A group of New Hampshire residents are getting some help launching new careers in the culinary arts with help from the state's largest food bank.

A recent article in the Nashua (NH) Telegraph profiled the local Recipe For Success program at the New Hampshire Food Bank, which helps unemployed and under-employed people build new skills as line cooks and prep cooks during an eight-week course.

Students in the program have reportedly catered for governor John Lynch's inauguration in the past and they also regularly prepare meals for a couple of nonprofits in the Manchester area. Students also become adept at preparing food for large groups of people.

The classes are also said to be increasingly popular because rising unemployment has so many people looking to improve or develop career skills.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an 11 percent jump in demand for food service workers of all kinds in the coming years. For those who do decide to pursue culinary careers, a broad variety of specialties are possible. Some professionals end up in well-known high-end restaurants, while others can work at local restaurants or they may choose to see the world by working on cruise ships or other parts of the tourism industry.