Chef Joins High School's Culinary Arts Program

When Daniel Trzcinski was 14 years old, he washed dishes in a country restaurant.  “I always was intrigued by the chefs in the kitchen, the adrenaline rush of the people coming in – that craziness of service time.”

Two restaurants and several years of teaching later, he has joined the culinary arts program at . There, he and Chef , who took the reins of the culinary arts program in the district one year ago, will teach roughly 200 students.

“I think it’s a life skill,” Trzcinski said of the culinary arts. “I think it’s something people have to learn. I think it’s a fundamental, because we all have to eat. We all have to do something in the kitchen. We teach food safety, kitchen safety and sanitation. We teach kids about cross-contamination. These are all things that we teach.”

The program already has graduates studying at university for professional careers in the culinary arts, Chef Dorio said. 

Trzcinski got his first taste of the power of food in the Italian household in Fairfield where he grew up. He still speaks fondly of his grandmothers and his great-aunts who embraced their Italian heritage and its culinary skills. “We always had a smorgasbord of food,” he said.  “We grew up making fresh pasta.  We had fresh vegetables from the garden.  At a very young age, we were nurtured to love food.”

“We were very lucky,” he said.

Study at the prestigious Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., followed. Later, he honed his skills at his two restaurants – the bistro La Cucina in Milford, and the larger Antonio’s in Fairfield.

He then entered education because he decided it was time to share the expertise he had gained. He taught the culinary arts at three schools before joining the culinary arts program in the East Haven school district this year.

“We help kids to discover their own gift,” said a man who, when a high school student himself, experimented with fresh pasta and wound up with flour all over the kitchen. “What’s really nice is when you see a student who’s so excited that they created something in the kitchen.   It’s also great for self-confidence. It’s almost like instant gratification.  They cook. They have a finished product 25 minutes later.”

He points to the advent of the Food Network and the availability of products from around the world as reasons that people are now knowledgeable about food.

“Food isn’t just a way to eat. It’s social. It’s passion. It’s love. It’s art.” 

East Haven Patch also profiled the new , who is also a pro wrestler.