Grilling contest could win you $5,000 and make you a star

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Dear culinary educators and students: As culinary enthusiasts and pork fans (we hope!), we wanted to share this exciting opportunity to meet celebrity chef Guy Fieri and showcase your skills on the grill for a chance to meet celebrity chef Guy Fieri and win $5,000!

The National Pork Board is scouring the country in our "Search for the Next Pork Personality" contest. We're looking for pork lovers who not only know how to grill-up tasty pork, but someone who has a great "pork-sonality," too!

Through August 31, 2009, if you love to "hog" the spotlight when you're behind the grill, simply submit a short, creative video showcasing your BEST tip for grilling-up pork at www.TheOtherWhiteMeat.com. You can rap about ribs, sing a tenderloin lovin' song or dance a pork jig--however you spin it, we want you to light-up the screen while showcasing your pork tip!

Three finalist spots are up for grabs and YOU could be one of the three to compete in a tong-tossing LIVE finale grill-off in the Big Apple. Guy Fieri will help judge and one grill master will be named the "Next Pork Personality" and take home $5,000, a Char-Broil gas grill and grilling accessories!

This link takes you directly to the contest entry page and has all the information you need to know on how to enter and who to contact with any questions: http://www.theotherwhitemeat.com/aspx/promos/tour09/national_contest.aspx

So get "Fieri-ed" up and ENTER TODAY!

Please forward this information to your colleagues and students.

CIA to host lecture on hunger

Joel Berg, executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, will present a lecture titled "The Hunger Challenge for Foodies" at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park on Aug. 18 as part of the school's Dooley Lecture Series.

Berg is the author of the book, All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America? Before working with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, he formerly served in several senior executive service positions at the United States Department of Agriculture under the Clinton administration. He also served as a policy analyst for the Progressive Policy Institute.

The public is invited to attend the lecture, and attendance is limited to 100. For more information, visit the CIA's Web site.

Culinary instructors and students honored at 2009 ACF National Convention

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) honored chefs, chef-instructors, students, culinary industry professionals and foodservice establishments at the 2009 ACF National Convention held in Orlando, Fla., July 11—14. The national convention provided attendees with numerous opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through informative workshops and seminars; cutting-edge demonstrations; and a tradeshow featuring more than 100 exhibitors, national competitions and ACF’s annual national awards.

The following educators, students and culinary programs were honored:

ACF National Chef Educator of the Year
- Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE; associate professor, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.; ACF Louis Joliet Chapter

ACF National Student Chef of the Year (sponsored by Custom Culinary Inc.)
- Kelly Conwell; graduate, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

ACF National Student Team Championship (sponsored by R.L. Schreiber Inc.)
- Chefs de Cuisine Association of Hawaii Honolulu, students at Kapi’olani Community College, Honolulu: Anna Hirano, Keaka Lee, Tate Nakano-Edwards, San Shoppell, Rena Suzuki and Frank Leake, CCC, CCE, coach.

ACF Industry Partnership Award
- Le Cordon Bleu, Secaucus, N.J.

Excellence in Education Award
- Grace Yek, CCC; chef-instructor, Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State, Cincinnati

ACF Humanitarian of the Year Award
- Lynn Krause, CEPC, AAC; culinary instructor, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Mo.; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Noreen Kinney; president, Cordon d'Or - Gold Ribbon Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla.

ACF President's Medallion Recipients
- Gary Fitting, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC; chef-instructor, IUP Academy of Culinary Arts, Punxsutawney, Pa.; The Groundhog Chapter of the ACF
- Kevin Keating, CEC, CCE; dean of culinary arts, Keiser University, Tallahassee, Fla.; ACF Tallahassee Area Chefs Association
- Brian Knecht, CEC, CCA, ACE, AAC; department chair and instructor, Sarasota County School Board, Sarasota, Fla.; ACF Sarasota Bay Chefs Association
- David Kramer; culinary-arts instructor, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
- Keith Mandabach, CEC, AAC, Ed.D.; chef, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.; ACF Rio Grande Valley Chapter
- Christopher Misiak, CEC, CCE; executive chef, Schoolcraft College, Livonia, Mich.; ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Culinary Program Full-Service Restaurant Facility category
- Riverside City College Culinary Academy, Riverside, Calif.
- Statler Erie Room Restaurant at Erie Community College, Buffalo, N.Y.

American Academy of Chefs (AAC) Sharing Culinary Traditions Award
- L. Timothy Ryan, CMC, AAC; president, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.; Mid Hudson Culinary Association

2009 American Academy of Chefs Fellows
- Kyle Richardson, CEC, CCE; professor of culinary arts, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.; ACF Louis Joliet Chapter

2009 American Academy of Chefs Honorary Fellows
- Patrick Diethelm; director/head chef-instructor, DCT European Culinary & Pastry Chocolate Arts Center, Lucerne, Switzerland
- Robert Nograd; dean emeritus, Johnson & Wales University, Miami, Fla.

South Seattle Community College student wins USA Pears competition

Nicole Mau, a student at South Seattle Community College in Seattle, Wash., took first place in the Pear Bureau Northwest's first U.S. student culinary competition on June 18 at the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore.

(from l to r), first place winner Nicole Mau, South Seattle Community College; second place winner Andrea Howard, Florida Culinary Institute; third place winner Dallas Hinsley, Texas Culinary Institute

Mau's Red Anjou pear frite, a composition of lightly fried rice pudding molded into a pear shape, filled with pear compote served with pear sorbet won her a $2,500 scholarship. Andrea Howard, a student at the Florida Culinary Institute, took second place and won $1,500 with her pear risotto and pear poached in red wine. And Dallas Hinesly, a student at the Texas Culinary Institute, took third place to win $500 with her sweet potato and pear gnocchi with grilled pork and a Balsamic pear glaze.

City Tech and Woodhull Hospital collaborate on cookbook

Faculty and students at New York City College of Technology (City Tech) and doctors from Woodhull North Brooklyn Health Network have collaborated to create a new cookbook, Cooked to Perfection: Cherished Family Recipes That Are Good for You. The book, which is available through the City Tech Bookstore, features old family recipes donated by clients of 11 North Brooklyn senior centers.

The hospital selected 80 recipes from the many submitted by the seniors, and then passed them along to Robert Minolfo, a nutritionist and City Tech adjunct professor. “Robert reworked the recipes, omitting many of the fats and limiting the ingredients to more nutritious substitutes,” City Tech professor Claire Stewart said in a recent press release.

“Being given the responsibility of reinterpreting these recipes was an honor,” Stewart continued. “Nicole Gajadhar and Sandra Lowe-Stuart--the hospitality management students who tested the recipes with me--shared the goal of respecting their traditions. We carefully measured each item, added seasonings, corrected the amounts, and made the instructions more user-friendly and easier to read. Altogether, we ended up with a nice selection of different ethnic dishes--mostly Spanish, Polish and Jewish.”

After testing the recipes last summer, the hospitality management team passed them on to professor MaryAnn Biehl of City Tech’s advertising design and graphic arts department so that she and her Design Team class could create a design concept for the book.

While the idea for the book was originally hatched by Woodhull North Brooklyn Health Network as a means of teaching dietary lessons to diabetic and elderly patients, it is having a much larger reach. Six local restaurants have agreed to add the dishes to their menus. For example, Chimu's Peruvian Cuisine, located at 482 Union Avenue, serves the cookbook's Stuffed Red Snapper recipe.

(l to r) Claire Stewart, professor of hospitality management, City Tech; Scott Mason, assistant commissioner, Bureau of Senior Centers, New York City Department for the Aging; Narcisa Ruiz, director, Diana Jones Senior Center; Tillie Tarantino, director, Swinging Sixties Senior Center; Sabrina Ramos, director of operations and special projects, New York City Department for the Aging; Iris Jimenez-Hernandez, senior vice president, Woodhull North Brooklyn Health Network; Barbara Grumet, dean, school of professional studies, City Tech; Brenda Johnson, director, Willoughby Senior Center, City Tech students Sandra Lowe-Stuart and Nicole Gajadhar, and Wajciech Mleczko, director, Polish Slavic Senior Center

Monroe College to host 4th annual A Chef's Legacy dinner

The Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts on July 20 will host A Chef's Legacy: The 4th Annual Craig Rutman Memorial Scholarship Dinner. This year, the 2003-2006 New York Culinary Team who won the gold at the Italian National Championship will prepare the meal, led by team captain chef Frank Costantino, CEC, CCE, AAC, dean of the School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts. Monroe culinary and hospitality students will help prepare food, plan and manage the event.

A Chef's Legacy honors the memory of chef Craig Rutman, Monroe's first director of culinary arts. The event raises funds for Monroe College students who will be participating in the school's study abroad program in Italy.

The suggested donation for the event is $200 for sponsors and $100 for individuals. For more information, contact Carol Genese at cgenese@monroecollege.edu.

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.