Finding 2009's Best Teen Chef

High school seniors and budding chefs on March 14 will compete in The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef 2009 Local Cook-off Competition at The Art Institute of California–San Diego. Coast-to-coast, Best Teen Chef Local Cook-off Competitions will be held at participating The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes locations across the United States and Canada.

Competitors will prepare a menu of Shrimp Cocktail, Sautéed Breast of Chicken, Fresh Broccoli and Rice Pilaf during timed heats. Local winners will head to The Art Institute of Charlotte, in North Carolina, May 8 to 10 for the Best Teen Chef Final Round Competition.

The national first prize includes a full-tuition scholarship toward an associate's degree, certificate or diploma program to study culinary arts at one of the more than 30 participating Art Institute locations; and the chance to be "Intern for a Day" at Food Network Kitchens in New York city.

More information about the Best Teen Chef Competition is available at The Art Institutes Web site.

CIA hires associate dean for business management

The Culinary Institute of America hired Rummy Pandit, former assistant dean and executive director of hospitality management at Rutgers University, as associate dean for business management.

Pandit holds a master's in Hotel Management from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration/IMHI and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Rutgers. Before joining the academic world, he held multiple managerial positions in the hospitality industry, including executive director of hotel operations for Harrah's Showboat Casino-Hotel and general manager of the Atlantic Palace Suites in Atlantic City, N.J.; general manager of the Shoreham Hotel in New York City; and rooms division manager at the Ritz Carlton in Boston. Pandit also holds a Certified Hotel Administrator designation from the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

"With its complexity and broad scope, today's foodservice and hospitality industry needs more and better-prepared managers," said Kathy Merget, CIA dean of liberal arts and business management, in a statement. "We want to expose our students to the latest business practices, technology and leadership opportunities, whether in the kitchen or the boardroom. Mr. Pandit's experience will help provide CIA students with the most advanced business applications at both the associate and bachelor's degree levels."

HMEF hosts third annual ProStart Invitational

The Hospitality Minnesota Education Foundation (HMEF) on Feb. 10 hosted the third annual HMEF Sysco ProStart Invitational at Sysco Minnesota in St. Paul, to provide high school juniors and seniors exposure to the foodservice industry through team-based culinary and academic competitions.

Nine teams consisting of junior and senior students enrolled in one of the six Minnesota ProStart high schools competed in a culinary competition and a management competition. In the culinary session, students prepared a three-course meal in 60 minutes, which was observed and rated by judges from post-secondary colleges and universities and the restaurant and foodservice industry. The gold medal team was Elk River High School.

In the management portion, students were tested on their communication skills and ability to apply their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry to practical situations and competed in a question-and-answer portion. The gold medal team was Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. The winning team from each of the competitions will move on to represent Minnesota at the National ProStart Invitational in San Diego, Calif., April 23 to 26.

ProStart is a National Restaurant Association Solutions career-building program for high school students interested in culinary arts and foodservice management.

ACF awards first Certified Junior Culinarian designations

The American Culinary Federation awarded high school students Alveon Dixon, Stephen Kerpelman and Jessica Martinez the Certified Junior Culinarian (CJC) designation. These students are dual enrolled at the Center of Applied Technology (CAT) in Severn, Md., and Arundel High School, Gambills, Md.

The CJC designation indicates to culinary industry and post-secondary educational institutions that the student has completed a culinary arts program and has passed the required competencies of the program.

Collectively, Dixon, Kerpelman and Martinez have been awarded more than $100,000 in scholarship money for their post-secondary education. They also have earned recognition in high academic achievement, civic activity, extracurricular work and competitions. They are the only three students out of 11 in the CAT culinary arts program who have met all the requirements for the CJC designation.

"These students have excelled in an environment in which students apply theory and knowledge toward skills proficiency and practice safe work habits and professional ethics," said Bruce Davis, CAT culinary arts instructor, in a statement.

ADDED 3/18/09: For more information on the secondary certification and the CJC accreditation process, visit the ACF Web site.

CIA releases first two books of food selection series

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in conjunction with Delmar Publishing, has released the first two books in a multi-part Kitchen Pro series designed for chefs, foodservice managers, purchasing agents, suppliers, vendors, retailers, culinary students, instructors and food enthusiasts.
Meat: Identification, Fabrication and Utilization, by Thomas Schneller, and Fish and Seafood: Identification, Fabrication and Utilization, by Mark Ainsworth, describe both traditional and state-of-the-art methods of identifying species and cuts, purchasing, fabricating and storing.
The full-color, hard-bound texts also demonstrate basic preparation methods in step-by-step format and offer tested recipes using both classic and contemporary cooking techniques. Other topics covered in the book are prevailing consumer and foodservice issues such as local sourcing, heritage breeds, animal production practices, maximizing secondary cuts to control food costs, and flavors and cooking methods that meet diner demands while increasing restaurants' check averages.

The Kitchen Pro Series comprises six components, four of which will be released later this year and next. For more information, visit www.culinary.delmar.com.

U.S. team named champions at international cooking competition

American Culinary Federation (ACF) Culinary Youth Team USA, a team of culinary students representing the United States, placed first overall at this year's Knorr World Culinary Grand Prix, a biennial competition during ScotHot, Scotland's largest exhibition for foodservice and hospitality held from March 2 to 4, in Glasgow, Scotland. The team of chefs 25 years old or younger competed against eight international teams and won three gold medals with its representation of American cuisine, from macaroni and cheese to barbecue.

The competition covered three categories: a three-course plated meal, a five-course served hot and displayed cold and a demonstration of various skills for a group of spectators. Judges evaluated mise en place and cleanliness, correct professional preparation, arrangement and presentation/innovation and taste.

"The team did a great job overall and received fantastic comments on its appetizer," said Steve Jilleba, team manager and corporate executive chef of Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill., in a statement. "The team earned the highest scores in both cold and hot kitchens and did an outstanding job representing American cuisine."

Along with the United States, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Scotland and Wales were represented at the competition. Last year, the U.S. team took second place behind Canada.

ADDED 3/17/09: ACF Culinary Youth Team USA members, all students at Professional Culinary Institute (PCI), Campbell, Calif., are: Edalyn Garcia, of Santa Clara, Calif.; Alfonso Mendoza, of Campbell, Calif.; Alison Murphy, of Santa Clara, Calif.; Alyssa Twelker, of Sunnyvale, Calif.; and Keriann Von Raesfeld, team captain, of San Jose, Calif. The team is coached by Randy Torres, director of culinary education, PCI. Congratulations to the team!

Barry Callebaut hires Chicago pastry chef

Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of cocoa and chocolate products, hired executive pastry chef Richard Cusick to join its team of technical advisers at the Zurich-based company's Chocolate Academy, which recently opened in Chicago.

executive pastry chef Richard Cusick

Cusick, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and an American Culinary Federation-certified executive pastry chef, has been the executive pastry chef at Chicago restaurants Ambria, Everest and Charlie Trotter's. He also was an instructor and chair of the pastry program at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, and currently is a member of the Research Chefs Association's Certification Commission.

In his new role, Cusick will help teach a range of seminars, demonstrations, theoretical courses and practical workshops on chocolate applications and processing techniques. Classes at the Chocolate Academy are specifically designed for artisans and culinary professionals including pastry chefs, confectioners, bakers and caterers.

"Chef Cusick's experience working in the kitchens of some of Chicago's best-known restaurants will be an invaluable resource for the culinary professionals who come to the academy with the goal of improving their skills in working with fine chocolate," said Massimo Garavaglia, president of Barry Callebaut North America, in a statement.