Cooking with love: Hospitality cooking students serve a festive dinner. 13/05/2025

Last night, Crescendo CVO smelled wonderfully of lemon, cream, and asparagus. Hospitality cooking students each welcomed a guest — a friend, neighbor, partner, or family member. Not at their own table at home, but at a festively set table in their classroom kitchen, allowing their guests to taste what they had learned over the school year.

Cooking Like a Real Restaurant

At 7:00 PM, sixteen students entered the kitchen. Each cooking line of four students prepared an appetizer or dessert. The main course was prepared by the entire group. Guests arrived at 8:00 PM and were greeted with a glass of bubbles — while their friend or family member, on the other side of the wall, worked hard on a hot plate of food.

“You can’t keep your guests waiting. That time pressure is an extra challenge.”

The whole evening felt like a small restaurant in one classroom: work was fast-paced, plates were beautifully presented, and everyone kept an eye on the clock. While guests enjoyed their meal, they could occasionally peek into the kitchen. The atmosphere was both relaxed and focused. “I’ve gained a lot of confidence. I can follow recipes and even improvise a little,” says Geert Liekens.

The Menu

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  Appetizer: savory asparagus muffins and asparagus frittata

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  Main Course: lemon salmon with asparagus slices in cream

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  Dessert: honey asparagus mousse with rhubarb compote, asparagus compote, and homemade asparagus ice cream

More Than Just Recipes

Students build not only cooking skills but also confidence — and sometimes lifelong friendships.

“We re-enroll together every year!”

“I started with the basics: cutting vegetables, making soup… Now I know how to sear and roast pork. I can perfectly recreate the recipes at home and keep them all,” says Luc Nackaerts. “We all started the course alone, and now? We re-enroll together every year. We’re a close-knit group.”

“We’re BFFs!” someone laughs behind him.

Andries Danau adds: “I moved from Vilvoorde to Mechelen and enrolled to meet a friend. I gained three father figures. And Lutgarde? She is the cooking program.”

Lutgarde, the Guiding Teacher

The entire evening was supervised by Lutgarde, the permanent teacher of the cooking program. She planned the menu, supported the students, and monitored timing.

“Lutgarde does it all: from inventory to washing dishes. She provides original recipes, excellent guidance, and a great classroom atmosphere,” says Andries.

This dinner is an annual end-of-year event, scheduled before course registrations. The aim is for students to learn to cook not only for themselves but also for others, focusing on presentation, timing, and the overall experience.

Registration for a kookcursus opens again on June 2, 2025. Who knows — next year, you might be at the cooking line or at the table.