Blue corn meal and escargot

Blending French and Native American CuisineA new recipe is being cooked up that will blend Native American foods with traditional French cooking techniques. It’s a new course being created at Classing Cooking in Scottsdale. Chef and owner Pascal Dionot says the six month course will help aspiring chefs learn about a culture that has a rich history in food.

Dionot, who’s from France, sought out Nephi Craig. Craig is among the few Native American chefs across the United States. He creates dishes using ingredients from his Navajo and Apache cultures. Dionot says he first learned of Craig several months ago.

Dionot said, "I was absolutely fascinated about what he wants to do.”

So the two united in creating a cooking course that will blend their expertise and create new dishes using Native American ingredients like beans, corn, squash, and blue corn meal.