From Executive Chef Christopher Wolf, ccc, cce, cpi, csw
The “winds of change” are certainly blowing at Arizona Culinary these days. Last month we welcomed Chef Ron Lawrence to the staff. He is currently running Du Jour in the evenings for dinner service. As we (the instructors) have each had the opportunity to run Du Jour at some point, I am always excited when another chef takes the helm so that we can see a different style of food served to our guests. I think we each bring something unique to the table, and Chef Lawrence’s food is no exception to that!
This month we also welcomed Chef Mark Maccherola back to the team. Chef Macc, as we affectionately refer to him, has been a member of the team in the past. He has returned as a permanent Basics instructor. Chef Macc’s warm and welcoming attitude, combined with his cooking knowledge, make him an excellent fit with our new students on campus.
We also welcomed Chef Steven Butler to the team. Chef Steven comes to us with no prior teaching experience, but over 20 years of industry experience, with MANY of those years spent as an executive chef. He has a great attitude and outlook, and we feel that he will become a very strong member of our team. He spent a good deal of time working for the Fleming’s company, so we’re going to get him started in Meat Fab/Saucier, but also plan on training him in Basics.
Our next Open House will be on June 13th. This one will feature a mini farmers market featuring local organic produce from Agritopia, a high school culinary student workshop, AND another molecular gastronomy class featuring good-old-Chef Wolf (that’s me!).
Last little morsel for you: on Wednesday, May 6th, we will have Page Springs Cellars and Arizona Stronghold wineries on campus for a wine tasting in Du Jour. It’s gonna be awesome. 4 wines, hand selected by the winemakers, several of which aren’t available anywhere other than their tasting rooms, paired with 4 food courses, all while having one of their wine makers on site to offer an educational component as well! $55 is a steal of a deal, especially when it includes tax and gratuity. We’re capping it at 40 people, so sign up quick!
That’s all for now folks. Let’s chat again next month, shall we?