Sullivan University honors Richmond, Va. chef of Lemaire Restaurant, Walter Bundy

Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) will honor chef Walter Bundy of Lemaire Restaurant, located in the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., with the prestigious Distinguished Visiting Chef award on Thursday, May 19. As recipient of the award, Bundy will present on-campus cooking demonstrations in addition to a question and answer session held exclusively for Sullivan University students.

  

Designed to connect today’s aspiring culinarians with industry leaders, The Distinguished Visiting Chef Series has been recognizing three top chefs annually since its inception in 1988. Bundy will be the 40th recipient of the award, joining an impressive roster of chefs that includes Bob Kinkead, Emeril Lagasse, Louis Osteen, Rick Tramonto and Marcel Desaulniers.

“We are honored and excited to welcome chef Bundy to Sullivan University and to present him with the Distinguished Visiting Chef award,” said chef Tom Hickey, director of the NCHS. “He brings an innovative and modern style to traditional Southern cuisine and I look forward to our students having the opportunity to experience his approach to cooking firsthand.”

Visit www.sullivan.edu.

RCA hosts Fifth Annual Student Culinology® Competition

Six finalist teams from Johnson & Wales University-Providence, Louisiana State University, Mississippi State University, Southwest Minnesota State University, University of Guelph, and University of Minnesota gathered in Atlanta last month to compete for first place in the fifth annual Research Chefs Association (RCA) Student Culinology® Competition. The competing teams each developed a Southern-themed dessert concept featuring peaches for a family-style restaurant chain, which included the development of both the gold standard recipe and a corresponding product formulation. The competition is designed to challenge and recognize the industry's young talent in the Culinology® field - the blending of culinary arts and food science. 

A student team from Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) won first place, along with a $5,000 cash award, and was led by faculty advisor Michael Cheng and team leader KayLee Ryker. Team members included Stephanie Grau, Ashley Moore, and Chad Woelfle. Their winning entry was a dessert entitled Good as Grandma's Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Buttermilk Ice Cream. A student team from Johnson & Wales University-Providence placed second, and a team from the University of Guelph placed third. Visit www.culinology.org.

(L to R): Michael Cheng, director of the SMSU Culinology® program; Stephanie Grau; KayLee Ryker; Ashley Moore; Chad Woelfle; and Agnes Jones, National Starch Food Innovation

Heather Roth appointed admissions director, L'Academie de Cuisine's Professional Culinary and Pastry Arts Programs

Heather Roth has been appointed admissions director for the professional Culinary and Pastry Arts Programs at LAC.

“Heather’s background in pastry coupled with her management skills and knowledge of the Washington restaurant scene will bring a profound strength to our growing admissions department,” said founder and president, chef Francois Dionot.

In 2008, Roth won the award for “Pastry Chef of the Year” by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). She has received numerous awards during her tenure as a pastry chef including Star Chefs “Rising Star” award in 2006 and Gayot.com’s “Top Five Pastry Chefs” nationwide. In 2010, Roth competed as a contestant on the premier season of the new Bravo series, "Top Chef: Just Desserts."

Visit www.lacademie.com.

The French Pastry School announces new 'L’Art de la Boulangerie,' the Artisanal Bread Baking Course

L’Art de la Boulangerie, a comprehensive, eight-week course is custom-designed to meet the needs of students wishing to specialize in the venerable art of bread baking. For eight hours a day, five days a week, this unique, hands-on experience allows students to focus on all aspects of creating artisan breads and breakfast pastries. 

L’Art de la Boulangerie presents the opportunity to learn under the direct guidance of Master Bakers and World Champions, providing the practice and tools needed to build a solid foundation, so that you can advance in the baking industry.

In eight weeks, you will learn everything from the fundamentals to advanced techniques in...

• Food Service Sanitation, Safety, Technology, and Basic Skills
• Fundamentals of French Breads
• Pre-ferments: Poolish and Sponges
• Levains and Starters: Techniques and Applications
• Specialty Whole Grains and Organic Breads
• Breakfast Pastries and Viennoiseries
• Advanced Breakfast Pastries and Viennoiseries
• Specialty Breads from France and around the World

In L’Art de la Boulangerie, students receive the rare opportunity to learn the art of bread baking in an intimate setting, being personally mentored by masters in their field. Continuous personal attention is given to each student’s needs and goals, from the moment they begin the course, until graduation, and throughout their careers. L’Art de la Boulangerie, the Artisanal Bread Baking Course, is the ideal educational experience for passionate baking enthusiasts. 

Start date: May 31, 2011
End date: July 23, 2011
Tuition: $10,600

Sessions available: 6:45am to 3:15pm, Monday - Friday

Application fees and deadlines for June 2011 session (May 31 to July 23, 2011): $150 (applied towards tuition)

Total Course Cost includes: Tuition, books and course materials, three full uniforms, complete pastry tool kit, all premium ingredients, and use of state-of-the-art equipment. There are no additional fees upon registration confirmation. The application fee is applied toward the total tuition payment. Admissions are conducted on a rolling basis, and classes fill quickly, so it is in your best interest to apply early to ensure your space in the desired session.

For syllabus and more information, click here now.

CIA faculty member and 21 alumni earn James Beard Award nominations

 

Chef Francisco Migoya, associate professor in baking and pastry arts at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), has been nominated for a 2011 James Beard Foundation Award in the "Cooking from a Professional Point of View" category for his book The Modern Café (John Wiley & Sons, 2010). Chef Migoya teaches Café Operations as the instructor and executive chef in the Apple Pie Bakery Café, one of five public restaurants on the CIA's Hyde Park campus.

CIA graduates are nominees throughout the broadcast media, restaurant, and chef award categories. Twenty-one alumni earned nominations, with two—Duff Goldman '98 and Rajat Parr '96—each receiving a pair of nominations.

Other graduates among the high-profile award nominees are Gary Danko '77 for Outstanding Chef; Mario Carbone '00 and Rich Torrisi '00 for Best New Restaurant; and Aaron London '00, Thomas McNaughton '04, and Sue Zemanick '01 for Rising Star Chef of the Year. Eight more CIA alumni are nominees for Best Chef awards in various regions of the United States.

The college's Board of Trustees is also well-represented among this year's Beard Foundation honorees. Board member Thomas Keller is a nominee for the Outstanding Service Award at Per Se in New York City. Chairman Emeritus Nick Valenti, CEO of Patina Restaurant Group, is being inducted into Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America. And, Trustee Emeritus Kevin Zraly is the 2011 recipient of the foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The James Beard Foundation announced the nominees for this year's awards on March 21. Award winners will be announced in New York City on May 6 for books and media and May 9 for restaurants and chefs.

Menu idea gallery launched for chef-developed potato dishes

Every year, chefs from leading foodservice and retail chains meet at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley to engage in some friendly competition and creativity with potatoes. This year, the U.S. Potato Board has collected those ideas in a photo-gallery to help chefs in all foodservice channels spark their own creativity. 

The ideas photographed for the Idea Gallery were generated by 14 of the top minds in the industry who represent over 8,800 units and $3 billion in annual sales. The ideas demonstrate some of today’s hottest trends and are available to help any chef capitalize on the versatility and profitability of potatoes.

For more information and to see the idea gallery, visit http://www.potatogoodness.com/foodService/ideaGallery.php.  

Ferran Adrià announces post-elBulli plans: the elBulli Foundation

"Freedom to Create" is the motto and goal of Ferran Adrià's new elBulli Foundation. The organization will take the place of the legendary chef's famous restaurant elBulli, near Barcelona, Spain after it closes its doors on July 31, 2011. Chef Adrià spoke of his innovative plans for the first time in the United States during a visit to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY on March 21.  

 

The Barcelona native says he will turn the restaurant's property into a park and "reserve" for culinary brainstorming, opening in 2014. Each year, 20 collaborators from around the world will be selected to work with the base team. Through the Internet, chefs across the globe will then be able to access the thousands of ideas the team creates, and use the ones that fit their restaurants.

Ferran Adrià speaking at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where he announced future plans for the elBulli Foundation

Chef Adrià was at the CIA for a panel discussion with Lisa Abend, author of The Sorcerer's Apprentices, a new book about Adrià and elBulli; and two former apprentices at the restaurant, including CIA graduate George Mendes '92. About 1,200 CIA students attended the event.

Visit  www.ciachef.edu for more information.