U.S. Foodservice donates culinary scholarship funds to S. Florida high school

In celebration of the recent expansion of its South Florida division, foodservice distributor U.S. Foodservice hosted a cooking event featuring some top U.S. chefs. Members of the West Boca Raton Community High School culinary team assisted the chefs during the event. In recognition of their efforts, U.S. Foodservice--South Florida provided $2,400 in scholarships to fund culinary curriculum at West Boca Raton Community High School.

The participating chefs included:

• Walter Scheib, executive chef at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., the Boca Raton Club and Resort and the Capitol Hilton in Washington, D.C.
• Johnny Rivers, culinary consultant
• Allen Susser, owner of Chef Allen's Seafood Grill, Aventura, Fla., and Taste Gastropub, Delray Beach, Fla.
• Rudy Speckamp, CMC, senior culinary consultant to the Culinary Institute of America
  

For more information about U.S. Foodservice, visit www.usfoodservice.com.

Kendall School of Education adds childhood nutrition concentration

The Kendall College School of Education has added a childhood-nutrition concentration for early-childhood educators, available in fall 2010.

Kendall College is the only four-year college in Illinois and one of a select few nationwide to offer both a Bachelor of Arts in culinary arts and a Bachelor of Arts in early-childhood education, uniquely positioning the institution to merge these two programs into the childhood-nutrition concentration.

Courses will be offered online and on campus. They will include classroom lectures and practical, in-kitchen applications of nutritional theory, which online learners will engage in via a virtual kitchen experience. The concentration will explore the nutritional needs of children through adolescence, as well as application of nutritional theory with public-health initiatives. For more information, visit www.education.kendall.edu.

FPS instructor named Pastry Chef of the Year

Chef En-Ming Hsu, World Pastry champion and chef-instructor at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago, was named 2010 Pastry Chef of the Year by the World Pastry Team Championship. Hsu was recognized at the World Pastry Forum earlier this month in Phoenix.

At the forum, Chef Hsu taught "Five-Star Plated Desserts" to pastry professionals and students. Some recipes she demonstrated included her Kahlua ice cream with ricotta fritters, rosemary-glazed figs with homemade fromage blanc, and a lavender honey cake with chocolate silk and Morello cherry compote.

Chef En-Ming Hsu (left) with French Pastry School students

Chef Hsu served as team captain of the U.S. pastry team that won the gold medal at the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France in 2001. She teaches in The French Pastry School's 24-week certificate program, L'Art de la Pâtisserie.

Delcastle students get a taste of Italia

For two weeks in July, high school students and faculty from the culinary arts class at Delcastle Technical High School in Wilmington, Del., traveled to Ripatransone, an ancient walled city in the province of Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of central Italy as part of the department's "Cooking without Borders" program. Cooking without Borders has played host to a delegation from Ripatransone for the past few years. Through fundraising, student contributions and support of private businesses, the group of 13 (pictured, below) experienced a taste of life in Ripatransone and its surrounding areas.


During their stay, the students took language classes, prepared food indigenous to the region like gnocchi, tagliatelle, ravioletto, tacchino and pizza, and shared tables with local residents. They assisted with the butchering of four cattle for a town festival, and visited the open-air market of San Benedetto and the beach at Grottomare.

Students taste porchette at the market at San Benedetto

The town's close proximity to the Adriatic Sea also provided fodder for seafood meals including pan roasted spigola, calamari fritti and steamed cockles. To share their day-to-day adventures, the group created a blog, CookingInItaly2010.blogspot.com.


Cooking Without Borders will again host a group from Italy in the fall and will send another team to the Ripatransone community in two years. For more information, visit www.cooksandbakers.com.

Preparing ravioli

CIA 13th Worlds of Flavor to explore Japan

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will host its 13th annual Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival on Japanese cuisine from Nov. 4 to 6 at the CIA's Greystone campus in St. Helena, Calif.

The conference, aimed primarily at foodservice professionals, will feature more than 50 accomplished chefs and food professionals from Japan to lead sessions covering such topics as Japanese ingredients, beverages, techniques for flavor development and aesthetics of presentation. For more information, visit www.worldsofflavor.com.

Chicago mayor cuts ribbon on new FPS facility

The French Pastry School completed construction of its new teaching kitchen and research facilities in the City Colleges of Chicago district headquarters and held an inauguration July 12 to celebrate. Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley was present and took part in a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the expanded facilities.

"As you all know, Chicago is home to a great number of innovative chefs, restaurateurs and food producers who provide a palette of extraordinary tastes," said Daley in a speech. "They are true artists who have helped enhance our city's reputation in the food and wine industry, and as a result, have brought thousands of hungry visitors here."

(l to r) City Colleges chancellor Cheryl Hyman, Chicago mayor Richard Daley, and founders and deans of The French Pastry School Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., cut the ceremonial ribbon to mark the opening of the new facility.

With the new and expanded facilities, The French Pastry School doubles in size. The additional space will accommodate more students for existing and future programs. For more information, visit www.frenchpastryschool.com.

Basic American Foods presents PCI with Chefs of Tomorrow Grant

At the 2010 National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) conference, Basic American Foods honored the Professional Culinary Institute (PCI) with a $500 Chefs of Tomorrow grant. Chef Gary J. Prell, president and CEO of the institute, accepted the grant at the San Jose Convention Center on July 9.

(l to r) Chef Gary J. Prell receives the Chefs of Tomorrow grant from Mike Villano, vice president of sales for Basic American Foods

"Because we're aware of the highly competitive nature of our industry, we not only provide students the opportunity to learn and practice skills from master craftsmen in their fields, but we also instill the behaviors most sought by employers," said Prell upon accepting the grant. "The funds presented by Basic American Foods will be used to support the Professional Culinary Institute's faculty and student endeavors in a variety of culinary and baking and pastry competitions."

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