Four students receive Faces of Diversity scholarships from National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and PepsiCo Foodservice

On Tuesday, April 12, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and partner PepsiCo Foodservice awarded four scholarships to future leaders in the restaurant industry as part of the 2011 Faces of Diversity Awards program. The $2,500 Faces of Diversity Scholarships were presented to students who have excelled academically at their respective colleges or universities and are pursuing careers and the restaurant and foodservice industry.

The program, created by the NRA in partnership with PepsiCo Foodservice, celebrates diversity in the restaurant and foodservice industry. The awards and scholarships were presented before hundreds of restaurateurs last week at the Association's annual Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C.

Xavier Teixido, NRAEF vice chair and owner of Harry’s Savoy Grill, presented the scholarships to the following students at the Faces of Diversity Awards ceremony: 

•  Dylan Flanders started his culinary education in high school as the president of his chapter of Skills U.S.A. and is now currently a freshman at Johnson & Wales. His strong passion for cooking and travel inspires him to travel to gain experience in international cuisine and using that expertise to eventually open his own restaurant in New York City. In addition to maintaining a 3.84 GPA, while in high school, Dylan also gave his time to work with autistic children in a horse riding program. The program supervisor described Dylan as one of those people you meet “once in a lifetime” because of his dedication, confidence and skill. 
• Gabrielle Jenkins is a freshman at Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts, Foodservice Management program. She worked hard in high school to earn her ProStart National Certificate of Achievement and hopes to apply those skills to being a chef and a restaurateur. Gabrielle gets her drive and passion from her father who, despite having multiple surgeries and health concerns, has always demonstrated courage and devotion to living life to the fullest. Her high school teacher speaks highly of Jenkins’ leadership and a tenacious work ethic and her ability to be both creative and organized. While doing an internship at the Rumor Mill in Maryland, Gabrielle was able to contribute menu items that received accolades from staff and was also part of the winning team at an employee cook-off contest.  
• Shantell Liberato is a junior working towards a degree in Restaurant Institutional Management at The Pennsylvania State University. Shantell’s success began in high school as she served as president of her class and exceeded academically. She is building her career in the foodservice industry because she wants to impact the lives of strangers in a positive way. Liberato believes “that understanding different backgrounds, cultures, morals, and beliefs should be the ultimate goal for everyone entering this industry.”
• Marvin Lopez, a freshman at Johnson & Wales, Marvin credits his father, who immigrated to the United States from Mexico, for teaching him the value of hard work and a positive attitude. Marvin has demonstrated that he has the capacity and commitment to be successful in this industry as a participant in the ProStart program, which gave him valuable competition experience on a national level. Someday Marvin hopes to own his own restaurant. 

Left to right: Doug Allison, senior director, PepsiCo Foodservice; Xavier Teixido, owner, Harry Savoy's Grill and vice chair of the Board of Trustees for the NRAEF; Shantell Liberato, scholarship winner from Penn State University; Gabrielle Jenkins, scholarship winner from Johnson & Wales; and Roz Mallet, president/CEO, PhaseNext Hospitality and vice chair of the Board of Directors for the NRA

NRAEF scholarships are made possible through the philanthropic support of individuals and corporations from all sectors of the restaurant, foodservice, hospitality and education industries. Five years after receiving their scholarships, more than 80 percent of NRAEF scholarship recipients are still studying and/or working in the foodservice industry. Visit www.nraef.org/scholarships or call 800.765.2122 ext. 6738.

For more information on the Faces of Diversity Awards program and this year's winners, visit www.restaurant.org/diversity.

Culinary Arts dean to mentor local high school students for National ProStart Invitational

Five local high school students from the CS Monroe Technology Center, who will be competing in this year’s National ProStart Invitational, are being mentored by Jordan Lichman, the dean of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Stratford University. The dean, who has helped the students polish their eco-friendly menu, polish their verbal presentation, and adjust the layout their kitchen design, will meet with the students again on the morning of April 25 & 27.

Jordan Lichman, the dean of Culinary Arts and Hospitality at Stratford University

The mentoring that the students have been receiving will help them in their quest to win the management competition in the National ProStart Invitational. The competition includes creating a restaurant proposal, giving a verbal presentation, and demonstrating how they would address day-to-day challenges in the field. Teams compete for a chance to win awards and scholarships for going on into a foodservice or restaurant industry career. In 2010, the competition provided $1.4 million in scholarships to culinary and management teams.

The National ProStart Invitational is its 10th year, with this years competition being held April 29-May 1, 2011, in Overland Park, Kan. There will be over 40 teams from all over the country competing.

Maple Leaf Farms 2011 Professional and Student Chefs' Recipe Contest

The Maple Leaf Farms 2011 Chef Recipe Contest kicks off May 2. Now professional and student chefs' recipes will be judged in two separate categories, each with their own grand prize (see below for details).
 

Innovative, easy recipes using Maple Leaf Farms duck will be judged using these criteria:

• Simplicity 
• Originality
• Accuracy of recipe
• Flavor

Chefs may enter up to 3 recipes in one category. Entries will be accepted online or by mail beginning May 2. Read official contest rules here. 

Prizes will be offered in these two categories:  

• Professional Chefs: Grand prize - $5,000; Second place prize - $3,000; and Third place prize - $1,500
• Student Chefs: Grand Prize - $3000; and Student Second Prize - $1500

Kendall College School of Culinary Arts students win American Culinary Federation Regional Knowledge Bowl

A team of five students enrolled in the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts has won the Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, marking the second time a Kendall College team has taken top honors. The team also took home gold medals at the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) 2011 Central Regional Conference in New Orleans, April 19.

The Kendall College team, consisting of Gabriele Ausraite, Robert Baki, Jacob Clara, Paige Rogers and Jacqueline Wallner (captain), competed for five-and-a-half hours against 12 teams from foodservice-training programs at schools throughout ACF’s Central Region stretching from Minnesota to Louisiana. 

Front row (l to r): Jacqueline Wallner (captain), Paige Rogers, Dina Altieri (coach)
Back row (l to r): Gabriele Ausraite, Jacob Clara, Robert Baki

As Central Regional champion, Kendall’s team will compete for the national title against three other regional finalists on July 24 at the ACF’s 2011 National Convention in Dallas. The team with the highest score will be named the national ACF Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl winner for 2011. 

The Knowledge Bowl tests the acumen of culinary-arts students via a “Jeopardy”- style subjects grid that includes challenging culinary, baking, nutrition, sanitation and math questions as well as sensory perception. The competition is named after the late Chef Baron H. Galand, CEC, who served as national president of ACF from 1983 to 1987.

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.