenly coated. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place the dressed asparagus directly on the grill grates. Grill for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and slightly charred.
Transfer the grilled asparagus to a serving platter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice. Top with croutons or toasted breadcrumbs for crunch. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
