Culinary Icon Inspires Local Future Chefs

shrimp dish

Press Release I March 19, 2019

Pikes Peak State College's 7th Annual Fran Folsom Culinary Arts Scholarship Fund Dinner, the region's premier student-driven culinary event, is planned for April 14 at its new location, the Garden of the Gods Club, 3314 Mesa Road. 

Proceeds from the dinner will fund the highly competitive PPSC Fran Folsom Culinary Arts Scholarship, which provides full tuition for the final year of culinary arts study for students who show both academic and practical excellence. The success of last year's dinner resulted in nine students receiving scholarships this year, more than ever before.

The PPSC Culinary Arts program achieves a 95% job placement rate and many graduates stay in the region. The student chefs at the dinner are the future of our area's culinary scene. Guests attending the dinner will be the first to taste that future.

For several months, PPSC culinary students have worked closely with faculty and community mentors -- Andres Velez, Chef/Owner, Pig Latin Cocina and Josh Davies, Executive Chef, Sonterra Grill -- to guide them through the process of developing the menu refining each recipe and taking their skills to the next level in order to perfect the ultimate feast.

Students presented their finished plates to a panel of judges, including Folsom, Lisa James of the PPSC Foundation and PPSC Dean/Chef Rob Hudson. Input received helped them fine-tune and finalize the menu.

The event, hosted this year by John and Becky Medved, begins with a wide variety of passed hors d'oeuvres paired with wines.  The four-course meal will include salad, a fish course featuring prosciutto-wrapped scallops, an entrée featuring osso bucco alla milanese and a dessert trio. Wine pairings for each course have been provided by Sovereignty Wines.

The event honors Fran Folsom, whose gourmet tastes and talents have made her a long-time star in the local culinary community. 

Tickets are available at ppcc.edu/franfolsom or by calling (719) 502-2013. Ticket prices start at $150. Please rsvp by April 5. The venue has limited seating and the dinner has historically sold out. 

Event Details:

Sunday, April 14, 2019 
5 p.m.  l  wine & hors d'oeuvres
6 p.m.  l  dinner

Garden of the Gods Club
3314 Mesa Road
Colorado Springs, CO 80904

About Fran Folsom
Fran Folsom, a local legend, has helped elevate the level of culinary awareness in our community. Her background includes extensive travel where she has dined in cutting edge restaurants, cooked in front of large audiences and met many culinary legends. After years with Hotpoint Division of General Electric, Fran opened the Broadmoor Cooking School, served as Food and Wine Columnist of Colorado Springs Sun and was instrumental in the creation of the ACF Chef's Gala Benefi

About PPSC Culinary Arts
The PPSC Culinary Arts Program is the largest culinary program in the region. Serving more than 460 students and generating more than 95 graduates annually to meet the demands of the culinary industry, PPSC offers both certificates and associate degrees in a wide range of culinary fields, including Baking and Pastry, Culinary Arts, Food Service Management, and Sustainability and Dietary Cuisine. Graduates are certified as either a Certified Culinarian or Certified Pastry Culinarian. Our graduates have a 95% employment rate upon graduation and the program received an Exemplary Status by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accreditation Committee.

About Pikes Peak State College
Established in 1968 and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, PPSC offers associate degrees and certifications in career and technical fields and its first bachelor degree starting fall 2018. With three campuses, two learning centers and two military education centers, PPSC provides access to a quality, affordable and flexible education to 20,000 students annually.