Join Joel Gill Jr. '09 and Alex Mears for "Grills and Gills" during Season 3 of the Cooking Classic! They'll share their grilling greatness with a bread pudding recipe that all will be able to tackle.
About the Host
Joel Gill Jr. ’09 was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Joel always had a love for cooking and grew up watching Julia Child and Martin Yan on television. He first learned how to make eggs at an early age and continued to be curious in the kitchen. When Joel attended the Penn State Schuylkill Campus his first two years and University Park Campus for his last two years, he had access to a kitchen in his apartment which allowed him to hone his skills. After college, Joel worked as a consultant and traveled for work occasionally. He went to Texas for a short stint and that’s where he was first introduced to BBQ. From then on, Joel was interested in grilling and then later smoking meats. He bought a cheap grill and smoker to learn on. His wife Takira, who also went to Penn State, encouraged him to learn about BBQ and introduced him to North Carolina BBQ. Later, his wife purchased his first real smoker for his first Father’s Day present and since then he’s invested in building his fleet of grills and smokers. Joel continues to build his skills as a pit master and has recognized the versatility of the grill. He enjoys cooking outdoors and continues to experiment and explore ways to use the grill and smoker to replicate dishes cooked in a traditional kitchen. When Joel is not spending time with family, cooking, or working he is exploring the world of whiskey, one glass at a time. Professionally, Joel is a managing consultant at Guidehouse.
About the Cooking Classic
Did you receive a new kitchen gadget this holiday season and you are unsure how to use it? Has some cooking electronic been collecting dust since your wedding? Or did you make a new year’s resolution to prepare more meals at home? We’ve got you covered! The Penn State Cooking Classic, a collaborative four-week cooking event is back for Season 3. This year join us each Wednesday in February at 7 p.m. ET for hour-long, no-oven-needed recipes -- where each week, we tackle making dishes with various cooking devices. New this year, we will wrap up the hour with Coffee Corner, as we utilize the talents across our Penn State community.
- Wednesday, February 1: “What a Game” – Slow Cookers and Dehydrators with Joshua Helsley '13 (EMS) and Abigail Kaiser '16 (Schuylkill)
- Wednesday, February 8: “Grills and Gills” – Barbeque Grills and Smokers, with Alex Mears and Joel Gill '09 (IST)
- Wednesday, February 15: “Gain Some Self-eSTEAM” – Pressure Cookers and Air Fryers with Kim Cooper '11, '17g (HHD, World Campus) and Rebecca Skotek '16 (HHD).
- Wednesday, February 22: “No FRY Zone” – Pasta Makers and Air Fryers with Britney Brown '14 (HHD) and Chef Athan Spanos.
The Cooking Classic is an event series in support of Lions Pantries across the Commonwealth. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to make a gift in support of students facing food insecurity across Penn State. We hope that you will consider paying it forward to support Penn State students in need during an unprecedented time. Every $5 gift provides 20 or more meals—or may be used to help stock pantries with other basic-need items like toiletries and paper products.