PCI hires president and CEO

The Professional Culinary Institute (PCI), Campbell, Calif., appointed chef Gary Prell as its new president and CEO. Prell joins PRI from hospitality company Centerplate, where he was vice president. He also previously worked for The Art Institutes.

"I am so excited to join the team at PCI and to be a part of their future," Prell said in a statement. "The staff and faculty's passion to impart knowledge and make a difference in the lives of their students is unparalleled. They are truly successful."

PCI provides career training in the hospitality field focusing on culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, wine sommelier training and hospitality management. For more information, visit www.professionalculinaryinstitute.com.

Bronwen Weber to teach cake sculptures at FPS

Bronwen Weber, award-winning baker and pastry chef of Frosted Art Bakery in Dallas, will teach a three-day cake sculpting class at The French Pastry School of Chicago in January. Weber will demonstrate her signature cake carving and fondant modeling techniques in this hands-on professional continuing education course. Students will learn such techniques as stable internal structure systems, cake construction and carving methods, covering irregularly shaped cakes in fondant, fondant modeling, chocolate modeling, sculpting and painting and airbrush techniques. Each student will create two finished showpiece projects during the class, which they will be able to take home at the end.

A cake created during the 2009 cake sculpting class*

This course, which takes place from Jan. 11 to 13, 2010, is accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) for 24 Continuing Education Hours. For more information, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.

*Photo courtesy of The French Pastry School

HCCC to host inaugural "Sound Bites" event

Hudson County Community College, Jersey City, N.J., will host the first of a series of "Sound Bites" events on Jan. 15, 2010, a meet-and-greet gathering and buffet with blues singer and guitarist John Hammond. Hammond will be appearing at the event to speak with guests prior to his concert with the Duke Robillard Band at The Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre that evening. The event will include a Louisiana blues-style buffet and complimentary glass of wine or beer.

"The Hudson County Community College Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center was built to serve the many needs of the community," said HCCC president Glen Gabert in a statement. "We see 'Sound Bites' as opportunities for the community to become better acquainted with the College and the Journal Square area, meet some highly acclaimed performers, savor some of our delicious cuisine and enjoy the company of neighbors."

"Sound Bites," which has been organized in cooperation with the Journal Square Special Improvement District, will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the college's Culinary Arts Institute/Conference Center. More information can be found at www.hccc.edu.

Culinary technology program offered at Schoolcraft College

As technological advances make further headway in commercial kitchens, Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Mich., has responded by offering a culinary technology certificate program to train chefs in accelerated cooking methods and equipment. The Innovative Culinary Technology Certificate program is a three-course curriculum that will focus on equipment and topics like combination ovens, rapid-cook ovens, impingement, induction, holding blast chilling and freezing, sous vide, green energy use, kitchen design for various business channels, quality control and food cost savings.

Registration for the winter semester is under way, and class sizes are limited. Interested candidates can attend an open house Jan. 11 in the Culinary Arts Demonstration Lab at the main campus, where they will tour the facilities and meet the instructors. For more information, visit www.schoolcraft.edu/cepd/culinarytechnology.

Happy holidays from FENI

Happy Holidays from the FENI Crew

Foodservice Educators Network International
12th Annual Educators Summit
February 12 to 15, 2010, in Chicago
Register at: www.fenisummit.com

Massachusetts ProStart students assist at the Guy Fieri Roadshow

Five ProStart students from Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School in Haverhill, Mass., and their teacher, Cathie Baines, assisted in kicking off The Guy Fieri Roadshow, which began its 21-city tour in 30 days at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Nov. 17. The show featured cooking stations, demonstrations and behind the scenes stories from the road.

Fieri is the star of three Food Network shows and is co-owner of Johnny Garlic's (three locations) and Tex Wasabi's (two locations) of Northern California, as well as a best-selling author. He is also a member of the California Restaurant Association's Educational Foundation that promotes the ProStart curriculum developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School also uses and promotes ProStart in their culinary curriculum through the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (MRAEF).

"ProStart students are the best in Massachusetts, and I knew they were my go to help for the event," Fieri said in a press release. "I couldn't wait to give them an incredible backstage experience while I blow the audience's mind!"

"The MRAEF was thrilled to coordinate this event with Guy," MRAEF Educational Coordinator Heather Carneiro said in a press release. "This is just another way in which the MRAEF helps its ProStart students prepare for their futures."

Five Whittier Regional Tech ProStart students at the kickoff of a 21-day tour of Guy Fieri Roadshow with a stage assistant and TV personality Guy Fieri

Students can enter to win AI's Best Teen Chef scholarship, Food Network "Intern for a Day"

High school seniors with aspirations of a culinary education can enter the Best Teen Chef Competition 2010, sponsored by the International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes (AI).

The top prize winner will earn a full-tuition scholarship toward a bachelor's degree, associate's degree, certificate or diploma program to study culinary arts at one of the more than 30 participating Art Institutes schools.

Now in its 11th year, the Best Teen Chef Competition awards more than $200,000 in tuition scholarships to AI schools to high school seniors in the U.S. and Canada interested in pursuing a career in the fast growing culinary industry.

The first-place local winners from AI schools across the country will progress to the National Best Teen Chef Final Round Competition, which will be held on May 15, 2010, at AI-Houston.

In addition to a full-tuition scholarship and the title of Best Teen Chef 2010, the national first place winner, in partnership with Food Network, will be an "Intern for a Day" at Food Network Kitchens in New York City. The winner will also receive a tour of Food Network's studios, dinner for two at a Food Network chef's restaurant and a library of Food Network Kitchens cookbooks.

To be eligible to enter the competition, high school seniors must first submit a completed Entry and Release Form by February 5, 2010, to a participating The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes location where they wish to enter the competition. Deadline for complete entries into the competition is February 26, 2010.

To learn how to enter the Best Teen Chef Competition 2010 and view full details, visit http://www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=ai1006.