Pima instructors help kids culinary camp

June 22, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUCSON, AZ – This week, two Pima Community College Culinary instructors and several members of the Chefs Association of Southern Arizona are participating in a cooking camp sponsored by the nonprofit House of Neighborly Service, 243 W. 33rd St.

Chef Elizabeth Mikesell, instructor for PCC’s Center for Training and Development Culinary Program and Barry Infuso, lead faculty for the PCC Culinary Program are teaching at the camp, which runs 9 a.m.-noon June 21-25. Both programs are at PCC’s Desert Vista Campus. The camp teaches children in third through seventh grades how to select and prepare nutritious foods at home and learn to make healthful choices.

Each day from about 9:45-11 a.m., the children create meals from a different cuisine. On Wednesday, the menu will be Italian. Also Wednesday, Tucson Meet Yourself Executive Director Mia Hansen will teach the students how to dance the tarantella. Friday, the students will prepare a Mexican menu for themselves and their parents. Monday, the 21 students prepared a breakfast menu and learned about food safety and food preparation techniques. Tuesday, students prepared an American Indian menu. The menus are from the American Culinary Federation (www.ACFchefs.org); go to partnerships, then Chef and Child, then programs, then “that’s Fresh Kids Cooking Teams”). Also, the campers will tour the Desert Vista CTD culinary kitchen on Thursday, June 24.

Chefs are volunteering on different days. Other chefs committed to participate are; Al Zeman, corporate chef for Rationale; Jason Jonilonis, executive chef of Sol Casinos; Paula Williams, chef and dietitian; Ellen Fenster, pastry chef of Chantilly Tea Room; Ryan Clark, executive chef of Lodge on the Desert; Janet Taylor, cookbook author; and Kim Marcus, personal chef.

RECOMMENDED PRESS AVAILABILITY IS DURING THE COOKING TIME AT HOUSE OF NEIGHBORLY SERVICES ANY DAY THEY ARE THERE.

CONTACT:
A. Rachelle Howell, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing,
(520) 206-4850