Any Louisiana cook knows you can’t make a meal without spice.  New Orleans Job Corps culinary students got an extra dose Thursday from world-renowned chef Susan Spicer.  They are sharpening their skills, taking notes and trimming the fat as their select group prepares to compete in their own version of Iron Chef. 

“I learned how to skin a fish — my first time doing that,” says student David Butler.  “I think I did a good job.”

Butler is one of the four students making the journey to Little Rock, Arkansas in October.  “I was kind of shocked, them telling me that I was going.  I’m still trying to get the feel of it.  I knew I had been working my way up, but I didn’t think I was there to go to the competition.”

His team will compete against other Job Corps teams from as far away as San Diego.  But the entire class is benefiting from the preparation.

Susan Spicer of Bayona said, “I always respond to people that persevere.”  She donated her time to work with the class, demonstrating some of the techniques that will help them excel in the competition and in their future careers.

“We have a continuous demand for cooks and for skilled cooks,” said Spicer, “people that are passionate and interested in what they are doing.”

Malcolm Walker is one of those people.  “I want to have a bakery,” Walker said, “a well-known bakery if I could.”

Walker will not be making the trip, but he appreciates the expert help. He said, “The biggest benefit will be to say that I studied and worked with some of the best, world-renowned people in New Orleans.”

Their instructor, Simone Victoria, is confident in he students’ skills and thinks the seasoned advice will push them even more.  “They are definitely ready,” said Victoria.  “We have Susan to help us out, we have a couple of other chefs that are going to come by and help us out.

“They love learning new things,” said Victoria.  “Most of them only know mostly house cooking, so I teach them how to cook like a restaurant chef.”

Students say it’s learning the basic skills that helps them create masterpieces.   “The most interesting thing I learned in this class was that there are a lot of rules in the kitchen,” said Butler. 

Along with the life lessons learned, the contest is a little bit of lagniappe.  Butler said, “We are going to do an awesome job, we are going to win. I have confidence.”

Job Corps is operated through the Department of Labor. The program teaches career skills to students ages 16 through 24, also allowing them to earn a high school diploma or GED.