Off one corner of the lobby is a professional kitchen, the nerve center of Next Generation Caterers. Three catering interns and their supervisor, LuAnne Blaauboer, can often be found there, assembling sandwiches by the hundreds, baking brownies and cutting them into perfect squares, or whisking vinaigrettes. The interns earn minimum wage.Next Generation Caterers' customers have included the Manhattan borough president's office and United Parcel Service."LuAnne is an incredible leader," said Lester Amaya, 20. "She's not only a teacher to me; she's like a mother." Mr. Amaya lives in the South Bronx, the youngest in a family of five. He said the catering program attracted him because it offered the promise of employment, and because cooking has interested him since he was a young adolescent.
When he started the program in April 2011, his father was often away, and his mother was working nights, leaving Mr. Amaya and his brothers to cook for themselves. He found it tough to juggle schoolwork and Springfield kitchen fire sends one woman
catering. Mr. Amaya's speech is eloquent, and his behavior is graceful and courteous, but he was different three years ago, he said: "I was mindless. I was acting wild."Now, with his father back in New York, and his mother home at night more often, Mr. Amaya takes the lead in cooking for his family. His favorite dish to prepare is macaroni and cheese; his family loves to see the strings of melted cheese stretch between the spoon and the serving dish as they scoop out the noodles.
As for balancing work and his academic schedule at Hostos Community College, "It's really easy to manage now," he said.Mr. Amaya is well known for his perfectly cut brownies and tomato slices. "He is the knife master," said Nestor Martinez, 22, another intern, who lives with his mother in the South Bronx.Mr. Martinez laughs easily, and he provides comic relief in the kitchen. Seeing the celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse on TV inspired Mr. Martinez as a child. He learned to cook at home, because he was often left alone for long periods. He applied to Next Generation because he wanted to earn his own money rather than ask his mother all the time. He started in September 2012.