Florida Tomatoes kicks off 21st annual student chef contest

The Florida Tomato Committee is seeking entries for the 21st annual Fresh Florida Tomato Contest. Full- or part-time students enrolled in a professional culinary program in the U.S or Canada are invited to create an original recipe for an appetizer, salad, salad dressing, main dish, side dish, sandwich, sauce or baked good in which fresh field-grown tomatoes are the main ingredient.

Recipes will be prejudged by individual schools and judged on a national level based on taste, visual appeal, originality, ease of preparation and prominence of tomatoes in the dish. The student winner will receive $2,000 and the winning supervising instructor will win $250. Entries must be submitted no later than April 23. The winners will be announced on June 25. For more information or to download the contest kit, visit www.floridatomatoes.org/foodservice.

CIA to host Bocuse d'Or USA finals

On Feb. 5 and 6 the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will host the American finals of the Bocuse d'Or competition at its main campus in Hyde Park, N.Y. The winner will represent the United States at the 2011 Bocuse d'Or International Culinary Competition taking place Jan. 25 and 26 in Lyon, France.

Five CIA graduates are among the 12 finalists selected by the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation to participate in the competition: Luke Bergman, The Modern, New York City; Michael Clauss, Daily Planet, Burlington, Vt.; Mark Liberman, Roxy's, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Christopher Parsons, Catch Restaurant, Winchester, Mass.; and Percy Whatley, The Ahwahnee, Yosemite, Calif.

Admission to watch the competition is free. Following the competition, visitors may attend an awards dinner, which will host top culinary guests. For ticket information and reservations, visit www.bocusedorusa.org/events.html.

RAM Education Foundation names Dionot board member

Patrice Dionot, co-owner and administrative director of L'Academie de Cuisine, was appointed member of the board of the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation (RAMEF) for a two-year term. Dionot will help RMAEF in its goal to improve the hospitality industry workforce through promotion of the ProStart culinary and restaurant management program.

Dionot, the wife of L'Academie de Cuisine founder Francois Dionot, has been with L'Academie since its beginning and oversees both the professional and recreational cooking schools. She previously was chair of the culinary trust for the International Association of Culinary Professionals and has served on the boards of The Marriott Hospitality Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., Les Dames d’Escoffier and the national board of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.

Exciting dining options in Chicago for the FENI Summit

12th Annual Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) Educators Summit
February 12 to 15 in Chicago
www.fenisummit.com

Delicious dining
Chicago is a foodie haven with nationally recognized, cutting-edge dining--and thus the perfect location for the 12th Annual FENI Summit! Since the FENI Summit falls over Valentine's Day weekend, we suggest you make your evening restaurant reservations now to ensure you can dine at your top picks! For suggestions, check out Yelp, Open Table or Chicago magazine's "The Hot List."

One great option is located in our host hotel, the Hotel Allegro: At 312 Chicago (312-696-2420), chef Luca Corazzina whips up his fresh and local take on contemporary Italian cuisine--like salsiccia d'agnello (grilled house-made lamb sausage with apple mostarda and watercress) and pappardelle with slow-braised pork shoulder, porcini mushrooms and Parmesan.

A few of the items at our silent auction on Saturday of FENI (Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon) are restaurant gift certificates! Read on to whet your appetite and get ready to bid for a good cause, the For the Love of Chocolate Scholarship Foundation for pastry arts education.

• Atwood Café (donated by Kimpton Hotels). At the corner of Washington and State streets in the historic Hotel Burnham, visitors can experience fine-dining and homemade desserts in the rich Art Deco atmosphere of Atwood Café. The café offers diners executive chef Heather Terhune's contemporary interpretations of classic American cuisine, from grainy mustard white wine-braised rabbit and Chinese five spice pan-seared duck breast to fried fresh peach pie and warm tart cherry dumpling with lemon curd gelato. Located at 1 W. Washington Street, Chicago. Open daily. Reservations are accepted. Call (312) 368-1900 or visit www.atwoodcafe.com.

• South Water Kitchen (donated by Kimpton Hotels). Even if you're not from Chicago, you'll instantly feel like a Midwesterner when you step into the warmly lit, intimate atmosphere at South Water Kitchen. Executive chef Chris Lateano hopes to make diners feel at home with his playful, Midwestern take on regional American cooking. He offers items such as grilled bavette steak with blue cheese custard potatoes, potted chicken liver paté with house-made peach mustard and pan-roasted arctic char with crispy pretzel dumplings. Located at 225 N. Wabash Ave. Open daily. Reservations are accepted. Call (312) 236-9300 or visit www.southwaterkitchen.com.

• Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants (donated by the French Pastry School). Whether you're craving seafood and steaks with a view, Milanese-style risotto and pasta, classic American fare right on bustling Rush Street or wood-fired pizza, veal and uniquely Italian pasta dishes in the heart of Little Italy, Phil Stefani Signature Restaurants can satiate you. Tantalizing restaurant selections are located throughout Chicagoland to suit almost any taste and budget. Restaurant concepts include Tavern on Rush, Tuscany, Phil Stefani's 437 Rush and Riva on Navy Pier. For more information, visit www.stefanirestaurants.com.

And just a friendly reminder to make your reservations at the Hotel Allegro (800-546-7866) by this Friday (Jan. 29) to receive the special FENI Summit room rate of $109 per night! Mention "FENI Summit" when reserving.

Almost Famous Chef Competition expands search

The eighth annual S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition is under way as international culinary students vie for a spot in the finals competition, taking place March 5 to 8 at the Culinary Institute of America-Greystone in Napa Valley, Calif. This is the first year S.Pellegrino has expanded its search outside the United States and Canada to include culinary students from Italy, Puerto Rico and Mexico.

In February, S. Pelligrino will name the 11 regional winners to be flown to the finals. They will compete in three categories: The Mystery Basket, The Signature Dish and The People's Choice. The overall winner will win the title of Almost Famous Chef, up to $20,000 in prizes and a paid apprenticeship from one of the participating chef judges. This year's judges include Rick Moonen of RM Seafood in Las Vegas, Ralph Pagano of kitchensynx.com and celebrity chef Nick Stellino. Last year's winner, David Awad (pictured, below, at the 2009 S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef final competition), is currently working at Alto in New York City, which recently received a Michelin star.
For more information, visit www.almostfamouschef.com or www.thesparklinglife.com.

Jo Daviess Carroll and Wilco students win Illinois ProStart Invitational

At the 9th Annual Illinois ProStart Student Invitational at Kendall College in Chicago, the student team from Wilco Area Vocational Center won the culinary competition and the student team from Jo Daviess Carroll Area Vocation Center won the management competition. Both teams will go on to compete in the National ProStart Student Invitational competition, which takes place April 30 to May 2, in Overland Park, Kan.

Each first place team member was awarded more than $12,000 in scholarships to culinary colleges including: Cooking & Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Culinary Institute of America, Illinois Institute of Art, Johnson & Wales University, Kendall College and Washburne Culinary Institute. Overall, more than $100,000 in scholarships was awarded to students. The program, which was hosted by the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (IRAEF) and sponsored by Sysco Foodservice--Chicago, also included a college fair and cooking demonstrations.

For more information on the IRAEF ProStart Student Invitational visit www.illinoisrestaurants.org and click on Educational Foundation.

Naha co-owner speaks at FPS graduation

The French Pastry School (FPS) at City Colleges of Chicago honored the newest graduates of L'Art de la Pâtisserie, The Professional Pastry and Baking 24-week program with a ceremony on Dec. 18, 2009, at The Union League Club of Chicago. Carrie Nahabedian, executive chef and co-owner of Naha Restaurant and Deidra Lewis, interim chancellor of Colleges of Chicago addressed graduates during the ceremony.

"It's up to you to preserve the craft [of pastry]," Nahabedian told students. "Protect everything you have learned; be true to what you have learned, because you learned from the best."

Among the establishments that have hired FPS graduates are The Ritz-Carlton, Charlie Trotters and Per Se. Other graduates have plans to open their own businesses.