Stratford culinary students win MLA competition

At the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Food, Beverage and Lodging Expo on Oct. 6 to 7, the culinary and hospitality team at Stratford University won a silver medal at the Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Black Box Competition. They also took first place in the dessert competition. The team from Stratford was the only student team competing. All other teams were made up of professional chefs.

(l to r) Competition judge David Soto, team member Clark Edwards, Stratford coach chef Vaishali Chitnis, team member Perry Baldwin, team member Kortni Benson-Gehlert, event organizer Stephen Edwards and judge and organizer Alan Palmer

The team, led by chef Vaishali Chitnis, included Perry Baldwin, Kortni Benson-Gehlert, Clark Edwards, Craig Baker, Joseph Lipinski, and Daryl Hall.

(l to r) Stratford team members Kortni Benson-Gehlert and Clark Edwards prep the MLA Black Box Competition menu

At the MLA Black Box Competition, each team was given one hour to create a menu from 18 mandatory ingredients and 10 optional mystery ingredients that included an appetizer, main course and dessert to be presented to a panel of judges. The Stratford team's menu included: lamb chop with salad Napolean, Wagyu beef and crab surf and turf, and wine-poached pear entremet.

Sullivan students help at Alltech World Equestrian Games

Students from Sullivan University's National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) supported visiting and local chefs during the Cookin' in the Bluegrass Celebrity Chef Dinner Series at the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games. (Pictured, left: Matthew Williams, chef ambassador, Sullivan University NCHS, VIP Kitchen for Maker's Mark)

Thirty students from the school's Lexington campus cooked at the dinners, which included such visiting celebrity chefs as John Besh, Frank Brigtsen and Mike Lata. The series, which took place Sept. 25 to Oct. 10, was presented by the James Beard Foundation.

For more information, visit www.sullivan.edu.

Koetke receives inaugural Pathfinder Award for sustainability

At the 2010 Chefs Collaborative Sustainability Awards Dinner on Oct. 4, Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE, dean of Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and vice president of the Laureate International Universities Centers of Excellence in Culinary Arts, received the organization's inaugural Pathfinder Award for raising awareness of the importance of sustainability in the foodservice industry. (Pictured l to r: Cathleen Mandigo, Anolon Cookware; Christopher Koetke; and Chefs Collaborative executive director Melissa Kogut)

The Pathfinder Award recognizes leaders who are catalysts for change in the food industry beyond the kitchen. Koetke was chosen from among a group of nominees including Felede Bauccio of Bon Appétit Management Co., Palo Alto, Calif.; Karen Jurgensen of the Seattle Culinary Academy; Jon Rowley of Taylor Shellfish Farms, Seattle; Lyndon Virkler of New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, Vt.; and Alec Webb and Megan Camp of Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, Vt.

For more information, visit www.chefscollaborative.org.

Delcastle students win first in The Farmer and The Chef competition

At the third annual The Farmer & The Chef fundraiser/competition in Wilmington, Del., last month, Delcastle High School culinary students took first place along with their farm-partners Blair View Farm and Kalmar Farm. Their winning recipe was Blair View Farm tilapia with Kalmar Farm vegetables.

The competition paired up local chefs with local farmers to create tasting samples for attendees using the farmers' product. All proceeds from the event--which was presented by March of Dimes, the New Castle County Buy From Your Neighbor Program and the Delaware Department of Agriculture--went to March of Dimes.

This was Delcastle's third year participating, after taking third place overall at last year's competition. Visit www.cooksandbakers.com for more information.

CIA pastry instructor third in U.S. selections for World Chocolate Masters

Stephen Durfee, pastry chef-instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, St. Helena, Calif., took third place in the U.S. national selections for the 2011 World Chocolate Masters competition. The two-day chocolate showpiece and chocolate dessert competition took place during the International Baking Industry Exposition and was organized by Barry Callebaut.

Sylvain Bortolini, assistant executive pastry chef at the Bellagio hotel and casino in Las Vegas, took first place and was named U.S. National Chocolate Master 2010. Bortolini will represent the United States at the World Chocolate Masters competition in Paris next fall. Frederic Loraschi, chocolatier and owner of Chocolat Frederic Loraschi, Hummelstown, Pa., won second place and a special award for "Best Tasting."

October 'Culinary Nutrition News' tackles foodborne illness

From eggs to spinach to peanut butter, common kitchen ingredients can easily be contaminated, leading to foodborne illnesses. The October issue of "Culinary Nutrition News: Preventable Foodborne Illnesses?" explains causes of foodborne illness, examines several recent cases and offers chefs tips on how to avoid an outbreak. The article, presented by the American Culinary Federation Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., is now available for download at www.acfchefs.org/CNN.

Author Margaret Condrasky, R.D., CCE, of Clemson University, outlines common types of bacteria that cause foodborne illness and how they are transmitted, from raw or undercooked meat to contaminated water. In addition, the article offers foodservice professionals tips on how to avoid contamination, such as wash hands, utensils and cutting boards before and after contact with raw meat and use a food thermometer.

The American Culinary Federation's Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University partnered in May 2009 to offer a series of monthly articles designed to bridge the nutrition gap for chefs by providing up-to-date research information. Upcoming topics include genetically modified foods and quality carbohydrates.

L'Academie named one of top 53 businesses in Maryland

The Gazette of Politics and Business selected L'Academie de Cuisine, Gaithersburg, Md., as one of the 53 most exceptional businesses and organizations in the state of Maryland. The award program, now in its third year, was created by The Gazette P&B to acknowledge the top 53 Maryland businesses and organizations based on criteria such as annual revenue and employee growth, noteworthy product or service innovations, community service efforts, how they've weathered the economic downturn and how they've portrayed themselves as good places to work.

L'Academie de Cuisine was recognized for its exceptional growth during the last three years as well as its community service programs including cooking classes and dinners, collaboration with Montgomery County Public Schools, American Heart Association--Hearts Delight event, Best Buddies International, DC Central Kitchen--Capital Food Fight, Heart of America Foundation--Sweet Charity, Share our Strength--Operation Frontline, innovation in developing an evening professional culinary arts program, and expanding the scope of recreational cooking classes based on the economy of the past few years.