AACC's culinary team defends Chesapeake Culinary Cup title

The junior culinary team at the Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute last month defended its title as the Chesapeake Culinary Cup champion at an American Culinary Federation culinary competition hosted by AACC. This year's Chesapeake Culinary Cup consisted of plated poultry, fish, game and dessert plates and a celebration cakes competition.

Participating against AACC's team were student teams from the Art Institute of Washington, Arlington, Va., which placed third; Baltimore International College, Baltimore, Md.; and Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts of Pittsburgh, which placed second.

(l to r) Anne Arundel Community College culinary competitors Wes Tise, Drew Parassio and Samantha Elmorem; judge Elena Clement, CEPC; team members Chris Willis and Chris Galankis; lead judge Gunther Heiland, CMPC, AAC; judge Curtis Eargle, CEC, AAC; team coach Shawn Harlan, CEC, CHE; and judge Robert Meitzer, CEC, AAC

Extended Q&A with Buckingham Vocational Center's Sandra Hawk

by Maggie Shea, Chef Educator Today

Editors' note: A portion of the following Q&A was featured in the "Small-town school wins big" article (page 22) that appeared in the Spotlight department of the Summer 2010 issue of Chef Educator Today.

Shortly after publication of the Summer issue of CET, Buckingham County Vocational Center's culinary team competed against students from 38 other states and territories in the National ProStart Invitational in Overland Park, Kan. The team prepared a menu of deep-fried rock oyster stuffed a crab cake in a panko crust, orange glaze butterfly-cut breast of chicken, rice pilaf, white wine steamed broccoli with red peppers and almonds and a cinnamon pecan gelato in a chocolate bowl (pictured, left).

While the team didn't win, their coach and Virginia's ProStart Teacher of the Year Sandra Hawk says they learned a lot and overcame a few mishaps that will help them prepare for next year's state and national competitions.

"Some of our product froze in the fridge I rented so we had to replace it, the burners wouldn't light so the judges had to replace them, costing us time, but they didn't give us a time allowance, our gelato wouldn't set up completely, and the team captain cut his finger during the last 10 minutes," she says. "But it is like I told the kids: In real foodservice, this happens and you have to think on your feet!

"Even though we didn't win this time, we learned a lot about what the national judges are looking for in a winning dish. We'll nail it next time for sure!"

(front, l to r) Conley Lawrence, coach/instructor Sandra Hawk and Quenton Bolden (back, l to r) Jessica Davies, Josclyn Haskins and Heather Jacobs (Photo courtesy of Sue Miles)

Buckingham County in central Virginia, with a population of less than 16,000, isn't known for much beyond church socials and delicious fried chicken. This February, Buckingham Vocational Center put the county on the map when the school's culinary team took first place in the Virginia ProStart Student Invitational to secure a spot to compete in Nationals in Overland Park, Kan., at the end of April. In March, while the student competitors prepared for the event, tweaking recipes, knife skills and techniques, CET caught up with their coach and 2010 ProStart Teacher of the Year Sandra Hawk to talk about their thrilling ride.

CET: Your team's score was one of the highest ever recorded in the Virginia state competition. What was it? How many teams did you compete against?
Hawk: We scored a 90.4! I was very proud of this accomplishment because it demonstrated the dedication my students put into their menu. Twelve schools from all over the commonwealth were present at the state competition.

CET: What was your strategy for preparing the students for the state competition? You're not allowed to create a menu for them, right?
Hawk: That's correct. Once the team is chosen, they begin brainstorming sessions to come up with the perfect menu. A lot of this is trial and error, but once the final menu is chosen, it's practice, practice, practice! This particular team decided to start from scratch. I've had teams take pieces from each menu, but this team wanted to come up with a different menu. So we met after school starting back in January. They had three meetings and finally decided which menu they would go with. Then they would make something and adjust a recipe as they were going along. We were [off school] for 10 days because of "Snowmaggedon" here in Virginia, so the state competition was pushed back for one month, which really helped. The snow gave us an additional three weeks to practice. They had it down so well by that time that they could almost really do it in their sleep. A lot of times when they would come in, I would have a case of 12 chickens ready for them and would give them 30 minutes to [break them down]. So they had to be fast and correct. I'm trying to simulate what they would have to do in a restaurant. You don't have 30 minutes to break down a chicken in a restaurant.

CET: How are you prepping the students for the national competition? Do you have a strategy?
Hawk: We are employing the same strategy for nationals we used for state--practice, practice, practice. After spring break, we will practice four days a week until national competition.

The culinary team strategizes during the Virginia ProStart competition

CET: What have been the biggest challenges of coaching the ProStart team?
Hawk: Finances! Competition is expensive. With the budget cuts in education Virginia is experiencing, programs are struggling to find money for beyond-the-classroom learning opportunities. Competitions, job shadowing and industry-related field trips all provide a real-world experience for my students and stay in their memory much longer than a two-hour lecture from me. Overall, we experienced over $1 million in cuts in Buckingham County. That's huge in a school system this size--our high school has a little over 600 kids. That trickles down to academic programs. I used to do all the catering for the school system, but the first thing we cut was catering. With the cuts in Virginia, there aren't additional dollars there to send kids to competitions, so we've had to raise these funds ourselves. We've done fundraisers, take-home dinners for teachers, sold t-shirts and cupcakes. We've had donations from the community, too. The community has really stepped forward. Aramark just sent us a check for $500. We are slowly but surely plucking away at it.

CET: Why do you think competition is an important part of students'--and professional chefs'--culinary development?
Hawk: I believe competition helps my students develop an ability to work calmly under pressure and learn time management--two skills that will serve them well in the professional kitchen.

The culinary team hard at work during the Virginia ProStart competition

CET: I saw that you were voted ProStart Teacher of the Year for the state of Virginia. Congratulations! Can you tell me a bit about the award and how you were selected?
Hawk: Thanks. It is a huge honor to be chosen as Virginia's ProStart Teacher of the Year. In May, I will travel to Chicago with husband in tow to accept the award. I have also applied for the James H. Maynard Excellence in Education Award, which is $5,000 toward my culinary program. With the recent budget cuts in education, $5,000 would come in awfully handy! Rebecca Reamer, the ProStart coordinator for Virginia, contacted teachers and asked us to submit an essay explaining how we use ProStart in our classrooms, how we became involved in the program and a few success stories. When I started in 1999, I came right out of industry and right into classroom. I had 45 competencies that these kids had to learn in two years. I knew there had to be more than what they were giving me. I came across ProStart, which wasn't even an option for Virginia teachers at that time, and I said, "I think we need to look at this for our kids."

Two years later, the ProStart coordinator for Virginia came. When it was all said and done, Buckingham and nine other schools were chosen to be pilots for this program. I was one of the first teachers to industry certify in our school system. With ProStart, kids can go anywhere. Even though it doesn't mean a lot to the [foodservice] industry yet, they have the knowledge to be able to function when they walk in the door of a restaurant. And believe me, coming from industry, that is a blessing because you don't have time to train people.

My favorite student success story was of the former student who went into the Navy and on to be a chef at the White House for President Bush during his tour of duty. He is now going to get his degree in pastry arts at Johnson & Wales University. But from now on, my favorite story is going to be about the team that went to the National ProStart Competition!

(front, l to r) Coach/instructor Sandra Hawk and Josclyn Haskins (back, l to r) Conley Lawrence, Heather Jacobs, Jessica Davies and Quenton Bolden (Photo courtesy of Kelly Cummings)

CET: What are some of the larger career goals of the students on the culinary team? What do you hope they get out of participating in the competition?
Hawk: All plan to go to culinary college and then into the foodservice industry, either as chef/restaurant owners or as pastry chefs/bakery owners. Buckingham is a rural community, and I want more than anything to see my students excel in their chosen field. That means postsecondary education. College is expensive, so I want them to apply for and get every scholarship they can. And I want one of them to come back to Buckingham and take my place when I am ready to retire! I am so proud of these young people and all they have accomplished. It is rare to find 16-, 17- and 18-year-olds who know at that age what they want to do. At their age, I didn't have a clue. I backed into this business. That level of dedication at that young age is just amazing to me. It amazes me that they can walk into the kitchen and be as comfortable at 16 and 17 years old, and be so focused and on point. It blows me away every single day.

CET: So, are the students nervous about nationals?
Hawk: They're scared to death. They are so nervous. I gave them two weeks off, which includes their spring break. When we come back after spring break, it is going to be four days a week until competition. They have a thousand questions, and their moms and dads are having a thousand questions. None of them have ever flown, so their biggest fear is getting on an airplane. That includes my husband. Only [I have flown]. Even the parents are concerned. We are an hour away from civilization. We're country! That's why I think it's so amazing that we won. There are so many bigger schools. Then you have Buckingham--500, maybe 600 kids in the high school competing against schools that have 3,000 to 4,000 kids.

Mignonette Trio recipe, featuring petite tender

Editors' note: This recipe accompanies "Versatile beef" (page 15) in the Summer issue of Chef Educator Today.

Mignonette Trio
Pan-roasted petite tender sliders with Port-Red Onion Relish and Blue Cheese Butter
Dave Zino, executive chef, National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Yield: 24 servings

72 4" diameter artisan rustic white dinner rolls
2 c. extra virgin olive oil
15 petite tenders*
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. canola oil
Port-Red Onion Relish (recipe follows)
Blue Cheese Butter (recipe follows)
15 bunches chives, cut the diameter of the rolls

Method (1) Using a 2.5" round pastry cutter or ring mold, press out circles from the rolls (you may need to use a paring knife to trace around the ring mold to pierce through the top crust). Then slice through the middle, making little hamburger buns. (2) In a large nonstick pan, heat 2 oz. olive oil over medium heat, and place the buns in the pan so that the insides of the buns are in contact with the pan. Cook until that side is crisp and golden, about 90 seconds. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all buns have been toasted. (3) Season petite tenders with salt and pepper, and pan roast with a little canola oil to desired doneness. Slice them all 1/8" thick. (4) Spread 1 heaping T. Port-Red Onion Relish on the bottom half of each roll. Place 2 slices of beef on each. Spread 1 T. Blue Cheese Butter on the toasted side of the tops, then affix chives to the Blue Cheese Butter, making sure to keep them all pointing in the same direction. Assemble sandwich. Line three on each rectangle plate, and serve.

Port-Red Onion Relish
1 t. canola oil
6 c. red onion, brunoise
2 fl. oz. rice vinegar
3 bottles (750 mL each) ruby port wine, of good quality
1/2 c. sugar

Method (1) Heat oil in a sauce pot over medium heat. Add onion, and sweat about 1 minute. (2) Add vinegar, and sweat 1 minute more until color is bled from the onions. Add port and sugar. Bring to a boil then reduce heat as low as it will go, and reduce until syrupy, about 2 hours. (3) Once it cools, this will tighten up dramatically. It is easier to err on the thick side and then thin it out with water once it has cooled down, rather than not reducing it enough and then having to reheat it later to reduce it further.

Blue Cheese Butter
1 lb. Blue d'Auvergne, room temperature
1/2 lb. butter, unsalted, softened
1/2 c. chives, minced
1 t. salt

Method (1) Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a rubber spatula, making sure to totally incorporate the butter. Bring to room temperature before serving.

* The petite tender is a tender, juicy muscle that rests on the beef shoulder near the top blade. It is versatile and upscale like beef tenderloin or filet mignon, but at check prices.

Chai truffles recipe

Editors' note: This recipe was mentioned in the "Smooth as Ganache" article (page 21) of the Summer issue of Chef Educator Today.

Chai Truffles

Jenny Lewis, C.C.E., C.H.E, chef-instructor, Lexington College, Chicago

Batch size: 25.5 oz. (730 g.)

0.5 oz. (10 g.) chai tea blend*
1 vanilla bean, scraped
6 oz. (180 g.) heavy cream
Milk, as needed
2 oz. (60 g.) glucose syrup
16 oz. (460 g.) milk chocolate, tempered, chopped and unmelted
1 oz. (20 g.) softened butter
Cocoa powder, for rolling
Tempered milk or dark chocolate, as needed for finishing

Method (1) Place tea, vanilla bean and heavy cream in pot and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 5 minutes or until desired flavor. (2) Strain mixture through chinois or cheesecloth. Squeeze tea mixture to extract maximum flavors. (3) Re-scale mixture, and add milk to attain the cream original weight. (4) Add glucose syrup to the mixture, and bring to a simmer. (5) Pour hot mixture over chopped chocolate. (6) Stir from center of mixture outward, in circles, or use immersion blender until mixture blends. (7) Before adding butter, ensure mixture is thoroughly blended and emulsified. (8) Add softened butter into ganache, making sure no butter lumps remain. (9) Pour ganache into a hotel pan, and cover directly with plastic wrap to ensure no skin forms on the chocolate. (10) Cool at room temperature until slightly firm. (11) Pipe or scoop truffle balls. Allow to crystallize at room temperature until firm enough to handle. (12) Roll truffles by hand into round balls, using cocoa powder on your hands if to sticky. (13) Dip rolled balls into tempered milk or dark chocolate.

* Substitute other tea or tisanes (dried fruits, flowers and spices) to flavor your ganache.

Food and cooking podcasts for furthering student learning

by Chef Tom Beckman, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Chicago

Editors' note: This article was mentioned in "Podcasting in education" (page 16) of the Summer issue of Chef Educator Today.

For Tom Beckman's podcast, CHIC Podcast/This Week in Food, click the image above.

Five years ago, I was driving and heard a story on National Public Radio about shows that originate on the Internet. You could subscribe to them and get them on a regular basis. This intrigued me, and I listened to my first podcast that night. Since 2005, podcasting has exploded from a niche amateur market to mainstream commercial popularity. More than 100,000 different podcasts are now available. Here are a few food podcasts and video podcasts that I like and have been able to use in the classroom.

One of my favorite podcasts is The Splendid Table, with Lynne Rossetto Kasper. She has guests on her show that range from wine experts, cheese experts, food writers and chefs of every stripe. She also offers her own brand of food and cooking advice. She is quite professional and creative.

Cook's Illustrated, the quality cooking magazine, offers a video podcast on how to prepare entire dishes in just a few minutes. The dishes are fully explained, but they are so well edited that, for example, coq au vin can take just three minutes to demonstrate. Some cooking experience is suggested, but the lessons can be understood by anyone.

Hungry Nation aggregates several video food podcasts into one feed. A feed is how the podcasts are transmitted through the Web to the eventual listeners or viewers. Hungry Nation consists of Working Class Foodies, Vendr TV, 12 Second Cocktails and many more. They are not done by professionals but are done in a professional manner. They are all video podcasts. A teacher may want to bring in a projector to show video podcasts in the classroom.

The very best video podcast has to be Sky Full of Bacon. Sure, it has a weird name, but host Michael Gebert produces each podcast like a good magazine show. He has done shows on sustainable fish, pie making, good eating in the country and how an entire pig can be fully used. Each show is packed with information about chefs and their food.

Do you have a favorite food podcast that you use in your classroom to further student learning? Tell us about it in the comments section.

Deconstructed fruit and yogurt recipe

Editors' note: This recipe accompanies "The avant-garde kitchen" (page 20) of the Summer issue of Chef Educator Today.

Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
"Caviar" of fruit purée and yogurt on granola
Chef Jim McGuinness

1,000 g. water
50 g. sugar
5 g. sodium alginate
7 g. calcium lactate
225 g. fruit purée
225 g. yogurt
zest of half a lemon
Granola (recipe follows)

Method (1) Bring the water to a boil with the sugar. Place 800 g. of the water/sugar mix in to a blender. Reserve the remaining 100 g. simple syrup for the fruit and yogurt preps. With the blender running, gradually sprinkle in the sodium alginate. Strain the mix through a chinois, and add the remaining water/sugar solution. Let the mix rest for 30 minutes to settle and clear. (2) For the fruit, heat 50 g. simple syrup, and add the calcium lactate. Stir into the fruit purée. (3) For the yogurt, mix together remaining 50 g. simple syrup with yogurt and lemon zest. (4) To make caviar, simply take tablespoons of the fruit and yogurt mixture, and tip into the prepared alginate bath. Let them "cook" for 1-2 minutes before removing, then rinse in room-temperature water. The spheres can be held for service in simple syrup, juice or diluted purée. (5) To serve, plate fruit and yogurt caviar on top of Granola, and serve with a sauce if desired.

Granola
140 g. rolled oats
100 g. almonds, coarsely chopped
50 g. walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. salt
50 g. apple butter
40 g. maple syrup
1/2 T. walnut oil

Method (1) Combine all the ingredients to coat. (2) Bake on a sheet pan at 350°F, stirring occasionally until golden and toasted. Cool before using.

President Clinton named honorary chancellor of Laureate Universities

President Bill Clinton, 42nd president of the United States and founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, has accepted the role of honorary chancellor of Laureate International Universities, the global network of private universities. In this role, Clinton will advise this group of universities--which includes Kendall College of Chicago, Switzerland's Les Roches International School of Hotel Management and Australia's Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School--in areas such as social responsibility, youth leadership and increasing access to higher education. He will also encourage civic engagement and youth leadership on important social issues during his appearances at university campuses and in print and online messages to the nearly 600,000 students in the Laureate network.

"Last year I had the opportunity to visit Laureate's universities in Spain, Brazil and Peru to speak to students, faculty and the communities that they serve," said President Clinton in a statement. "These private universities exemplify the same principles of innovation and social responsibility in education that we worked to advance during my presidency and now through my foundation, and I am pleased to support their mission to expand access to higher education, particularly in the developing world."