Though not new to the market by any stretch, flatbreads, particularly those that say “global,” are enjoying a revolution. A pastry chef-instructor at Kendall College in Chicago reports on the trend, making the case for need-to-know among culinary-arts and pastry/baking students as they embark on their careers.

By Heidi Hedeker, CMB, MA/MSW

In the realm of baked goods, flatbreads don’t have a standard definition. Wheat flour is often the main ingredient, and just as often not. Flatbreads are leavened or unleavened. No nation on earth can claim to be the origin of flatbread (although the region that includes modern-day Iraq can take some credit), and no single flavor, color or texture is shared by all flatbreads. Some breads considered flatbreads aren’t even particularly flat. Or thin.

When you think of the lifestyle trends of the last several years, today we are basically nomads. More of the foods we eat are to go, and what is more nomadic than a flatbread? The origins of most of today’s flatbreads are in early agrarian society. Foods had to be simple enough for travel. That fits with our lifestyle today, because everything we do is portable.

Technomic research reveals significant increased blueberry use across categories, suggests Gen-Y marketing opportunities.

As consumer interest in healthy dining options continues to rise, so does the presence of fruit on U.S. menus, and new research from trend-tracker Technomic shows blueberries—a fruit renowned for its nutritional profile—gaining major traction among the top 500 chain restaurants.

Overall blueberry mentions on American menus have increased 97% since 2007—a stronger growth rate than that of strawberries, raspberries or blackberries—with fresh blueberry mentions up more than 176% in the same time period.

Contributing to this growth is a combination of factors including changing consumer preferences and an evolution in the way foodservice professionals view blueberries. The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) works to influence both.

The Research Chefs Association unveiled the latest in culinary arts and food science and technology in Portland, Ore., in March.

The Research Chefs Association’s (RCA) 2014 Annual Conference and Culinology® Expo brought nearly 1,300 food R&D students and professionals to Portland, Ore., for a week of competition, education and food tastings all celebrating Culinology—the blending of the culinary arts and food science.

“I’ve never seen so much energy, passion and thirst for knowledge and collaboration than I did this year in Portland,” says Charles Hayes, CRC®, RCA president. “Our conference competitions, showcased live on the Culinology Expo floor for the first time, added to the excitement of the events and truly gave these teams the recognition they deserve.”

This year, hundreds attended the Expo on March 13, where they viewed the Student and Professional Culinology Competitions and sampled the latest in food-product development from nearly 150 exhibiting companies. During the Culinology Competitions, teams representing three countries executed a Pacific Northwest regional, food-truck-cuisine concept featuring a grab-and-go seafood item for school foodservice (grades 9-12) while addressing sodium concerns. This year’s winners included:

Which good fats to eat and which bad fats to avoid? There’s room for more education.

Despite years of effort by numerous organizations to help the public understand the pros and cons of consuming different types of dietary fats, a new survey by the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) reveals that most Americans are still unclear about the definition and role of “good” and “bad” fats.

In the HAB survey of more than 1,000 adults, nearly half (42%) of people incorrectly thought that all fats play a role in increased cholesterol levels; when “don’t know/unsure” responses are included, the number increases to 51% of people. In addition, more than one-third of people responded inaccurately that monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are bad and should be reduced or eliminated from the diet.

The challenge of college includes managing multiple demands and a complex schedule, often for the first time as an adult. Something as simple as taking attendance in class can motivate students to not only stay in the course and program, but thrive.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

For the last two months, we have discussed ways to encourage student curiosity. This month, we turn to the challenge of keeping students in our classes and in our programs. There are several ways—noticing them, giving them feedback, encouraging friendships and taking attendance—to keep students engaged. I hope one or more will be useful to you.

Being Noticed Counts
The primary way to keep students engaged is to provide them with comments on their participation, their work and their involvement. Showing them that you notice what they are doing and appreciate it—most especially the effort involved—makes a big difference in their attitude toward being in class, learning the material and incorporating culinary skills into their repertoire.

As the term comes to a close, Chef Weiner shares a commencement speech he delivered to graduates who were not culinary-arts students. In it, he dispensed with niceties to instead offer a generous helping of reality.

By Adam Weiner, CFSE

If you are a regular reader of “50-Minute Classroom,” you know I believe our job as culinary teachers is not to merely teach cooking. Our job is to use cooking as a tool to help our students succeed in the world. In fact, at CAFÉ’s 10^th-annual Leadership Conference in Salt Lake City next month, I am hosting a roundtable discussion on the importance of teaching students the essential combination of life and job skills.

In January I was asked to be the lead speaker at a graduation ceremony for a halfway-house program in my county because of the success I’ve had with teaching and getting jobs for people. Although I have spoken at numerous events about food and teaching, I have never spoken at a graduation other than for culinary students. I spent some time talking with my wife, and I came up with what I wanted to say. What’s interesting is that it wasn’t a “rah-rah you did great” speech, but a speech on reality.

As culinary educators we have a unique opportunity to view student assessment differently—in a way that measures the ability to “demonstrate understanding” vs. the ability to memorize.

Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC

From the day we first enter the educational system in the United States we are introduced to a method of measurement that establishes a feeling of success or failure, winning or losing, those with potential and those without. My beacon for leadership and management, Edwards Deming, viewed this as one of the most significant problems that faced American economic strength from the 1950s till current times.

The American system of education has, to a large degree, been based on telling students what they should know, relegating them to memorizing facts and then testing them on their ability to repeat that information. Successful memorization equals better test scores; better test scores equals a person with potential. Or does it?

Courtesy of Mercer Cutlery

This in-depth lesson plan on knife construction, composition, maintenance/care and proper sharpening of professional knives was presented at the American Culinary Federation’s 2014 Central Regional Conference in St. Louis in March by Chef Chris Parker, business-development coordinator for Mercer Cutlery.  Attendees also enjoyed a technical dive into the world of German knife manufacturing.

Parker has been the corporate chef of Mercer Cutlery for three years. A graduate of Midwest Culinary Institute in Cincinnati, his background includes cooking in restaurants from Ohio to New York.

The level of this lesson plan is intermediate, making it appropriate for culinary-arts students’ professional growth. Download the .pdf file from the hyperlink below. 

Imagine working side by side with a top caterer in Seattle, helping with the grape harvest for the oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in California, or experiencing farm-to-table initiatives on a farm in Hawaii. These opportunities and others are available to women working in the food, beverage and hospitality industries through the 2014 Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) Legacy Awards. 

Established in 2009, each LDEI Legacy Award offers a one-week workplace experience to non-Dame women in the United States, U.K. and Canada. Award recipients will work alongside some of the culinary and hospitality industry’s top women professionals, all members of LDEI, an international organization of women leaders in food, beverage and hospitality whose mission is education and philanthropy.

For an application, log on to www.LDEI.org and click on 2014 Legacy Awards. Deadline to apply is April 21, 2014.

Six awards will be offered in five categories: one each in Culinary, Pastry, Wine, Food/Wine Journalism and two experiences in Farm-to-Table. The professional experience programs include:

·      Culinary-Catering with Lisa Dupar, Lisa Dupar Catering in Seattle.

·      Entrepreneurship-Pastry for Production with Shari Carlson of Dessert Dreams, Dallas

·      Wine with Carolyn Wente, Wente Family Estates in Livermore, Calif.

·      Food/Wine Journalism at Good Housekeeping magazine with Susan Westmoreland and Sharon Franke, New York City

·      Two Farm-to-Table with Judith Winfrey, Love is Love Farm, and Charlotte Swancy, Riverview Farms, in Atlanta. And one on the Big Island of Hawaii with Lesley Hill and Wailea Agricultural Group

Award winners will be reimbursed for airfare and hotel accommodations for six nights for up to US$2,000. Winners will be announced in early June and 

Emmi Roth USA, an award-winning producer of specialty cheeses, has announced the winner of its Grand Cru® Recipe Contest for Postsecondary Culinary Students. Caroline Ausman of Burlington, Wis., took top honors with her recipe for Manicotti en Croûte with Brandied Fig Sauce.

The contest, presented in conjunction with the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ), challenged postsecondary culinary students to create a flavorful and creative pasta recipe highlighting Roth Grand Cru, a washed-rind Alpine-style cheese crafted in Wisconsin.

Ausman is currently enrolled as a student at The Art Institute of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and is pursuing an associate degree in baking and pastry. She attributes her culinary and pastry passion to working alongside her mother in the family kitchen while growing up.

“I truly feel at home in the kitchen, working with my hands and creating from scratch. This contest was an amazing opportunity for me to showcase what I love doing,” said Ausman. “Although developing the recipe was a tremendous, and sometimes challenging, process, I really learned a lot!”