Culinary School Spotlight: Todd Roach
October 4, 2021
Todd Roach is no stranger to the food service industry or the kitchen.
He currently works at Iron Hill Brewery, a longtime Food Bank of Delaware supporter, as a food expeditor. He got his start as a server, but dreams of being in the kitchen as a cook.
He enrolled in The Culinary School to help him move forward in his career.
“I want to get comfortable with food and ingredients,” Todd explains.
He is working at Iron Hill on nights and weekends and attending the culinary training program during the day.
“The program helps me be more creative with food,” he says. “That’s one thing I had struggled with before the program.”
In addition to learning how to be creative and combine ingredients, Todd is learning proper techniques like “holding the knife, especially.”
Chefs Tim Hunter and Ron Roll have opened Todd’s eyes to new things. In addition to learning in class, Todd is getting books to read more at home.
“I want to give 110 percent, because I don’t want to waste their time, and I don’t want to waste my time,” he says. “Being in this program opens your eyes to more things.”
“Food is an art. It’s a process,” he explains.
Todd describes the class as “intense,” and says, “The chefs get on you. It’s very good. I love it.”
“It’s a very condensed course. I know most culinary schools are two years or four years,” he points out. “They’re doing two years or a whole entire course in a couple of months.”
The class recently learned about the five mother sauces, Béchamel, Veloute, Espagnole, Hollandaise and Tomato.
Hollandaise sauce is now part of Todd’s culinary repertoire. “It’s so intricate and elegant. I feel like it’s underrated when it comes to mother sauces. It’s purified butter and egg yolk. That sounds disgusting when you first hear, but it’s so good… it’s fun to make.”
He also enjoys making steaks and other types of meat cuts. If he wanted to wow a crowd, he says he is preparing a marinated filet or flank steak with a drizzle of hollandaise sauce on top “to give it a different flavor profile.”
While he remains focused on completing the program and graduating with his class in November. Todd is looking to the future. Five years from now he hopes to be working in a “well-established scratch-made kitchen.”
“I want to go as far as my potential can go,” he says. “Executive Chef would be cool, but I don’t know about that in five years. I might need more time under my belt, so maybe a line cook or sous chef.”
The next training class of The Culinary School begins on December 6. Todd’s advice to potential students, “Study, learn, take down notes. Take the program and take it seriously.”
To learn more about the 14-week training program, please click here.
