March 2009 CET digital edition online

Look Inside >> March 2009

The digital edition of the March 2009 issue of Chef Educator Today (CET) is now online through the CET Web Site. This digital edition features all the same great content as the print edition, plus it includes an online exclusive article on classroom communications.

To access the March digital edition, click the icon above. For the CET digital archives, click here.

Jett's crab cakes take first in Vistive Chef Challenge

Chef Leslie Jett, CEC, resident instructor in the University of Missouri-Columbia Hotel and Restaurant Management program, won the $10,000 first prize in the Vistive Chef Challenge at the 2009 Commodity Classic held last month in Grapevine, Texas. His winning recipe was Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper-Creole Remoulade (recipe below), cooked in Vistive low-linolenic soybean oil.

In combination with the Soyfoods Council, agricultural company Monsanto launched the Vistive Chef Challenge at the 2008 Farm Progress Show. Over the past six months, professional chefs nationwide have submitted recipes cooked in Vistive low-linolenic soybean oil, which contains less than 3 percent linolenic acid, resulting in a more stable soybean oil that typically doesn't require partial hydrogenation. A panel of judges narrowed down the entries to three finalists, and the winner was determined by farmers and their families, who voted online.

Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper-Creole Remoulade

Yield: 4 servings

1 c. soy-based mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 T. dry mustard
1 T. fresh tarragon, chopped
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. yellow onion, minced
1 t. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t. hot sauce
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
8 oz. crab meat
2 1/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
1 c. textured soy protein soy breadcrumbs
2 c. spring mix
Roasted Red Pepper-Creole Remoulade for service (recipe follows)

Method (1) heat fryer with soy oil to 325ºF. (2) Beat together 1 egg with 1/2 c. cold water, and set aside. (3) Combine 1 c. mayonnaise, one egg, dry mustard, tarragon, soy sauce, Old Bay seasning, hot sauce, onion, salt and black pepper in large bowl. (4) Fold in crab meat, textured vegetable proteins and 1 c. of panko breadcrumbs. (5) Scoop mixture into desired size, form into patties, dip in the egg wash prepared in step 2 and roll in remaining panko. For small appetizer-sized crab cake, use a number 40 scoop. Recipe designed to use 3 miniature cakes to make 1 portion. (6) Place crab cakes into fryer, using a double basket method to ensure even cooking around the cakes. Cook cakes for 5-6 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Drizzle plate with Roasted Red Pepper-Creole Remoulade, place 1/2 c. of spring greens on plate and position cakes on plate for service.

Roasted Red Pepper-Creole Remoulade

1 c. soy mayonnaise

1 T. creole seasoning
1/2 roasted red bell pepper
1 t. Dijon mustard
2 T. fresh chives
Pinch cream of tartar

Method (1) Combine 1 c. soy mayonnaise, red bell pepper, Dijon mustard, creole seasoning, cream of tartar and chives in food processor, and blend until smooth. (2) Refrigerate until ready for use. Prepare remoulade at least 1 hour in advance, so flavors have time to develop.

Finding 2009's Best Teen Chef

High school seniors and budding chefs on March 14 will compete in The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef 2009 Local Cook-off Competition at The Art Institute of California–San Diego. Coast-to-coast, Best Teen Chef Local Cook-off Competitions will be held at participating The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes locations across the United States and Canada.

Competitors will prepare a menu of Shrimp Cocktail, Sautéed Breast of Chicken, Fresh Broccoli and Rice Pilaf during timed heats. Local winners will head to The Art Institute of Charlotte, in North Carolina, May 8 to 10 for the Best Teen Chef Final Round Competition.

The national first prize includes a full-tuition scholarship toward an associate's degree, certificate or diploma program to study culinary arts at one of the more than 30 participating Art Institute locations; and the chance to be "Intern for a Day" at Food Network Kitchens in New York city.

More information about the Best Teen Chef Competition is available at The Art Institutes Web site.

CIA hires associate dean for business management

The Culinary Institute of America hired Rummy Pandit, former assistant dean and executive director of hospitality management at Rutgers University, as associate dean for business management.

Pandit holds a master's in Hotel Management from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration/IMHI and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Rutgers. Before joining the academic world, he held multiple managerial positions in the hospitality industry, including executive director of hotel operations for Harrah's Showboat Casino-Hotel and general manager of the Atlantic Palace Suites in Atlantic City, N.J.; general manager of the Shoreham Hotel in New York City; and rooms division manager at the Ritz Carlton in Boston. Pandit also holds a Certified Hotel Administrator designation from the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

"With its complexity and broad scope, today's foodservice and hospitality industry needs more and better-prepared managers," said Kathy Merget, CIA dean of liberal arts and business management, in a statement. "We want to expose our students to the latest business practices, technology and leadership opportunities, whether in the kitchen or the boardroom. Mr. Pandit's experience will help provide CIA students with the most advanced business applications at both the associate and bachelor's degree levels."

HMEF hosts third annual ProStart Invitational

The Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation (HMEF) on Feb. 10 hosted the third annual HMEF Sysco ProStart Invitational at Sysco Minnesota in St. Paul, to provide high school juniors and seniors exposure to the foodservice industry through team-based culinary and academic competitions.

Nine teams consisting of junior and senior students enrolled in one of the six Minnesota ProStart high schools competed in a culinary competition and a management competition. In the culinary session, students prepared a three-course meal in 60 minutes, which was observed and rated by judges from post-secondary colleges and universities and the restaurant and foodservice industry. The gold medal team was Elk River High School.

In the management portion, students were tested on their communication skills and ability to apply their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry to practical situations and competed in a question-and-answer portion. The gold medal team was Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. The winning team from each of the competitions will move on to represent Minnesota at the National ProStart Invitational in San Diego, Calif., April 23 to 26.

ProStart is a National Restaurant Association Solutions career-building program for high school students interested in culinary arts and foodservice management.

ACF awards first Certified Junior Culinarian designations

The American Culinary Federation awarded high school students Alveon Dixon, Stephen Kerpelman and Jessica Martinez the Certified Junior Culinarian (CJC) designation. These students are dual enrolled at the Center of Applied Technology (CAT) in Severn, Md., and Arundel High School, Gambills, Md.

The CJC designation indicates to culinary industry and post-secondary educational institutions that the student has completed a culinary arts program and has passed the required competencies of the program.

Collectively, Dixon, Kerpelman and Martinez have been awarded more than $100,000 in scholarship money for their post-secondary education. They also have earned recognition in high academic achievement, civic activity, extracurricular work and competitions. They are the only three students out of 11 in the CAT culinary arts program who have met all the requirements for the CJC designation.

"These students have excelled in an environment in which students apply theory and knowledge toward skills proficiency and practice safe work habits and professional ethics," said Bruce Davis, CAT culinary arts instructor, in a statement.

ADDED 3/18/09: For more information on the secondary certification and the CJC accreditation process, visit the ACF Web site.

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.