An award-winning pastry chef and talented baker and cake artist bring their seasonally inspired, artisanal confections to life at this Parisian-style Rhode Island bakery.

As a young teen Melissa Denmark, CC, was constantly reading cookbooks and applying what she learned in the kitchen. An avid baker, she joined a mentorship program at a French restaurant during her final year of high school. That early training led her to the pastry-arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., where she graduated summa cum laude.

After working at a Ritz-Carlton property in Florida, Denmark went on to work with a cake decorator in Maryland and for Bobolink Dairy Farm and Bakeyard in New Jersey. It was during her latter stint that she came to appreciate the importance of sustainability and using farm-raised foods.

’Tis the season, says Chef Weiner, who among other things suggests a “Build a Gingerbread House” station to raise needed funds for programs.

By Adam Weiner, CFSE

My article on teaching Thanksgiving side dishes was so well received by “Gold Medal Classroom” readers that Mary Petersen, president of CAFÉ, suggested I consider writing how to make gingerbread houses.

I toyed with this sweet suggestion (pun intended) and decided to twist it a bit. Instead of writing about how to make gingerbread houses, I am going to write how you can have fun with them, as well as possibly make some money.

First, let’s make gingerbread houses for fun.

1.Have your class make their own gingerbread houses. This is a multi-task activity that includes, among other things, baking and decorating. The easiest way to do this is to make the gingerbread pieces on one class day and assemble on the next.

In his final installment in a series on student assessment, Dr. Mayo says it is increasingly important to explain to students the criteria we use in grading. Not only does doing so make our jobs easier, but it is only fair to tell students ahead of time how they are going to be evaluated.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Over the last three months, we have discussed the purposes of assessment and assessment methods such as keeping track of attendance, using open-book tests, administering take-home examinations, evaluating oral presentations, grading class participation and observing student performance in culinary classrooms and dining rooms. This month, we will examine assessment criteria and rubrics.

Criteria versus Methods
Many faculty members confuse assessment criteria with assessment methods, understandable since many of us were taught in situations where there were no explicit criteria and the only thing we knew was the grading mix—what percentage of the grade was based on which specific assignments. However, the world of assessment has grown immensely, and the renewed focus on outcomes has led many of us to develop a range of assessment methods and criteria.

Employers seek graduates who follow directives, have a strong foundation of technical skills and enthusiastically respond, “Yes, Chef.”  Yet knowing the “why” and “how to” is as important a skill as the actual process of completing a task.

By Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC

The intent of articles in “Think Tank” is to stimulate opinion, emotion and, most importantly, openness to creative thought. Articles over the next few months will hopefully do just that.

I encourage you to share these with your faculty and administrative staff. Solicit their thoughts and create a dialogue in preparation for the next few decades of culinary education.

The question of theory vs. practical application has been a topic of debate for quite some time. The core issue is whether or not the traditional model of education really prepares a student to be a productive and successful member of society or if the “school of hard knocks” still reigns supreme.

A free classroom offer to teach students why menuing domestically raised fish and seafood is an important way to keep both customers and the bottom line happy.

Courtesy of the National Aquaculture Association

Restaurant goers love fish and shellfish! More than two-thirds of all seafood consumption in the United States takes place outside the home. U.S. farm-raised fish and shellfish are consistent in price, quality and availability, and the predictable supply helps in menu planning and cost projection. What’s more, many U.S. farm-raised fish and shellfish are available in portion-controlled, individually quick-frozen forms that eliminate waste and ensure ease of preparation.

Buying locally farmed fish and shellfish also helps to ensure the freshness of the product and reduces the carbon footprint. This local, green connection helps to tell a story on the menu. Many restaurants purchase exclusively from one farm and use this connection as a marketing hook.