Cynthia Garcia’s transformation did not start in a restaurant kitchen; it started in her home, with a single cookie.
Two buttery shortbread rounds filled with creamy dulce de leche.
She baked alfajores at home while raising her young son, fulfilling constant requests from family and friends who could not get enough.
What began as a small way to earn extra income soon revealed something deeper.
“I realized how much people loved my food,” Garcia said. “And I realized how much I loved making it.”
Now, five years after graduating from Madison College's Culinary Arts Program, alfajores cookies are the most popular items at her Madison restaurant, Mishqui, highlighting the food of her native Peru.
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Passion over practicality
Garcia’s path to the kitchen was not straightforward.
As a single mother, she initially pursued nursing, seeking stability and a reliable career to support her son. But even while attending classes, she found herself drawn back to baking, experimenting with recipes, filling orders, and rediscovering the passion she had carried since childhood.
Eventually, she faced a choice.
“I realized I couldn’t let that passion go away,” Garcia said. “If I was going to do this, I wanted to do it right.”
She enrolled in Madison College’s Culinary Arts program, determined to turn her talent into a profession. The program prepares graduates to be executive chefs, restaurant owners, general managers and purchasing agents.
Madison College Culinary Arts graduate Cynthia Garcia
To watch this video on YouTube and access a video transcript, click here.
Culinary skill building
In the college’s teaching kitchen, Garcia learned to transform her food from home-style cooking into professional cuisine. Knife skills, sanitation, plating and classical techniques helped Garcia elevate her culinary expertise.
She also gained hands-on experience at the college’s fine dining simulated restaurant, Diane’s Delicious Diner, where students design the menu, cook and serve guests. Garcia remembers contributing quinoa to the menu, proud that it represented her Peruvian roots.
During a recent lunch rush at her restaurant, Garcia is stir-frying beef for the lomo saltado and checking on the tamal de puerco in the oven. She recalls her culinary instructor Kevin McGuinnis’ advice, “You have to make the plate look sexy,” as she adds a garnish to each entree.
“When you're passionate, your work speaks for itself,” she said. “Learning and succeeding at Madison College gave me that confidence.”
Home baker to restaurateur
With the skills, confidence and credentials she earned at Madison College, plus a stint in a prestigious Chicago restaurant and successful pop-up dinners, Garcia was ready to open Mishqui Peruvian Bistro in Monona in April 2022, followed by a second location in Middleton.
The restaurants filled a gap in the local culinary scene and received raves from customers and food critics for their savory dishes and sweets. But Garcia said it was a challenge.
“Success comes with struggles,” Garcia said. “People see how successful you are, but they have no idea how much we work. We are all working toward this dream. But if you're in the business for money, you won’t last. If cooking is your passion, you can stay forever.”
Never stop learning
After scaling down her restaurants to the King Street, Madison, location, Garcia continues to evolve, offering brunch and expanding vegetarian and vegan options. The Peruvian green tamale made with corn, spinach and cilantro has been gaining fans, along with a rich carrot cake made without dairy or eggs.
Garcia is focused on her future goals: “I want to dream while I’m awake and never stop thinking of ways to become better and educate myself.”
Today, Garcia not only runs a successful restaurant but also mentors the next generation, including Madison College culinary students.
“Enroll in Madison College with an open mind and a big heart,” she said. “Absorb everything you can, don’t be afraid to push yourself and keep going no matter what.”
