Francis Tuttle Culinary School of the Arts

December 18, 2012Katie

The recipe for Migas that Chef Marc Dunham made this morning on Rise & shine with me can be found by clicking below!

Migas – Printable Recipe (by Marc Dunham)


“Stunning” is the word that Marc Dunham, Director of the new Culinary Arts at Francis Tuttle Vo-Tech uses to describe the massive new wing that’s been steadily going up over the past year or so near Rockwell and 122nd St in Northwest Oklahoma City.

And I have to say that after the tour he gave me ….

 I agree.

In fact, by the time the tour was done, I was completely turned around and lost.

I admit, I expected one small hallway with a nice kitchen when I showed up. I was totally unprepared for the wonder that awaited me.

Oh to go back in time and be a high school student and be eligible to go to this school for high school credit!

I’d totally be there.

Francis Tuttle has built a state-of-the art culinary program that includes a multi-million dollar undertaking of seven teaching labs, a bakery, a public cafeteria (restaurant) and demonstration labs. Their program will involve high school and college students who want to be trained to work in the food and restaurant industry.

Upon my tour a few months back, this is where the students were taking their classes.

I mean, how much equipment can you pack into one room? It used to be a bit crowded to say the least!

Now flash forward to present.  This building now houses the Culinary School. When I toured it, it was still in the construction phases.

I mean, it’s a doggone small town now for crying out loud!

Because of the sheer magnificence of this monstrosity, the school will be able to take on an additional 250 students this year.   The building stretches across 31,000 square feet and now houses nine state-of-the-art teaching kitchens.

These kitchens range from one solely intended for the butchery of meats and fish, which wasn’t yet completed when I was there, but probably now is.

In this room, whole animals will be butchered and used to make bacon, charcuterie and the likes.  Students will also have a bakery kitchen complete with marble counter tops for candy, Hobart mixers and a bevy of ovens.

What really made me giddy in this room was this door.

This door leads to the “chocolate room”.

In the chocolate room , the temperature is controlled and cooled to making chocolate under perfect circumstances.

I would love to live there in my next life.

Oh! And if baked goods appeal to you?  Consider stopping in one day to Cravings, the bakery housed within the Culinary Arts Center where bread is baked daily that you can purchase.

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And it’s delicious and could almost transport you to a Une boulangerie in Paris.

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And here is something that I think is very cool.

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District 21 is the new restaurant that will be opening in January.  I can’t use the word cafeteria because it just doesn’t seem …right.

District 21 will be a place for culinary students to work out their externships once they’ve graduated,  All cuisine going out of the kitchen will be approved by instructors so you know it will be wonderful. I can dine as can you, and we all can experience some of the creations coming out of the kitchen of District 21 and the culinary students.

We,live very close and can’t wait to try it.

When I asked Marc how he thought Francis Tuttle Culinary would compare to other top notch culinary training schools in the country, he said “it’s right up there with the best”.

After seeing it, I believe him.

Oh to go back to high school and have the ability to attend and graduate with this degree as a part of a state high school program. In case, you’re wondering folks, your taxes help pay for high school students to attend this state of the art program for free during their high school career.

Know a high school student with an interest in cooking or baking?  Steer them in the way of Francis Tuttle. They should be so lucky.

I recently attended a knife skills class with Marc as the instructor in the evening.  They are absolutely interested in and are offering one night cooking school classes for the home chef extraordinaire.  I encourage you to enroll in one of these as well. It was an interesting, knowledgeable and was a hands-on evening where we chopped through loads of onions and potatoes, and we learned to hone our knives and our knife skills as well.

Marc is a celebrated Oklahoma chef with skills many may not even know about.  Daily I see his tweets of the students at Francis Tuttle curing bacon, brining hams, making fresh baked brioche and I know that he is the man for the overseeing of the daily functioning of things happening every minute at the culinary school.

I am so excited to have him join me on Rise and Shine and cook one of his favorite dishes that might be a  delicious choice for your Christmas breakfast or brunch that takes him back to his roots of Austin, TX and….

Migas…a delectable mashaup of scrambled eggs, chilies and corn tortillas  that will be pleasing to any palate.

Chef Marc Dunham making Migas
Chef Marc Dunham making Migas

Migas – Printable Recipe (by Marc Dunham)

 

Want to see more? Check out their video here.

 

3 Comments

  • Paul Garcia

    December 20, 2012 at 11:37 am

    Great post Katie! My son, Oliver graduated from the Francis Tuttle Culinary program and is not studying Culinary Arts at OSU-Okmulgee. He was featured on the recruitment poster for the 2012-2013 school year. He says he'd love to come back and teach when he is through with his training because he loved it so much.
  • Kate Hill

    March 28, 2013 at 6:58 am

    Hi Katie from France- I am coming to OKC and the Francis Tuttle Culinary Institute with French Butcher and Farmer Dominique Chapolard for a two-day workshop featuring French seam butchery and charcuterie making. we sure could sue some help publicizing the event! any mention you might make would eb grand- http://kitchen-at-camont.com/2013/02/24/two-day-workshops-in-the-usa-the-french-pig-making-farmstead-charcuterie/ Thanks
  • Leslie

    May 12, 2017 at 4:16 am

    The Francis Tuttle School of Culinary Arts is poised to lead the way in culinary instruction.

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