Since 2005, residents and employees of Eagle's Trace have carried forth a proud tradition of giving back to the greater Houston area.
In 2017 alone, they volunteered more than 35,000 hours on campus and in the surrounding community, serving local schools as mentors and creating partnerships with nonprofits such as the Houston Cannery.
That spirit of service is continuing in 2018 as the culinary professionals of Eagle's Trace enjoyed a unique opportunity to share their talents and expertise with a group of students from the Cordon Cool Cooking School.
The Cordon Cool Cooking School is one of the newest programs offered by The Next Step Academy, a day treatment program specially designed to meet the educational needs of individuals with developmental delays, specifically individuals with autism spectrum disorders. There are two Houston-area locations, one just north of the Heights and another in Sugar Land.
On Feb. 22, executive chef Donald Mutin Sr., along with sous chef Keesha Oldham and lead cook Adam Perkey, hosted six students from Cordon Cool for an exclusive, hands-on cooking demonstration in the kitchen of the Garden Room Restaurant located at the Erickson Living retirement community.
Together, they prepared a popular signature dining dish enjoyed by residents of Eagle's Trace: marinated lamb chops with rosemary potatoes and a lamb mint demi-glace, served with a chocolate black bean budino cake.
"The students were incredible. We worked with them on fundamentals of the culinary profession, such as proper measuring and mixing of ingredients, portioning, baking and garnishing of the finished dish," said Mutin, who has more than 25 years of experience in the dining industry in the United States and Asia.
"To be involved with the students of the Cordon Cool Cooking School is one of the highlights of my culinary career," Mutin said. "As a teenager, I benefitted from the mentorship of many skilled chefs, even the great Emeril Lagasse when I was the sous chef at the Commander's Palace. So I understand the value of these rewarding partnerships and consider it a true privilege to spend time with these amazing young adults."
Those who attended the session from the Next Step Academy agreed, including Lauren Harrington Abel, the school's founder. She said that "it was so encouraging to see the staff of Eagle's Trace willing to meet our students where they are, without judgment or preconceived expectations. They seemed to have as much fun with us as we did with them. We need more partnerships like this in order to help children with autism become productive members of our communities."
Barbara Haney's son Bobby participated in the session. Haney is the creator of the Cordon Cool program.
"Our visit to Eagle's Trace marked the first time our students enjoyed the wonderful opportunity to visit a commercial kitchen and experience the real-life, day-to-day activities of a professional culinary team," she said. "These experiences are invaluable to creating relationships with professionals in the industry throughout Houston. Our ultimate mission is to create future employment opportunities for our students."