Culinary Enlightenment

Culinary Enlightenment

I’m Lacy Gray with Washington Ag Today.

Students that attend the Wine Country Culinary Institute at Walla Walla Community College are fortunate in that they now have the unique experience of working with local growers during prime growing season. Director of the Wine Country Culinary Institute, chef Dan Thiessen, expounds.

THIESSEN: I felt it to be a shame that we weren’t teaching during the prime growing months of the valley here during the summertime. We now go year round, so in a sense, students are able to start and graduate in 18 months versus 21 months, when we weren’t going through the summer quarter.

Something else new at the Institute is the Community Kitchens program for locals and tourists. Thiessen explains.

THIESSEN: Those are our cooking classes that are open to the public. They’re evening and weekend classes geared towards somebody that just wants to take one or two classes - like basics of ice cream, and how to make your own pasta, and some basic cheese making courses that we’ve done that were really popular, on up to a full three day intensive boot camp for eight hours a day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday - we would have this little immersion basics of cooking.

The Wine Country Culinary Institute is part of the “February For Foodies” promotion in Walla Walla, which features the Walla Walla food scene. Thiessen shares how he and his students will be participating.

THIESSEN: Every Saturday we have a guest chef coming out to the school, as well as a winemaker and a dessert person. There’s going to be a food and wine pairing session, and then we’ll sit down for lunch and have a Q & A with the chefs and the producers.

For more information about the Wine Country Culinary Institute and the community involvement programs visit www.winecountryculinary.com.

I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Ag Information Network.