Culinology students Dreanna Brooks (left) and Jeff Bier (center)
explore booths at the Fresno Food Expo after presenting a cooking
demonstration to the large audience in downtown Fresno. The expo
featured 85 San Joaquin Valley food growers and invited more than
350 local, regional and national buyers.
Esteban Cortez / The Collegian
Sergio Romos sautéd steak in olive oil at the beginning of his cooking process. His assistant added sliced peppers and asparagus to the frying pan, which filled the air with the scent of fresh vegetables.
Tomatoes, yellow peppers and portobello muchrooms were added to the mix to give it a pop of color. The dish’s meat was cooked, and ingredients from local vendors were added to produce an elegant food presentation.
In this short presentation of cooking tips, Fresno State students made their presence known at yesterday’s Fresno Food Expo held in downtown Fresno.
The group of students concluded their demonstration by stuffing their cooked ingredients in a pocket of bread, a delicious combination of local ingredients that was sure to make event guests’ mouths water.
Culinology student Dreanna Brooks enjoyed presenting at the expo.
“It’s a really good opportunity that they let us come out and do this,” Brooks said. “They let us practice because we’re coming out here to help them out and it actually helps us get a lot of practice with cooking and practice with being in front of people.”
Culinology student Jeff Bier, who participated in the demonstration as well, said that being in front of an audience was nerve-racking, but he got used to it after a while.
Bier and a small group of culinology students got into the $40 event for free in exchange for providing audience members with cooking tips.
The second-annual Fresno Food Expo featured 85 San Joaquin Valley food growers and invited more than 350 local, regional and national buyers.
Brooks, Bier and other students were invited to use food products from the event’s major sponsors to create new recipes. This year, the students incorporated new ingredients into a chile relleno recipe, a common Mexican dish.
Dietetics student Mary Hallare said the Fresno State student presentation provided innovative cooking tips by pairing the chile relleno with pasta, which many people might not usually consider.
Fresno State Agriculture Department students also hosted a food marketing competition, which allowed students from throughout the West Coast to develop a food product idea and present it to the public.
Amy Huerta, a Food Expo manager, said the event had more registered vendors and buyers this year. She said the event provides food companies with a great opportunity to showcase their products and grow their businesses.
“I think it went well,” Bier said about the demonstration. “We were all pretty knowledgeable and know enough to give a little demonstration.”