Albany, Georgia – Chef Airis Johnson, a nationally recognized chef and food blogger, and Chopped Food Network winner, will visit with Culinary Arts students and Program Chair and Chef Todd White on Thursday, January 11, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Culinary Arts kitchen in the Logistics Education Center on the Albany Tech campus.
Johnson will be arriving in Albany today to visit several locations throughout southwest Georgia to promote healthy eating. The purpose of the event is to educate the community about the importance of eating farm fresh produce and meats to reduce the incidences of diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure among African American populations in southwest Georgia. The series of programs, co-sponsored by Albany State University, Albany Technical College, and Ag-First Community (Farmer) Cooperative, will also introduce students to careers within the food and restaurant industry, while also exposing them to a renowned chef and entrepreneur.
With the help of Chef Johnson, the Culinary Arts students at Albany Tech will help to create health conscious dishes named for Albany Civil Rights leaders, such as Attorney Mary Young Cummings, Erma Wilburn, Rutha Harris, Rev. Samuel B. Wells, and Attorney C.B. King. Farm fresh food to prepare the dishes will be donated by Ag-First Community Cooperative, which represents farmers in southwest Georgia.
For 14 years, Chef Johnson has worked in many genres of the food industry for notables such as Danny Meyer (Shake Shake), Gordon Ramsay (Gordon Ramsay at the London, NYC), and Sue Torres (Suenos). She was also featured in the April 2016 edition of Essence Magazine.
About Albany Technical College
A public postsecondary institution of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Albany Technical College provides technical education and training support for the evolving workforce needs of Southwest Georgia through traditional and online classroom settings. Albany Tech is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS/COC). For more information about Albany Tech, go to www.albanytech.edu or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlbanyTech or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AlbanyTech. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel by visiting www.youtube.com/albanytech1.