Kendall College Chef-Instructor and Alum Win Inaugural Culinology® Competition

The team of Eric Stein, M.S., R.D., a chef-instructor at the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, and Jaime Mestan, C.S.C., a Kendall College culinary alum (‘08) and research chef at Ed Miniat, Inc., in South Holland, Ill., took first place in the inaugural Professional Culinology® Competition, March 23 in San Antonio, Texas, held in conjunction with the Research Chefs Association’s (RCA) Annual Conference and Culinology® Expo.

Stein and Mestan beat two other teams, winning a gold medal and a $5,000 cash award with their entry of lobster paella bites, chicken and white-bean empanadillas and loaded patatas bravas (a cherished white-potato tapa of Spain). The competition, which was sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), called for entries to consist of three frozen heat-and-serve tapas suitable for serving in a casual restaurant chain.

Prior to the competition, each team shipped its frozen products to San Antonio. On competition day, each team created the fresh versions of its commercialized concepts and was judged in part against how well the plated, commercialized products matched up against the fresh gold standards. Entries were judged by a panel of culinary R&D experts against criteria that included originality of concept, nutritional profile, manufacturing feasibility, flavor, aroma, texture, presentation and safety standards. The team of Stein and Mestan was announced as the winner at the RCA’s Awards Luncheon on March 24.

Following the announcement, Stein expressed a newfound appreciation for the role of chefs who work and create within two worlds—culinary arts and food science—the perfect melding of which results in satisfied diners and successful foodservice operators. “Participating in this competition and attending the RCA conference really gave me a better understanding of the diversity within the field of Culinology®,” he said.

The discipline of Culinology® was pioneered by the Research Chefs Association with the organization’s founding in 1996. The RCA represents more than 2,000 members including chefs, food scientists, technologists, writers, nutritionists, academicians, researchers, consultants, sales and marketing professionals, suppliers, co-packers, distributors and students. RCA is the premier source of culinary and technical information for the food industry and is committed to the advancement of Culinology®—the blending of the culinary arts and food science. For more information, visit www.culinology.com.

Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts Names America’s Best High School Chef and Pastry Chef

On March 3, 31 high-school students from throughout the New York metro area competed for the distinguished titles of America’s Best High School Chef and Pastry Chef in the fourth-annual competition sponsored by the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts in the Bronx.

The prizes were academic scholarships to attend Monroe College. First-place prize was a full academic scholarship to the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management; second- and third-place prizes were partial academic scholarships worth $3,500 and $2,500, respectively, and prizes for all competitors were partial academic scholarships worth $1,500. Monroe awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to the contestants.

Yocary Luna of Food and Finance High School in Manhattan was crowned America’s Best High School Chef for her Stuffed Chicken—Teriyaki Style with sauté of fingerling potatoes and string beans.

Laura Sanchez of Passaic County Technical High School, Passaic, N.J., was named America’s Best High School Pastry Chef with her White Coating Chocolate Raspberry Tower, consisting of double-chocolate-chip brownies filled with cannoli cream and sided with French vanilla ice cream.

“I was impressed with all of the entrants, not just the winners,” said Dr. Frank Costantino, CCE, CEC, AAC, dean of the School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts. “They have bright futures in culinary. It’s interesting to note that the students who are currently among the leaders on the Monroe College Culinary teams are former winners of this competition.”

Here’s a list of the winners:
America’s Best High School Chef
First place—Yocary Luna, Food & Finance High School, New York City
Second place—Nashali Rivera, Food & Finance High School, New York City
Third place (tie)—Rossella Cangialosi, East Meadow High School, Long Island, N.Y., and Rondy Mendoza, Truman High School, Bronx, N.Y.

America’s Best High School Pastry Chef 
First place—Laura Sanchez, Passaic County Technical High School, Passaic, N.J. 
Second place—Chelsea Taylor, Frankford High School, Philadelphia 
Third place (tie)—Mikea Rivers, Frankford High School, Philadelphia, and Laura Szanto, Paul D. Schreiber High School, Port Washington, N.Y.

For more information on Monroe College, visit www.monroecollege.edu.

College of DuPage's Kramer Wins 2012 Produce Excellence Award

Chef David Kramer, associate professor of culinary arts at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill., is one of six chefs and foodservice professionals nationwide to win a 2012 United Fresh Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award. Nominated by Chicago-based Testa Produce, Inc., Kramer won in the Business in Industry & Colleges category. The awards program, created by the United Fresh Produce Association and sponsored by PRO*ACT, honors chefs and their companies for innovative and influential use of produce in the culinary arts.  

The winners were selected from nearly 120 nominations submitted by produce companies and foodservice operations across North America. A panel of produce and foodservice-industry leaders reviewed each nominee’s demonstrated incorporation of fresh produce into menu development, use of protocols for correct storage and handling of produce, leadership in produce-related community service, and special events and recognition by their company and industry peers.

A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and a College of DuPage instructor for the past 10 years, Kramer has previously been honored with the Presidential Medallion from the American Culinary Federation, both nationally and through his local chapter. He received the Silver Plate Award from Meals on Wheels as a result of his ongoing involvement in that organization and has worked as a consultant within the local restaurant community, helping to mentor individuals interested in opening a restaurant.

“We’re thrilled to see David receive this national recognition for his work as a culinarian, in general, and for his innovation and commitment to fresh produce, in particular,” says Peter Testa, president of Testa Produce, Inc. “He understands both the fantastic opportunities and rigorous challenges that the produce category presents and finds innovative ways to ensure that his students leave well prepared on both ends of that spectrum.”

Kramer will receive his award and appear on a Top Chefs panel at the United Fresh 2012 Produce Show in Dallas in May.

The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone Names Scott Education Dean

Russell Scott, one of only 66 Certified Master Chefs in the United States, has been named dean of education of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, effective April 2, 2012. In his new role, Scott will be responsible for the quality and effectiveness of all education programs at the CIA campus in St. Helena, Calif. He will oversee faculty and staff on the education team, direct the development and delivery of the curriculum, and lead the support of students enrolled in the campus’ degree and certificate programs.

Scott was previously an associate professor at the college’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus from 1998 to 2005. During that time, he taught several culinary courses and served as executive chef and instructor in the American Bounty Restaurant. “It is very gratifying to rejoin the CIA family and to once again be part of the jet stream of culinary knowledge,” he says. “I am indeed privileged to be able to work directly with the finest staff and faculty in hospitality education.”

“We are excited to welcome Chef Scott back to the CIA,” says college provost and Certified Master Chef Mark Erickson. “His culinary background and experience coupled with his commitment to education will be a tremendous asset to our Greystone campus.”

Between his stints at the CIA, Scott was executive chef of the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, Fla. Earlier in his career, he was executive chef at the Hotel Nikko in Los Angeles and the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif. He is also the proprietor of the Gore-Scott Hospitality Partnership, which consists of restaurants and wine shops in Florida, New York, California and Colorado.

The American Culinary Federation honored Russell Scott as the USA’s Chef of the Year™ for 2008 and presented him with its Chef Professionalism Award in 2011. Representing the United States in the Global Chefs Challenge in 2009, he took second place among chefs from throughout the Americas.

Scott won numerous medals as a member and captain of teams competing in the quadrennial Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (commonly known as the “Culinary Olympics”) and Culinary World Cup between 1996 and 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine from Everglades University in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and an associate degree in culinary arts from the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh.

With Scott’s return to the CIA, the college now has eight Certified Master Chefs on its education team and administration, more than any other organization.

CET's 2012 Spring Digital Edition is Now Available

 

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Barnes Named New Head of Continuing Education at The Culinary Institute of America

Certified Master Chef and culinary industry veteran Brad Barnes ('87), CMC, CCA, AAC, has been named senior director of continuing education at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Barnes previously served as senior director of culinary education at the CIA, where he helped restructure the associate-degree programs and played an integral part in the development and implementation of the new CIA Academic Delivery System.

Working from the school’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus, Barnes will introduce innovations to the existing three-part curriculum in the department: Food Enthusiast classes, including Culinary Boot Camps and weekend classes; the ProChef® Certification program; and CIA Consulting, which offers creative marketing and menu solutions to the industry.

“We are very excited and gratified to have an esteemed alumnus such as Chef Barnes to lead our Continuing Education initiatives,” said CIA Provost Mark Erickson ('77), CMC. “His vision, enhanced by his high-profile culinary accomplishments, will be very effective in guiding the department into the next decade.”

“The Continuing Education Department is the public face of the CIA,” Barnes said. “My objective is to keep its offerings fresh and in line with advancements in the culinary industry. My strength is my professional culinary background; I speak the language of this field and will bring those skills to bear in course development and industry connectivity.”

CIA alumnus Barnes is the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) professor at the CIA. Before returning to his alma mater in 2009, Barnes was president of GigaChef, LLC, a consulting company for hotels and high-volume foodservice. He previously held executive-chef positions for a variety of establishments, including 64 Greenwich Avenue and Nancy Allen Rose Catering in Greenwich, Conn. Active in the American Culinary Federation, Barnes is chair of its Certified Master Chef Committee, a certified competition judge, and the recipient of several honors, including the ACF President’s Award. The co-author of three books, he served as coach for Culinary Team USA at the Internationale Kochkhunst Ausstellung (IKA) in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

ACF Partners with Indianapolis’ The Chef’s Academy to Offer Scholarships Totaling $20,000

High-school students seeking assistance with the rising cost of culinary school are in luck. The American Academy of Chefs (AAC), the honor society of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the nation’s largest professional chefs organization, and The Chefs Academy (TCA), an ACFEF-accredited program in Indianapolis, are pleased to announce four new scholarships available for students accepted to TCA, totaling $5,000 over four years.

“ACF is thrilled to be working with TCA to provide scholarships that will help mold tomorrow’s culinary leaders,” said Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, ACFEF AAC Scholarship Committee chair. “This partnership shows that TCA is dedicated to helping students achieve their goals. We hope that high school students will look into the scholarship requirements and submit their applications by the April 30 deadline. 

 

Four yearly scholarships of $625 per academic term for four years will be awarded and applied directly to students’ accounts at TCA. Scholarships are available for high-school students who have been accepted to TCA and plan on becoming a chef. Applications are available at www.acfchefs.org/scholarships and are due April 30 of each year. Scholarship money will be applied in the fall semester. The AAC Scholarship Committee will select the 2012 winners in June.

“We are proud to partner with the American Culinary Federation,” said Jayson Boyers, national division president at The Chef’s Academy. “Our organizations share a deep commitment to educating the culinary leaders of the future and these scholarships will be tremendously appreciated by students looking for assistance in achieving their dream to become a chef.”

Who is eligible?
• Exemplary students who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher during their senior year
• High-school seniors eligible to graduate the same year as the scholarship is applied for
• Students who are currently accepted to TCA with a major in culinary or pastry arts
• Those with a career goal of becoming a chef or pastry chef

What do I need to apply?
• Completed application and essay
• Two letters of recommendation from industry culinary professionals and/or culinary educators
• Sealed final official transcript showing current GPA

The American Academy of Chefs offers educational scholarships to high=school students entering culinary school, as well as to those currently attending culinary school. The scholarships are given throughout the year to qualified applicants who meet a strict set of requirements. These scholarships help young culinarians achieve their educational goals. Last year, the AAC, through its partnerships, distributed $46,000 in scholarship funds to culinary students. In addition to TCA, AAC also currently offers scholarships to Johnson & Wales University and The Culinary Institute of America.