WS Chronicle

By Mayeesa Mitchell

For The Chronicle

Betty Thompson Morton has spent more than 20 years working in kitchens across the county.

Even with experiences as a cooking instructor, food coach, cookbook author, test kitchen manager and product sponsor and star in over 25 Reynolds Wrap product commercials, Morton saw the need for continued training in her field.

She got just that in 2011 when she enrolled in the Triad Community Kitchen program after moving back to her home state of North Carolina.

“I didn’t have Back-of-the-House training and I thought the program would help,” said Morton who graduated from North Carolina Central University with a degree in Foods & Nutrition.

Morton was a star student at Triad Community Kitchen’s 10-week culinary program, which took place at Forsyth Technical Community College.

“Actually, I helped to train other students,” said Morton “I even received the Outstanding Student Award at graduation.”

During the Triad Community Kitchen graduation, the students were placed into teams and challenged to make a dish for the graduation attendees

After successfully preparing their dishes, each student received a certificate in Culinary Arts Skills Training.

Unlike many Triad Community Kitchen graduates, Morton wasn’t looking to work in a restaurant after graduation.

“I wasn’t really looking for a job,” said Morton. ” I just wanted the training and knowledge,”

Now, Morton is able to use her training from the Triad community Kitchen program during healthy cooking demonstrations and cooking classes at churches and businesses in the Triad through her company Betty’s Good Cooking . She is also teaching cooking classes at Winston-Salem State University, Wake Forrest University and The Stocked Pot & Co.

Although she learned from the program, it is not the end of her learning process.

“There’s always something to learn in cooking,” she Morton.