Wrap-up of Taste of Lexington '10

More than 400 hospitality industry professionals, prospective students, educators and executives attended Lexington College's annual Taste of Lexington event on March 11. The event, which raised scholarship funds for the next generation of women in the hospitality industry, offered the chance to meet students, faculty and staff, tour campus facilities and enjoy hors d’oeuvres prepared by Lexington students.

Chef Gale Gand poses with Lexington students

In a special guest appearance by acclaimed pastry chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality Gale Gand, she discussed everything from juggling career and family and what she looks for when she hires pastry chefs to being a woman in the foodservice industry 25 years ago compared to today. She also signed copies of her latest book, titled Gale Gand's Brunch!

Other highlights included culinary lab demonstrations, interactive food stations, a craft beer tasting and internship presentation displays. For more information, visit www.lexingtoncollege.edu/preview/.

'Salute to Women' raises funds for Sullivan University

On March 26 The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Ky., hosted a group of celebrity chefs, students and foodservice industry professionals for "A Salute to Women, Wine and Whiskey," an event to raise funds for a scholarship for a female student attending Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS).

(l to r) Judy Schad of Capriole Farms, Kathy Cary of Lilly's, Laurent Géroli of The Brown Hotel, Susan Goss of West Town Tavern and Gale Gand of Tru

Joining The Brown Hotel's executive chef Laurent Géroli in preparing a five-course dinner in honor of Women's History Month that evening was cheesemaker Judy Schad of Capriole Farm, Warfordsburg, Pa.; chef Kathy Cary of Lilly's, Louisville; chef Katie Payne of Sullivan University; and Chicago chefs Susan Goss of West Town Tavern; and Gale Gand of Tru. NCHS faculty and students prepared hors d'oeuvres during the reception portion, which featured cocktails from mixologist Joy Perrine.

NRA launches third annual Hot Chef Challenge

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) launched the the third annual NRA Show Hot Chef Challenge 2010 this week, inviting recent culinary school graduates and professional chefs to submit a video to www.youtube.com of themselves preparing their favorite recipe using fresh produce.

YouTube users will rate the video submission to select the top three finalists, from which one will be chosen as the winner by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. The winner will travel to Chicago to showcase his or her winning recipe and cook alongside Samuelsson at the 2010 NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show’s World Culinary Showcase on May 22 at McCormick Place. The winner will also receive accommodations for three days and two nights at the Affinia Hotel Chicago and a special dinner with wine pairings at Samuelsson's Chicago restaurant C-House.

Interested chefs and cooks should submit an original video demonstrating their recipe at www.youtube.com/hotchef2010 or www.restaurant.org/show by April 29. Videos should be no longer than two minutes and recipes must include at least one fresh produce item, plus any other ingredients of their choice.

C-CAP raises $25,000 at IHHS benefit

At a Happy Hour event on March 14 during the International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago, more than 350 industry professionals gathered for food, drinks and music to benefit the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). C-CAP raised $25,000 at the invitation-only event, which was sponsored by Harold Import Co. and featured an appearance by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Guests sampled several of Fieri's dishes prepared especially for the event by more than 75 Chicago C-CAP high school students.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri with C-CAP high school students

C-CAP's mission is to promote and provide career opportunities in the foodservice industry for underserved youth through culinary arts education and employment. The curriculum enrichment program links public high school culinary teachers and their students to the foodservice industry. For more information about C-CAP, visit www.ccapinc.org.

Calling all student bakers

The California Raisin Marketing Board (CRMB) is calling on entries from student and professional bakers for the third annual America's Best Raisin Bread Contest. The contest, open now through Aug. 16, has expanded the categories of artisan and commercial breads to now include breakfast breads such as rolls, pastries, scones and coffee cakes containing California raisins.

Preliminary judging will take place in September to select three finalists from each student category to participate in the final bake-off, which will take place at the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kan., Oct. 14 to 16. The winners will receive a five-day California vacation with visits to the Culinary Institute of America, Yosemite National Park and the San Joaquin Valley--the home of California raisins.

The contest application, complete set of rules and examples of past winning formulas are available online.

Emeril kicks things up at the CIA

In his first-ever visit to at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on March 5, celebrity chef, restaurateur and author Emeril Lagasse addressed graduates and hosted a cooking demonstration for students.

Emeril Lagasse congratulates a new graduate of The CIA, with CIA president Tim Ryan*

"I'm so honored to be standing here before such an esteemed group of talented young chefs," Lagasse told the 67 associate degree recipients in attendance. "The true spirit of hospitality was in each of you long before your first lab or lecture at the CIA. [Now] you have the foundation of knowledge and the tools to lead our industry."


And more than 800 CIA students crowded into the Student Recreation Center later that day for Lagasse's cooking demonstration and question-and-answer session, during which he made Brazilian fish stew and answered students' career-related questions.

*Photos courtesy of The CIA/Keith Ferris

Chefs Adrià and Andrés to teach culinary physics course at Harvard

This fall, chef Ferran Adrià will join chef/restaurateur José Andrés to teach a course on culinary physics at Harvard University, according to an article in The Washington Post. In the 13-week course, students will attend chef demonstrations, labs and physics lectures to learn the structure and characteristics of techniques such as emulsions and foams.

The news comes on the heels of Adrià's announcement last month that he would close his famed El Bulli restaurant in Roses, Spain. In 2014, the restaurant will become a foundation that gives culinary scholarships to avant-garde chefs. Read the full article here.

The Culinary Professional named top book by Cordon d'Or Gold Ribbon

The Culinary Professional, co-authored by Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE, vice president of culinary-arts programs for Laureate International Universities and dean of Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts in Chicago, and John Draz, executive research chef of Ed Miniat Inc. in South Holland, Ill., won the Literature Text Book Culinary Academy Award from the 2009-2010 Cordon d'Or--Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards.

Koetke and Draz, along with recipients of other award categories, will be honored by Noreen Kinney, founder and president of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Cordon d'Or--Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards at a reception on April 30 at The Don CeSar Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla.

The Culinary Professional, published in 2009 by Goodheart-Willcox, is an introductory textbook developed for students in grades 9 through 12 as well as the first two years of postsecondary training. It offers explanations of culinary techniques, identification of the equipment and foods used in a professional kitchen and an introduction to the knowledge and skills needed to work in and manage a foodservice operation. The book also explores the vast range of opportunities encompassing traditional and emerging food careers.

MSU alumnus Thomas named honorary faculty member

Tom Thomas (BA '78), president of Herrington Hospitality in Oklahoma City, Okla., last month addressed students in Michigan State University's (MSU) School of Hospitality Business and was named an honorary faculty member of the hospitality school.

Thomas began his 32-year hospitality industry career at Hyatt Hotels after graduating. Thomas was most recently the general manager of The Drake Hotel in Chicago before joining Herrington Hospitality, which specializes in the ownership and management of hotels, resorts and clubs.

"The hospitality industry provides choices," Thomas told hospitality students. "This is a great industry, especially if you're not yet sure about what you want to be. Career opportunities exist in food and beverage, rooms, marketing and sales, finance, retail and more."

Pastry Chicago announces Fifth Annual Student Cake Decorating Competition

Pastry Chicago invites high school and college culinary students to enter in the Fifth Annual Student Cake Decorating Competition, taking place April 17 at Whole Foods Market on Halsted St. in Chicago. Pastry Chicago will select a winner from each group. This year's theme is "Avatar" the movie.

2009 college culinary student winning cake

The event also will include an educational seminar and demonstration by chef Mark Seaman, founder of Marked for Dessert and chef-instructor at The French Pastry School.

2009 high school student winning cake

Students have until April 9 to register. Only the first 20 entries in each category will be accepted. Download the registration PDF here.

WCR announces '10 scholarships and internships

Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) has announced its 2010 Scholarship and Internship Program. New opportunities in'WCR’s 2010 program include: an internship at a five-star bed and breakfast in Fife, Scotland; an internship at a 26-room inn in southern Maine and learning to run a sustainable family farm in Latrobe, Pa. Returning opportunities include scholarships at culinary arts programs nationwide and cooking, baking, cheese- and winemaking, management and marketing internships in the United States, China, France, Ireland and Italy.

Applicants must be active members of WCR in any category. The deadline for online applications is 5 p.m., April 9, 2010. Mailed applications must be postmarked no later than April 9. For more information, visit www.womenchefs.org.

Nate Appleman shares stories, advice in new CIA podcast

In the latest "Insight from the Inside" podcast from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), '99 graduate and one of Food and Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs of 2009 Nate Appleman shares the value of learning proper meat fabrication and talks about his experiences at the CIA and his time in Europe, learning the food and culture of Italy. Appleman, former executive chef and partner at A16 in San Francisco, has relocated to New York and is preparing to open an Italian restaurant in Manhattan's Bowery district.

"Insight from the Inside" is a series of chats with graduates who have exciting jobs in the food world. Previous podcasts have featured CIA graduates Grant Achatz, John Besh, Anne Burrell, Scott Conant, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Duff Goldman, Johnny Iuzzini, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, Michael Symon and Michael Ruhlman. To hear the 14-minute interview with Appleman or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.

FENI Summit helps OCVTS students win first place with sugar showpiece

Students in the pastry arts program at Ocean County Vocational Technical School (OCVTS), Brick, N.J., took first place for Best Table Display at the 14th International Chefs' Night Out event on March 1. Their pastry-arts instructor and coach, Dennis Melia, attributed their win in large part to the sugar showpiece techniques he brought back after taking the "Sugar Pulling & Blowing" Master Class at the 12th annual Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) Summit in Chicago last month.

The winning sugar showpiece from OCVTS students

"The Master Class in sugar pulling and blowing from [French Pastry School] Chef Sébastien Cannone allowed me to bring back to my students a higher level of skills ... and paid off in a big way," said Melia in an e-mail.

Chef-instructor Dennis Melia (far right) and the winning students at International Chefs' Night Out

For more information about FENI, visit www.fenisummit.com.

NRAEF selects Salute to Excellence honorees

Five restaurant and foodservice industry leaders will be honored at the 23rd Annual National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) Salute to Excellence on May 22 to kick off the annual NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. The fundraising event pays tribute to the foodservice industry's extraordinary current and future leaders.

The 2010 NRAEF honorees are:
2010 Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality
S. Truett Cathy, founder, chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A Inc., Atlanta, Ga.

2010 College of Diplomates inductees

• Jerald W. Chesser, Ed.D, CEC, FMP, CCE, AAC, professor of The Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.;
• Alice Elliot, CPC, founder and CEO of The Elliot Group LLC, New York, N.Y.; and
• Denise Marie Fugo, FMP, chairman and CEO of Sammy's, Cleveland2010 Michael E. Hurst
  

Lifetime of Achievement in Education Award honoree
Ferdinand E. Metz, CMC, president emeritus of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., and managing partner of The Master Chefs Institute, Escondido, Calif.

Salute to Excellence offers an opportunity to network with restaurant and foodservice industry leaders. The event will also feature a fashion show with Food Network star Ted Allen as host that showcases the latest trends in restaurant apparel and more. The event supports the NRAEF Scholarship program and the NRAEF ProStart program.

Kendall's Artlip awarded honorary FCCLA membership

Mike Artlip, director of The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, Chicago, has been selected by the Illinois Association of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) to receive an honorary membership, based on his contributions to high school culinary arts in Illinois. Artlip (pictured, below) will be honored April 10 during Illinois FCCLA's Awards Session at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill.


The award is given to individuals who assist Illinois FCCLA in being an outstanding youth organization. Artlip has been supervising regional and state Illinois FCCLA competitions for several years. A Kendall College graduate, Artlip held executive cooking positions in a number of Chicago-area establishments before joining Kendall's faculty in 1987. In 2007, Artlip received the Educator of the Year Award for the American Culinary Federation's (ACF) Central Region. In 2009, he received the Chef Professionalism Award from ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians in Chicago. Artlip actively maintains his credentials from ACF as both a CEC (certified executive chef) and CCE (certified culinary educator).

Sullivan instructor publishes bourbon cookbook

Sullivan University chef-instructor and beverage management program director Albert W.A. Schmid has written a new cookbook paying tribute to the native spirit of Kentucky: bourbon. The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook (The University Press of Kentucky) features more than 50 recipes from notable chefs and cookbooks, accompanied by 16 color photographs.

Schmid was inspired to write the book after a bourbon dinner at Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House in New Orleans. The book is organized by season, with each chapter showcasing fresh ingredients and Kentucky events in addition to Schmid's research of the history of bourbon as an American tradition. For more information and to see a video about The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook, visit www.kentuckybourboncookbook.com.

Profile of master cake artist Lodge on FPS Web site

The French Pastry School of Chicago has released an article profiling master cake artist Nicholas Lodge on its Web site. Over the past three decades, Lodge has written several books on sugar craft and sugar molding, created cakes for Royal Family in England and opened sugar craft schools in Atlanta and Tokyo, Japan. He joins a team of approximately 11 chef-instructors this summer teaching L'Art du Gâteau, the new professional cake baking and decorating program at FPS.

Lodge says,

"I think the only reason I'm able to do what I do is because of my true passion for my craft and my patience. I feel that if you generally are passionate about the area of pastry that you love, that really comes through when you teach it."

Read the complete article at www.frenchpastryschool.com/school_happenings/lodge030510.html

MSU hospitality students learn from industry experts at ALIS

Four Michigan State University (MSU) students in The School of Hospitality Business' Real Estate Investment Club (REIC), volunteered at the 9th annual Americas Lodging Investors Summit (ALIS) Jan. 25 to 27 in San Diego. The students--Emily Lustig, Patrick Beal, Neil Naran and Garrett Ross--are all enrolled in MSU's School of Hospitality Business Real Estate and Development Specialization.

Student volunteers from MSU's School of Hospitality Business pose with industry professionals and MSU alumni at the 9th annual ALIS.

All student volunteers at ALIS, including many from other hospitality programs around the country, were responsible for staffing registration and information booths. Some of the students also worked during the breakout and plenary sessions. The four MSU students also participated in the breakout sessions, attended the keynote speaker presentations and networking receptions and connected with former MSU students at an alumni/student event.

"We learned so much," said Lustig in a statement. "But we also expanded our alumni network, and represented [The School of Hospitality Business]. We will share this information with other students, especially those in the Real Estate Investment Club, including lecture presentations and guest speakers whom we met at ALIS."

Barry Callebaut: Calling all chocolate professionals

Cocoa and chocolate provider Barry Callebaut is calling all culinary educators, chocolatiers, pastry chefs and other chocolate professionals to apply to compete in the U.S. national selections for the 2011 World Chocolate Masters in Paris. The theme of the national competition is "Cocoa, Quetzalcoatl's Gift."

The winner of the national competition will be named U.S. National Chocolate Master and will represent the United States and compete against representatives from approximately 20 other countries at the 2011 World Chocolate Masters competition for the title of World Chocolate Master.

The deadline to submit an application for the U.S. nationals competition is March 31. For more information, visit www.barry-callebaut.com.

S.Pellegrino crowns 8th Almost Famous Chef

Johnson & Wales University-North Miami student Luis Young was named Almost Famous Chef at the 2010 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition held March 7 at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, Calif.

(l to r) Cookbook author and culinary/lifestyle expert Katie Lee, Almost Famous Chef Luis Young and celebrity chef Ralph Pagano

Young defeated 10 other culinary students from the United States, Canada and Italy with his winning dish, Herb Scented Seared Venison Tenderloin. In addition to the title, Young's prizes included a $13,000 cash prize and a year-long paid apprenticeship with a participating chef.

The 11 finalists competed in three categories: the Signature Dish, Mystery Basket and People's Choice. Young won the $3,000 Signature Dish prize for his Herb Scented Seared Venison Tenderloin. Brian Schreiber, a student at Kendall College in Chicago, won the Mystery Basket competition and $3,000 for creating a plate with surprise ingredients: chicken, eggs and mushrooms. New England Culinary Institute student Peter Clark won the People's Choice Award and $3,000 for his signature dish, Pan-Seared Halibut.

For more information on the competition and the winning recipe, visit www.almostfamouschef.com or www.thesparklinglife.com.

Wylie High School wins FS Prep/ProStart state finals

In the first-ever year that Texas participated in the state finals of the FS Prep/ProStart High School Competition, Wylie High School, Wylie, Texas, took first place in both the culinary competition and the restaurant management competition. The two Wylie High School teams will now travel to Overland Park, Kan., on April 30 to compete in the National ProStart Invitational.

The Wylie High School culinary team was made up of students Zack Cottey, Brian Duncan, Kellen Ly, Logan Shillington and Austin Valdepena, led by their instructor Steve DeShazo. Each team member received a $10,000 scholarship. Westside High School, Houston, took second place in the culinary competition, with each team member receiving a $5,000 scholarship. Wylie High School's restaurant management team was made up of students Bennet Brown, Jordan Cook, Katie Hoeflich, Lexi Miller and Ashley Morton, and also led by Steve DeShazo. Each team member received a $5,000 scholarship. San Angelo Central High School, San Angelo, Texas, took second place, and each team member received a $2,500 scholarship. Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Schools provided scholarships to the winners in both the culinary and restaurant management competitions.

The Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation, which maintains educational programs such as FS Prep and ProStart to to build pathways from schools to careers in the foodservice industry. For more information, visit www.restaurantville.com.

MSU hospitality students sell cookies for Haiti relief

The Society for Foodservice Management (SFM) club in the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University raised $1,500 for Haiti relief efforts by selling gourmet cookies to MSU students.

Hospitality business students in the SFM spent a week and a half selling cookies, exceeding their fundraising goal by $1,000, according to a press statement. MSU Culinary Services and the MSU Bakery donated all the cookies, enabling 100 percent of sales proceeds to go to American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. For more information, visit www.bus.msu.edu/shb.

Lexington College premiers video on preparing women for hospitality careers

Lexington College in Chicago has released a new video about the school and how it prepares graduates for professional careers in the growing hospitality industry. The college grants a bachelor of applied science (BAS) degree in hospitality management and an associate of applied science (AAS) hospitality management degree. Students pursuing the BAS select a concentration in culinary arts, event planning, hotel/restaurant management, or health care and wellness. Click on the video below to learn more.

CIA to host fourth annual Leadership Awards

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will host its fourth annual CIA Leadership Awards in New York City at Cipriani 42nd Street on March 18. The CIA created the Augie Awards, named for Auguste Escoffier, in 2007 to celebrate success and achievement of the foodservice industry's best and brightest.

The Chef of the Year Award is being given to Eric Ripert, partner and chef of Le Bernardin in New York City. The Alumna of the Year Award will be presented to Cat Cora (1995), executive chef of Bon Appétit magazine and the only female Iron Chef in the history of the Food Network's "Iron Chef America." The Alumnus of the Year Award will be presented to Chris Muller (1988), the chef de cuisine at Le Bernardin.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the college's scholarship endowment. For more information, visit www.ciagiving.org

'Top Chef' winner to hold cooking demo at Cal Poly

"Top Chef" winner Ilan Hall will host a cooking demonstration and three-course dinner at The Collins College of Hospitality Management's Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch at Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, Calif., on March 7.

Proceeds from the demonstration dinner will support The Collins College of Hospitality Management and the United Culinarians, a student club designed to give students an opportunity to develop their culinary skills outside the classroom. Hall, who won season two of Bravo TV's "Top Chef" in 2007, is also chef and owner of The Gorbals restaurant in Los Angeles, named both for an immigrant community in Glasgow, Scotland, and for Hall's Scottish/Russian-Jewish heritage.

For more information, visit www.csupomona.edu/~collins.

March 'Culinary Nutrition News' examines baby boomers

In the March issue of "Culinary Nutrition News: Nutrition and the Baby Boomer Generation," nutrition experts discuss nutrition issues affecting the baby boomer generation and how chefs can address them. The three-page article, presented by the American Culinary Federation Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., is now available for download at www.acfchefs.org/CNN.

This month's article discusses how food providers can appeal to baby boomers--a growing segment of consumers that spends more at restaurants than any other population segment--from lowering the amount of salt in meals to serving smaller portions of protein with more vegetables. The article also includes a summary of vital nutrients in the different food groups and explains how those nutrients affect bone health, vision and blood clotting.

The American Culinary Federation’s Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University partnered in May 2009 to offer a series of monthly articles designed to bridge the nutrition gap for chefs by providing up-to-date research information. The April "Culinary Nutrition News" article will be posted online on April 5.

Delmar releases foodservice purchasing guide

Modern Food Service Purchasing: Business Essentials to Procurement, a resource guide by Robert Garlough, MS, AAC, will be released this month by Delmar, part of Cengage Learning.

Garlough, chef emeritus of The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, wrote Modern Food Service Purchasing to provide culinary and purchasing professionals with current, in-depth coverage of the essential concepts of purchasing, store-room operations and financial stewardship. The guide provides practical information from experienced professionals on how to set up and manage a foodservice-storeroom operation and examines the fundamental considerations that must be taken into account when purchasing food, such as cost-control measures and mastering the storeroom; measuring and packaging for preservation, sale and distribution; and security issues with vendors, employees and customers.

For more information, visit www.cengage.com/community/culinary.

Two ECU students selected for NRA Show's Salute to Excellence 2010

The hospitality management faculty of East Carolina University selected Emily K. Smith, a senior from Raleigh, N.C., and Timothy S. Smith, a senior from Mount Airy, Md., to participate in the Salute to Excellence 2010 gala at the opening of the 2010 National Restaurant Association's Restaurant and Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago.

Emily K. Smith

The day-long event, slated for Saturday, May 22, at the Chicago Hilton and Towers, honors the accomplishments of industry leaders along with two students from each of the 100 top hospitality colleges and universities in the country.

Timothy S. Smith

Sullivan now offering beverage management degree

Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) now offers an associate degree in beverage management for those interested in cocktails, fine wine and beer. Courses for the beverage management degree are administered online, and the entire curriculum can be completed in as little as 18 months. The program is directed by Albert Schmid, author of The Hospitality Manager's Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits (Prentice Hall) and The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook (University of Kentucky Press).

The NCHS associate degree's curriculum prepares students for such careers as beverage manager, bar manager/owner, sommelier or beverage sales representative. Courses cover subjects such as production, marketing, alcohol safety, food and beverage pairing, mixology, purchasing and storage. Students also learn how to write a business plan for a bar or restaurant.

For more information, visit www.sullivan.edu.