Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 1, 2006 Chef Robert Gregson demonstrates how to bone a chicken to student David Mathews, left, using student Kim Updegraff's arm as an example. (Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell) CULINARY CUT-UPS By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune There's just one thing that could unite a 50-year-old health care worker, a 20-year-old former college student and a 38-year-old housewife around a pile of raw chickens. A love of cooking. Lola Richmond, Aaron Graham and Candy Schweer are among the first students at Medford Culinary Academy, a yearlong chef school that opened last week. Like others in their class, the three said they hope to turn what was once just a hobby into a career. "I just noticed this area is ripe for a culinary boom," said 31-year-old Steve Williams, who moved to the Rogue Valley more than a year ago from Los Angeles. Currently a cook at Jacksonville's Bella Union, he has no doubt there's still a lot to learn. "I kind of want to go to the next level," he said. He and the eight other students spent Monday morning boning chickens under the watchful eye of executive chef and culinary academy director Robert Gregson. Following three hours of cooking and preparation time, the chefs-in-training were expected to present a plate that featured the fowl along with tomatoes, oranges and broccoli. It was just one of many practical exams to come during the program. Recognizing Medford as one of the fastest-growing communities in Oregon with an already strong food industry, Gregson decided to found his second culinary academy here. His first, the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute in Coos Bay, ballooned from nine to 65 students during his four-year tenure. The opportunity to compete with Gregson in sanctioned culinary competitions around the western United States prompted Schweer to enroll. A fan of The Food Network's "Iron Chef," Schweer said she wanted to attend culinary school in Portland but couldn't fathom being parted from her husband for a year. A culinary academy in Medford allowed her to follow her dream without leaving home, she said. The culinary academy also kept Graham in the valley when he had considered entering a program in San Francisco, which, he said, cost more and couldn't provide as much one-on-one time with instructors. The former anthropology/archaeology student at Southern Oregon University said he traded trowel and brush for a chef's knife because college just wasn't for him. It could prove to be a smart move. Local jobs in the accommodations and food service industries account for just over 10 percent of all private, nonfarm employment in Jackson and Josephine counties, said Ron Fox, executive director of Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development Inc. By 2014, employment in that area will have increased 23 percent, ranking third in growth behind health-related fields and professional and business services, Fox said. A culinary academy promises to expand the expertise of the work force and encourages entrepreneurship, Fox said. Higher-end restaurants go hand-in-hand with the type of tourism for which the Rogue Valley is known, he said. "People who come here to the region to try wine ... are going to be looking for food experiences that are complimentary to that," he said. Reaching out to local restaurants is all part of Gregson's plan. An internship completes the program, soon to be sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation, of which Gregson is a member and accreditor. Students first learn sanitation, restaurant cooking, international and American regional cooking, cold-food preparation, ice carving, baking and pastry-making. For more information on Medford Culinary Academy, call 779-2266. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews