L’Academie de Cuisine students tour White House kitchen with the first lady

As reported by The New York Times, this past Sunday, while the White House kitchen staff prepared for the Obama's first official dinner (honoring the nation's governors), Michelle Obama gave a select group of students from L’Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md., a tour of the kitchen and a sneak peek at some the evening's menu items.

The special invitation, offered to L’Academie de Cuisine's top six students, was part of the first lady's ongoing community outreach efforts. Ms. Obama also reportedly used the opportunity to vocally support local and sustainable food--and to praise White House kitchen staffers, who, she admits, know how to make a "mean batch of french fries."

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(Photo credit: Haraz N. Ghanbari/Associated Press, from The New York Times)

Kendall instructor joins board of Bread Bakers Guild of America

Melina Kelson-Podolsky, a baking and pastry instructor at Kendall College in Chicago, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Bread Bakers Guild of America. A Certified Master Baker, a Certified Executive Pastry Chef and a Certified Sous Chef, Kelson-Podolsky has been teaching for eight years and a member of the Guild since 2003.

"I’m excited to be able to give back to The Guild," Kelson-Podolsky said in a press statement. "If it weren't for what they have offered to people like me, I'd be worlds behind where I am today. The Guild helps you to reinvent yourself."

The Bread Bakers Guild of America is a non-profit organization made up of professional bakers, farmers, millers, suppliers, educators, students, home bakers, technical experts and bakery owners and managers who work together to support the principle and the practice of producing high-quality baked goods. For more information, visit the Bread Bakers Guild of America's Web site.

College of DuPage to host 12th annual 'Traditions in Excellence' event

On April 21 College of DuPage will hold its 12th annual "Traditions in Excellence" food and wine dinner to raise money to improve the school's Hospitality Administration program.

This year's event, which will run from 5:30 to 9 p.m., features a champagne reception followed by a four-course sit-down dinner prepared by the school's culinary students. The College of DuPage also will recognize Gus Vonderheide, vice president of Hyatt Corp. and a College of DuPage graduate. Dessert and a live auction will take place at about 8:30 p.m. to close the evening. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on items such as a trip to Napa, California, including airfare; dinner for eight at home with chefs from the College's Hospitality Administration; and a Jade commercial grade in-home stainless steel oven/stove.

All the proceeds from the event will go directly to the College of DuPage's Hospitality Program and expansion. Expansion plans include a new hotel lab with a hotel front desk, hotel room and reception area; two kitchens; two bake shops; a chocolate room; a bistro; and a new culinary market.

Tickets are $75 each. For more information, visit TraditionsinExcellence.com.

Winston's Restaurant at Sullivan University raises $3000 for Salvation Army culinary program

On February 10, Winston's Restaurant at Sullivan University hosted a fund-raising dinner for the Salvation Army Culinary Training program (SACT), which trains homeless and low-income citizens to enter the workforce in the restaurant and hospitality industries. The event, which was emceed by SACT graduate Valuen Cooper and featured live music by Pete and Pete, raised $3000 for SACT.

The event's five-course dinner, presented by Sullivan graduate chef Timothy Tucker, was prepared by SACT program participants and featured fresh dishes like the "Tower of Hope"--herbed grilled vegetables stack with dried tomatoes, goat cheese and basil oil--and "Braised Salvation Short Rib"--slow-cooked pork served with Caribbean slaw, truffled fingerling potatoes and roasted red pepper sauce.

Chef Tucker conducts classes at the Center of Hope, where he is also responsible for feeding 400 people daily, developing relationships with local farmers and program supporters, and catering and tending to the center's on-site gardens, which supply much of the programs herbs and produce.

For more information, visit www.salvationarmylouisville.org.(Pictured l to r): Timothy Tucker, a graduate of Sullivan University and a chef-instructor for the Salvation Army Culinary Training program, with John Richards, director of the university's Food and Beverage Operations





- Photo credit: Estes Public Relations

The French Laundry through the eyes of a kitchen veteran

by Evan Noetzel

Chef Robert Corey--owner/founder of Denver-based 12 Seasons Personal Chef & Sommelier Services (formerly The French Manner) and a chef-instructor at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Colorado--has amassed many an accolade during his more than three and a half decades working in both foodservice and culinary education. And now that he's paid his dues? He's taking a well-deserved break ... Well, not so much a break as a research-intensive culinary sabbatical.

As it turns out, Corey is almost half way through a two-month-long stagiaire (a glorified industry term that's French for, roughly, unpaid apprenticeship), working under the Thomas Keller at his world-famous eatery, The French Laundry in Napa Valley, Calif.

Corey, 50, started his French Laundry journey on January 19 of this year and has documented his every thought and experience along the way--from the honor of doning "the blue apron" to his new-found appreciation for "Micro-Hyacinths and sheer-sliced Toyko Turnips"--on his blog: "The Need to Feed--My Sabbatical Journey."

"I think that chef Corey's journey is a refreshing and encouraging story," 12 Seasons executive sous chef Mary Reish tells CET, "about a chef, who, quite late in life, is willing to place ego and familiarity aside in order to learn from the best, with the ultimate goal of sharing his knowledge and experiences with his students, his clients and his staff. This is a story of a successful, inspiring, yet patient chef who has thrown caution to the wind in order to bring the best to Denver."

To follow Corey's progress, view his great photos and read his daily musings--for instance, today a sleep-deprived Corey blogged about fighting fatigue and looking for inspiration for an upcoming "Burgundian Winter Dinner"--visit www.theneedtofeed-mysabbaticaljourney.blogspot.com.Chef Robert Corey at The French Laundry holding "fresh black truffles from Provence, France."

Nantucket High School wins Massachusetts' ProStart Student Invitational

On January 16, Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (MRAEF) held its second annual ProStart Student Invitational at Le Cordon Bleu, Boston Campus.

Seven teams from high schools across the state competed in the culinary competition, each demonstrating creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes. Their performance during the practical session was observed and rated by judges from leading post-secondary colleges and universities and from the restaurant and foodservice industry. A portion of the competition involved a case study event, in which students tested their communication skills and their knowledge in practical situations.

The winning team was Nantucket High School, whose team members included: Carl Johnsen, Brittany Watson, Edward Moreau Jr., Haley Cabre. The team prepared pan-seared bay scallops for the appetizer, swordfish steak with sautéed vegetables for the entrée, and a steamed pear with crème caramel for dessert. Winning the case study portion of the event was Pittsfield High School. The winning teams received more than $33,000 in scholarship money.

"Although there could only be three winners, all the teams were winners in my eyes," MRA education coordinator Heather Carneiro said in a press release. "These students gave up their afternoons, vacation days and weekends to be prepared for this event. It is also important to note that the generous use of the incredible campus at Le Cordon Bleu made the event even more special to all who participated."

For more on the MRAEF or the ProStart Student Invitational, visit www.marestaurantassoc.org.(Pictured, l to r): Bob Wong, president of the MRAEF Committee; Heather Carneiro, MRA education coordinator; Peter Christie, MRA president and CEO; and Steve King, president of Le Cordon Bleu.

Quebec maple syrup—the flow is on!

Maple syrup production occurs just once a year for 6 to 8 weeks in mid-February through April. Maple syrup is made from the sap of the sugar maple tree, and that sap will run when the daily temperatures move above and below freezing.

Maple syrup production requires optimal temperatures and sugar maple trees, and thus, can only be made is a small geographic area of northeastern North America. Quebec produces more than 80 percent of the world’s maple syrup, equal to 93 percent of Canadian production.

"On average, Quebec maple producers will make about 70 million pounds of maple syrup each year,” says Joan Kimball of the Quebec maple syrup producers' "Do More with Maple” campaign. “We celebrate the maple season and recognize that real maple syrup is one of nature’s gifts.”To collect the sap to make the syrup, producers insert a tap into the tree (as pictured). Commercial maple syrup producers use gravity-fed plastic tubing and pipelines and vacuum pumps to collect the sap. The maple sap is boiled and evaporated to make maple syrup. Maple syrup is made when the sugar density reaches 66 percent. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of maple syrup. Finished maple syrup is filtered and then graded based on color and flavor. In general, lighter colored maple syrups have a milder flavor while darker maple syrups have a stronger flavor.

In addition to maple syrup, Quebec maple suppliers produce maple butters, maple concentrates, maple flake and sugars, and maple vinegar. “In Quebec, maple syrup is not limited to pancakes,” notes Kimball. “Quebec producers have developed products that showcase maple’s diverse applications—from baked goods to candies to salad dressings.”

While many table syrups claim maple flavor, Kimball says there is no substitute for the real thing. “Real maple syrup comes from the annual sap flow of the sugar maple trees, not from a laboratory. Real maple syrup is a healthy, natural product and the flavor is distinct and pleasing.”

For more information, visit www.domorewithmaple.com.