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What's cooking?(Tahlequah Daily Press Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jul. 11--The old adage "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen" applies only if you hate to cook. It doesn't work for Regina Mills. Mills runs a catering business and restaurant with her daughter, Michelle Naylor, and believes she was born with a spatula in her hand. "When I was a little kid, I watched this program on KOTV Channel 6 called 'Lookin' at Cookin','" said Mills. "Every time it was on, I'd stand in the middle of the living room and pretend I was the host!" July is Culinary Arts Month, and although Mills has no formal training, she's been cooking most of her life and has found success catering in the area. "This is what we use," said Mills, picking up a hard-bound copy of "The Professional Chef," by the Culinary Institute of America. "It's very, very detailed, and very, very good." Mills and Naylor have hired a number of people for their restaurant with culinary experience, and consider their input valuable. Mills said with the proliferation of TV cooking shows and new networks, peoples' tastes in food have become more refined and particular. The pair were preparing for a catering job Thursday morning, and relied on the help of professed foodie Danny Perry for help. "Danny helps us so much," said Mills. "He cooks the way I've always wanted to cook, so he shows me and teaches me new recipes and really gives me confidence. This type of cooking is not your average, everyday fare." In fact, the menu they were preparing included some pretty exotic fare, chosen by Perry. "Every meal is my favorite meal when I'm making it," he said. "For this event, we're doing a twist on a dish from Geronimo Restaurant in Santa Fe, N.M. The meal includes mesquite-grilled peppery elk tenderloin with garlic confit potatoes and a mushroom sauce." Perry, who is a "self-taught, grandma-taught, some-of-the-best-chefs-in-Tahlequah taught" cook, firmly believes cooking is an art. "It's a lot like performance art," he said. "Every time you cook a dish, you put a little of yourself out there. And plating is everything! If it doesn't look great, you can't expect people to think it's going to taste good. I suppose that's why Regina and I both have so many sets of dishes." Area youth who love cooking have an opportunity to learn the art and much more at Talking Leaves Job Corps. TLJC offers an extensive culinary arts program, and many graduates have gone on to become professional chefs, according to Linda Lear, instructor, and Joyce Rose, TLJC independent living coordinator. Lear has supervised the program for eight years, and owned her own restaurant for 18 years before that. "I was probably inspired most by the grandma," she said. "Whenever I was little, that's what I'd do -- help her in the kitchen." Before coming to TLJC, Lear found herself cooking for community events and fundraisers. "It seemed like anytime anyone needed food for something, they'd call me," said Lear. Rose began her career at TLJC as the culinary arts instructor. "Our first project was to design the kitchen modules at Northeastern State University," said Rose. "They were nothing like the commercial kitchen lab we have here, now. It was more like a high school home economics kitchen." TLJC has been teaching aspiring chefs for 30 years this October, with thousands of students completing the program. "I'll never forget one student, Ricky King," said Rose. "He came to us and was really shy and introverted. He completed our culinary arts program and now he's a chef for a cruise ship line out of Hawaii. What a success story." Students in the TLJC culinary arts program learn all the ins and outs of the industry, from basic food preparation and safety, to inventory control, front-of-house operations and personnel management. Lear recalled another student, David Dunlap, who also completed TLJC's program. "We're so proud of him," said Lear. "He's one semester away from getting his chef certification from OSU/Okmulgee's culinary program." While enrolled, students receive a lot of hands-on experience, including catering banquets and community events. "We cater a lot for Cherokee Nation Career Services, Principal Chief Chad Smith, and we work a lot with community groups, including KidConnections, Humane Society, Soroptimist and Kiwanis," said Rose. "Students are also permitted to work in area restaurants as part of a sort of on-the-job training program. It's very beneficial." According to Lear, Job Corps supplies everything the student needs to complete the program, including help with writing a resume and job placement. It's not uncommon for TLJC students to complete college culinary degrees, and finding jobs doesn't seem to pose much of a problem, despite a sluggish economy. "There are always jobs," said Lear. "Especially with all the new casinos. There's a very high demand in food service and hospitality, anything in the culinary arts field." The Cherokee Nation Enterprises Culinary Academy is offered to the many employees of Cherokee Nation Enterprises and Cherokee Casino who hope to further their professional training. This unique opportunity is also open to all adult citizens of the tribe. "One of our major initiatives is to help people with training so they can earn the good jobs they would like or the entrepreneurial skills to start their own businesses," said Principal Chief Chad Smith. "The ultimate goal of our vision is to improve the quality of life." This free program began in 2006 and not only teaches participants skills that can be used in the kitchen, but also skills that can be applied to everyday life and job situations. Good communication skills are reinforced, as well as teamwork and self-discipline. According to Amanda Clinton, spokeswoman for CNE, the academy is between sessions, but will resume in the coming months. "The large-scale expansions at both the Catoosa and West Siloam Springs casinos have shifted the food and beverage department's main focus to the design and development of the many new restaurant offerings at those locations," she said. Classes take place in Catoosa, and books and materials will be provided. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age, with proof of Cherokee citizenship. All participants must provide their own transportation. For more details or to enroll, contact Doyle Paden at (918) 384-7910 or [email protected]. Some younger Cherokee cooks have had an opportunity to hone their skills this summer by participating in Cherokee Nation's Summer Learning Program. The program offered a segment teaching traditional Cherokee foods, and will be showcased from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, in the new Sequoyah gymnasium. Learn more To find out more about Talking Leaves Job Corps culinary arts program, contact Jay Littlejohn at (918) 207-3332. The program is offered to youth and young adults, ages 16-24. To see more of the Tahlequah Daily Press or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/. Copyright (c) 2008, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |