The Wahlert community gained a new member at the start of second semester: a culinary arts teacher and chef named Mrs. Allison Pusateri.

“I think I have a little gift of being able to cook the foods and turn them into something different that I can share with the students.  It was something that I want to be able to pass onto students. It’s a little step to get people into the kitchen and working with fresh ingredients. I want to share that knowledge with the students,” said Pusateri.

Pusateri was born and raised in New Mexico where her parents owned a Cajun style restaurant.  It was here that she discovered her passion for cooking.

“I started cooking because my parents had a restaurant when I was around 12 years old. It was one of the few Cajun restaurants in New Mexico,” said Pusateri. “I was in the kitchen with them, and they got me into cooking. After that, I decided to go to Johnson and Wales University in Denver, CO, for cooking.”

Apart from teaching at Wahlert, Pusateri also works at Magoo’s Pizza as the manager and pastry chef.  After her morning classes finish up, she heads down and works at Magoo’s for the rest of the day.

Other than making pizzas, Pusateri also has a love for baking.

“I think baking is a little more creative. I really like making cakes and cookies. You can be creative with cooking, but I think there’s a whole new dynamic to decorating cakes,” said Pusateri. “I’m definitely a sweets fan. My favorite dessert to make is my tiramisu cake. It’s pretty tasty.”

Pusateri has an eclectic taste when it comes to cooking and draws on several different styles to create her dishes.

“I’m a very open cook.  I like my spicy stuff, vegetables, the meat and potato dish. I like it all.”