Happy Holidays!

The editors of Chef Educator Today and CET Online Tool Kit wish you the best this holiday season.

Online Tool Kit will return Monday, Jan. 5. We'll see you in 2009!

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami partners with the James Beard Foundation to offer scholarships

Kirk T. Bachmann, vice president of academics, Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America and interim president of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami (LCB Miami), announced earlier this month the establishment of five scholarships within the James Beard Foundation. The scholarships totaling $15,000 will be granted to qualifying students attending LCB Miami in each of the following segments: career changer, female, Hispanic heritage, high school Spanish language speaker from a major metropolitan area and a student from the New York metropolitan area.

"The esteemed legacy of the James Beard Foundation provides the perfect partnership for reaching potential students in financial need and with the motivation to pursue a career from the foremost French culinary arts program in the world" said Bachmann. "Many students face significant obstacles as they pursue their passion at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami, and this new scholarship program will help them achieve their dream."

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami presented the scholarships at a special dinner event at the famed James Beard House in New York City, in early November. The dinner, titled "Savoring the Americas," was created by the LCB Miami chef instructors Marcelo Marino, Miles Mitchell, Michel Pompei and Ray Rutenis. The special event reflected the high level of classic and tradition-based education received by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami students.

School scholarships are awarded as waivers that will be applied as a credit to the student's account. Applicants must meet the admission and eligibility requirements at the applicable participating schools to be eligible to receive an award. For a complete list of James Beard Foundation School Scholarships and complete details, click here.

California Almonds to be showcased at World Pastry Cup

As a proud partner of the 2009 World Pastry Cup (Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie), the Almond Board of California will pay tribute to the grand tradition of classic almond pastry arts still used today to create tomorrow's innovations at the World Pastry Cup. The 2009 World Pastry Cup, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the world-class competition, will be the first year almonds are featured in the competition. Two of the four competition categories require the use of California almonds: the frozen fruit dessert and the plated, chocolate dessert.

In preparation for this year's celebration, the Almond Board will help unveil a special 20th anniversary dessert. Thirty of the most acclaimed pâtisiers in the world, all previous winners of the competition, gathered to create this unprecedented recipe that represents the spirit of the contest and includes the latest trends in pâtisserie. The dessert, consisting of intricate layers of delicate chocolate mousse, almond praline, fruit with chopped almonds, a chocolate biscuit and spice, will debut in France and be replicated in pâtisseries and restaurants around the world.

The World Pastry Cup, now considered the flagship event in the pâtisserie profession, will take place in Lyon, France on January 25–26, 2009, during SIRHA, the International Hotel Catering and Food Trade Exhibition. For more information about the World Pastry Cup or the Almond Board of California's sponsorship, visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com.

Johnson & Wales teams wins big at Culinary Olympics

Three chefs and one student from Johnson & Wales University brought home one gold, one silver and two bronze medals from the 22nd International Culinary Arts Competition, referred to in the industry as the Culinary Olympics, which was held from Oct. 19–22 in Erfurt, Germany. The Culinary Olympics, established by the German Chefs Association in 1900, is the largest culinary exhibit in the world and is held every four years similar to the international sporting event. With more than 1,000 chefs, baking and pastry experts from more than 50 countries competing, it is also one of the leading international cooking contests.

Chef Brian Campbell, CEC, CCE, FMP, CCI, associate instructor, College of Culinary Arts, at Johnson & Wales Charlotte Campus, won a gold medal in the cold food competition. His eight-serving platter entry highlighted seafood from both American coasts and included poached lobster tail and cured salmon. He carried the same theme through to the six individual plates he presented, featuring unique twists on regional favorites: foie grad and confit terrine (Northeast); poached rabbit loin (Midwest); goat cheese and eggplant timbale (Southwest); cured pork tenderloin (Southeast); salmon gravlox sampler (Northwest), and Alaskan Halibut (Pacific).

Chef Robert W. Zielinski, CEPC, associate instructor, International Baking & Pastry Institute at the College Culinary Arts, Providence Campus earned a silver medal in the pastry category for his salt dough piece entitled "Autumn Garden Harvest." Daniel Schöfisch, culinary arts student, senior and culinary events teaching assistant, College of Culinary Arts, Providence Campus, received a silver medal for his cold food entry, which focused on sustainability and featured selections from the lake and sea including a mosaic of poached turbot and smoked Scottish salmon. Chef Frank Terranova, MCFE, associate instructor, College of Culinary Arts, Providence Campus, captured a bronze medal for his cold food presentation, which included a cold festive platter of, among other things, mahi mahi and Coho salmon sea bass.

The award-winning Johnson & Wales University's 2008 Culinary Olympics team was sponsored by the Vollrath Co., a manufacturer of quality smallwares and equipment for the foodservice industry.

(Pictured, l to r): Charles Reid, Brian Campbell, Frank Terranova, Rainer Hainerwadel, Daniel Schöfisch, Robert Zielinski, John Maieli and Marc Hienerwadel. (Photo courtesy of TBZ Koch)

Massachusetts high school students to compete for culinary scholarships

Students from across the state of Massachusetts are gearing up to participate in the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (MRAEF) Second Annual ProStart Student Invitational, to be held on Jan. 16, 2009 at Le Cordon Bleu in Cambridge. This is the first time Le Cordon Bleu is hosting the event.

Participating ProStart teams will demonstrate their creative culinary abilities by preparing a complete meal consisting of a starter (soup, appetizer or salad); protein (meat, fish or fowl); vegetable and starch, followed by dessert. Students will be asked to compete in events to highlight their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry. A portion of the competition involves a case-study event, where students test their communication skills and their knowledge in practical situations.

Participating schools include: Brockton High School (first time participating); Carver High School; Nantucket High School; Peabody Veterans Memorial High School; Pittsfield High School; Smith Agricultural Vocational High School; and Tri- County Vocational High School.

Teams will be competing for first, second and third place, and each winning team member will receive scholarships from one of five colleges: Johnson and Wales, Culinary Institute of America, Newbury College, Connecticut Culinary Institute and New England Culinary Institute.

For more information on the 2009 Massachusetts ProStart Student Invitational, click here.

New Penn State Outreach video series explores urban gardening

In this age of highly publicized food contaminations, energy anxieties and global warming, concerns about where and how our groceries are produced and distributed are emerging worldwide. With those concerns in mind, Penn State Outreach, the largest unified outreach organization in American higher education, recently produced "The Urban Side of Green," a series of online videos that discuss the benefits of greening up city landscapes. Part one of the series, featuring an interview with Penn State's Dr. Dorothy Blair, can be found on YouTube (click here for link).

Blair, an assistant professor of Nutrition, is a longtime advocate of eating locally—a lifestyle sometimes described as "localvore." She has been studying and teaching about global food production system for 30 years. While serving in the Peace Corps early in her career, she said she saw firsthand how the global food production system perpetuated poverty, funneling money away from the people producing food, and into the coffers of distant conglomerates. Later, through her academic research, she was able to pinpoint "fatal flaws" that would render that system ecologically unsustainable.

In contrast, "if you're producing food in a urban area, it's very diversified—many producers on tiny plots," Blair points out. "It's very energy-efficient, and you have people eating food that is good for them—extremely fresh—with the kind of nutrients they might find difficult to obtain because of their low budget. And you have people locally making money."

Blair sees three main benefits to city farms and gardens: personal health, economic health and environmental health. To learn more about Dr. Blair's research, visit her Web page.

Revamped Idaho Potato Web site offers wealth of resources

After performing a complete overhaul of its Web site, the Idaho Potato Commission recently unveiled the new and improved www.idahopotato.com. The new site is both engaging and easier to navigate, with all of the most trafficked and requested pages up front. Now scanning for instruction resources, like recipes, news and cooking tips is more convenient than ever. Short videos can be viewed by clicking on the Spud Flix “Now Playing” button. The inventory of more than twenty videos also includes this promo for Idaho Potato Lollipops; CET's sister publication Chef Magazine featured the recipe for Idaho Potato Lollipops in its September 2008 issue.

NRA 'What's Hot' survey released

The National Restaurant Association's (NRA) "What's Hot in 2009" survey of American Culinary Federation chefs is the industry's leading culinary forecast. This year marks the third annual survey of ACF chefs. More than 1,600 professional chefs nationwide ranked nearly 210 culinary items as a "hot trend," "yesterday's news" or "perennial favorite."

The full survey can be viewed here, but the top 20 are listed below.

What’s Hot: Top 20 Trends
1. Locally grown produce
2. Bite-size/mini desserts
3. Organic produce
4. Nutritionally balanced children's dishes
5. New/fabricated cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, bone-in Tuscan veal chop)
6. Fruit/vegetable children's side items
7. Superfruits (e.g. acai, goji berry, mangosteen)
8. Small plates/tapas/mezze/dim sum
9. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
10. Sustainable seafood
11. Nutrition/health (e.g. low-fat, reduced sodium, antioxidants, high-fiber)
12. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
13. Non-traditional fish (e.g. branzino, Arctic char, barramundi)
14. Artisanal cheeses
15. Exotic fruit (e.g. durian, passion fruit, dragon fruit, guava)
16. Culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, customized to specific dishes)
17. Micro-vegetables/micro-greens
18. Organic wine
19. Dessert flights/combos/platters
20. Free-range poultry/pork

In your opinion, what food trends will be hot in 2009? Tell us about it in the comments section.

ACF-approved continuing education courses at Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy

Barry Callebaut, a leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, announced that 15 courses at its Chocolate Academy in Chicago have been approved for continuing education hours through the American Culinary Federation (ACF). From introductory courses on the origins of chocolate to specialized classes on molding, enrobing and sculpting techniques, the Chocolate Academy’s one-of-a-kind training is specifically designed to encourage participants to apply and broaden their technical skills under the guidance of trained master chocolatiers. The small classes are taught in a personal setting that encourages participants to share their unique experience and knowledge about the latest chocolate-making trends with other participants.Courses at Barry Callebaut's Chicago Chocolate Academy are also eligible for continuing education credit through the Research Chefs Association.

National Honey Board hosts "Iron Chef" competition for NECI students

On Nov. 19, 2008, New England Culinary Institute (NECI) students braved both winter snow and tough ground rules to compete in two National Honey Board-sponsored recipe competitions: (1) Savory Culinary Arts and (2) Baking and Pastry. In the former competition, students culinarians produced three courses from a market basket of seasonal ingredients under "Iron Chef" rules; in the latter, students worked from an original recipe.

As a reward for their honey research and menu creativity, the top three winning teams/individuals in both categories received cash prizes, including a $1,000 reward for the grand prize, from the the Honey Board. Chef Tom Bivins, NECI dean of Culinary Affairs, and Jami Yanoski, representing the National Honey Board, announced the winning students in each division. Here are the two grand prize winners:

Savory Culinary Arts
$1,000 Grand Prize: (pictured, l to r) Benjamin Dorr and Blair Johnson
Menu: Black pepper and rosemary honey-seared scallop with celeriac purée, oyster mushroom duxelles, honey lemon and carrot emulsion; honey and sage-infused fried cornish game hen and acorn squash, black pepper waffle, braised kale and chard, honey white wine and chestnut gravy; apple blossom honey-soaked semolina cake, honey citrus syrup-soaked solden raisin currants and Gran Marnier whipped cream

Baking and Pastry
$1,000 Grand Prize: Chee-Ling Francoise Ip
Item: Honey Trio—Papaya-honey chrysanthemum tea, honey caramelized persimmon puff pastry, honey-Earl Grey ice cream with honey-toasted almond brittle

For more information about the National Honey Board's culinary education programs and student recipe competitions, visit the Honey Board's Web site or contact Bruce Wolk at brucew@nhb.org.

A mushroom a day ...

by Evan Noetzel, Chef Educator Today

With as many possible culinary applications as varieties—portobellos (pictured), chanterelles, shiitakes and white buttons, to name a few—mushrooms have long been an ingredient of choice among chefs (and chef-instructors) around the world. And while much of the popularity of mushrooms can be attributed to their range of complex tastes and textures, the Mushroom Council is quick to point out that edible fungi also are prized for their nutritional benefits.

On its Web site's "Nutrition" page, the Mushroom Council recently published a series of downloadable PDFs and other resources detailing why mushrooms "deserve attention for their unique contributions to a healthful diet." One such PDF, entitled "Mushrooms: Light in Color, Dark in Nutrients," shows a side-by-side comparison of the percentage of certain nutrients in mushroom varieties versus those in other healthy foods, like carrots and broccoli. Another available PDF, "How Mushrooms' Nutrients Stack Up," gives a complete breakdown of the many nutrients packed into mushrooms.

For additional educational resources provided by the Mushroom Council, visit their Web site.

CPR training and quick action saves CIA student

Two campus safety officers and a registered nurse at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) saved the life of an 18-year-old student on Dec. 1, 2008, by performing immediate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and administering a shock from an on-campus automated external defibrillator.

At 7:34 a.m., as students were beginning their first classes after Thanksgiving break, a freshman from Missouri collapsed in a kitchen classroom. As the chef called the Safety Office to request assistance, a student ran to Health Services to summon a nurse. Within a minute, nurse Kelly O'Connor and safety officer Carl Wilson were on the scene. O'Connor initially found a pulse, but when it was lost, the two began performing CPR. Moments later, safety supervisor Lyle Burnett arrived with a defibrillator. After Burnett attached the shock pads, the machine advised that the student had a "shockable rhythm." Shortly after a shock was administered, the patient began breathing on his own, and his color returned.

This all took place before an advanced life support ambulance arrived on the scene with a paramedic. By 8:01, the student was on his way to St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he continued to recover. By Monday evening, his parents were at his side.

City Tech sweeps prizes at prestigious culinary competition

A team of student culinary all-stars from New York City College of Technology (City Tech) blew away all competitors at the culinary salon of the annual International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show, held recently at the Javits Center in Manhattan.

When the dust—and the confectioner’s sugar—had settled, the City Tech team had taken the Marc Sarrazin Cup for the best overall entry at the show (team members pictured above with the Sarrazin Cup). Two faculty members (Louise Hoffman and Jean Claude) and one alumnus (Randolph Hernandez) had each won gold medals. Two other recent alumni were honored: Ebow Dadzie with the Gold Medal of the Association of Chefs de Cuisine et de Patisserie du Quebec and Anthony Smith with the International Chefs Association Gold Medal.

Culinary salons have been sponsored by the French Société Culinaire Philanthropique for 142 years and are a regular feature of the Jacob Javits Center show. Seeing City Tech atop the list of winners has become an increasingly regular aspect of the three-day event; its students have won the Sarrazin Cup—signifying best overall performance in the competition—in three of the last four years.

Victories of this sort do not come easily. Each fall, as the show approaches, one can find the student competitors, and the several faculty who mentor them, in City Tech’s culinary labs until late at night. Professor Louise Hoffman, who works most closely with the students creating pastry and confectionery entries, says of the process, “The Salon of Culinary Arts is a professional arena where our City Tech students can demonstrate their skills, probably the toughest ‘practical exam’ our students will ever take. They do magnificent work. I am amazed every year at the level of excellence that is created in my class. I am very proud of them.”


Photo: For her confectionery artistry in constructing “Timeless Kiss,” which recalls the famous photo of the nurse and the sailor kissing in Times Square in celebration of the end of World War II, 20-year-old Brooklynite Ashley Alioto won the competition's "Best in Show" title and received a $1,000 award. (Photo courtesy of NYCCT)

Real-world skills put to test during Illinois ProStart competition

On Saturday, November 15, over 200 high school students from across Illinois gathered at Kendall College in Chicago to participate in the 8th annual Illinois ProStart Student Invitational, a series of culinary and management competitions in which students display their gastronomic abilities and knowledge. During the program, which also included a college fair and cooking demonstration, more than $200,000 in scholarships were awarded to students.

Hosted by the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (IRAEF) and sponsored by Sysco Foodservice-Chicago, this year's top competition winners were West Aurora High School in the culinary competition and Lake County High School Technology Campus in the management competition. Lake County High School Technology Campus also placed second in the culinary competition. Both teams will now go on to compete in the National ProStart Student Invitational competition, which is scheduled to take place April 24–26, 2009, in San Diego, Calif.
Technology Center of DuPage was the third place winner in both the culinary competition and the management competition. The second place winner of the management competition was Wilco Area Career Center. Each first place team member was awarded over $16,000 in scholarships to culinary colleges including: Clemens College, Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Culinary Institute of America, Illinois Institute of Art, Johnson & Wales University, Kendall College and Washburne Culinary Institute.

During the culinary competition, students were judged on creativity of presentation, knife skills, cleanup and sanitation. The management competition challenged teams of students to answer questions taken from the ProStart curriculum during the knowledge bowl. The final phase of the event, the case study, required students to demonstrate their ability to analyze management situations involving business dilemmas, using solutions from both the front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house perspectives.

"These teams are all winners in our book because everyone knows that in this industry your work ethic is just as important as the end result," said Roxanne Charles, IRAEF executive director. "West Aurora High School and Lake County High School Technology Campus should be proud of their winning teams. What they've accomplished at the Invitational will prepare them for success in today's hospitality industry."

Whole Bakers presents Best Cookie Award at Healthy Schools Campaign event

Whole Bakers, a certified gluten-free as well as kosher-certified specialty baked goods company, was chosen to announce the winner of the Best Cookie Award during the Healthy Schools Campaign's annual Cooking up Change event, held on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008. During the event, Chicago area public high school students studying culinary arts received the opportunity to showcase their original healthy student-designed menus in front of some of Chicago's elite chefs.

Whole Bakers Founder Patty Stewart was pleased to be a part of the program, which awards contest winners by preparing their unique meals at Chicagoland schools. "Cooking up Change is such a great way to get kids involved in culinary creativity," said Stewart. "I'm happy to be a part of teaching kids the importance and benefit of healthy cooking."

Stewart awarded the Best Cookie Award to Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois for their delicious Carrot Cake Cookie. Richards High School also won first place in the School Meal contest with their delicious trio of entrées which included Carrotquedilla, Chorizo Relleno and Refrescante.

Whole Bakers plans to be involved with Cooking up Change again next year as Stewart may be educating the culinary teachers and students about the gluten-free lifestyle. Stewart also plans to provide participants with gluten-free flours so that they may create entrées for those with wheat allergies.

Pictured: Patty Stewart (center) stands with Rochelle Davis (right), head of the Healthy Schools Campaign, while presenting the award for Best Cookie.

Building Scholarships for Service benefit dinner

Lexington College, an accredited, not-for-profit women’s college in Chicago offering bachelor’s and associate’s degrees in hospitality management, recently hosted “Building Scholarships for Service,” a Fall benefit dinner honoring the McCaskey family, the Chicago Bears Football Club and Bears Care. The event was held on Tuesday, November 11 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. Rita Cuddihy, senior vice president, Chief Operating Office, Central Region of Marriott International chaired the event, which raised over $250,000 in scholarship funds for a diverse group of students, including some first-generation women studying to earn a degree in hospitality management.

The event celebrated Mrs. Edward McCaskey, who represented the McCaksey family, the Chicago Bears Football Club and Bears Care. Lexington acknowledged the McCaksey family's exemplary leadership in the community and their continued support of the College and its students through scholarships over the past decade. Mrs. McCaskey was awarded the Lexington Award for Excellence.

Pictured (l to r): Natalie Martinez, general assignment reporter of NBC Channel 5 and the evening's master of ceremonies; Rita Cuddihy of Marriott International; Mrs. Edward McCaskey of the McCaskey family, the Chicago Bears Football Club and Bears Care; and Susan Mangels, Lexington president. (Photo by: George Poulos)

Culinary Immersion program at CIA lets guests get hands‐on with Electrolux equipment

Electrolux Professional and The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) hosted another Culinary Immersion program on October 29 and 30, 2008 for a group of top kitchen designers, consultants and foodservice operators at the CIA’s main campus in Hyde Park, N.Y. The two‐day program included presentations and demonstrations on Electrolux Professional foodservice equipment in conjunction with a hands‐on, world‐class culinary experience guided by Chef David Bruno, assistant professor of Culinary Arts at CIA Hyde Park.

Event attendees represented an interesting blend of companies and organizations including ROI Food Service Design, Saratoga Restaurant Supply, Boston College, Sysco Food Services of Albany, University of Albany and designers from Studio E Design Group. The program began with a company overview and then the group moved into the CIA Skills Kitchen, where Electrolux Executive Chef Sean Lucas conducted cooking demonstrations using a number of Electrolux products, including the air‐o‐steam combi oven, the Pressure Braising Pan, the Induction Wok and the Libero Point.

“I learned a lot about Electrolux Professional as a company that I was not aware of,” said Joseph Canzoneri, a consultant and President of Canzoneri Development Group Inc. “I was impressed by the amount they put back into research and development and how far they have gone to ensure their equipment is as eco‐friendly as possible.”

Later in the day, the attendees worked with the air‐o‐chill blast chiller, the Thermaline S90 modular cooking range and the SMART Refrigeration line each used on site throughout the CIA’s facilities. Electrolux representatives also discussed how the company’s many service programs, such as the Electrolux Platinum Star Service Warranty and Certified Chef Network, allow for the prevention of equipment problems.

Day one of the program concluded with a group dinner at the CIA’s Ristorante Caterina de' Medici located on campus in the beautiful Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine. On the second day, the attendees returned to the CIA main kitchen, where they were divided into teams. Each team enjoyed a hands‐on experience with the Electrolux products, preparing his or her own Mediterranean cuisine with guidance from Chef Bruno. “It was an excellent program that provided invaluable experience by letting us actually use the equipment to see firsthand how it lives up to its claims,” said Canzoneri.

Happy Turkey Day!

The editors of Chef Educator Today and CET Online Tool Kit wish you a happy Thanksgiving. Online Tool Kit will return Monday, Dec. 1.

International Cuisine breaks new ground

Social, political and religious shifts in culture directly affect the food we eat today—both at home and while dining out. To better prepare their culinary students for this ever-changing marketplace, culinary educators have begun teaching courses that survey the world's cuisines and their evolutions—and to this cause, Chef Jeremy MacVeigh contributes a new ground-breaking cookbook.

Delmar, a part of Cengage Learning, recently announced the publication of International Cuisine, a landmark work featuring rich insight and highly practical coverage of the world's major cuisines. Extensively researched and lavishly illustrated, it fills the gap between culinary books and culinary reality in today's diverse kitchens. Each chapter is clearly organized and provides detailed information on historical background, unique components, culinary terminology, common ingredients, techniques and recipes.

"Jeremy MacVeigh's clear and precise research into the cuisines of the world shows the importance of regional cuisines in today's culinary world ... A must-read for every culinarian," says Frederic "Fritz" Sonnenschmidt, certified master chef (CMC), culinary dean emeritus of The Culinary Institute of America, and celebrated author of several textbooks on classic techniques, most noticeably in the areas of garde manger and charcuterie.

Companion instructor's materials for International Cuisine are provided in print and online versions. The Instructor's Manual (ISBN: 978-1418049652) to International Cuisine serves as a valuable resource, providing review and test questions, a course outline, teaching tips and guidelines, objectives and key terms. A companion Web site provides PowerPoint slides and additional recipes for each chapter, as well as an electronic copy of the Instructor's Manual.

MacVeigh, a respected instructor of international cuisines and other core subjects at Professional Culinary Institute in San Jose, Calif., is a former executive chef with extensive commercial-cooking experience. He earned his undergraduate degree in food science before graduating from Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore. In 2007, he was named Instructor of the Year by BrightStar Education Group.

FIA reaches out to three hospitality programs

Foodservice Institute of America (FIA) members recently visited three hospitality programs—the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University and the International School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Pleasantville, N.J.—to introduce FIA to students, staff and faculty, and to offer insights into the opportunities in the industry.

Addressing a large crowd at each school, professional members of FIA discussed the diversity of the hospitality/foodservice industry and shared personal stories about developing leadership in such areas as technology, sales, distribution and consulting. The presentation of these careers only scratched the surface of the potential futures waiting for students who are working towards various degrees, the FIA members said.

Dr. Gong-Soog Hong, department chair for Consumer Sciences at the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University, felt that FIA's mission was a mirror image of his department's own mission and the overall mission of the University. FIA and Ohio State will be developing an opportunity to conduct an on campus symposium in 2010.

FIA also will be engaging in translational research that is meaningful for the industry in the next year and partnering with these three programs is a first step. Student membership in FIA is free to those enrolled in a related program. If a program would like to have FIA members speak to classes, faculty and/or staff, call their offices at 609.645.3131 or e-mail Executive Director Marsha Diamond at marsha@fia-us.org.

Chef-instructor at the Art Institute of Atlanta wins Ocean Spray's Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest

Chef Justin Ward—a member of the culinary faculty at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, as well as the owner of Leapfrog Restaurant Solutions and chef/owner of Hungry Monkey Catering—was the $25,000 foodservice-category winner of Ocean Spray's Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest. Ward's winning original recipe was pork tenderloin with cranberry molé and cranberry salsa.

The winners were announced on October 7 at a private cocktail party that coincided with the debut of Ocean Spray's 2008 "Bogs Across America" tour in New York City, where about 2,000 pounds of cranberries were on display in a free-standing urban bog.

"Ocean Spray originally launched the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest to celebrate the versatility of the cranberry year-round," said Larry Martin, vice president of marketing at Ocean Spray. "This year, contestants found even more creative ways to use the cranberry in their dishes. The originality and impressive variety of the recipes submitted showcased the talents of our home cooks and professional chefs and bartenders across the country and the wide range of uses for the fruit's unique flavor."

USDA grant finances cost-benefit assessment of HACCP

Dr. Amit Sharma, assistant professor of hospitality management at Penn State University, received a grant of $555,819 over three years from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a cost-benefit assessment model of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation in commercial foodservice operations.

The HACCP preventative food safety program was developed nearly 30 years ago for astronauts and applies to the canned food industry, seafood, juice, milk, and meat and poultry processing plants. Sharma's project will conduct research in casual dining restaurants, grocery stores and gas station food outlets. A total of 12 organizations will participate through their various units in Pennsylvania and Delaware. The central outcome of the project will be to develop a model that helps managers evaluate the costs of investing in HACCP implementation versus its potential benefits. It will also lead to the development of training modules for management and consumers.

"Given the importance of food safety and HACCP for foodservice organizations and the novel approach of this research, its outcomes will help to fill a critical gap in foodservice management and consumer decision-making," Sharma says.

ACF Pittsburgh Chapter donates $10,000 to ACF Culinary Team USA

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) Pittsburgh Chapter recently announced that it would contribute a donation of $10,000 to ACF Culinary Team USA to help cover the team's expenses at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) International Culinary Art Competition, or "culinary Olympics," which were held Oct. 19–22 in Erfurt, Germany.

"ACF Pittsburgh Chapter always comes through for ACF because of its wonderful members and dedication to culinary advancement," said John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC, ACF national president. "I was honored when I received word of the donation to ACF Culinary Team USA. Our success at the 'culinary Olympics' was intertwined with the support from ACF members in Pittsburgh and across the United States."

This is the chapter's second $10,000 donation to ACF Culinary Team USA. The first was in 2004, when the chapter raised funds to support the team and one of its members, Scott Fetty, who was then a member of ACF Culinary Team USA's regional team. This year, the 250-member chapter rallied again to recognize Fetty, a member of the 2008 AAC Culinary Regional Team USA, and support all of America's "culinary Olympic" chefs. The chapter's donation was a direct result of a special fund-raising event, The Pittsburgh Olympic Chefs' Dinner, which was held at Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa., Sept. 16.

The fund-raising dinner showcased the talents and history of ACF Pittsburgh Chapter Olympic chefs through the years. Framed IKA medals, photos and biographies were displayed, and past "culinary Olympic" team members helped coordinate the event and plan menus.

Jones Dairy Farm awards two more scholarships to CIA students

Established in May 2006, the Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund supports three scholarships each year at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). CIA juniors and seniors pursuing baccalaureate degrees in Culinary Arts Management can apply for the scholarship by submitting a short essay and original recipe using a Jones' product. Philip Jones, sixth-generation president of Jones Dairy Farm and a professionally trained chef, recently announced that CIA students Lance Nitahara and Bryan Kozlowski are the two most recent recipients of the Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship.

Lance Nitahara, a native of Wahiawa, Hawaii-native, plans to graduate from the CIA with a Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree as well as a fistful of professional certification titles—including Certified Pastry Culinarian, Certified Chef De Cuisine/PCII and the prestigious Certified Executive Chef. Nitahara came to the CIA already having earned an associates degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of the Pacific. A grueling CIA externship at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., placed him in a position normally reserved for The Greenbrier's world-famous apprenticeship program. The experience also gave him skills in Olympic-style cold food display work, which he later used to grab first place medals at International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York.

Throughout his CIA experience, Bryan Kozlowski of Pompano Beach, Fla., has excelled at every level. Graduating with an Associate in Occupational Studies (AOS) degree in May 2007, Kozlowski received the President's Award for having the highest GPA of his class and the Management Award for his performance in management focused courses. After completing his AOS degree, Kozlowski interned at Saveur Magazine. A member of Eta Sigma Delta, the school's honor society, Kozlowski is currently enrolled in the CIA's Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) degree program and is expected to graduate this Fall. Upon completion of his course work at the CIA, Kozlowski hopes to return to the publishing world, possibly in the test kitchen or editorial staff of a national consumer magazine.

New Culinary Apprentice Program from Mount Washington Resort and White Mountains Community College

New England's historic Mount Washington Resort is now offering a Culinary Apprenticeship Program, allowing apprentice students to receive associates degrees, compensation and hands-on training. In a partnership with White Mountains Community College, the new culinary-training program at Mount Washington Resort is a full-time, three-year program that prepares students for the many demanding, challenging and rewarding opportunities of the culinary world. Apprentice students can earn an associates degree in Culinary Arts through a combination of course work; lectures; and paid, on-the-job-training in a variety of culinary roles at The Resort.

One of only a handful of culinary apprentice programs in New England, the Mount Washington program requires its candidates to go through several rounds of interviews and apply for apprentice positions as if they were applying for a job. The ideal candidates are dedicated and serious culinary arts enthusiasts, and those selected will work at The Resort for three years. Students will have the opportunity to experience different areas of the kitchen, from the garde manger to pastries, and gain exceptional food-production experience. During that time, they will complete 5,000 total hours of work, in addition to taking classes at White Mountains Community College. Students are paid for their work during the program in order to simultaneously assist with tuition.

"This culinary apprenticeship opportunity gives students the right amount of hands-on training to see what it's like in the real world. At the restaurants within Mount Washington Resort, students can get the quality training they need to give them an edge in the culinary field," says Travis Giles, chef-instructor at White Mountains Community College. Program courses range from liberal arts classes to classical desserts and a la carte cookery. Culinary theory courses include table service, mixology, menu analysis and restaurant design.

Ohio restaurateur is first CIA graduate to head the school's Board of Trustees

Restaurateur and entrepreneur Cameron Mitchell, president and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, was elected by fellow trustees to become the 15th Chairman of the Board of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at the college's annual meeting on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. A 1986 CIA graduate, Mr. Mitchell (pictured, left, with Dr. Tim Ryan '77, CIA President; photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris) is the first alumnus to become Chairman of the Board of the college.

Mitchell's restaurant career has taken him from dishwasher in a steakhouse in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, to president of his own successful, multi-concept restaurant company. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants began with one restaurant in Columbus in 1993 and grew to a 33-unit company with locations in nine states. Mr. Mitchell sold his 19-unit Mitchell's Fish Market and three-unit Cameron's Steakhouse chains to Ruth's Chris Steak House for $92 million in early 2008. He now operates a catering company and 14 restaurants under seven dining concepts in Ohio, Michigan, Florida and Arizona.

Mr. Mitchell has sponsored several scholarships at the CIA, and in 2004, he provided the college with its largest gift ever from a graduate. He has been a member of the board since 1999.

The Culinary Institute of America also announced the appointment of three new trustees at the same meeting: Elizabeth Blau, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Blau & Associates, a Las Vegas, NV-based consulting firm; Lorna Donatone, president of Sodexo School Services; and Robert Muh, CEO of Sutter Securities Inc. of San Francisco, Calif.

ACF Culinary Youth Team USA wins Gold and Silver at "culinary Olympics"

American Culinary Federation (ACF) Culinary Youth Team USA delivered a stellar performance at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) International Culinary Art Competition, also known as the "culinary Olympics," held Oct. 19–22 in Erfurt, Germany. The ACF Culinary Youth Team USA, comprised of five cooks from St. Louis, earned a gold medal in cold food on Oct. 20, improving from the bronze medal that the 2004 youth team earned in that same category, and a silver medal in hot food on Oct. 22.

In the hot kitchen category, the team prepared 110 dishes. Then, just a few hours later, in the culinary studio, designated team members showcased their culinary skill by preparing a duck course and dessert in 30 minutes. Teams were evaluated on mise en place and cleanliness preparation, correct professional preparation of food, arrangement and presentation/innovation, and taste.

The team placed fourth overall in the world against 19 other youth teams. Germany placed first overall, Switzerland placed second and Sweden third.

The ACF Culinary Youth Team USA members are:

• Mike Bush, line cook, Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis
• John Gelineau, line cook, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis
• Mike Palazzola, garde manger, Old Warson Country Club,
  St. Louis
• Wayne Sieve, line cook, Racquet Club Ladue, St. Louis
• Kevin Taylor, cook, St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis

Online Exclusive: Paring down tool kits

by Chef Educator Today staff

Proper instruction in the classroom relies not only on the instructor's ability to convey course material, but also on the quality of the knives and other tools used in the kitchen lab. Many cutlery companies offer services and resources to help you and your school pick the proper tools for your students to succeed. Here are a few worth honing in on.

Mercer Cutlery

Students with access to the best academic tools in their field have a proven advantage when it comes time to further their education or pursue a career. For the last 30 years, Mercer Cutlery's mission has been to help students achieve that professional edge. Let the sales team assist you in getting what you need quickly and within your budget. With more than 2,000 products--from chef's knifes to chocolate dipping forks--Mercer Cutlery will work with you to customize a set or package to suit your students' needs. Visit www.mercercutlery.com, call (800) 221-5202, or e-mail education@mercercutlery.com.

R.H. Forschner by Victorinox

To properly address cutlery needs, R.H. Forschner by Victorinox creates a custom experience for each client school. "We personally examine each culinary school’s needs on a case-by-case basis and make recommendations from there," said Tom Lawler, vice president of sales for the company. "We’re confident that once students use our cutlery, they will become fans of our brand throughout their careers." To better illuminate the company’s long history in the culinary arts field, R.H.Forschner by Victorinox plans to roll out significant marketing materials on supply programs to culinary schools in 2009. Visit www.rhforschner.com, or call (800) 243-4074.

Canada Cutlery Inc. (CCI)

CCI believes that you should feel 100-percent confident that the culinary kit you chose for your students is of unrivaled quality and value. The Superior Culinary Master brand consists of unparalleled, European-made knives and tools, crafted from the best European cutlery steel available. These tools are designed with ergonomic handles and extra-wide blades for safer and superior cutting performance. Visit www.canadacutlery.com or www.chef-tools-direct.com (for online purchasing), or call (800) 698-8277.

New cooking classes from Food Network and The Art Institute of Atlanta

The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta and Food Network recently began to test a new series of cooking classes in Atlanta. The recreational classes and cuisine workshops, which are open to the greater Atlanta community, have thus far featured themes like "How To Boil Water," "Oktoberfest" and "Halloween."

The hands-on classes, geared toward cooks of all experience levels, offer tips and techniques from Food Network's behind-the-scenes team of experts at the Food Network Kitchens. Developed in conjunction with The Art Institute, these classes allow participants to learn what the pros know and to enjoy cooking. Other classes in the series will cover tailgating, healthy dinners, quick breads, an easy Italian dinner party, a Latin fiesta, traditional Southern cooking and more.

"It's an honor for The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta to host the first hands-on Food Network Cooking Classes through our community education department. These new classes offer the community an exciting way to experience Food Network while enjoying the use of our professional kitchens and expert instruction from chef instructors and alumni of our culinary arts degree programs," commented Janet S. Day, president of The Art Institute of Atlanta.

The classes will be held from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays at The Art Institute of Atlanta for $119 per class per person. For more information or to request a reservation, go to www.foodnetworkclasses.com.

L'Academie de Cuisine hosts fund-raiser for US team in 2009 Coupe du Monde

Since 1989, the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie (the World Pastry Cup) has honored the world's greatest pastry chefs. The bi-annual competition brings together 20 national teams from around the world—each composed of three top pastry chefs who join forces to compete against other countries in the fields of sugar, chocolate, ice sculpting and desserts.

In September, L'Academie de Cuisine, which offers programs designed for students who want a formal education in the culinary and pastry arts, hosted a fund-raiser gala at its professional culinary school for the 2009 Team USA, who will compete in the 20th-anniversary year of the Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie in Lyon, France. Guests of the fund-raiser enjoyed chocolate and sugar demonstrations by the team; hors d'oeuvres and dinner with complementary wines; silent and live auctions of chocolate, knives, restaurant dinners, team memorabilia and a chance to watch Team USA in action! The 2009 Team USA members—Remy Funfrock, David Ramirez and Roy Pell, along with team captain and former gold medal winner En-Ming Hsu—regaled attendees with stories of past competitions and volunteered their services to produce pastries to accompany many of the live auction dinners.

In all, the evening's auctions raised over $25,000, far exceeding everyone's expectations. The guests and L'Academie de Cuisine were very excited to support the team in such a generous way.

New produce-based competition provides scholarship opportunities

Culinary students don your whites and sharpen your knives because a new contest from the Southeast Produce Council is too delicious to pass up: R.E.C.I.P.E.—or Recognizing Educational Creativity in Produce Excellence—is a new culinary-student scholarship competition designed to educate future food professionals about the bounty of fresh produce items.

The competition challenges students attending culinary schools in the Southeast to create a three-course vegetarian menu that includes a starter, main course and dessert. Students can choose from a variety of fresh fruit and vegetable items as part of their pantry.

A committee of industry professionals will select the top six recipes, and the winning students will be invited to compete in a three-course meal cooking challenge in Tampa, Fla., at the Southern Exposure Convention on March 7, 2009. Finalists will also be judged on knife skills and other fundamentals.

Scholarships of $10,000, $7,500 and $5,000 will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners, respectively.

Recipes can be submitted through Dec. 1, 2008. For more details, go to www.seproducecouncil.com.

DePaul to launch hospitality leadership school

DePaul University recently received a $7.5 million gift—the school's second largest private donation ever—from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to establish the DePaul School of Hospitality Leadership, which will help address the hospitality industry's growing need for highly-educated, diverse management.

Based at the university's nationally recognized College of Commerce in downtown Chicago, the school will offer a bachelor's degree in hospitality leadership beginning in the fall of 2009 to prepare students for management roles at hotels, restaurants, convention and tourism ventures, spas and related leisure industries.

In addition to targeting traditional undergraduates, the innovative program will seek to enroll qualified Chicago hospitality workers who want to move into management but lack the educational credentials to do so. The goal is to help these workers—many of whom are minorities and/or potential first generation college students—embark on management career paths through greater access to education. Ongoing fundraising will support DePaul's plans to add graduate degrees, continuing education programs and a research center at the school.

"Chicago is the third largest convention destination in the United States and has been chosen as a candidate city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It deserves a world class hospitality school to support this major industry," said the Rev. Dennis Holtschneider, C.M., DePaul president. "Thanks to this generous donation from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, DePaul can build a program that will educate leaders from diverse backgrounds for this industry."

New gluten-free cookbook from CIA chef-instructor

As nutritional therapies—like a gluten-free diet—gain more and more attention in battles against everything from wheat allergies to celiac disease to autism, many parents are seeking gluten-free recipes that round out and complete their children's diets. Luckily, those parents eager not to miss out on important food milestones, like a first birthday cake or an afternoon of cookie baking, now have a new resource: a complete cookbook of gluten-free baked goods, compliments of renowned chef and Culinary Institute of America professor of baking and pastry arts Richard J. Coppedge, Jr., C.M.B.

With a foreword by George Chookazian, founder of Foods By George, chef Coppedge's Gluten-Free Baking with The Culinary Institute of America: 150 Flavorful Recipes from the World's Premier Culinary College (Adams Media; October) grants the gluten-sensitive the opportunity to indulge in gooey cinnamon buns, crusty French bread, savory pizza and schmear-worthy bagels. With nutritional analysis accompanying each recipe, chef Coppedge shows readers how to use alternatives to gluten in baking such favorites as: maple pecan tart, pineapple upside down cake, cream cheese rugalach, molten chocolate cake, ham and cheese scones, potato leek quiche, and black bottom cake with cherry compote.

Whether first-time bakers or professional chefs, readers will find the baking techniques in this book to be comprehensive and easy to master. Using a combination of chef Coppedge's flour blends, readers will soon be creating pies, tarts, cookies, brownies, savories and pastries sure to satisfy any palate—gluten-sensitive or not.

The French Pastry School names three new chef-instructors

The French Pastry School recently added three chef-instructors to its faculty: master baker Jonathan Dendauw, former World Pastry Cup champion En-Ming Hsu and 2008 World Pastry Cup champion Dimitri Fayard.

Dendauw’s devotion to Artisan bread-making has taken him all across France and the United States. Originally from a small town in Belgium, Dendauw began his baking apprenticeship in Nimes, France through a centuries-old organization called Les Compagnons du Devoir. Most recently, the Compagnons took Dendauw to La Farm Bakery in Cary, N.C., where he worked under master baker Lionel Vatinet.

Hsu’s accomplishments over the past 15 years include numerous awards and accolades. In 2001, as team captain of the U.S. World Pastry Cup team, she lead the United States to victory in Lyon, France. That year, her team won by the largest margin ever achieved. An apprentice of The French Pastry School’s co-founder Sébastien Canonne, MOF, Hsu will begin teaching at the school in January 2009, focusing on plated desserts instruction.

Originally from Auch, France, Fayard first came to the United States at age 19 to work for François Payard's Payard Pâtisserie and Bistro in New York City. In 2000, he became the assistant pastry chef at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. In 2003, he and his wife Keli Fayard opened Vanille Pâtisserie in Chicago. Chef Fayard specializes in flavor profiles and will teach the French cakes and tarts portion of the school's 24-week "L'Art de la Pâtisserie" program beginning in January 2009.

Sullivan University students cook for U.S. Olympic athletes in Beijing

Sullivan University students, in Beijing to cook for U.S. Olympic athletes and sponsors at the 2008 Olympics, tour the Great Wall of China: (l to r, front row) Kelly Kamin, April Gregory, Marcus Jefferson, Ben Marine; (l to r, middle row) Sullivan’s Professional Catering Chair Kimberley Jones, Kyle McDaniel, Rachelle Hyder; (l to r, back row): Josh Sperry, Brian Abbott, Darnell Ferguson, Nate Gibson.

NRAEF and CKSF create new scholarship opportunities

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), in partnership with the Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation (CKSF), is pleased to announce the launch of the new NRAEF Restaurant Management Scholarship Quiz for current undergraduate students pursuing a degree in the restaurant/foodservice industry. Unlike the NRAEF’s other scholarships, the partnership with CKSF will allow students to compete for scholarship dollars via monthly online multiple-choice quizzes that cover topics related to the restaurant and foodservice industry. Quiz content is taken from the ManageFirst Program, a college-level restaurant and foodservice management program from National Restaurant Association Solutions.

At the end of a monthly scholarship contest, scholarship recipients will be chosen based on their scores on a 15-to-25-question quiz focusing on restaurant management. The 10 students with the highest scores will each win a $500 scholarship award. For the remainder of 2008 and throughout 2009, $60,000 in scholarships will be awarded.

The BCA brings together students and NYC chefs

At the fifth annual Global Food and Wine Experience, held Tuesday, Sept. 23, at New York City’s Tavern on the Green, the BCA (formerly known as the Black Culinarian Alliance) paired more than 50 chefs and wine merchants from the city’s finest food and beverage establishments with minority culinary students from area schools.

“We are pleased to partner with the BCA to offer these kinds of opportunities to young students of color in the culinary field,” said exhibitor Sue Torres, owner of Sueños Restaurant.

Participating schools in the program included the Culinary Training Institute, Food Service Training Academy of New Jersey, Monroe College, South Bronx Job Corps, Culinary Academy of NY/LI, Art Institute of New York and the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE).

“This event [was] incredibly important to increase the awareness of these opportunities within the wine and beverage industry,” said Alex Askew, president of the BCA, which was established in 1998 as a national not-for-profit organization devoted to the enhancement of professional and educational opportunities for people of color within the culinary and hospitality
industries.

Other participating restaurants/exhibitors included Il Porto, Melba’s Restaurant, Hudson River Café, The Seasoned Pot, Calle Ocho and Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge.

The Culinary Vegetable Institute teams up with Lorain JVS Vocational School

A future generation of chefs played in The Chef’s Garden soil and The Culinary Vegetable Institute kitchen recently as part of an educational, team-building exercise. The aspiring culinarians, 45 high school seniors (two of which are pictured here) from the Lorain County Joint Vocational School Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts programs, visited the Northern Ohio farm and chef retreat as part of an annual field trip.

“The goal of this trip is to get these students energized for the year,” said chef Chris Moore, instructor for the school’s pastry arts program. Moore and chef Tim Michitsch, who runs the Culinary Arts portion of the program, arranged the event and accompanied their students.

On the first day of the two-day experience, half of the students toured the fields and greenhouses of The Chef’s Garden specialty product farm, while the other half worked in the kitchen to cook a lunch for their fellow students (see picture below) with the help of Culinary Vegetable Institute chef Johannes Klapdohr, who created the lunch menu. On the second day, the groups switched roles.

ACF president receives leadership award

The American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) national president John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC, of Cincinnati, was honored at the Annual American Academy of Chefs (AAC) Dinner, hosted by the ACF Philadelphia Chapter on Sept. 22.

“John’s career has been dedicated to elevating the fields of culinary arts and education, along with his relentless drive to develop young talent,” AAC chair Tom Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, said in a press release. “Our chapter is proud to recognize him as our 2008 honoree. He is an outstanding figure in our industry.”

Kinsella is a distinguished leader, published author and an internationally recognized culinary figure, educator and businessman. He is one of only 61 ACF-certified master chefs in the country, a master chef of the City and Guilds of London Institute, as well as an ACF-certified culinary educator and a member of the American Academy of Chefs.

Irena Chalmers’ new book, Food Jobs, hits shelves

Looking for a resource to help culinary students land that perfect job in the food world ? Then be sure to pick up Irena Chalmers’ new book, Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers (Beaufort Books; $19.95/paperback). Chalmers, a Chef Magazine columnist, CIA instructor and highly respected food-industry guru, has words of wisdom for anyone who has ever considered turning a passion for food into a career.

Food Jobs is packed with profiles of fabulous (and funny) foodservice career options—from chef, caterer and bed-and-breakfast owner to wedding cake designer, specialty-food retailer and food photographer to the holy-cow-I-can-get-paid-for-that? (Think yacht chef, chewing gum taster, fortune cookie message writer.) Food Jobs draws from numerous sources—stories from celebrities, quotations, recommended books, Web sites, and information and advice—to put the reader ahead of the competition.

The book describes which professional school to choose, what jobs are available, and where and how to find them. It bursts with real-life wisdom from those who’ve been there, including luminaries such as Alice Waters, Chris Kimball, Betty Fussell and Darra Goldstein, and premier chefs Bobby Flay, Todd English, Gordon Hamersly, Francois Payard, Danny Meyer, Anthony Bourdain and many more.

R.H. Forschner by Victorinox sponsors ACF Convention

R.H. Forschner by Victorinox, world renowned for its professional-grade cutlery, recently participated as a sponsor in the 2008 American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Convention in Las Vegas.

At the convention, an awards ceremony was held to honor various ACF members for their superior performance in several categories. As part of the R.H. Forschner by Victorinox sponsorship, winners of specific categories at the event were awarded R.H. Forschner by Victorinox chef’s sets, containing more than 20 pieces of cutlery and other implements. The winners of R.H. Forschner chef’s sets included: U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year Russell Scott III; National Pastry Chef of the Year R. Andrew Chlebana II, CEPC; National Chef Educator of the Year Wilfred Beriau (pictured, left, with Frank Curty, national accounts manager, R.H. Forschner by Victorino), CEC, CCE, AAC; Chef Professionalism Award winner Charles Carroll, CEC, AAC; Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award winner Roland Schaeffer, CEC, AAC, HOF; Student Culinarian of the Year JohnMichael F. Lynch; and National Student Team Champions Jeff Albers, Michael Castillo, Eva Raquel del Pilar Castanon, Gabriel Gomez, Robert Morales and coach Alex Darvishi, CEC.

City Tech professor Louise Hoffman honored with ‘Educator of the Year’ Award

New York City College of Technology (City Tech) Hospitality Management professor Louise Hoffman was named “Educator of the Year” by Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR).

Hoffman, an award-winning pastry chef, was honored "for inspiring a new generation of women chefs and restaurateurs through her passion, service and dedication." She began teaching at City Tech in 1993.

"As a formally trained studio artist, Louise marries the world of fine arts and pastry arts in her teaching," says Liz Schaible, chairperson of City Tech’s Department of Hospitality Management. "She provides a nurturing learning environment in which the pastry laboratory classroom is an artist’s studio, inspiring her students to be creative and grow."

The proof is in the pudding, as they say. Hoffman’s students are known in the industry for creating incredible pastry works of chocolate and sugar. Her former students include Sonia Heidel, an independent pastry entrepreneur (Augustin's Waffles); Monica Ng, a confectionery artist and pastry chef at Patroon; Thalia Warner, pastry cook at Ritz Carlton and wedding cake designer; and Zsuzsa Bugyi, general manager, Cinema Café. Among her current students are wedding cake designer Amanda Stiles and Ashley Alioto, an honors student working on confectionery research.

Hoffman, who took third place in the 2002 U.S. Pastry Competition, mentors students and alumni for competition work. Among those she is advising are alumni Ebow Dadzie '03, pastry sous chef at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan, who was named 2007 Pastry Chef of the Year at the U.S. Pastry Competition, and Anthony Smith '96, pastry chef, Cosmopolitan Club, Manhattan, both of whom will be competing next July in the National Pastry Competition.

Before becoming a City Tech faculty member, Hoffman was a line cook at the River Café and Montrachet, a chef at One If By Land, Two If By Sea and a baker at The New Prospect Bakery in Brooklyn and at The Cottage Street Bakery on Cape Cod.

Chef Monique Porche-Smith appointed to ACF committee

Chef Monique Porche-Smith, CPC, a member of the culinary faculty at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, has been appointed to the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Knowledge Bowl Development Committee. Responsibilities include work with the ACF national staff to identify new variations for the knowledge bowl game, developing questions based on applicable textbooks, and identifying improvements for the competition.

Chef Porche-Smith is a graduate of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta, earning her associate degree in 2001 and her bachelor’s degree in culinary arts management in 2007. She is a full-time member of the culinary faculty, and a Certified Professional Chef (CPC) through the American Culinary Federation.

According to culinary arts department chair Chef Jim Gallivan, “Anytime a faculty member is asked by the ACF to help with one of its’ educational programs, it speaks to the excellent reputation of the Art Institute of Atlanta’s culinary program as well as to a faculty member’s industry credibility.”

ACF, a professional organization for chefs and cooks that works to promote the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education of culinarians at all levels, sponsors the annual Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, a competition including audio and video clues and challenges, an interactive Q&A session with the audience during breaks, prize giveaways, and more. Knowledge Bowl teams compete at their respective ACF Regional Conferences. The winning team from each region earns the right to contend for the national title during ACF's annual National Convention.