Lexington College premiers video on preparing women for hospitality careers

Lexington College in Chicago has released a new video about the school and how it prepares graduates for professional careers in the growing hospitality industry. The college grants a bachelor of applied science (BAS) degree in hospitality management and an associate of applied science (AAS) hospitality management degree. Students pursuing the BAS select a concentration in culinary arts, event planning, hotel/restaurant management, or health care and wellness. Click on the video below to learn more.

CIA to host fourth annual Leadership Awards

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will host its fourth annual CIA Leadership Awards in New York City at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 18. The CIA created the Augie Awards, named for Auguste Escoffier, in 2007 to celebrate success and achievement of the foodservice industry's best and brightest.

The Chef of the Year Award is being given to Eric Ripert, partner and chef of Le Bernardin in New York City. The Alumna of the Year Award will be presented to Cat Cora (1995), executive chef of Bon Appétit magazine and the only female Iron Chef in the history of the Food Network's "Iron Chef America." The Alumnus of the Year Award will be presented to Chris Muller (1988), the chef de cuisine at Le Bernardin.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the college's scholarship endowment. For more information, visit www.ciagiving.org

'Top Chef' winner to hold cooking demo at Cal Poly

"Top Chef" winner Ilan Hall will host a cooking demonstration and three-course dinner at The Collins College of Hospitality Management's Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch at Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, Calif., on March 7.

Proceeds from the demonstration dinner will support The Collins College of Hospitality Management and the United Culinarians, a student club designed to give students an opportunity to develop their culinary skills outside the classroom. Hall, who won season two of Bravo TV's "Top Chef" in 2007, is also chef and owner of The Gorbals restaurant in Los Angeles, named both for an immigrant community in Glasgow, Scotland, and for Hall's Scottish/Russian-Jewish heritage.

For more information, visit www.csupomona.edu/~collins.

March 'Culinary Nutrition News' examines baby boomers

In the March issue of "Culinary Nutrition News: Nutrition and the Baby Boomer Generation," nutrition experts discuss nutrition issues affecting the baby boomer generation and how chefs can address them. The three-page article, presented by the American Culinary Federation Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., is now available for download at www.acfchefs.org/CNN.

This month's article discusses how food providers can appeal to baby boomers--a growing segment of consumers that spends more at restaurants than any other population segment--from lowering the amount of salt in meals to serving smaller portions of protein with more vegetables. The article also includes a summary of vital nutrients in the different food groups and explains how those nutrients affect bone health, vision and blood clotting.

The American Culinary Federation’s Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University partnered in May 2009 to offer a series of monthly articles designed to bridge the nutrition gap for chefs by providing up-to-date research information. The April "Culinary Nutrition News" article will be posted online on April 5.

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.

Two ECU students selected for NRA Show's Salute to Excellence 2010

The hospitality management faculty of East Carolina University selected Emily K. Smith, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., and Timothy S. Smith, a senior from Mount Airy, Md., to participate in the Salute to Excellence 2010 gala at the opening of the 2010 National Restaurant Association's Restaurant and Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago.

Emily K. Smith

The day-long event, slated for Saturday, May 22, at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, honors the accomplishments of industry leaders along with two students from each of the 100 top hospitality colleges and universities in the country.

Timothy S. Smith

Sullivan now offering beverage management degree

Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) now offers an associate degree in beverage management for those interested in cocktails, fine wine and beer. Courses for the beverage management degree are administered online, and the entire curriculum can be completed in as little as 18 months. The program is directed by Albert Schmid, author of The Hospitality Manager's Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits (Prentice Hall) and The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook (University of Kentucky Press).

The NCHS associate degree's curriculum prepares students for such careers as beverage manager, bar manager/owner, sommelier or beverage sales representative. Courses cover subjects such as production, marketing, alcohol safety, food and beverage pairing, mixology, purchasing and storage. Students also learn how to write a business plan for a bar or restaurant.

For more information, visit www.sullivan.edu.