A Wahlberg Just Taught A High School Cooking Class And Kids Loved It

For some young people, being a fan of a celebrity can inspire them to dream big and fulfill their goals. Getting to see that famous person up close and personal, however, can make an even bigger impact, as The Patriot Ledger shared about a recent event at Weymouth High School in Massachusetts. When chef Paul Wahlberg stopped by to guest-teach a culinary class, the students received a lesson that went far beyond cooking techniques.

The name Wahlberg is instantly recognizable. Although he has been seen on the family's reality television show, Paul Wahlberg mostly showcases his talent in the kitchen rather than onscreen, from his Italian restaurant Alma Nove to the nationwide Wahlburgers chain. During the recent high school cooking class, Wahlberg showed culinary students not only how to make lemon and spring pea risotto and Caesar salad, but also spoke about the most important skills they will need to be successful in the restaurant industry.

As Weymouth High student Elliot Johnson told The Patriot Ledger about Wahlberg's cooking class, "I learned that passion and patience are both really important things to have." While demonstrating risotto, Wahlberg honed in on the concept of patience both on and off the kitchen line — a skillset that, at some culinary schools, may play second fiddle to mastering the five mother sauces. "Good food takes time," Wahlberg told the students about the most challenging lesson he's learned in his career — along with "fluting a mushroom." This seems to be common advice from professionals to hopeful chefs. In an exclusive interview with Mashed, Ludo Lefebvre said to aspiring cooks, "The more you practice, the more you're going to be better. So, practice a lot! And be patient."

Wahlberg also instilled in students the importance of passion in a restaurant career. While developing flavors in a risotto requires time and patience, the same can be said about cultivating a culinary career in general. To rise through the ranks from hotel cook to executive chef, Wahlberg needed to truly love his work. Finally, one student recalled Wahlberg's lesson about "making people happy through food," which Wahlberg told AL.com is "the best thing" about his job.