Tag: Culinary Arts Program


Chef Palazzola Featured in Article on Making Chili


March 21, 2023 | Campus News

East Central College Culinary Arts Program Coordinator Chef Michael Palazzola is a featured member of the “Panel of Experts” in an article about how to make championship-winning chili on the LawnStarter website.

View the the site here ⇨ www.lawnstarter.com/blog/studies/best-cities-texas-chili/#expert=chef-mike-palazzola.

What kind of beef is best for making chili?

Ground beef is the most familiar — 80/20. If grinding my own, I would choose sirloin for its beefy flavor profile.

If not using ground, it becomes more of a stew, for which I would choose chuck. Delicious, but again, not as familiar to your diners.

What is one pepper you’d recommend adding to chili to spice it up or deepen the flavor?

Peppers play a huge role in how we experience chili. Capsaicin provides much of the heat and is primarily found in the seeds and inner membrane of the pepper. Seeds can be removed if desired heat is milder.

I have found that a habanero pepper has the most intense flavor profile to work with, it is just too hot sometimes — in that case, remove the seeds.

What are the best beef alternatives for vegans and vegetarians who love chili?

Texans will hate this, but beans are a great protein source and provide some texture to your chili.

I have used lentils in many stews and curries in lieu of beans. Chili is by all rights a stew.

How can Texans make their chili recipe stand out at their next gathering or local competition?

Be very selective with your ingredients. Don’t just use a prepared spice mix, any old hot pepper, and any old ground beef. Pay attention to what attributes each ingredient brings to the dish.

Why are some Texans so against adding beans to chili?

Tradition! I grew up with beans in the chili, now I can’t imagine it without. I am sure it is a similar reason.

Besides cornbread, what is the best side dish to serve with chili?

I need some crunch with my chili, and haven’t found a more economical choice than some chili cheese Fritos!

I have also done corn fritters or fried green tomatoes, which are more labor-intensive but a great way to add crunch and another flavor profile.


Culinary Arts Student Receives $1,000 DMR Events Scholarship


March 7, 2023 | Campus News

East Central Culinary Arts program student Kalie Mullins received a $1,000 scholarship from DMR Events Inc., for her continuous efforts academically and professionally.

That’s according to Chef Mike Palazzola, Culinary Arts program director, who said Mullins, of Warrenton, has a bright future in the restaurant world.

“Kalie has maintained great attendance and made the President’s and Vice President’s lists for academic success,” he said. “She also has demonstrated through her professionalism and work ethic on a daily basis that she could earn a spot in any kitchen she desires.”

Nick Risch, executive vice president and chief financial officer of DMR Events Inc., a hospitality staffing company, presented Mullins with the scholarship.

“DMR believes that the key to the foodservice industry’s future is energizing the next generation,” Risch said. “By providing opportunities to East Central students the culinary world will grow and provide a strong future for everyone.”

DMR Events Inc. is a member of the American Culinary Federation & the American Staffing Association. The company was founded in 1987 specializing in front of house temporary staffing and culinary back of the house staffing, as well as professional chefs.

DMR Events is the recognized Premier supplier of hospitality staffing in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

To learn more about ECC’s Culinary Arts program, visit www.eastcentral.edu/career-technical-education/culinary-arts/, or contact Chef Palazzola at 636-584-6793, or Michael.Palazzola@eastcentral.edu.


College and MDC Partner on Venison Processing and Cooking Videos


November 9, 2021 | Campus News

A partnership between East Central College and The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has produced a series of videos that takes hunters from the harvest to the meal.

The goal of the “Field to Fork” videos is to teach hunters the proper way to field dress and process deer, and to show creative and delicious ways to cook venison.

The first two videos in the series of seven focus on field dressing and skinning a deer, which was demonstrated by Kevin Dixon, associate professor of biology at ECC, and avid hunter.

The third video features Chef Mike Palazzola, culinary arts program coordinator at ECC, butchering the venison and describing each cut of meat.

In the final four videos, Palazzola cooks the different cuts making venison dishes, including fajitas, a double cut venison chop, bacon-wrapped backstrap and Cajun country-fried steak.

The videos were produced by East Central College in partnership with the MDC. They can be viewed now at on the East Central College YouTube channel and the Missouri Department of Conservation YouTube channel.

ECC also will promote a video each week on its social media channels. A link to the list of ingredients and directions are in the description of the YouTube videos.

Processing Venison

According to Kyle Lairmore, education section chief at the MDC, discussions about teaching the public to process their own deer were spawned by the challenge to find processors.

He explained that the past few years, it has been difficult to find a processor with openings or willingness to process hunters’ deer harvests.  Many hunters were on a waitlist for processing that was six to nine months long.

“It became apparent that many hunters would need to process their own harvests which led to a partnership between the MDC and ECC, who stepped up and offered their expertise through their culinary arts program,” Lairmore said.

He approached Dixon, who he knew was a biology professor and long-time hunter education instructor and asked him to share his knowledge about field dressing deer and preparing it for processing.

“As a biologist and deer hunter I understand the importance of proactively managing the state’s deer population through regulated hunting,” Dixon said.

“With my experience of having taken many deer over the years, I hope to help someone new to the sport on how to properly take care of their deer once it’s been harvested,” he added. “This begins with field dressing the animal and taking care to skin it properly to be able to enjoy the healthy meat options venison provides for the freezer.”

Recording the processes provides an educational tool to reach new hunters or teach hunters new skills.

“In some cases, it may be too expensive for someone to take a deer to a processor, and this can help them properly prepare the animal for butchering,” he said. “In other cases, folks may want to be do-it-yourselfers and need guidance on how to get started, and I hope that I can help in some way.”

In the Kitchen

Meanwhile, when the hunting and processing portion of the project was discussed, Conrad Mallady, conservation educator with the MDC, asked Palazzola if he would participate.

“The thought of a sustainable food source right in our back yards and being able to remove some of the intimidation of trying new things for people has always been one of my motivators,” Palazzola said.

“Much of our produce is either harvested from our greenhouse or foraged locally,” Palazzola said. “If you make food approachable and necessary, it will bring family’s back to the dinner table together.”

For the venison recipes, Palazzola said he wanted to create recipes with ingredients people will recognize while teaching them something new.

“I tried to include recipes that were familiar, but just outside people’s comfort zone for a challenge and to highlight all the wonderful ingredients we were fortunate enough to have,” he said.

“I also wanted to shed a different light on how people regard venison in the kitchen, both professionally and recreationally.”

Palazzola encourages anyone who follows the recipes to keep an open mind and make adaptions to their liking.

“I encourage everyone to approach these recipes as a guideline for what the dish could be rather than what it has to be,” he said. “Don’t rely on these recipes to be 100 percent correct for you. I am cooking with all my senses when I approach a dish in this way.

“It’s a bit cliché, but let the ingredients tell you what to do.”


The Restaurant at Prairie Dell Opens March 27


March 16, 2018 | Campus News

Learning by doing. It’s the approach East Central College Culinary Arts Instructor Mike Palazzola uses with students every day.

“Last year, there was something missing from our culinary classrooms,” Palazzola said, “We needed real life experiences in real time.”

The award-winning chef, along with former culinary instructor Ted Hirschi, came up with a solution – The Restaurant at Prairie Dell. Managed by the East Central College Culinary Arts Program, the limited-run restaurant gave students hands-on experience at running an establishment of their own.

“Students were responsible for scheduling, production, staff management and the handling of revenue,” Palazzola explained. “It was a great opportunity for them to learn processes and standards they will encounter in the hospitality industry.”

“It was an eye-opening experience,” said student Emily Goree. “You got to see your own culinary concepts come to life, in and out of the kitchen. It made all the hard work worth it.”

On March 27, it will open its doors once again to the public. The Restaurant at Prairie Dell will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until April 26. Reservations are required and can be made through michael.palazzola@eastcentral.edu.  Seating starts at 11 a.m. and goes in 15 minute intervals until noon.

New this year, along with cash and check, patrons can pay using a credit card.

“Our menu has something for everyone,” said Palazzola, “and our prices are meant to only cover the cost of the food. It’s the cheapest gourmet meal you’ll ever have!”

The Restaurant at Prairie Dell is located at the East Central College Training Center, 1964 Prairie Dell Road in Union.


#InspiringExcellence: How a Love for Photography Led to a Career in Culinary Arts


March 1, 2018 | Campus News Inspiring Excellence

For Bailey Kirkland, a love for photography led to a career in culinary arts. She hadn’t planned it that way.

Originally from Alaska, Kirkland moved to Union in 2012. Her plan was to finish her online photography degree and eventually move back to her hometown to open a photography studio.

“Things changed,” she admitted. “For the better.”

After her move to Franklin County, she started a food blog online. She featured recipes she cooked for her significant other. “Before starting the blog, I had absolutely no previous experience with cooking,” she explained, “not even in my kitchen growing up!”

In 2014, Kirkland finished her degree in photography, but she decided she wasn’t done with higher education. She enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at East Central College in the fall.

“My plan was to learn how to create stunning food,” she said. “That way, I wouldn’t have to pay someone for food styling when I began taking photographs of food for websites.”

Once again, things changed. While she still loved photography, she found a new passion – culinary competitions.

“The fear I experienced through competing pushed me to do better and continue to better myself as a person, not only in the way of culinary arts,” she said. “I was hungry for knowledge. I wanted to know where our food came from, how much it cost and what happens when you prepare it differently.”

After graduating with an Associate of Applied Science in Culinary Arts in 2016, Kirkland was hired at the Farm To You Market in Washington.

“I found purpose at Farm To You Market,” she said. “Getting my degree, I spent significant time learning how to craft a business plan, manage a kitchen and balance budgets. Those skills helped me get promoted from kitchen staff to Executive Chef and Manager of Barnyard Café.”

Though the eatery was in its infancy when she took over, Kirkland saw its potential for growth.

“When I first started, it was essentially a deli counter,” she explained. “We now serve breakfast, lunch and farm-to-table dinners.”

Kirkland is now helping spearhead an event that will put East Central College Culinary Arts students into the spotlight. On Thursday, March 8 from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m., Farm To You Market will host a free sampling event for the community.

“It’s an opportunity to meet the local farmers and producers who sell items at the market,” Kirkland said. “This year, we are also donating free product for the East Central College students to create something unique that will be offered for sampling. They will have the opportunity to experience using quality, locally-sourced products and really show off what they can do.”

Part of Farm To You Market’s mission, Kirkland believes, is to support and educate the next generation and make sure that there is a continued appreciation for where food comes from.

“As a prior ECC culinary student, I can say it is fantastic knowing the program is supported by local small businesses,” she said.

Kirkland also currently serves on the advisory board for the East Central College Culinary Arts Program.