Arizona restaurants serve up a unique combination of Southwest, Mexican, and Continental cuisine. If you've always imagined entering the culinary vocation, Arizona cooking trade schools can speed you on your way.

By Gabby Hyman
RWM Columnist
October 12, 2006

Arizona is home to the gila monster, saguaro cactus, red-rock canyons -- and host to a rich culinary tradition and trade schools that offer classical cooking training. Right here, in the middle of the desert, you can take your diploma in traditional baking and pastry or an associate's degree in culinary arts that qualifies you to work in the heart of Arizona's booming food service industry.

One vocational school in Phoenix, for example, offers a culinary curriculum steeped in classical French cuisine mixed right in with technical courses in American regional cuisine and Spanish language training. It's an unbeatable recipe for success in Arizona. The school's baking and pastry diploma program prepares students for vocational opportunities at four-star as well as family-run restaurants, hotel kitchens, and resort dining rooms.

Trade Schools Honor Arizona Cuisine and Wines
Today's Arizona cuisine is a unique, rich mixture of Native American foods, Mexican cooking, classical Continental menus, as well as the latest Tex-Mex, Fusion, and Southwest Neo-cuisine. And, more recently, Arizona vintners grow, sell, and serve award-winning varieties of Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

The state's vocational and culinary trade schools offer programs that prepare you to work as a well-informed wine steward and front-house manager. Southern Arizona and Sonora cuisine is based on hearty beef and red chile combinations -- foods typically integrated into the region's culinary trade school curriculum.

Arizona chefs are proud of their historical as well as contemporary menus. They share it with restaurateurs, culinary trade students, and the public annually at the Phoenix-based West of Western Culinary Festival, known the world over for its innovative cuisine.

Arizona Culinary Schools' Vocational Focus
Culinary trade school classes aim to get you up and cooking in no time. Grads from the baking and pastry diploma programs receive fundamental instruction leading to positions as production bakers, pastry cooks, and catering bakers. You'll master rudimentary vocational kitchen management, nutrition, sanitation, food safety, budgeting, and temperature control skills.

An Arizona-based associate's degree program in applied sciences (culinary arts) offers trade-specific learning in kitchen management, culinary theory, food and beverage management, and classical French cuisine. As part of the vocational program, students participate in externships with Arizona restaurants or hotels.

If you've dreamt of a life-long vocation in the culinary arts, there are culinary training schools right here in Arizona. You can contact them immediately by email and look over their curriculum.

Source
West of Western Culinary Festival

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.