College of Dupage culinary program to host fund-raiser dinner

Glen Ellyn, Ill.-based College of DuPage's 12th annual "Traditions in Excellence" food and wine dinner event is set for April 21 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The "Traditions in Excellence" dinner event is an opportunity for the College of DuPage's culinary students to showcase their skills, while raising money to enhance the Hospitality Administration program. This year's event presents a four-course, sit-down dinner prepared by the students. The College of DuPage will be recognizing one of its exemplary graduates: Gus Vonderheide, vice president of Hyatt Corp.

Throughout the evening, guests can mingle and peruse the silent and live auction items that will be offered. All the proceeds from the evening's event will go directly to the College of DuPage's Hospitality Program and expansion. Over the years, this event has raised money for new facility improvements and enhances the college's exceptional and growing program. The ambitious 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. The project is scheduled for completion in 2012.

Visit www.traditionsinexcellence.com for more information.

Kendall College named 2008 Cooking School of the Year

The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College has won the Academy of the Culinary Arts Cordon d' Or-Gold Ribbon Cooking School of the Year Culinary Academy Award for 2008. The Academy of the Culinary Arts awards recognize exemplary contributions to the culinary arts from chefs, chef-instructors, entrepreneurs, schools, associations and cuisine advocates and promoters from around the world.

Chef Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, dean, will represent Kendall and its School of Culinary Arts when he joins the other honorees at the Culinary Academy Awards Dinner on May 16 at the Don Cesar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Fla., during the Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival.


"This award from Cordon d' Or acknowledges the impact of avid, superbly trained graduates of Kendall's School of Culinary Arts on the U.S. foodservice industry, as well as our pioneering programs that position us as an education leader," said Koetke in a statement. "Kendall College is grateful to the Academy for recognizing the value of our sole product: graduates prepared to meet employers' needs for qualified personnel."

For a list of all the winners, visit www.cordondorcuisine.com.

CIA honors leaders of California wine industry

At the Culinary Institute of America's Celebration of California Food & Wine on March 14 at the CIA-Greystone, the CIA recognized the 2009 Vintners Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the wine industry.

(l to r) CIA president Tim Ryan and wine journalist Gerald Asher

Inductees, honored at the event's third annual Hall of Fame Induction dinner, include:

• wine editor emeritus and journalist Gerald Asher, Gourmet magazine;
• Jack and Jamie Davies, founders of Schramsberg Vineyards;
• Jess Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Estates;
• Carole Meredith, University of California--Davis professor and co-founder of Lagier-Meredith Winery;
• Justin Meyer, co-founder of Silver Oak Cellars; and
• Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

Warren Winiarski

Brothers Frederick and Jacob Beringer, who founded Beringer Vineyards in 1876, were inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame as Pioneers, a category that recognizes those who made a significant contribution to the California wine industry and passed away before March 1989.

Proceeds from the Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner contribute to the CIA at Greystone's Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies. The Vintners Hall of Fame was opened to the public for the first time on March 30 at the CIA-Greystone.

Food Jobs e-newsletter launched

Author Irena Chalmers has officially launched the e-newsletter associated with her most recent book, Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers (2008, Beaufort Books). Chalmers, a friend of FENI and a Chef Educator Today and Chef Magazine columnist, Culinary Institute of America instructor and foodservice industry expert, will continue to offer insight into the world of food jobs through the e-newsletter. To sign up for the Food Jobs e-newsletter, visit www.foodjobsbook.com.

Food Jobs recently won the 2008 Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Food Book for Professionals in the United States. For more information on Food Jobs, visit Online Tool Kit's previous post, or visit www.foodjobsbook.com.

Dole awards two grand prizes for Fresh Frozen Fruit Student Recipe Contest

The Dole Fresh Frozen Fruit Student Recipe Contest ended in a tie, with the grand prize of $2,500 going to Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts--Las Vegas student Bret Skiba and to a team of students from the Columbus Culinary Institute in Ohio.

Skiba's winning recipe was Lobster and Melon Salad (photo below).


The team of students--Burgess Abdallah, Juana Johnson, Lindsay Rathbone, Nic Wilcox and Heather White--prepared a Tropical Trifle (photo below).


The recipes used a minimum of two cups of Dole Fresh Frozen Fruit, and the judges evaluated the dishes based on creativity, flavor, ease of preparation and appetite appeal. For more information, visit www.dolefoodservice.com.

Raw food culinary school to open in Oklahoma City

This fall the country's first state-licensed raw food or "living" cuisine academy and café will open in Oklahoma City.

The school, dubbed 105degrees Academy in reference to the optimal temperature for preparing living cuisine without harming its healthful properties, will teach students how to combine organic, raw ingredients with classic culinary techniques to create flavorful and healthy meals. The program will be seasonal, with recipes changing monthly.

105degrees Academy’s chef certification Level 1 classes, which begin in September, consist of a four-week curriculum and will be offered year-round with 16 students per class. Chef certification Level 2 advanced classes, which start in January 2010, consist of a 12-week curriculum, offered every quarter with eight students per session.

"Level 2 classes are designed to prepare students who currently work or aspire to work in an upscale restaurant or culinary environment," said academy director Mandilyn Canistelle in a statement.

The 3,000-square-foot academy also includes the 105degrees Café, which will offer only organic and plant-based ingredients and will be open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"We will be the only state-licensed, raw culinary school in the country that has curriculum aligned with classic culinary techniques," said co-founder and director of operations Matthew Kenney in a statement. "The cuisine of our academy will be the most advanced and creative living cuisine available in an educational setting."

Johnsonville donates scholarship funds at El Centro gala

Johnsonville Sausage LLC sponsored a gala dinner at El Centro College in Dallas this month, where it presented El Centro's Food and Hospitality Institute with the Chefs of Tomorrow scholarship, which recognizes excellence in culinary educators and students nationwide. Culinary students enrolled in the Food and Hospitality Institute prepared and served each course served at the gala, which was held March 6 during the 2009 Research Chefs Association Conference.

(l to r) Johnsonville senior brand manager Sarah Babb, Johnsonville western region sales coach Marti Miller, El Centro College chef instructor Chris LaLonde, El Centro College chef instructor Tom Nixon

"The culinary arts program at El Centro College is honored to receive this generous contribution to our scholarship fund by Johnsonville, a brand that is highly respected among chefs nationwide," said El Centro chef instructor Chris Lalonde in a statement. "This donation will help us assist more prospective chefs in achieving their goals."