Job Corps Culinary Training Programs Granted Quality Program Status by ACF Education Foundation

The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF), the educational arm of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America, recently granted renewal Quality Program status to all Job Corps culinary training programs across the United States, a total of 87. Approval was awarded Oct. 19 and is valid for five years.
 
ACFEF Quality Program status is a recognition earned by non-degree-granting culinary programs that offer training and education but do not meet qualification requirements for ACFEF accreditation. To receive the status, facilities must submit an application and supporting documents, which are then reviewed by a committee. Next, a team of professional chefs conduct a site visit to determine if the education described is properly delivered. Initial Quality Program status is granted for three years. Facilities can apply for renewal, which is granted for five years. The ACFEF Quality Program status allows organizations to brand their course of study with the ACFEF logo and name, increasing marketability and public trust.

Job Corps, a no-cost education and vocational training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, helps young people ages 16-24 improve the quality of their lives through vocational and academic training. Its culinary training includes instruction on the following topics: introduction to the foodservice industry; culinary professionalism; CPR and first aid training; ServSafe training; culinary math; ingredient identification; sustainability; time management; and culinary tools and equipment. In addition, students learn about soups and sauces, recipe development and menu planning, various cooking techniques, baking, purchasing and inventory, knife skills, nutrition and more. For more info, visit www.jobcorps.gov.

The Art Institute of Washington Hosts "Chefs of Tomorrow" Media Dinner

Students dazzled editors representing some of the food industry’s most prominent publications at the 2011 Chefs of Tomorrow™ media dinner held at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Washington in Arlington, Va., on November 9 during the International Foodservice Editorial Council (IFEC) Conference.

The elegant, multicourse dinner in the school’s public fine-dining restaurant, Culinaire, featured innovative use of products from companies represented by Chicago-based Olson Communications, a full-service agency that specializes in delivering innovative marketing-communication strategy to its portfolio of select food-industry clients.

Sharon Olson (l.), founder and president of Olson Communications, presents the 2011 Chefs of Tomorrow™ plaque to Dr. Suzanne Hintz, dean of The Art Institute of Washington.

Courses for the evening included:

• Hors d’oeuvres of black-bean-tapenade crostini with chorizo, sweet-potato-soup shooters and beer-poached Italian sausage with mango chutney featuring products from Basic American Foods and Johnsonville Sausage
• Main course of filet mignon from Quantum Foods, served with béarnaise over kale with cremini mushrooms and red-pepper coulis
• For dessert, a choice of individual 3-inch cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory Bakery: Strawberry Cheesecake with white-chocolate tuile, sliced strawberries and mint sauce; Original Cheesecake with peanut brittle, kiwi and passion-fruit sauce; and Chocolate Cheesecake with raspberry and a coconut macaroon

Between courses, students responsible for cooking and service for 20 guests shared their personal histories and aspirations for fulfilling careers in foodservice following graduation. This year’s Chefs of Tomorrow dinner, an annual event designed to expose trade and consumer media to exemplary culinary-arts programs nationwide while honoring America’s professional culinary-arts teachers, was the fifth such dinner hosted by Olson Communications.

To recognize the positive impact of The Art Institute of Washington’s culinary-arts program on businesses in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area and beyond, Sharon Olson, founder and president of Olson Communications, presented a plaque and $500 grant to Dr. Suzanne Hintz, the school’s dean, and Chef Stephen Abel, the instructor who guided students’ efforts for the dinner, to benefit professional development of culinary-arts faculty.

“Your students demonstrated extraordinary talent, passion and creativity at the International Foodservice Editorial Council dinner we hosted for leading foodservice editors,” Olson said. “We are delighted that they were undaunted by the challenge we posed with the market basket of products we asked them to transform into an exquisite culinary experience.”

Kendall College Welcomes Chef Eric Stein, R.D., as Newest Faculty Member

The Kendall College School of Culinary Arts announces the addition of Chef Eric Stein, MS, RD, to its faculty. As an instructor specializing in culinary nutrition, Stein brings a contemporary cooking style to Kendall that emphasizes nutrient-rich foods and global flavor profiles.

“Kendall College proudly welcomes Chef Stein to our teaching family,” said Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, MBA, dean of the School of Culinary Arts. “He arrives at a time when interest from prospective students in our nutrition concentration has never been higher. Chef Stein’s wealth of experience teaching in this relatively new, timely and eminent field of study will continue to distinguish Kendall College as a leader in culinary education.”

 Stein

Prior to arriving at Kendall, Stein spent a year working in the kitchens of the AAA Five Diamond Award-winning Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., where he enhanced his technical skills under Certified Master Chef Richard Rosendale. He has also served as Colorado’s state coordinator for the American Dietetic Association’s vegetarian practice group as well as on the board of advisors for Cooking Matters Colorado, a program under the auspices of Share Our Strength that empowers families with the skills, knowledge and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals.

“I came to Kendall because of the great reputation of its School of Culinary Arts,” Stein says. “I feel very fortunate that they wanted me to be affiliated with the program. At Kendall, I can teach what I love, continue to expand my skills as a culinary professional, and work with a group of extraordinarily talented chefs. All the while I can also educate students in our ever-changing field.”

Stein is a regular contributor to DiningOut, the nation's premier guide to restaurants in select U.S. cities, as well as Chef Educator Today, the quarterly magazine of the Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI). His first book, Culinary Nutrition Principles and Applications, for the academic market, will be published in early 2012 by American Technical Publishers. Stein is also the owner of Enlightened Flavors, LLC, a consulting company that provides food and nutrition services to consumers, spas and restaurants.

He began his career in culinary education as a graduate teaching assistant at Eastern Illinois University, where he received his master’s degree in nutrition education. From there he returned to his culinary alma mater, Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts in Denver, where he taught across the curriculum in both the associate of applied science (AAS) and culinary-nutrition baccalaureate programs.

Le Cordon Bleu, Atlanta, Student Takes Top Prize in Maple Leaf Farms Recipe Contest

Maple Leaf Farms recently selected the winning entries in The 2011 Discover Duck Chef Recipe Contest. This year’s contest featured separate categories for professional chefs and culinary students, each with their own cash prizes. More than 230 recipes showcasing Maple Leaf Farms duck were entered into the contest.

The Student Category offered two top prizes: The grand prize of $2,500 was awarded to Derwin Jackson of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Atlanta, for his Roasted Tapenade Duck in Parchment recipe. Matthew Wells of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Austin, received second place for his Asian Duck Tacos.

Matthew Wells, a student at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Atlanta, took top prize in the student category of  The 2011 Discover Duck Chef Recipe Contest with his Roasted Tapenade Duck in Parchment.

Taking the Chef Category grand prize of $5,000 was Greg Reggio of Taste Buds Management in New Orleans for his Thai Style Pulled Duck Sliders. Reggio, along with chef partners Hans Limburg and Gary Darling, are the creators of Zea Rotisserie and Semolina Restaurant in New Orleans. A second recipe submitted by Reggio for Korean BBQ Duck Tacos was also awarded third place.

Second place in the Chef Category was claimed by Executive Chef Steven Jayson of Universal Studios, Orlando, with his Pulled Duck Ciabatta Sandwich recipe.

All submissions were judged anonymously on simplicity (easily sourced ingredients and ease of preparation), originality, flavor and accuracy of the recipe ingredients and method. “We were thrilled with the variety and originality of the recipe submissions this year,” said Maple Leaf Farms' marketing manager, Cindy Turk.

To view the winning recipes and photos, visit the contest web pages at www.mapleleaffarms.com/chefcontest/.

ACF Announces Release of Garde Manger: Cold Kitchen Fundamentals

The American Culinary Federation (ACF), the nation’s largest professional-chefs organization, is pleased to announce its newest textbook, Garde Manger: Cold Kitchen Fundamentals (Prentice Hall, 2012, $104), a companion to Baking Fundamentals (Prentice Hall, 2007) and Culinary Fundamentals (Prentice Hall, 2006). Written for the garde-manger chef, culinary students and educators, the 912-page book focuses on techniques, provides an overview of the cold kitchen and features more than 400 recipes.

“Garde Manger: Cold Kitchen Fundamentals is ACF’s comprehensive guide to the cold kitchen,” said Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, ACF national president. “We hope chefs, students, educators and culinary institutions nationwide utilize this valuable resource.”

 

Garde Manger: Cold Kitchen Fundamentals is organized by sections and includes teaching units that enable readers to build on a strong foundation as they progress in their knowledge. Special features include:  

• More than 400 recipes, from artichoke and pimento salad to grilled salmon slices on arugula
• More than 600 illustrative photographs
• Learning activities
• “Chef’s Tips”
• Educational objectives and key terms
• Summaries and unit reviews
• Appendices containing useful charts
• Bibliography for additional related books, magazines, blogs, etc.
• Glossary

About the Authors  
Edward Leonard, CMC, WGMC, FSP, AAC, is vice president and corporate chef for Le Cordon Bleu Schools of North America. He is past president of the American Culinary Federation and past vice president of the World Association of Chefs Societies. He served as team manager of ACF Culinary Team USA, the official U.S. team for national and international culinary competitions, from 1998 to 2008.

Brenda Carlos is owner of BC Editorial Services. She has served as publisher and managing editor of Hospitality News Group, and has authored numerous articles focusing on all aspects of the foodservice industry, event management and running a business. In addition, she has co-authored three textbooks.

Tina Powers, CEC, CEPC, CCE, CMB, is a culinary instructor at Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, Coos Bay, Ore., where she teaches baking and culinary classes. In addition, she owns a restaurant and bakery consulting business that serves the United States, Eastern Europe and Russia. She has received numerous awards and has coached several student competition teams.

For more information, visit www.pearsonhighered.com.