Instructors at Culinary School of the Rockies

Chef Jason Aili discovered his passion for food and cooking early. At age ten, he prepared a Mexican dinner for his grandmother, who urged him to pursue his culinary gifts.

After a brief detour studying engineering and international relations at University of Colorado at Boulder, Jason remembered and followed his grandmother's sage advice. In 1992, he graduated with honors from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, California. Jason has since cooked in some of Colorado's finest restaurants, including Ristorante Laudisio, Jax Fish House, Zolo Grill, Dandelion and at Hazie's Restaurant in Steamboat Springs, where he was the Head Chef. He was the Sous Chef at Nola, Mistral and A Tavola, renowned Northern California restaurants, and a Station Manager with Bon Appetit at Google.

He honed his teaching skills as Banquet Chef and Chef Instructor for Contemporary Cuisine, American Cuisine and Basic Skills at the California Culinary Academy. He understands and appreciates all aspects of working in a professional kitchen, as he has held every conceivable position, from dishwasher to Sauté, Pantry, Grill and Line Cook, to Sous Chef, Head Chef and Banquet Chef. Jason's enthusiasm is infectious, and his teaching style engaging and enlightening.

• Google, Mountain View, California
• A Tavola, San Carlos, California
• Mistral, Redwood Shores, California
• Ristorante Laudisio, Boulder, Colorado
• Hazie's Restaurant, Steamboat Springs, Colorado
• Zolo Grill, Boulder, Colorado
• Jax Fish House, Boulder, Colorado
• Dandelion, Boulder, Colorado

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Bethany Milan, Chef Instructor
Culinary School of the Rockies

Chef Bethany Milan graduated in 2004 from both the Chef Track and Pastry Arts Programs at Culinary School of the Rockies. While a student at CSR, she was the recipient of a James Beard Scholarship Award.

Chef Milan runs her own custom catering business, Food Sensations, and was named the official caterer of Rhythm on the River for the city of Longmont, Colorado.

She works closely with the City of Longmont teaching kids how to cook through a unique program she designed specifically for the city. Chef Milan specializes in "cake-sculptor", creating unique, one-of-a-kind cakes for kids birthday parties, like Chiffon Raspberry Cookie Monster, and Super-Fudgy Jimmy Neutron Rocket Ship. Prior to entering the culinary field, she was an Emergency Medical Technician, a Certified Nursing Assistant and a Volunteer with the Larkspur Colorado Volunteer Fire Department.

• Assistant Instructor, Chef Track Program, Culinary School of the Rockies, Boulder, Colorado
• Food Sensations Owner, Longmont, Colorado
• Bay Window Catering externship, Longmont, Colorado

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Michael Scott, Chef Instructor
Culinary School of the Rockies

Chef Michael Scott received his formal culinary training from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where he graduated in the top ten percent of his class.

Chef Michael began his career in Florida where he worked for several upscale and four-star restaurants and hotels including Café Max, The Grand Bay Hotel, and the exclusive Cheecha Lodge Resort. Moving to Denver, he was pastry chef for Wolfgang Puck's Grand Café and provided consulting for Hapa Sushi in Boulder.

Most recently, Chef Michael held the position of Chef de Cuisine at Denver's Opus Restaurant, known as one of Colorado's top dining destinations. Experience, organization, high standards of quality and creative passion for food are all part of Chef Michael's culinary repertoire.

• Opus Restaurant, Denver, Colorado
• Wolfgang Puck's Grand Café, Denver, Colorado
• Omni Interlocken Hotel, Broomfield, Colorado
• Cheecha Lodge Resort, Islamorada, Florida
• Fishbone Grill, Miami, Florida
• The Grand Bay Hotel, Miami, Florida
• Café Max, Pompano, Florida

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Marilyn Kakudo, Pastry Arts Instructor
Culinary School of the Rockies

Chef Marilyn Kakudo left a career in high tech to pursue her culinary passion 13 years ago. She received her Food & Wine Certificate from Cook Street School of Fine Cooking in Denver and went on to teach the school’s professional pastry and bread curriculum for several years.

She has been a long-time chef/instructor for Home Cook classes at Culinary School of the Rockies.

In Colorado, she was a manager at Breadworks in Boulder, overseeing the bakery's bread and pastry production, developing recipes and creating the farmers' market program. She held the Executive Chef position at Grand River Ranch in Kremmling, and most recently was Pastry Chef at Magnolia Restaurant, Lafayette, Colorado.

• Magnolia Restaurant, Lafayette, Colorado
• Lakeshore Athletic Club, Broomfield, Colorado
• Grand River Ranch/Lazy Y-O Inc., Kremmling, Colorado
• Cook Street School of Fine Cooking, Denver, Colorado
• Breadworks Bakery, Boulder, Colorado

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