Students train to be chefs

The world on their plate

Native youth prepare for culinary careers"Orson Patterson and kids like him are the future," said chef, cookbook author and photographer Lois Ellen Frank, Kiowa. Patterson, Navajo, assisted Frank during her indigenous foods demonstration at the Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta, a prestigious fall showcase for the city's finest food and the nation's top wineries.

Patterson is one of several Native students who recently earned a professional chef's certification from Santa Fe Community College. He's also working toward an associate of applied science degree from the school and, with the recommendation of the culinary arts program's lead instructor, Michelle Roetzer, has just earned a spot as a banquet chef at Pointe South Mountain Resort, a Phoenix-area luxury vacation spot.