Saint Paul College Culinary Arts

We are so deeply saddened to hear of the passing of local food legend Sue Zelickson. Sue’s legacy will resonate throughout the Twin Cities food scene for years to come. This is especially and specifically true because of the decades of support, leadership, and mentorship that she provided to young people entering our industry. Through her support of local organizations and her own organizations like Kids Cafe and Women Who Really Cook, she laid a foundation of culinary educational support that has changed the lives of countless young cooks, chefs, and hospitality professionals. She was a powerhouse, with more energy in her 70s and 80s than most have in their 30s.

Sue was also an infamous collector of cookbooks, and in 2021, we were the grateful recipients of her vast collection. They now live in the Saint Paul College culinary library, continuing to inspire future generations of cooks, chefs, and hospitality professionals.

Our hearts are with her family and the greater community as we mourn the passing of an incredible woman together. The connections that she built, and the relationships that she fed, will continue to nourish the Twin Cities restaurant and hospitality scene for years to come. We are so grateful, Sue. And so, so lucky.

-sj

The morning Culinary Arts cohort is full—but your culinary education does not have to wait!

Saint Paul College’s afternoon/evening Pastry and Baking Certificate still has 4 spots available for this fall's start! Classes start on August 24th!

Start with Pastry and Baking in a few weeks, complete your certificate during the 2026–27 academic year, and then use priority registration to get early access to register for the Culinary Arts AAS program in Fall 2027.

Because the programs share some of the same learning outcomes, completing one program already moves you forward in the other. Many students choose this path and graduate with BOTH a Culinary Arts AAS and a Pastry and Baking Certificate!

Four spots. Two credentials. One great way to begin your culinary career.

Interested? Apply for the PM Pastry and Baking program here: https://www.saintpaul.edu/fall/

We're grateful to Restaurant Business for highlighting our program at Saint Paul College and to our partners at RATIONAL United States for helping us prepare students for the future of the culinary industry. SPC was one of the first culinary programs in the country to take advantage of their Partners in Education program. Chef Sean Jones had his eye to the future, and our students have reaped the benefits for years.

This summer, we're adding two more iCombi units to our labs. We've continued to grow our investment because these units teach far more than cooking. They challenge students to think like managers: How do I increase production without adding labor? If I can only make one major equipment investment in my kitchen, where will I see the greatest return?

The best part is that our graduates take these skills with them. As they move into restaurants, healthcare, hotels, and other foodservice operations, they introduce employers to new technology and help modernize professional kitchens. They shape the future of foodservice, utilizing their education gained here.

Preparing students for successful careers means investing in the tools that are shaping our industry. We were able to partner with the best from the very start. Thanks to Daniel Lessem from Rational for taking us on this journey! Your support of our program has been incredible.

How One Culinary School Trains Students For the Future with RATIONAL Saint Paul College's culinary arts department, founded in 1942, uses RATIONAL equipment including the iVario and iCombi to train students in

Wishing our Pastry and Baking state Champion Teresa all the luck in the world at the Skills USA competition this week! We are so proud of you!

We are so excited that four Saint Paul College students are competing in the SkillsUSANational Championship in Atlanta, Georgia this week!

Learn all about SkillsUSA 2026: https://www.saintpaul.edu/skillsusa-championship-2026/

Two weeks ago, one group of culinary students flew home from Italy. Yesterday, two more groups landed.

This is what an active program looks like.

On May 12, Saint Paul College Culinary Arts concluded ten days of structured academic immersion across five Italian regions — from a buffalo mozzarella sustainable farm in Nettuno to a truffle day in the Langhe hills of Piedmont.
This week, we welcomed two new groups to Italy.

Wake Technical Community College and Pennsylvania College of Technology have arrived — and their program begins now.

Different institutions. Different curricula. Different students.

The same commitment to placing them inside the real systems behind Italian culinary tradition rather than teaching about those systems from a distance.

This is what we have been building for twenty years.

To the students and faculty of Wake Technical Community College and Pennsylvania College of Technology — welcome to Italy. We are honored to have you.

And to Saint Paul College Culinary Arts — thank you for a moment that reminded us why we do this work.

Institutions exploring structured academic immersion in Italy are welcome to reach out. 🔗 marcopoloinstitute.org — link in bio.

Congrats to 2026 Culinary Arts and Pastry and Baking Graduates!

Your accomplishments are many, and we cannot wait to see how far you will go! You are in the club now - a club of passionate culinary professionals forged here at Saint Paul College since 1942! We are so proud of you all!

Saint Paul College culinary arts students finished their time in Italy on a high note, at Tartuflanghe, a purveyor of all things related to this prized king of fungi. It was a truly educational afternoon, as we learned about the different types of truffles, the trees that they prefer, and the different products that this wonderful producer makes.

Students were treated to a walk in the hazlenut forests with a true Piedmontese truffle hunter and his dogs in search of summer black truffles. These super sniffers were literally weaned on truffles as pups, and trained for years to sniff out the buried treasure, sometimes over a foot deep in the earth! Within minutes, the pooches were producing results - several small truffles and two large summer tartufi d’Alba! This was a bucket list experience, watching these dogs work the hillside, scavenging this precious summer treat.

Back at the producer’s showroom, we were treated to an impressive spread of their products, accompanied by wonderful Piedmontese wines, of course!

This was a perfect finish to our time here. Students will leave with with
memories in their souls, Italy in their hearts, and suitcases stuffed with treasures. We are sad to be leaving, but glad to be heading back to Minnesota to share these experiences with others.

Thank you so much to Giacomo Berselli from the Marco Polo Program Abroad in Italy. You have made our first trip abroad smooth and effortless. We can’t wait to return again next year!

This morning, we reunited with Chef Gino and his students. Chef Gino came to visit us at Saint Paul College for the Night in Piedmont Fundraising Dinner in February. It was wonderful to be in the kitchen with him again.

We were able to enjoy their brand new, beautiful teaching kitchen, and make a three course lunch of upscale traditional Piedmontese cuisine: Sformato di asparagi, ravioli col “Plin,” and semifreddo al torrone.

Students from Chef Gino’s class helped us as we worked to create this beautiful meal. It was wonderful to share a kitchen with Chef again. We hope to see him again in Minnesota next year!