Who We Are
Our Facility:
Cooking classes meet in a modern, state-of-the-art demonstration kitchen with granite work surfaces located within the Tubac Culinary Center adjacent to the Presidio Café and the Nob Hill Bakery. We use top-of-the-line Viking appliances and can accommodate up to 16 participants at a time. The school is tastefully decorated with unique paintings and menus from around the world. “Intimate, cozy and relaxing,” says Tubac resident, Kitty Smith.
Our Faculty:
Under the expert direction of Chef Noah Aguilar and on-site chef, Alicia Hernandez, the Tubac Culinary School represents a cadre of chefs and specialists from Tucson, Scottsdale, and California. The entire staff is dedicated to providing an experience beyond our guests’ expectations and we take pride in our attention to service and detail. We also speak French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Italian in addition to English. Advance notice of special linguistic needs is required.
Chef Noah Aguilar is the executive chef in charge of the Tubac Culinary School’s cooking program. Chef Noah teaches evening meals and also the Jr. Chef Club that meets on Saturday mornings. He also teaches private lessons by appointment, as well as additional classes upon request. Chef Noah is also co-owner and the executive chef at Nob Hill Market and Fine Dining. He has also been nominated to be the chef spokesperson for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. In addition he has been creating recipes and food-styling for the Ciruli Brothers’ website, a local produce company. Chef Noah graduated from the New England Culinary Institute and has 10 years of additional training from a variety of chefs and restaurants throughout the country.
Chef Alicia Hernandez is the on-site resident chef. A native of Sonora, Mexico, Chef Alicia is an honor graduate of the Pima Culinary Institute. Fluent in both Spanish and Italian, Chef Alicia offers a great mix of knowledge from both classic and local cuisines. She is an innovative chef and her attention to detail is seen throughout her day-to-day classes. Chef Alicia spent a month in Europe this summer, visiting numerous countries and cooking classes, adding to her wealth of knowledge within the culinary world.
Chef Amy Ahrensdorf is one of the Tubac Culinary School’s guest chefs. Owner of Love at First Bite and resident chef of Sunwest Appliance Distributing in Tempe, Arizona, Chef Amy has a lot of enthusiasm when it comes to finding her way around any kitchen. Being so passionate about cooking, Chef Amy has added an energized presence at the school upon her visits.
Food lover and connoisseur, Naomi Ley, has had the joy of teaching participants at the school her worldwide experiences in the culinary realm. Being born to European parents and having grown up in West Africa, Naomi learned Dutch, German and French in addition to English. Her background is restaurant and resort management but her passion lies in cooking. Currently she is on maternity leave from teaching at the school but looks forward to it in the future.
In addition to our on site staff, guest chefs and local food gourmets coming from Las Vegas, Napa, Scottsdale, Tucson and the Tubac area, add to the available flavor found at the Tubac Culinary School. Guest sommeliers come upon occasion to share their knowledge about wines. Pastry chefs share the secrets to a successful cake and former Napa Valley La Belle Epoque Bed and Breakfast owners, Georgia Jump and Bob Marquard, add their touch to an amazing brunch.