Meet Heidi Jaenicke, a senior at Flowing Wells High School and the recipient of a Barbara Fenzl culinary scholarship.
Born and raised in Tucson, Jaenicke has had a passion for cooking since she was 7 years old, she said.
“I’ve always been really intrigued by cooking shows, and my baby sitter used to let me help her cook,” she said. “It’s just something I’ve really enjoyed doing for a long time.”
Jaenicke has taken Culinary Arts classes at Flowing Wells High School for two years, and was executive chef of the three-person team from Flowing Wells that won one of five showdowns at the Young Iron Chef Competition held at the 2008 Tucson Meet Yourself.
She won her $2,500 scholarship to Scottsdale Community College at the Arizona Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) competition held March 21st at the Arizona Culinary Institute in Phoenix.
After completing the two-year Associate’s Degree program in Culinary Arts at Scottsdale Community College, Jaenicke plans to enroll at Northern Arizona University to earn a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management, she said.
“Scottsdale Community College has a really good program, and Scottsdale is a big culinary spot because there are a lot of great restaurants and the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, so I’m pretty happy to be going there,” Jaenicke said
Question: What’s your favorite restaurant in Tucson?
Answer: I love RA Sushi, Vivace and and Cafe Poca Cosa.
What’s your favorite dish to prepare and why?
I’d have to go with chicken. I love cooking stuffed chicken or herb crusted chicken with a lot of vegetables. I also really like cooking Italian food.
What’s your favorite dish to eat?
Sushi, definitely sushi.
What’s your favorite or most used gadget or kitchen utensil?
My Wüstof knife, an 8-inch chef’s knife. It’s amazing.
What do you always have in your refrigerator?
Hmm, I usually have eggs and some berries, because I love eating berries and yogurt.
Why are you a chef?
I love feeding people. It’s just the best feeling ever when someone loves your food, because If they love your food, it’s almost like they love a part of you.
TOM STAUFFER
tstauffer@tucsoncitizen.com (tstauffer@tucsoncitizen.com)