Basic American Foods supports Chefs of Tomorrow at Washburne

On May 23 during the 2010 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, Washburne Culinary Institute hosted a gala dinner for select guests sponsored by Basic American Foods (BAF). The dinner, created by culinary arts students under the leadership of provost William N. Reynolds, was held at the Parrot Cage Restaurant at Washburne's South Shore Cultural Center.

At the end of the evening, Loren Kimura, president and CEO of Basic American Foods, presented Reynolds with a Chefs of Tomorrow grant of $1,500 to support Washburne faculty in improving their knowledge of the latest menu and service trends. The evening was capped by a presentation of the Chefs of Tomorrow grant, an award recognizing excellence in culinary-arts students and culinary educators nationwide.

(l to r) Basic American Foods' CEO and president Loren Kimura presents Washburne provost William Reynolds with a Chefs of Tomorrow grant

"The culinary arts program at Washburne Culinary Institute is honored to receive this generous contribution by Basic American Foods, a brand that is highly respected among chefs nationwide," said Reynolds in a statement. "This donation will assist our outstanding instructional team as it trains valuable, skilled graduates for the foodservice industry."

Chefs of Tomorrow was founded by Chicago-based Olson Communications in 2008 to fund grants for high school and postsecondary culinary educators.

Culinary alumni network launched in New England

Two culinary alumnus have joined together to create Alumni Helping Alumni, an online public marketplace to help fellow New England area culinary alumni take advantage of the skills and offerings that other culinary alumni can offer them.

The idea originated as a way to help fellow culinary alumni who are no longer in the kitchens themselves and have started their own businesses associated with cooking. Alumni Helping Alumni is aimed at growing both those alumni member businesses and assisting other culinary alumnus in helping them by offering either a discount or offering a break on products or services.

The group welcomes all culinary alumnus from the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson & Wales University and the New England Culinary Institute that would like to participate. The cost associated is pledging to give a percentage discount or other incentive off of services or products to fellow alumni who would like to do business with them.

For more information about Alumni Helping Alumni, visit www.culinaryalumni.com.

ICE names new Alumni Hall of Achievement inductees

At the end of April, the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), New York City, inducted 27 alumni into its Alumni Hall of Achievement, acknowledging their accomplishments and industry expertise. The newest 27 join 50 other alumni who were initial inductees in 2006.

New inductees include Gail Simmons, special projects manager for Food & Wine magazine and judge on Bravo's Top Chef; Meadow Ramsey, pastry chef at Campanile in Los Angeles; Edward Behr, founder of The Art of Eating magazine in Peacham, Vt.; Nilufer Goodson, Turkey's first female executive chef at Kirinti Restaurant in Istanbul; and Fadi Adnan Adeeb Jaber, owner of Sugar Daddy's Bakery in Amman, Jordan; Beirut, Lebanon; and Dubai, UAE.

For a complete list of all 77 inductees, visit www.iceculinary.com/alumni/ahoa.shtml.

Kendall celebrates Mexican Bicentennial with special dinner series

The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College on May 27 hosted the first of a series of special dinners titled "Ciclo de Cocina Mexicana en Chicago 2010" to celebrate the Mexican Bicentennial. The dinner series, launched in partnership with the Mexican Consulate and ProMéxico, takes place monthly and lasts through November.

(l to r) Guest chef Federico López of Cancun; Daniel von Rabenau, executive director of FENI and Chef Educator Today's publisher and president; Benjamin Browning, evening executive chef of The Dining Room at Kendall College; Manuel Rodriguez-Arriaga, consul general of Mexico in Chicago; guest chef Guillermo González Beristáin of Monterrey; and Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE, dean of The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College and vice president of culinary-arts programs for Laureate International Universities

Upcoming dinners will take place July 26 and Aug. 9 at The Dining Room at Kendall College. For more information, visit www.culinary.kendall.edu.

Joel Heberlein addresses MSU hospitality graduates

The School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University hosted a graduation reception for its spring 2010 graduates on May 8, with MSU's Spartan Hospitality Group director, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center general manager and adjunct professor Joel Heberlein as speaker. More than 250 people attended the reception, and Heberlein's son Mike was among the graduates.

(l to r) The School of Hospitality Business' graduation reception speaker Joel Heberlein and his son, Mike Heberlein

"I had no job and no direction ... and I never dreamed I would lead a hospitality division at a Big Ten university," Heberlein told graduates. "You will always have us here at [MSU]. We will always be here for whatever you need and we would love to hear from each and every one of you whether you need us or not."

The reception included a tribute to the seniors, and two were selected by their peers as "Outstanding Seniors" for 2010. The honor went to Stephanie Stephens, the 2010 executive director of Career Expo; and Alexandra Clark, the 2010 executive director of Les Gourmets.

Online extras for Summer CET

• Career Search: Healthcare reform means more food jobs
• Extended Q&A with Buckingham County Vocational Center's Sandra Hawk
• Mignonette Trio recipe, featuring petite tender
• Deconstructed fruit and yogurt recipe
• Food and cooking podcasts for furthering student learning
• Chai truffles recipe
• Chatting with FENI's Postsecondary Educator of the Year
• Chatting with FENI's Secondary Educator of the Year
  

L'Academie's Dionet recognized as top CEO

Francois Dionot, founder and director of L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md., was chosen as one of the 25 CEOs You Need to Know for 2010 in The Montgomery County Gazette of Politics and Business. Dionot received his award at a luncheon held May 13 at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Md.


Dionot (pictured, above) established the school in 1976 when gourmet cooking was becoming popular and people were teaching cooking classes out of their homes. The school has since grown to include two campuses, full-time professional culinary and pastry arts programs and more than 1,000 recreational cooking classes each year. Dionot teaches students in each phase of the professional program and counsels the students on their final project and on their externships. For more information, visit www.lacademie.com.