Alicia and Dasia’s Food Corner: Gloria Hafer

Food Corner: Gloria Hafer

Feature Editors:
Alicia Jennings, 15
Dasia Fleming, 16
Massachusetts

Gloria Hafer is truly an influential woman. In 1997, she founded an after-school cooking program, giving urban teenagers an opportunity to make a positive statement in their lives, educations, and futures. Her program has grown exponentially into several classes with hundreds of students. Gloria’s hard work and dedication have led to various awards and achievements, like winning the Chicago Tribune’s Good Eating Award in 2003 and being invited to cook on stage at Chicago’s Flower and Garden Show in 2006. With all of her beneficial work, Teen Voices wanted to be the next to recognize this wonderful woman.

Teen Voices: When did you realize that you were interested in cooking?
Gloria Hafer: I was put into cooking by duty, not by choice. When I was growing up, my parents divorced. My mother was the breadwinner for the family. She would go out and work, and I took over the role of being the mother of the house by cooking for my three brothers and myself. I started with trial and error and some of my parents’ and grandparents’ recipes. From that, I developed a love of cooking and then I kept just taking it to the next level.

TV: Where did you study culinary arts?
Gloria: Ninety percent of my culinary training is self-taught. I do a lot of reading and experimentation and I’m not saying I don’t have failures, but I’ve learned a lot through all of that experimentation and working with my chef friends and people in the industry.

TV: Do you have any specific role models or mentors who helped you become a chef?
Gloria: When I think of role models and mentors, I first think of my mom and my grandmothers who did down-home, ethnic cooking, especially Polish and Italian. But as I got more into the cooking scene, I met chefs in Chicago who have worked with me and my program. I did internships with them to learn even more so I could bring it back and give it to my students.

TV: What inspired you to start an after-school cooking program?
Gloria: At the school I was teaching at in south Chicago, the neighborhood was beginning to change, and not for the good. We were looking for an activity to keep the kids on a positive track rather than going to those negative influences that were out there. The school came to me and asked me to start a culinary program for the kids. I started the culinary program with 30 kids, one day a week, and now I have 250 kids a day, five days a week. Through hard work and perseverance, we grew, and now I run three separate programs: the Washington High School program, the After School Matters program for young teens, and a new program for teens in the Southside community of Chicago. As long as kids are willing to come learn, I’m going be here to teach.

TV: What are you trying to teach through this program?
Gloria: You don’t have to take these skills and be a chef--maybe you’ll find out that’s not what you want to do. But being in the program, you’re going to learn teamwork, how to follow directions, and how to speak with people. You can take all of those skills and go through any program or career you choose to do. I tell everybody, it’s OK, go on to be that great doctor, lawyer, or president of the United States—I don’t care! But if it doesn’t work out, you can always come back to cooking. Because what do 99.9 percent of the people in the world do? Eat! You will always have a job.

TV: What obstacles did you have to overcome when you started the culinary arts program?
Gloria: The biggest issue is funding: I’m unfunded. The kids pay $20 for the year. It’s very difficult to come up with funding. But I’ve written grants and I’ve gotten donations, and After School Matters gives me a budget to work off. So it’s not the kids, but the financial issue of constantly trying to reinvent the wheel and come up with ways to conserve money and come up with supplies that I need.

TV: What is the program’s philosophy?
Gloria: Since I come from a poor family—we were on food stamps—that made me want to work harder and be a success. At the school where I teach now, a majority of my kids are poor, and they are on food stamps and get public aid, but I don’t take that for an excuse because I know what it is; I’ve been there. And yes, I feel for them, but from that I’m going to make them work hard and be successful. You’ve got to want it, and you’ve got to be able to do it. That’s my philosophy: feel sorry for yourself or do something about it. Obviously, I’ve done something about it, and that’s what I want my kids to do. That’s what I’m teaching them through the culinary field.

TV: Why do you think the program has gotten so much attention?
Gloria: When you open the newspaper, you hear negatives about kids, but every once in a while it’s nice to open the paper and find out about students really accomplishing something and being positive. I think because we have so many positive things happening to the program, one thing leads to the next thing. I tell my students that I’m only as famous as they make me.

TV: What makes the program unique?
Gloria: The fact that the kids are allowed, under adult supervision, to experiment and use their imagination and develop their own skills. I give them a guideline to follow, but then they’re allowed to add their interpretation. Cooking is a hands-on activity, so it keeps the children involved. When you get to put your hands in that ooey-gooey batter and play with that ice cream, it’s just more exciting.

TV: Do you stay in touch with your students? What are some of them doing now?
Gloria: Absolutely! I have students who started ten years ago who are still involved in the program. A couple of them have taken it to the next step and are in culinary school. One is a chef in a restaurant already; many are working in the fast food industry. And then others are just going on with their careers in whatever they decide to do, but they’re keeping the culinary field as an option.

TV: How do you think you’ve made an impact on their lives?
Gloria: I know I’ve made an impact on many of them because they keep coming back. Kids that I taught ten years ago still call me to mentor them. Everyone has my phone number and they know that at any time, if they need something or they’re having a problem, they can pick up the phone and I’ll answer. I think that’s what keeps most of them coming back: they know that they have a shoulder to lean on.

TV: You’ve received recognition from Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, the Chicago Tribune, and many others; how does it feel to see your work recognized?
Gloria: It’s a great honor. The biggest one was the Proclamation that Mayor Daley passed honoring me for all my work in education and what I’ve done with the students. I think that was the best honor because my mom and brothers were there for me. We came from nothing and look where we are now. It was very, very special.

TV: What’s ahead for you and your students?
Gloria: Columbia College has just finished filming a documentary about me. It’s going to be shown on Current TV, a cable network station which goes throughout the country and has 50 million viewers. The sky’s the limit. We’re going nowhere but up, and that’s what I tell the kids. There’s no looking back, no going down. That’s my philosophy with everybody. Two steps forward and one step back? No, we’re going straight up to the top.

Chicago’s Up & Coming Chefs

Gloria has touched so many lives. Three girls from Chicago who learned from Gloria share their personal, enlightening experiences with her program.

Nancy Mejia, 17
I am in the After School Matters culinary class with Gloria. I joined this program in sixth grade and I am now a junior in high school. I joined to learn how to succeed and go forward in life. One day I would like to have my own bakery and become a pastry chef, and this will be a step toward my goal. Gloria is a great teacher; she teaches us responsibility and teamwork, as well as good work ethics. She tells us that we don't have to grow up and be a chef, but everyone does have to eat.

Kirwin Patmon, 16
I’ve been in the program for two years and I think it is an excellent program for young adults who want to cook and learn more advanced cooking skills. Since I've been in the program I've become better at executing recipes correctly–and I don't burn the food anymore! Gloria can be strict at times, but she is an outstanding instructor. Not only has she taught me how to cook, but she has also taught me how to be a more mature young adult.

Stephanie Reyes, 16
This program has taught me exciting and creative ways to learn to cook, and so much more. The atmosphere in our kitchen has great enthusiasm and eager students. I was introduced to this program four years ago; now I’m a junior in high school. I was very optimistic and my interest has only grown. My knowledge expands tremendously everyday, from using utensils in a professional manner to being able to make 1,500 breakfast pieces for Mayor Daley and the aldermen of the city of Chicago. My appreciation goes out to my teacher who motivates me and has committed herself to her job, and more importantly to her students.

Gloria’s Delicious Dessert: Tiramisu

Gloria shares a favorite: an easy, fun way to make the dessert delight, tiramisu (a coffee-flavored Italian cake).

Ingredients:
3 cups strong brewed coffee
3 tablespoons rum (optional)
_ cup powdered sugar
16 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1 large package dry ladyfingers
3 tablespoons dark cocoa

Directions:

Day One
Mix coffee and rum in a bowl and set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese and powdered sugar into a smooth consistency.
In a separate bowl, whip fresh whipping cream until you have stiff peaks.
Fold the whipping cream into the mascarpone until just blended. Try not to over mix!
Set aside two cups of filling for decorating.
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap. (Easier for unmolding)
Dip the ladyfingers in coffee and layer them on the bottom of the pan. Put _ of cream and cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Continue layering until you’ve used all the ingredients.
Pull plastic wrap over the top, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Day Two
Unmold by inverting onto decorative plate. Pull all plastic wrap off. Use additional filling to frost and decorate. Sprinkle with cocoa and chocolate covered coffee beans. Slice and serve