A professionally trained French chef taught me how to cook – thanks to OUAB

With over 25 dining locations on Ohio State’s campus and even more food vendors lining High Street, food options for OSU students are not scarce.

However, not much compares to a home cooked meal and unfortunately, due to time constraints or a lack of culinary knowledge, those can be hard to come by for students.

Luckily for those at OSU, the Ohio Union Activities Board provides the opportunity to learn from a French trained professional chef in their OUAB in the Kitchen program.

The Instructional Kitchen inside the Ohio Union

Taking place in the Instructional Kitchen in the lower level of the Ohio Union, Chef Marc Dullin takes the time to teach students his students his craft. Chef Marc, who is a third generation chef, said the experience of teaching is gratifying.

“I think in doing it for so long, that this is what I was meant to be, to do. Passing on this information to somebody else is rewarding.

“A lot of people have jobs that are meaningless, and for me to teach and do these classes that I do, it’s very rewarding.”

While the teaching aspect is rewarding for Chef Marc, the learning experience for myself was equally so when I attended a class.

Each OUAB in the Kitchen class has a menu with a new theme. I was lucky enough to be in attendance at a Thanksgiving themed event where stuffing stuffed chicken breasts, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and pumpkin pie graced the lineup.

Chef Marc said that careful planning goes into creating the menus for events.

“There are two things you have to take into consideration when you make menus. Not all recipes can be complicated, because I never know the level of knowledge that these kids have. And timing, we only have so much time.”

Time certainly moved quickly as Chef Marc began his demonstration. A lively and entertaining instructor, Chef Marc kept his students engaged with his wit and skill. His quip about his finger being a ‘portable spoon’ and his take on using force while making mashed potatoes because ‘they’re mashed potatoes, not caressed potatoes’ drew laughs from the crowd. (Chef Marc calls his recipe for mashed potatoes the best ever… and he’s right.)

Chef Marc during his demonstration

During his demonstration, Chef Marc preached that his method to seasoning is: “if you can’t see it, you can’t taste it.” That is a lesson that I have incorporated into every meal I’ve made since.

When the demonstration ended, it was time to begin cooking. Those in attendance were divided into different tables, where each person had specific responsibilities.

I was in charge of the pumpkin pie. The ingredients and equipment were prepared for us at our individual stations, which made for a smooth experience.

My pumpkin pie station

Once I filled the crust and put the pie in the oven, I assisted others in my group. The most difficult task was whipping the potatoes; it requires more strength than one might think!

After almost two hours of learning and cooking, it was finally time to sit down and dig in. Everyone in my group did a great job, as all the food was absolutely delicious. I wish Chef Marc could write a menu for me every night.

Ready to dig in!

As a bonus, I got to keep my nifty new apron and take home some leftovers. But more importantly, I gained some new-found culinary knowledge and a great time.