Chicago's Susan Goss Celebrity Guest Chef at Lexington College 'Taste of Lexington' Event

Lexington College will host its Taste of Lexington event March 24, 2011 from 5 – 7pm at Chicago's West Loop campus. The evening’s event raises scholarship funds for the next generation of women leaders in the hospitality industry.

This year’s theme, "Passport to Hospitality" focuses on varied aspects of Lexington’s rich academic program and expertise in the art of hospitality. The College welcomes guests that include community leaders, hospitality industry professionals, educators, prospective students, and executives of hospitality related businesses in the Chicagoland area.

The event provides an opportunity to meet students, faculty and staff, tour the campus, and enjoy appetizers, and food and internship demonstrations by students. Learn about degree specializations in hospitality management and the personalized education that makes Lexington a singular institution.

Susan Goss, chef, Chicagoland restaurateur, and cookbook author will make a special guest appearance and sign her recent cookbook, entitled West Town Tavern: Contemporary Comfort Food.

For sponsorship opportunities, to register for the event, or for more information, please contact Megan Goggin at 312.226.6294 x228 or pr@lexingtoncollege.edu.

Updated version of AH&LEI textbook offers operational focus

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) has published the second edition of Managing Beverage Operations, by Ronald F. Cichy, Ph.D., CHA Emeritus, CFBE, CHE, and Lendal Kotschevar, Ph.D. This textbook focuses on the successful elements of a beverage operation, based on research of those that are thriving.

The book includes new discussions of leadership and supervision, focusing on the management and leadership practices specific to a beverage operation such as emotional intelligence and the importance of relationships, communication, recruitment and training. Readers will find a real-world approach to topics such as beverage controls, purchasing through serving, technology, design and handling guest complaints. A new chapter on sales and marketing includes both food and beverage products, and boosting sales through technology and unique service.

For more information, visit www.ahlei.org.

The Culinary Professional named top book by Cordon d'Or Gold Ribbon

The Culinary Professional, co-authored by Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE, vice president of culinary-arts programs for Laureate International Universities and dean of Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts in Chicago, and John Draz, executive research chef of Ed Miniat Inc. in South Holland, Ill., won the Literature Text Book Culinary Academy Award from the 2009-2010 Cordon d'Or--Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards.

Koetke and Draz, along with recipients of other award categories, will be honored by Noreen Kinney, founder and president of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Cordon d'Or--Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards at a reception on April 30 at The Don CeSar Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla.

The Culinary Professional, published in 2009 by Goodheart-Willcox, is an introductory textbook developed for students in grades 9 through 12 as well as the first two years of postsecondary training. It offers explanations of culinary techniques, identification of the equipment and foods used in a professional kitchen and an introduction to the knowledge and skills needed to work in and manage a foodservice operation. The book also explores the vast range of opportunities encompassing traditional and emerging food careers.

Sullivan instructor publishes bourbon cookbook

Sullivan University chef-instructor and beverage management program director Albert W.A. Schmid has written a new cookbook paying tribute to the native spirit of Kentucky: bourbon. The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook (The University Press of Kentucky) features more than 50 recipes from notable chefs and cookbooks, accompanied by 16 color photographs.

Schmid was inspired to write the book after a bourbon dinner at Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House in New Orleans. The book is organized by season, with each chapter showcasing fresh ingredients and Kentucky events in addition to Schmid's research of the history of bourbon as an American tradition. For more information and to see a video about The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, visit www.kentuckybourboncookbook.com.

Delmar releases foodservice purchasing guide

Modern Food Service Purchasing: Business Essentials to Procurement, a resource guide by Robert Garlough, MS, AAC, will be released this month by Delmar, part of Cengage Learning.

Garlough, chef emeritus of The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, wrote Modern Food Service Purchasing to provide culinary and purchasing professionals with current, in-depth coverage of the essential concepts of purchasing, store-room operations and financial stewardship. The guide provides practical information from experienced professionals on how to set up and manage a foodservice-storeroom operation and examines the fundamental considerations that must be taken into account when purchasing food, such as cost-control measures and mastering the storeroom; measuring and packaging for preservation, sale and distribution; and security issues with vendors, employees and customers.

For more information, visit www.cengage.com/community/culinary.

French Culinary Institute founder releases culinary career book

According to Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder of the world-renowned French Culinary Institute, your career shouldn't feel like punishment--it should reflect your passions in life. With the release of her new book Love What You Do: Building a Career in the Culinary Industry (2009, iUniverse Inc.), Hamilton provides a go-to guide for those in pursuit of a career in the culinary industry. More importantly though, her advice is universal, applicable for anyone who seeks a job they enjoy or a midlife career change.

"Making career changes and evaluating your career options is especially useful in today's economy," Hamilton said in a press release. "With all the complexities that the tough economic climate has created, perhaps one positive change is a second chance for many, an opportunity to leave a thankless, unsatisfying career behind and re-align oneself with the job of your dreams."

For those who desire a career in the culinary world, Love What You Do helps readers from the beginning stages of determining if it is right for them and seeking the right education and resources to ultimately landing their dream job. For the general career seekers and switchers, the book offers sound advice for those on the hunt.

With a foreword written by Tom Colicchio, chef-owner of Craft Restaurants, and endorsements from Master Chef Jacques Pepin and restaurateur Danny Meyer, Love What You Do gives an inside look on breaking into the culinary industry. In addition to profiles of real people who aspire to be in the culinary arts, as well as top chefs, the book will provide readers with:

• a self-inventory that uncovers your goals, passions, strengths and weaknesses;
• tips on handling the obstacles and doubts that coincide with job searching;
• practical steps necessary to begin a successful culinary career, including culinary school; selection, on-the-job training options, paid/non-paid positions, and salaries/budgets;
• decision-making advice for how to determine what positions/jobs are a good fit;
• how to conduct an effective job hunt; and
• what to expect within the first year and ways to excel.

Dorothy Cann Hamilton is the founder of the world-renowned 25-year old French Culinary Institute, as well as The Italian Culinary Academy. Both are housed by The International Culinary Center in New York City. Hamilton has educated more than 14,000 students in the culinary arts. Her awards include a 2006 International Association of Culinary Professionals Award of Excellence for Vocational Cooking School, the prestigious Ordre National du Mérite (National Order of Merit Award) from the French government. Recently, Hamilton was inducted into the Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation. Hamilton was the creator and host of "Chef's Story," a television series that debuted on PBS in April 2007, and authored the companion book. For more information, visit www.lovewhatyoudo.com or www.frenchculinary.com.

CIA releases traditional Italian cookbook

In celebration of the Italian love of food and family, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in August released A Tavola! Recipes and Reflections on Traditional Italian Home Cooking, by Gianni Scappin and Vincenzo Lauria.


A Tavola!, from publisher Lebhar-Friedman, is a compilation of the authors' favorite recipes from several regions of Italy, inspiration from their experience in U.S. restaurant kitchens and food they have tasted in their travels. Chapters cover such topics as small dishes, soups, pizzas, breads, polenta, pasta, main dishes, desserts and aperitifs. For more information visit www.ciachef.edu.

City Tech and Woodhull Hospital collaborate on cookbook

Faculty and students at New York City College of Technology (City Tech) and doctors from Woodhull North Brooklyn Health Network have collaborated to create a new cookbook, Cooked to Perfection: Cherished Family Recipes That Are Good for You. The book, which is available through the City Tech Bookstore, features old family recipes donated by clients of 11 North Brooklyn senior centers.

The hospital selected 80 recipes from the many submitted by the seniors, and then passed them along to Robert Minolfo, a nutritionist and City Tech adjunct professor. “Robert reworked the recipes, omitting many of the fats and limiting the ingredients to more nutritious substitutes,” City Tech professor Claire Stewart said in a recent press release.

“Being given the responsibility of reinterpreting these recipes was an honor,” Stewart continued. “Nicole Gajadhar and Sandra Lowe-Stuart--the hospitality management students who tested the recipes with me--shared the goal of respecting their traditions. We carefully measured each item, added seasonings, corrected the amounts, and made the instructions more user-friendly and easier to read. Altogether, we ended up with a nice selection of different ethnic dishes--mostly Spanish, Polish and Jewish.”

After testing the recipes last summer, the hospitality management team passed them on to professor MaryAnn Biehl of City Tech’s advertising design and graphic arts department so that she and her Design Team class could create a design concept for the book.

While the idea for the book was originally hatched by Woodhull North Brooklyn Health Network as a means of teaching dietary lessons to diabetic and elderly patients, it is having a much larger reach. Six local restaurants have agreed to add the dishes to their menus. For example, Chimu's Peruvian Cuisine, located at 482 Union Avenue, serves the cookbook's Stuffed Red Snapper recipe.

(l to r) Claire Stewart, professor of hospitality management, City Tech; Scott Mason, assistant commissioner, Bureau of Senior Centers, New York City Department for the Aging; Narcisa Ruiz, director, Diana Jones Senior Center; Tillie Tarantino, director, Swinging Sixties Senior Center; Sabrina Ramos, director of operations and special projects, New York City Department for the Aging; Iris Jimenez-Hernandez, senior vice president, Woodhull North Brooklyn Health Network; Barbara Grumet, dean, school of professional studies, City Tech; Brenda Johnson, director, Willoughby Senior Center, City Tech students Sandra Lowe-Stuart and Nicole Gajadhar, and Wajciech Mleczko, director, Polish Slavic Senior Center

Chalmers' Food Jobs named world's best at Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

At the 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers, by Irena Chalmers, was named the Best Book in the World for Food Professionals out of competing books from 17 countries.

In her book, Chalmers, a friend of FENI and a Chef Educator Today and Chef Magazine columnist, Culinary Institute of America instructor and foodservice industry expert, profiles a range of food sector jobs available aside from that of restaurant chef including food photographer, bed and breakfast owner, specialty food retailer, nutritionist, kitchen designer and food writer, to name a few.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were held July 1 at La Comédie-Française in Paris, next to Louvre. The United States, United Kingdom, Spain and France took home the highest number of awards this year. For more information, visit www.cookbookfair.com.

Textbook's newest edition offers f&b cost control measures

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute last month published the seventh edition of the textbook Planning and Control for Food and Beverage Operations, which includes the most current control processes used by professionals to reduce costs at every stage of food & beverage operations.

The book, written by Jack D. Ninemeier, Ph.D, CHA, CFBE, CHE, professor at The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University, includes chapters on controls for purchasing and receiving, storing and issuing, production, serving and labor. Readers will learn how to calculate actual food and beverage costs, prevent revenue theft and perform cost-volume-profit analysis. The newest edition also updates manual controls that have since been replaced by technology-based controls procedures. For more information, visit www.ahlei.org.

New professional culinary titles published

The Culinary Institute of America in conjunction with Wiley has published two new books, available this month: Baking & Pastry: Mastering the Art and Craft, 2nd Edition, and Remarkable Service: A Guide to Winning and Keeping Customers for Servers, Managers, and Restaurant Owners, 2nd Edition.

The newest edition of Baking & Pastry improves upon the first with new recipes, photos, instructional illustrations and information techniques and ingredients for desserts and breads. Also included in this guide is information on ingredient and equipment identification, baking science and food safety, baking formulas and percentages and career opportunities for baking and pastry professionals. New sections include baking entrepreneurship, principles of design, breakfast pastries and vegan baking.


The newest edition of Remarkable Service offers information for a range of dining establishments, from casual to upscale dining and catering. Service and hospitality professionals can find information on training and hiring staff, preparation for service and front-door hospitality, money handling, styles of modern table service and the relationship between the front and back of the house. This edition also offers up-to-date information on serving customers in the contemporary restaurant world.

Food Jobs e-newsletter launched

Author Irena Chalmers has officially launched the e-newsletter associated with her most recent book, Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers (2008, Beaufort Books). Chalmers, a friend of FENI and a Chef Educator Today and Chef Magazine columnist, Culinary Institute of America instructor and foodservice industry expert, will continue to offer insight into the world of food jobs through the e-newsletter. To sign up for the Food Jobs e-newsletter, visit www.foodjobsbook.com.

Food Jobs recently won the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Food Book for Professionals in the United States. For more information on Food Jobs, visit Online Tool Kit's previous post, or visit www.foodjobsbook.com.

CIA releases first two books of food selection series

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in conjunction with Delmar Publishing, has released the first two books in a multi-part Kitchen Pro series designed for chefs, foodservice managers, purchasing agents, suppliers, vendors, retailers, culinary students, instructors and food enthusiasts.
Meat: Identification, Fabrication and Utilization, by Thomas Schneller, and Fish and Seafood: Identification, Fabrication and Utilization, by Mark Ainsworth, describe both traditional and state-of-the-art methods of identifying species and cuts, purchasing, fabricating and storing.
The full-color, hard-bound texts also demonstrate basic preparation methods in step-by-step format and offer tested recipes using both classic and contemporary cooking techniques. Other topics covered in the book are prevailing consumer and foodservice issues such as local sourcing, heritage breeds, animal production practices, maximizing secondary cuts to control food costs, and flavors and cooking methods that meet diner demands while increasing restaurants' check averages.

The Kitchen Pro Series comprises six components, four of which will be released later this year and next. For more information, visit www.culinary.delmar.com.

Newest EI textbook introduces lodging industry

The American Hotel & Lodging (AH&LA) Educational Institute, www.ahlei.org, has published the seventh edition of its textbook, The Lodging and Food Service Industry, introducing readers to the complex lodging and foodservice industry.

The textbook provides a historical perspective of the lodging and foodservice industry and a department-by-department overview of its organization and structure. New material also includes industry globalization, emphasizing China, India and the Middle East; green hospitality and ecotourism; merger, acquisition and conversion activity in the hospitality industry; and job opportunities in the hospitality field.

To order the newest edition of The Lodging and Food Service Industry, by Gerald W. Lattin, Ph.D., visit the AH&LA Educational Institute's Web site.

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.

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.

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.