Students earn college funds for serving seniors

ACTS Retirement-Life Communities, the parent company of 19 continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) in the United States, recently awarded $149,400 in culinary service scholarships to 404 high school students for serving meals to residents in their local retirement communities. The students servers earned vouchers ranging from $300 to $500 for serving meals to residents of one of CCRCs in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama or Florida during the last scholarship period.

Students age 14 and up can qualify for ACTS culinary service scholarships. They work a specified number of hours during a 16-week scholarship period and receive an hourly wage in addition to the scholarship vouchers.

ACTS Retirement-Life Communities is a nonprofit aging services organization that serves nearly 8,000 older adults in six states. For more information, visit www.actsretirement.com.

The School of Hospitality Business at MSU receives Distinguished Service Award

The School of Hospitality Business At Michigan State University (MSU) recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the Hospitality High School (HHS) of Washington, DC, at its graduation ceremony June 6.

Originally founded as Marriott Hospitality Public Charter High School, the first four-year public charter high school in the nation devoted to preparing students for careers in both the restaurant and hotel industries, HHS has for eight years sent more than half a dozen of its graduates to MSU to study in The School. Aided by a generous $550,000 scholarship endowment from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, The School has been able to assist these students financially, as well as with one-on-one mentoring, career services, and outstanding academic advising. The record of success for HHS students who come to The School is extraordinary, according to a press statement.

Director of The School's Student and Industry Resources Center (SIRC) Authella Collins-Hawks was present to accept the award from HHS Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Spigler, who noted that Hawks and the faculty and staff of The School have "worked tirelessly to assure our students feel that MSU is their home away from home, and to ensure their success."

Hawks acknowledged the long and fruitful partnership between the Marriott Foundation, HHS, and The School, and introduced a graduate of HHS in the audience who is now a very active senior in The School, Alvin Brown (BA '10). In addition, she informed the gathering that the very first HHS student to graduate from The School, Victor Quintanilla (BA '08), is now working in management in the historic Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.

Noting that 100 percent of HHS graduating class plans to go on to college, Hawks wished them the fortitude to overcome any obstacles they might face and the true wisdom that comes from lifelong learning. She reminded the graduates, too, that while the field of hospitality is a business, it can also "be a way of life; one that encompasses service, sacrifice, caring and a sense of welcome."

CIA podcast features leader in fine Italian cuisine

Scott Conant, a top name among chefs of Italian cuisine in New York City, talks about his career in the newest "Insight from the Inside" podcast from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). "Insight from the Inside" is a series of chats with CIA graduates who have exciting jobs in the food world.

During the 11-minute podcast, the 1992 CIA graduate shares highlights of his professional life, from the mentors who guided his career to earning a James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant in America with L'Impero in 2003. Chef Conant is now the owner of Scarpetta in New York City and Miami Beach, Fla., and the author of two cookbooks, New Italian Cooking and Bold Italian.

What stands out in Conant's memory about his days at the CIA was the professional approach among his classmates and realizing he wasn't the only 18-year-old passionate about food. "There was such a passion that every student had. I always had it, but here it was par for the course," Conant recalled. "Every discussion was about food. Everything was about how to get yourself better; focusing on technique; how to be a professional chef."

Conant recorded the podcast while on campus to judge student presentations from the Marketing and Promoting Food course in the CIA's bachelor's degree program.

To hear the interview with Conant or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.

Chalmers' Food Jobs named world's best at Gourmand World Cookbook Awards

At the 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Food Jobs: 150 Great Jobs for Culinary Students, Career Changers and Food Lovers, by Irena Chalmers, was named the Best Book in the World for Food Professionals out of competing books from 17 countries.

In her book, Chalmers, a friend of FENI and a Chef Educator Today and Chef Magazine columnist, Culinary Institute of America instructor and foodservice industry expert, profiles a range of food sector jobs available aside from that of restaurant chef including food photographer, bed and breakfast owner, specialty food retailer, nutritionist, kitchen designer and food writer, to name a few.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards were held July 1 at La Comédie-Française in Paris, next to Louvre. The United States, United Kingdom, Spain and France took home the highest number of awards this year. For more information, visit www.cookbookfair.com.

A day in the life of a Le Cordon Bleu student

(l to r) Erwin Chuk with Le Cordon Bleu chef-instructor Russell Ferguson at Technique, the school's teaching restaurant (photo by Aram Boghosian for The Boston Globe)

An article in the July 8 edition of The Boston Globe profiles Erwin Chuk, a student-chef enrolled in Boston's Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts program.

Chuk, 37, left his job as a Web designer to pursue his dream of one day owning his own café. In preparation for his future career, Chuk hones his skills in Le Cordon Bleu Boston's one-year-old teaching restaurant--the aptly named Technique--and at Clio restaurant, where he has recently begun an externship.

To read the full article, click here.

Francois Dionot awarded title of Conseil d'Honneur by La Chaine des Rotisseurs

La Chaine des Rotisseurs of Greater Washington, D.C., hosted the organization's Mid-Atlantic Assemblage on May 30, 2009. The festivities began with the multi-Bailliage Grand Induction and black-tie dinner at the elegant Park Hyatt Washington, D.C. An induction ceremony was hosted by Bailli provincial Georges Muller, who presented the title of Conseil d' Honneur to vice conseiller culinaire Francois Dionot for his many years of outstanding contribution to the Chaine.

Chef Dionot is the founder and director of L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Md., and Bethesda, Md. He has taught a generation of chefs throughout the United States. His wife Patrice, son Christophe and his daughter Clarice were all there to see him receive the award.

The Conseil d’Honneur is a program of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs des Etats-Unis designed to recognize those former national and regional officers who have made significant contributions to the society and served with distinction, despite no longer holding active offices. The Conseil d’Honneur was created on June 7, 2003 during the National Council Meeting of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs des Etats-Unis in Philadelphia.

January 2009 graduates of The French Pastry School

Graduates of L’Art de la Pâtisserie, the 24-week Professional Pastry and Baking program at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago celebrated with their chef-instructors, friends, family and fellow pastry trainees on June 19th at The Union League Club of Chicago. Students, faculty and staff of The French Pastry School were honored to have guest speakers, Camilla Nielsen, former president of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, and Dr. Wayne Watson, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago speak at the ceremony. Following the ceremony, students, staff and guests proceeded to The French Pastry School, where all partook in the pastry creations representing a culmination of the students’ six months of intensive training.

“We’re always impressed by what our students can accomplish in just six months,” said The French Pastry School co-owner/co-founder and chef Jacquy Pfeiffer in a recent press release, “and it’s really gratifying to see how surprised they are themselves at what they’re able to do every day.”

Many of the recent graduates, most of whom are new to the pastry industry, will stay in Chicago to work in high-end restaurants and pastry kitchens, while others will travel across the United States. Some establishments employing The French Pastry School’s new alumni include: the leading hotels of the world, such as the The Ritz-Carlton, The Peninsula and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts; the best restaurants like Charlie Trotter's, and The French Laundry; and high-end bakeries such as Payard in New York, and Jean Philippe Pâtisserie in Las Vegas.