City Tech professor Roger Dagorn named Sake Samurai

Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn, an adjunct assistant professor of wine education at New York City College of Technology (City Tech) and the sommelier at Chanterelle restaurant, was awarded the prestigious title of Sake Samurai in an elaborate ceremony held recently in Japan.

Dagorn, who teaches City Tech’s Wine and Beverage Management, Wines of Italy, Wines of France and Wines of the New World courses, traveled to Kyoto to accept this honor from the Japan Sake Brewers Association. The title is bestowed on only a handful of specialists outside of Japan. Dagorn is also one of only 167 individuals worldwide to be designated a Master Sommelier, the ultimate professional wine service credential. 



The Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council created the Sake Samurai distinction to inspire and restore pride in the 2,000-year-old Japanese tradition, and to spread sake culture not only within Japan but throughout the world.

Dagorn has pioneered the introduction of fine, artisanal sakes in the West, and acts as an ambassador and educator of sake subtleties, seeking out and championing the high quality selections now available in the U.S. market. He also introduces sake to City Tech students in his wine courses. (Photo credit: Lorie Rhodes)

Johnson & Wales dean wins second place at Idaho Potato Happy Hour Recipe Contest

Editors' note: The recipe in this news item was mentioned in Tool Kit (page 7) of the March 2009 edition of Chef Educator Today.

The judges of Idaho Potato Commission's (IPC) first Idaho Potato Happy Hour Recipe Contest had their work cut out for them, testing and tasting recipes submitted by chefs from upscale restaurants, culinary schools, local watering holes and everywhere in between. The Happy Hour Recipe Contest, which ran from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2008, challenged professional chefs and cooks at restaurants and noncommercial foodservice establishments as well as culinary students and instructors to put pen to paper and share their Idaho potato happy hour recipe secrets. In total, $35,000 was awarded in cash and prizes to the top recipe submissions in three categories: Appetizers, Side Dishes and Late-Night Snacks.

In the Late-Night Snacks category, the IPC awarded second-place honors to Jorge de la Torre, dean of Culinary Education at Johnson & Wales University, Denver Campus, for his Fully Loaded Idaho Potato Gnocchi Fritti (recipe follows).

To view the other winning recipes, visit the Idaho Potato Web site's foodservice page.

Fully Loaded Idaho Potato Gnocchi Fritti
Jorge de la Torre, dean of Culinary Education, Johnson & Wales University

Yield: 12 servings

3 lbs. Idaho russet potatoes
Water, as directed
6 c. ice
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 extra large egg
1 pinch salt
1 lbs. bacon, cooked and finely crumbled
1 bunch chives, minced
1 c. olive oil
2 T. butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
Bleu Cheese Sauce (recipe follows)

Method (1) Boil whole potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes. While still warm, peel, and pass through vegetable mill onto clean pasta board. (2) Boil 6 quarts of water in large spaghetti pot. Near boiling water, set up ice bath with ice and 6 cups water. (3) Make well in center of potatoes; sprinkle all over with flour. Place egg and salt in center of well; using fork, stir into flour and potatoes. Once egg is mixed in, fold in bacon and chives; bring dough together, kneading gently until ball is formed. Knead gently another 4 minutes until ball is dry to touch. (4) Roll baseball-sized ball of dough into 3/4-inch diameter dowels; cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Drop pieces off of fork or concave side of cheese grater until dowel is finished. Drop these pieces into boiling water and cook until they float, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, continue with remaining dough, forming dowels, cutting into 1-inch pieces and dropping off of fork. As gnocchi float to top of boiling water, remove them to ice bath. Continue until all have been cooled off. Let sit several minutes in bath; drain from ice and water. Toss with 1/2 cup olive oil; store covered in refrigerator up to 48 hours until ready to serve. (5) Heat remaining olive oil and butter in large sauté pan until butter starts to turn brown. Toss in gnocchi and sauté until gnocchi start to brown. Remove from pan onto plate, season with salt and pepper. (6) Serve gnocchi on toothpicks with Bleu Cheese Sauce in bowl or fondue pot for dipping.


Bleu Cheese Sauce
3 T. butter
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. smoked paprika
1/8 t. ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. crumbled bleu cheese (gorgonzola, cabrales, etc.)

Method (1) Melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in flour and seasonings. (2) Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. (3) Cook for 5 minutes longer; add cheese. (4) Stir until smooth and well blended; set aside.

New Cornell job index expands hospitality labor pool

In recessionary times, when job opportunities seem slender in the hospitality industry, an approach that uses human capital can expand opportunities for employees. By the same token, when labor markets are tight, hotel managers would love to recruit workers in other jobs from different industries—if only they knew in which other professions and fields to look.

Now, thanks to a new Job Compatibility Index developed by two researchers at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, managers have a recruiting tool that solves that problem. The index, which is based on research supported by the employment engine www.job.travel, matches jobs with skill sets, even among diverse titles and across seemingly unrelated industries.

As explained in a new hotel human-resource management report from Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research, the index vastly expands the potential labor market. The hospitality human-resource study, “The Job Compatibility Index: A New Approach to Defining the Hospitality Labor Market” by Bill Carroll and Michael Sturman, is available at no charge from the center.

“Our index expands on existing databases to define the labor market for employees and employers by focusing on the actual knowledge and skills for a particular hospitality job,” Carroll said in a recent press release.

“Then we looked outside the hospitality industry to find jobs that required similar knowledge and skills. What we found is that the potential labor market can be expanded by at least ten-fold in some cases. However, in the current environment, we also note that the index can be used by job seekers, who can look for comparable jobs in other industries. We believe our index will be helpful for managers who are unable to find satisfactory candidates for open jobs and for would-be employees who cannot find work in their current industry,” Carroll added.

Meet and interact with Dr. Carroll, an active member of the executive education faculty at the School of Hotel Administration, when he presents sessions in the Professional Development Program.

Share Our Stength's new campaign 'Operation No Kid Hungry'

Share Our Strength has launched a new campaign to raise funds to help end childhood hunger. "Operation No Kid Hungry" responds to President Barak Obama's call to action to end childhood hunger by 2015.

Share Our Strength has partnered with AT&T to offer two great ways that you can support and participate in "Operation No Kid Hungry":

1. Donate by text: Simply text "SHARE" to 20222 on your mobile phone and donate $5 to our fight to end childhood hunger in America. AT&T will match all text donations up to $100,000. Find out more here.
2. Hold a food drive: Help feed those in need by holding your own community food drive at your school. Visit www.strength.org to find a food bank and a list of the most needed nutritious foods.

For more information about "Operation No Kid Hungry" and how you can help end childhood hunger, visit Share Our Strength's Web site.

Enter the Best Teen Chef Competition 2009

The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California—San Diego is summoning the best teen chefs across the United States and Canada to display their culinary chops in The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef Competition 2009.

Now in its 10th year, the Best Teen Chef Competition awards more than $250,000 in tuition scholarships for The Art Institutes schools to high school seniors in the United States and Canada interested in pursuing a career in the fast-growing culinary industry. The top prize winner will receive a full-tuition scholarship toward a bachelor's degree, associate's degree, certificate program or diploma program to study culinary arts at one of the more than 30 participating Art Institutes locations, including The Art Institute of California—San Diego.

Local cook-off competitions will take place at participating locations of The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes on March 14, 2009. First place local winners will progress to the National Best Teen Chef Final Round Competition, which will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2009, at The Art Institute of Charlotte.

In addition to a full-tuition scholarship and the title of Best Teen Chef 2009, the national first-place winner, in partnership with Food Network, will be an "Intern for a Day" at Food Network Kitchens in New York City. The winner will also receive a tour of Food Network's studios, dinner for two at a Food Network chef's restaurant and a library of Food Network Kitchens cookbooks.

To be eligible to enter the competition, high school seniors must first submit a completed Entry and Release form by February 6, 2009 to The Art Institute of California—San Diego or fill out an online entry form at here. Deadline for complete entries into the competition is February 20, 2009. For more information on The Best Teen Chef Competition, contact Jody Auslund at jauslund@aii.edu or (858) 598-1303.

Vollrath Culinary Award winners honored

The Vollrath Co., a manufacturer of quality smallwares and equipment for the foodservice industry, was proud to present four faculty members and four students at Johnson & Wales University with Vollrath Culinary Awards. Launched in 2003, the Vollrath program honors one student and one chef-instructor at each Johnson & Wales campus with the prestigious Vollrath Student Culinary Award and Vollrath Chef Service Award, respectively. The Vollrath Awards were developed in conjunction with the university as part of the company's continuing efforts to support culinary arts students and instructors and the future of the foodservice industry. Each of the eight winners also received a selection of Vollrath's Intrigue Professional Cookware.

Encouraging Johnson & Wales University's culinary and pastry arts students in their pursuit of academic excellence, the Vollrath Student Culinary Award recognizes high-achieving students who are employed in the foodservice industry and engaged in the life of the university and their communities. The 2008 winners are:

• Nathan Pane, Providence Campus, a senior from Auburn, N.H., who is majoring in culinary arts and food service entrepreneurship;
• Robert Liska, Denver Campus, a junior from Kittredge, Colo., who is majoring in Food Service Management;
• Doug Wisnioski, North Miami Campus, a junior from Miami, Fla., who is majoring in culinary arts; and
• John Christ, Charlotte Campus, a sophomore from Anderson S.C., who is majoring in culinary arts.

The Vollrath Chef Service Award was presented to chef instructors who consistently demonstrate outstanding dedication to both the students and the university. This year's Vollrath Chef Service Award faculty winners are:

• Chef Frank Mullaney, instructor, Providence Campus;
• Elena Clement, instructor, Denver Campus;
• Patricia Wilson, professor, North Miami Campus; and
• Natalie Stachon, special functions coordinator, Charlotte Campus.

January 2009 CET digital edition online

Look Inside >> January 2009

The digital edition of the January 2009 issue of Chef Educator Today (CET) is now online through the CET Web Site. This digital edition features all the same great content as the print edition, plus it includes an online exclusive article on turkey fabrication.

To access the January digital edition, click the icon above. For the CET digital archives, click here.