From Utah, to Japan, to Montana, to Maryland, to Ohio, and finally to Mount Vernon Iowa, one thing that he was able to bring along with him were his cooking skills. Gabe Portillo (16) has a knack for cooking.
Portillo, a junior, started cooking when he was only 11 years old. His dad is a big mentor to him and was the one who introduced him to cooking. The first thing that he remembers his dad teaching him was how to crack an egg. From then on he has had a passion for working in the kitchen, along with being recruited most nights to help his father make dinner.
“One of my favorite things about cooking is not the actual cooking, it is the ability to serve other people when I am done, and that is what I enjoy the most,” said Portillo. A couple of his favorite things to make and serve are cottage pie as well as chicken curry, which is a recipe that his family learned while in Japan. He and his family moved to Japan because his father was stationed there. Cottage Pie, originating from the United Kingdom, consists of beef, beef broth, onion, tomato paste, frozen vegetables (or any vegetables that you like to put in) all cooked together with cheesy mashed potatoes over top. Cottage pie is at the top of the list for his favorite to eat as well as serve.
Most of the recipes that Portillo makes for his family have been found on the internet. He likes pulling recipes off of the internet because there is such a diverse selection of things to choose from. Not only does he explore the internet, but Portillo’s mother also owns a family recipe book that he uses occasionally. A couple of the most common recipes that he pulls from the family cookbook are the recipes for tamales and tortillas.
At Mount Vernon High School, we offer two culinary classes for kids to learn how to cook. Portillo has already taken Culinary 1 and is currently in Culinary 2 this semester. He says that most of the things that they have been making in class have been fairly simple, or have been things that he has already attempted to make. Something that he learned how to make this semester so far was pie. He said learning how to make pie is something new and something really interesting.
