Food carvings equals recipe for fun with summer campers

Neil Gomes admits that while he did pay attention in culinary school, he couldn't help but play with his food.

While this may not have brought smiles to the faces of parents having to deal with children at the dinner table, it put plenty of smiles on the faces of the children attending the Fort McPherson Child, Youth and School Services center summer camp.

"Each morning, as children are dropped off by their parents, they love to gather in front of the serving line to watch Neil carve fruits and vegetables," said Delores Preston, administrative assistant for CYS. "The children are left in awe."

Thanks to Gomes, they also leave with full stomachs.

"The coolest thing about the carvings is that the children get to eat what is carved when their meals are served," Preston said. "You can often hear the children saying not only are they great to look at, but they are also great to eat."

The combination of beauty and taste is a skill that Gomes, who is working towards becoming a chef and currently works at The Commons at Fort McPherson as a cook, learned during his 15-month stay at Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts in Atlanta.

Fittingly, it was during his childhood that he developed a desire to become a chef.

As a child growing up in Trinidad and Tobago, Gomes said he was surrounded by Family members with many years of cooking experience.

"The islands have different ways to prepare things. It was fun growing up seeing the different methods," Gomes said.

Gomes said every job he has ever held has been in the food service industry.

"Seeing the kids smiling and enjoying what I do was rewarding," Gomes said. "It's all about having fun."

He also said working there was one of his finer moments because he was given the opportunity to build relationships with the children and introduce them into the world of food.

"Seeing their (the kids) faces reminds me of all the fun I had as a kid," Gomes said.

Introducing them into the world of food was often accomplished via food preparation demo-nstrations in front of the kids, Preston said.

"He loves to demonstrate and showcase the skills he acquired while attending Cordon Bleu. Neil always explains to the children that cooking involves more than just picking up a pan and putting something in it," Preston said. "They simply can't get enough of these demonstrations."

Though a lot of work goes into making ordinary food into extraordinary presentations, the labor is invigorating to Gomes.

"It gives me a boost," he said.

It is a boost Gomes hopes will provide the momentum necessary to complete his goal.

For now Gomes will continue to work at The Commons and said that he is more than willing to return next summer to work at the CYS summer camp and inspire a new group of children to love food.

"I really enjoyed summer camp, and the kids and staff enjoyed me," Gomes said.