Culinary Arts

Student Showcase

• Grad of Note - Hannah Kalabanka

  

  Why did you choose to attend Tompkins Cortland?

  I chose to attend Tompkins Cortland community college because it was reasonably priced compared to other colleges while still offering a similar educational experience. It provided a lot of opportunities for growth and development in both personal and professional ways. I also had visited the college – seeing the culinary labs and establishment I would be working in made me more excited than nervous to venture off to college.

  Who at TC3 had the greatest positive impact on your experience?

  The whole staff at Coltivare had a huge positive impact on my education, I couldn’t pick just one person. They all helped and enhanced my experience in different ways. I would like to give a special thank you to Sue Stafford, Jason Sidle, and Chef Amanda for really helping me through the process.

  What were your extracurricular involvements at and how did they contribute to your college experience/future aspirations?

  I didn’t have a lot of time for extracurricular activities due to my job at Coltivare, as well as becoming a teacher’s assistant for my final semester.  I put a lot of time into my studies and putting extra time in at the restaurant. In the nature of my career, I felt that it was more important for me to be involved in hands-on experience rather than playing a sport or getting to involved with hobbies.

  What are your next steps after graduation (employment, transfer, etc.), and how did the College prepare you for that?

  Upon graduating TC3, I am continuing to work at the restaurant that is attached to culinary program, as well as continuing to be a teacher’s assistant for a couple of the culinary classes I have already experienced myself. I believe college gave me the experience to work in the kitchen at Coltivare or any other kitchen I choose. In addition, it gave me the knowledge to be able to teach newer students. 

• Tamarynde Cacciotti

  

  Tamarynde Cacciotti, a December 2018 Culinary Arts graduate, is also the chef behind the farm-to-table taproom "The Downstairs," opening beneath downtown Ithaca’s The Watershed in Spring 2020. Already a fixture at the Watershed for her assortment of shrubs and pickled local veggies, Tammy is excited to help expand the food offerings available on-site there through the outgrowth of the new space. Construction is slated to begin next month with a hopeful February opening but the concept is one she and majority owners Ashley Cake and Dave Thomas have been workshopping for a while now. Learn more about how 22 years in the industry and a Tompkins Cortland associate's degree helped lead Tammy to this moment:

  Why did you choose to attend Tompkins Cortland?

  I went back to school at age thirty-four with two children. I had been waiting for a culinary program that would offer the right fit and finally found it! My children were both in school at that point so I made the plunge. I have had twenty-two years of restaurant/bar experience and a passion for local agriculture, so TC3’s farm-to-bistro program was right up my alley. I really loved the fact that it was not purely made up of culinary courses but included environmental science and wine courses as well.

  How did your college experience at Tompkins Cortland prepare you for what came next?

  Even though I already had some professional experience I have always believed that you are never done learning. There were so many things to learn about that I never knew before. The business classes and culinary math were essential to so many things regarding management and properly maintaining a business. Taking environmental sciences was essential to me as well because I believe that human beings are stewards of the earth and must know about the environment in order to properly take care of it.

  What is your current position and how do you draw on your Tompkins Cortland coursework in your job?

  I have worked at The Watershed since before we opened in December of 2016. The Watershed is a sustainable/no waste bar that is known for its conversational atmosphere. It is a space near and dear to my heart. Every step we take along the way to keep things running, we consider our ramifications on the environment and strive to have the least negative impact we can. This is something that was also an underlying theme throughout my time in the TC3 culinary program. I currently make things like pickles from local farms and shrubs for beverages at the Watershed.

  There are many exciting things happening right now including a basement space below us that will shortly be turned into a taproom serving wine, beer, cider, and sugar cane sodas. I will be in charge of the food program: bringing elevated snacks to diners highlighting local farms. Things like jams, chutneys, pates, cheeses, pies and house made baked goods. Simple yet tasty foods that will be easy to eat alongside a taproom beverage. The sky is the limit. The menu will rotate frequently depending on what is growing that week and will be displayed digitally so that paper is not a factor. I eventually have goals of doing local beverage and food tastings and seasonal farmer’s dinners as well.

  My other job right now is being a tour guide with an amazing company called Experience the Finger Lakes. My current boss Laura Winter Falk was also my wine instructor at Coltivare. We offer people an immersive experience of the Finger Lakes by taking them to local wineries, breweries, cideries and waterfalls. Working for this company has been a wonderful way to showcase and show off this region.

  Who at TC3 had the greatest positive impact on your experience or your future?

  There were so many people that affected me during my time with TC3. Among them were Jason Sidle who is currently Director of Operations at Coltivare. He was always there to offer support and to listen. He is also a wonderful example of how hard work really pays off. Another professor that really made an impression on me was Pat Sewell who teaches environmental sciences. The way he looked at the world really impacted me and the way I think. He also confirmed my beliefs in a lot of the ways I look at the environment and how that affects my approach to food.