CIA launches degree progam in San Antonio

The first class of the CIA's associate degree in culinary arts at the San Antonio campus will begin on August 22, 2011. The Associate Degree in Culinary Arts at San Antonio is based on the proven curriculum offered at the main campus in Hyde Park, NY. 

The CIA's San Antonio campus

More information is available at www.ciachef.edu/visitsa.

Saputo and the CIA team up for the First Annual Pizza Cook Off

More than 700 students from Hyde Park’s campus at The Culinary Institute of America rallied around six teams who showcased their tastiest pizzas during the 1st Annual Pizza Cook Off, presented by Saputo Cheese USA Inc. on Sunday, May 1.

All contestants used Saputo’s family of brands including Saputo Premium Gold Mozzarella Cheese, Stella Cheese, and Frigo Cheese. Team Mustache earned the $1,000 first prize as well as the awards for People’s Choice and Showmanship with their traditional Margherita Pizza featuring Stella Toppers Fresh Mozzarella Cheese.

Saputo's Sean Mason (far left) and Jeffrey Bell (far right) flank the winning Team Mustache

Six team finalists were judged by a group of eight pizza and culinary experts. A $500 second prize went to team Rat-pa-tootie, while the $250 third prize was awarded to team Arrabiata.
 
Visit www.saputousafoodservice.com.
  

Kraft Foodservice awards $10,000 in scholarships in the Future Chefs of GREY POUPON Student Culinary Competition at The Culinary Institute of America

Kraft Foodservice awarded $10,000 in scholarship money to four students at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Hyde Park during the Future Chefs of GREY POUPON Student Culinary Competition held at the culinary school’s campus on April 4.  Thitid Tassanakajohn received the first-place prize of a $5,000 scholarship for his recipe, Blossom Tempura Club Sandwich with Classic Dijon Mustard Emulsion, Grilled Pork Belly and Sliced Ribeye Steak. As the first-place winner, in addition to his $5,000 scholarship, Thitid also has the chance to be featured in a Kraft Foodservice trade advertisement.

Students were asked to take the concept of a traditional club sandwich to a new level and develop exciting and unique recipes. Additionally, each recipe had to highlight GREY POUPON Classic Dijon or GREY POUPON Country Dijon Mustard as the featured ingredient.

 

Thitid’s Blossom Tempura Club Sandwich recipe impressed the judges with its creative use of GREY POUPON in a mustard emulsion that worked well with both the grilled pork belly and ribeye steak on the sandwich.  Born in Bangkok, Thailand, Thitid’s culinary creations and aspirations are heavily influenced by his heritage. Armed with an M.B.A in hospitality management, Thitid wants to introduce a new level of Thai food to the world and eventually open his own fine dining Thai restaurant after attending the culinary college.

Recipes developed by the other student finalists who were also awarded scholarship prizes were these:  Seared Prosciutto Sandwich with Mustard Infused L’Orly Onion Rings, the second-place recipe by José Frayre for which he was awarded $3,000; Lobster Schnitzel and Arugula Club on Hazelnut Bread with Mascarpone Mustard Sauce, Tomato Baked Fontina Dip and Dijon Potato Salad, for which Brooke Maynard was awarded third place and $1,000; and GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard Pretzel Club, which earned Eric Hollandsworth fourth place and $1,000.

The judges for the competition were chef Phil Crispo, assistant professor in culinary arts at The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park; chef Michael Siry, culinary director of branded restaurants NYC; and Chef Ken Samuels, executive chef at Avon Pavilion.  Students were judged on taste and use of GREY POUPON, along with creativity and appearance.

Visit kraftfoodservice.com.

Sullivan University honors Lemaire Restaurant chef Walter Bundy

Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) honored Richmond, Va. chef Walter Bundy of the Jefferson Hotel’s Lemaire Restaurant with the prestigious Distinguished Visiting Chef award on Thursday, May 19. As recipient of the award, chef Bundy performed a series of cooking demonstrations and question and answer sessions offered exclusively to Sullivan University students.

L - R: Sullivan University NCHS acting director David Dodd, Lemaire executive chef Walter Bundy (middle) and NCHS culinary arts department chair Allen Akmon (photo credit: Estes Public Relations)

Bundy’s farm-to-table philosophy stems from his childhood experiences on the family farm where his appreciation for garden-fresh ingredients and wild game was cultivated. During college, Bundy helped open The Blue Point Restaurant – well known for its use of fresh local ingredients - on the Outer Banks of NC and later accepted a position at Mark Miller’s Coyote Café in Santa Fe, NM. After completing a degree in culinary arts at the New England Culinary Institute, Bundy worked with renowned chef Thomas Keller at the legendary French Laundry. Bundy has been featured at the James Beard House in New York, the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Gala dinner in Virginia Beach, and Food Network’s Food Nation with Bobby Flay.

In 2001, he joined the Jefferson Hotel as the executive chef of Lemaire. His farm-to-table menu continues to showcase his commitment to creating upscale Southern cuisine and features produce from local purveyors and the hotel’s urban garden. Bundy’s urban garden is in its third season of providing ingredients for daily specials to the restaurant, furthering his vision of creating a fresh, sustainable menu. Under his culinary guidance, Lemaire was named one of the country’s “Best New Restaurants” in 2009 by Esquire magazine.
 
Visit www.sullivan.edu.
 

New egg safety educational videos now online

American Egg Board has recently added to its website four video clips that demonstrate the four phases of the Egg Safety Cycle: Inspect, Clean, Test and Time. These video clips highlight important points in handling eggs in the foodservice kitchen and are ideal for staff training.

Consult this link on American Egg Board’s website: http://www.aeb.org/foodservice-professionals/egg-safety or call 847-296-7043.

Sullivan University student Kara Schnaus wins Creekstone Farms burger competition at Taste of Derby

On Thursday, May 5 at the second annual Taste of Derby, three Sullivan University students participated in a burger competition sponsored by Creekstone Farms. Chef judges Bobby Flay, Kent Rathbun and Jo-Jo Doyle awarded Kara Schnaus the $5,000 scholarship prize for her Kara’s B-5 Burger. The original recipe featured Creekstone Farms Black Angus ground chuck seasoned with garlic and jalapeño, spicy mayonnaise, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese served on an onion poppy seed bun.

Celebrity chef judge Bobby Flay and Sullivan University student Kara Schnaus

The three contestants were given a pantry of items and 30 minutes during the Taste of Derby celebration to create their signature burgers. The winning recipe is available upon request.  

Visit www.sullivan.edu.

Lexington College appoints Dean Mary K. Hunt as its new president

Dean Mary K. Hunt has been appointed the 6th president of Lexington College by its Board of Directors. For the past three years Dean Hunt has served as academic dean of the College and prior to that was a management faculty member. She will assume her role as president in the summer of 2011.

Dean Mary K. Hunt

After fourteen years, president Susan Mangels will leave the presidency of Lexington College at the end of this academic year. Mangels will continue to support Lexington by serving as a trustee of the College.

Dr. Jolene Birmingham, Lexington mathematics and statistics faculty member will be the next academic dean of Lexington College. To this position, Dr. Birmingham brings extensive academic credentials, a passion for education and a resolved commitment to the excellence of Lexington College.

L’Academie de Cuisine graduate wins Oustanding Pastry Chef of the Year

Angela Pinkerton, an alumna of L’Academie de Cuisine (LAC) professional pastry arts program won Oustanding Pastry Chef of the Year at the James Beard Awards ceremony in New York City. "This talented young woman brings her creativity and dedication to her craft every day,” said Chef Francois Dionot, founder and director of L’Academie de Cuisine. 

Pinkerton graduated from LAC’s professional pastry arts program in 2006. Before she ever knew she wanted to be a pastry chef, Pinkerton majored in biology at Kent State. She began her career in pastry while in college decorating cakes at a local bakery. After graduating, she decided to become a pastry chef and enrolled in LAC’s pastry arts program.

From L’Academie, Pinkerton completed her externship in the pastry kitchen of The Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, Virginia before making the move to New York City where she eventually became executive pastry chef at Eleven Madison Park. At this four-star restaurant Angela collaborates closely with chef Daniel Humm to create desserts that are at once sophisticated, seasonal and delicious, perfectly complementing the restaurant’s modern French cuisine.
 
Visit www.lacademie.com.

Graduates of 'L'Art du Gâteau' at The French Pastry School complete intensive training program

A ceremony at the Union League Club of Chicago on Thursday, April 21, 2011 honored the graduates of L'Art du Gâteau – The Professional Cake Decorating and Baking Program of The French Pastry School of Kennedy-King College. Attendees included faculty, staff, school sponsors, industry chefs, friends, family, and newly capped alumni celebrating the conclusion of their 16-week program.

The graduating class of the January 2011 session of L'Art du Gâteau, The Professional Cake Decorating and Baking Program

Keynote speaker at the ceremony was chef Courtney Clark, owner of Ann Arbor, Michigan's Cake Nouveau, and a graduate of the July 2002 class of L'Art de la Pâtisserie program. She has competed in ten Food Network Challenges and has won five of them. She advised the graduates to "be open to new challenges; you never know what opportunity is just around the corner. Get all the experience you can," Clark advised, "and in the end, develop your own style."
 
The ceremony was followed by a reception at the school, showcasing the graduates' final projects: a wedding cake and a Sweet Sixteen-themed cake. New sessions for L'Art du Gâteau program will begin on August 29, 2011. Also beginning this year is the brand new L'Art de la Boulangerie course on May 31, 2011, followed by the summer L'Art de la Pâtisserie session starting July 5, 2011. More information may be found at www.frenchpastryschool.com.

California sweeps culinary and management competitions at the 10th Annual National ProStart Invitational

Newport Harbor High School set a record by winning both the culinary and management competitions at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s (NRAEF) 10th Annual National ProStart Invitational. The high school student teams from California were crowned champions on May 1, 2011 in Overland Park, Kan. The NRAEF and partner colleges and universities awarded more than $1.4 million in scholarships to the first- through fifth-place teams to pursue their education in foodservice and hospitality programs.

From left: Carlton Curtis, VP, Industry Affairs, Coca-Cola Foodservice and Chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the 1st place culinary competition championship team from Newport Harbor High
School in California, and Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF.

The talented students from Newport Harbor High School beat out 315 other ProStart high school students from 40 states and territories to rise to the top. In the ten years since the National ProStart Invitational debuted, California is the first state to place first in both the culinary and management competitions.

From left: Carlton Curtis, VP, Industry Affairs, Coca-Cola Foodservice and Chair of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the 1st place management competition championship team from Newport Harbor High
School in California, and Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF.

Olathe District Schools of Kansas earned second place honors, and South Forsyth High School of Georgia came in third place. Fourth place honors were awarded to Wando High School in South Carolina and Puyallup High School of Washington took home fifth place. In the culinary competition, teams prepared a starter, entrée and dessert within 60 minutes using only two butane burners, and were judged on categories including taste, knife skills, safety, sanitation and teamwork.

In the management competition, second place went to Cloudcroft High School of New Mexico. The team from Watauga High School in North Carolina won third place. Fourth and fifth places were awarded to Plymouth-Canton Educational Park of Michigan and Eastside High School in FL, respectively. Teams developed an original restaurant concept, and applied critical thinking skills to challenges restaurant managers face in day-to-day operations.

In 2011, more than $1 million in scholarships will be awarded to winning students on Sunday, May 1st. 

Visit www.prostart.restaurant.org.

Valrhona takes its culinary classes on the road

Valrhona is making its renowned know-how available to culinary professionals in select markets across the USA with Valrhona En Route (on-the-road), a series of traveling Valrhona USA culinary school classes. As at the French school, L'Ecole du Grand Chocolat, chefs, instructors, and chocolatiers attending Valrhona En Route’s classes will find venue in which to exchange ideas and share their high level of expertise with one another, while learning to perfect their techniques and discover current and new trends under the guidance of L’Ecole trained chef-instructors.

Alex Espiritu leads a class in Boston in November 2010

Taking Valrhona En Route “on-the-road” will be Valrhona USA pastry chefs and instructors Derek Poirier and Alex Espiritu, both highly trained in Valrhona France, and at Valrhona’s L’Ecole du Grand Chocolat under the direction of Frederic Bau, director of the school.

Valrhona En Route 2011 Calendar:
RESTAURANT DESSERTS – New York - by Alex Espiritu
Monday & Tuesday August 15-16, 2011 8:30am – 6:00pm
Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St. (at East 4th St.) NY, NY 10003

PLATED DESSERT – San Francisco – by Derek Poirier
Monday & Tuesday, October 3-4, 2011 8:30am – 6:00pm
Paulding & Company Kitchen, 1410 62nd St, #D, Emeryville, CA 94608

CAKES, TARTS AND YULE LOGS – From the Classics to Contemporary – Washington, DC – by Derek Poirier
Monday & Tuesday, October 24-25, 2011 8:30am – 6:00pm
Place: TBD

Price for each class is $499 and includes: Breakfast and Lunch for the 2 days, 1 dinner, and cocktail reception for diploma ceremony, 1 Valrhona Hat, 1 Valrhona Apron, and 1 Valrhona recipe book

Contact Valrhona 718-522-7001 x 105 or at info-us@valrhona.com for class availability and instructions on how to register. For more information, visit: www.valrhona-chocolate.com.