APPLETON, Wis. — Big name food shows like “Top Chef” have tapped talent in the Dairy State, piquing an interest in the culinary arts.
Grace Schemechel is enrolled in Fox Valley Technical College’s Culinary Arts Program. She said food has always been more than just sustenance in her life.
“My grandmother owned a restaurant for a good portion of her life, and so I always enjoyed watching her restaurant and watching the chef’s work,” Schemechel said.
Schemechel said a career in culinary arts is now a goal of hers after seeing Wisconsin’s food scene in the national spotlight. When she was younger, she said she used to watch cooking shows.
“I enjoyed watching ‘Master Chef Junior’ growing up. That was a lot of fun,” Schmechel said.
She’s not alone. Kylie Turnbull is also enrolled in Fox Valley Tech’s Culinary Arts Program. She said when she’s not making venison bacon, she’s learning to perfect her craft by tuning in to aspiring TV chefs.
“There’s this one show called ‘Nailed It’ on Netflix. I love the show. It’s where people that aren’t the best at baking try baking, and they end up teaching you lessons along the way,” Turnbull said.
Mike Balistrieri is the department chair and an instructor of culinary arts at Fox Valley Tech. He said roughly 60 students were enrolled last year.
Balistrieri said this year, that number has gone up.
“We saw a large increase in enrollment. We had over 80 students coming into our three programs. That’s our culinary arts, baking and pastry management and hospitality management,” Balistrieri said.
Balistrieri attributes some of that increase to the Badger State’s burgeoning food scene on programs like “Top Chef.”
“We’ve had some local TV shows kind of highlight different areas around Wisconsin and culinary arts. A lot of people want to know what’s going on in the kitchen and see kind of the passion of chefs working,” Balistrieri said.
Unlike on cooking competition shows, there are no large cash awards for Fox Valley Tech’s culinary students. That’s okay with Turnbull. She said the hard work now will help her fulfill her lifelong dream.
“I want to open up my own cafe, and I want it to have, like super calming vibes, and I want to have a garden out back,” Turnbull said.
Being featured on a TV show is an incredible opportunity, but Schemechel said her prize is creating a mouthwatering meal.
“The best part is being able to watch people enjoy it and seeing them smile and say that they really enjoy the dish. I think that’s probably the most fulfilling part of it,” Schemechel said.