Gabriela Grande, a culinary-arts student at Monroe College in the Bronx, N.Y., has added a victory in the “Lead Like Mike” competition to her list of impressive culinary accomplishments. Grande was the 2010 America’s Best High School Chef winner, a C-CAP student from Food and Finance High School, and the first Monroe culinary student to compete at the American Culinary Federation’s Northeast Regional Conference, where she won a gold medal and finished second overall. 

Grande attended the 2013 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas, July 21–25, where Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, outgoing president, served as her personal mentor.  Grande, a member of the ACF Long Island Chapter, was selected as winner of the “Lead Like Mike” contest from a group of four other semifinalists chosen from 140 applicants nationwide.

Eligible applicants had to be either a first-, second- or third-year full-time culinary student enrolled in a degree-granting culinary program at a university or college, or an apprentice in an American Culinary Federation Education Foundation apprenticeship program; an ACF member; and at least 18 years old. Entrants submitted a signed letter of endorsement from their dean or department chair, as well as a 500-word essay describing why they aspire to be a culinary leader and how working with Ty at the 2013 ACF National Convention would help them reach their goal.

The American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) on July 24 released an updated version of the AMI Foundation Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide:  A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare, July 2013 Edition.

AMI’s Animal Welfare Committee collaborates regularly with guideline author Temple Grandin, PhD, professor of animal science at Colorado State University, to determine what changes and clarifications are needed based upon real-world use. The audit underwent a major overhaul in 2010 when a transportation audit was added. The audit was fine-tuned in the August 2012 edition and fine-tuned even further in the July 2013 edition.

In the latest edition, users will note a number of changes that are detailed on page four of the new document:

• A clarification has been added that farrowing on trucks should be counted just as calving and lambing are.
• A new category called “ambulatory disabled animals” has been added to Core Criteria Six of the Transportation audit to track animals that can still walk and are not severely injured, but appear lame and have some impairment of movement.
• Under Core Criteria 2 of the Sheep Transportation Audit, an omission of “compartments gated” was corrected.

The new edition has received an updated certification from the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization (PAACO). The guidelines were the first and remain the only association-authored animal welfare guidelines certified by PAACO.

“We are proud of our guidelines’ long history in encouraging continuous improvement in animal handling and welfare in meat-packing plants and of our continuing effort to make this a living, breathing document that is improved and refined based upon new knowledge and real-world experience,” says AMI Animal Welfare Committee chairman Rob Elder, PhD, director of HACCP, Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance at Seaboard Foods. 

To access the new guidelines, visit www.AnimalHandling.org.

Simply preparing for your classes and delivering material is never sufficient. You have an obligation to yourself, your students and your institution to stay in touch with the industry you represent by building your personal, professional brand.

By Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC

As a culinary-arts faculty member, program director or dean, you are a lifelong portal for every student you come in contact with. The value of their education extends beyond the quality of the material that you offer or even the important degree that they might eventually receive. The real value of their education lies in the ongoing significance of their connections to you and to the reputation of your institution

Students’ value expectations today are, as they should be, far greater than in the past. The stakes are more significant as a result of the escalating cost of a degree and the tangible outcomes that will be apparent throughout their careers. Students should expect that you and your institution will remain a resource for them and that the perceptions that peers and employers have of your institution remain positive as they move through various stages of their careers.

To this end, it is imperative that you invest in building your brand. By this I am referring to how you continue to enhance your knowledge and skills, the industry connections that you make, and your visible prominence in the fields of culinary arts and education.

Throughout your time in culinary education and even beyond, investment in your brand development is also an investment in every student’s brand development. I like to refer to this as your “network of influence.” LinkedIn is really an attempt to help individuals build on the concept of “network of influence” by encouraging professionals to catalogue those persons who have or could have an impact on their careers—directly or indirectly. Every time you invest in building professional relationships with others, you open a potential door for yourself and those with whom you have a “portal relationship.”

At the 9th-annual CAFÉ Leadership Conference, four educators earned recognition and professional development for unleashing creativity in the culinary classroom.

The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) recognized four educators in the 2013 CAFÉ-Idaho Potato Commission Innovation Awards at the 9^th-annual Leadership Conference of the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) in Miami, Fla., in June.

“From making farm-to-table a reality to harnessing technology as a teaching tool, thinking ‘outside the box’ leads to new ways of learning, greater understanding of fundamentals, and breakthroughs in process and application,” says Don Odiorne, IPC vice president-foodservice. “The Idaho Potato Commission is proud to support these extraordinary educators.”

Two educators from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, North Miami campus, received the top award. Dr. Colin Roche, CEC, CCE, CHE, FMP, department chair and assistant professor, and Bruce Ozga, CEC, CCE, CHE, dean of culinary education, won with the Edible Landscape Project. The first phase of the project, which launched in 2010, replaced existing campus landscaping with various edible plants and spice and fruit trees such as cinnamon, mango, banana and citrus. Phase two, to launch this autumn, will erect a community greenhouse and garden. The project not only exposes culinary students to foods in their natural forms, but also supports the growing global farm-to-fork movement.

Two students’ winning dishes featuring Mexican avocado were enjoyed by attendees of CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference.

Mexico is the leading source of fresh avocados in the United States. To celebrate the versatility and goodness of Mexican avocados in foodservice, Avocados From Mexico (AFM) hosted a recipe competition among students enrolled in the two schools that served as sites for CAFÉ’s 2013 Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., in June: Johnson & Wales University, N. Miami campus, and Miami Culinary Institute at Miami Dade College.

Dilia Capuzzo, representing Miami Culinary Institute, won with her Avocado Crème Brûlée. Her goal was to create something tropical, summery and cool to say “Miami.”

Ruben Santa-Robles, representing Johnson & Wales University, wowed judges with his Mediterranean Avocado Flatbread, which paired creamy avocado with the complementary tastes of salt from prosciutto and brine from capers.

Both dishes were served at the welcome reception on June 20, eliciting delight from conference guests. (Recipes with accompanying photos may be downloaded using the links below.)

AFM is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of avocados from Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Mexican Avocado Producers & Packers (APEAM A.C.) have combined resources to fund and manage AFM, with the intent to provide a focused, highly effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. AFM is headquartered in Denver.

Photo:Students Dilia Capuzzo from Miami Culinary Institute and Ruben Santa-Robles from Johnson & Wales University won the recipe contest sponsored by Avocados From Mexico at CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., June 20-22.

DOWNLOAD, Avocado Crème Brûlée

DOWNLOAD, Mediterranean Avocado Flatbread

At the inaugural Menus of Change™ summit co-presented by the CIA in June, experts in foodservice, health science and social change presented information on topics relevant to what today’s health- and environmentally conscious consumers expect from corporations, foodservice operators and business leaders.

Attendees at the inaugural Menus of Change™ leadership summit, which opened June 10 in Cambridge, Mass., are examining the future of food and the challenges facing our country in terms of health, healthcare and our food systems.

Co-presented by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Department of Nutrition, the Menus of Change program and accompanying annual report (www.menusofchange.org) provide a “GPS” for today's foodservice executives at a time when the food industry is being reshaped by concerns about obesity and healthcare costs, how food is produced and sourced, and declining global resources.

“It has been exciting to see the leaders from different sectors—foodservice, the environment, nutrition science and business—interact with such drive and commitment,” says Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC, president of the CIA. “Menus of Change is helping them find common ground at the intersection of some of the most pervasive issues that face our industry and our world, and we are setting a meaningful course of action toward solutions.”

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar honors the diversity of South and Central America and the Caribbean by representing several regions on the menu, overseen by executive chef Joseph Tis. Although applications and flavors are authentic, the menu must have broad appeal. After all, just what does Latin food really mean?

By Lynn Schwartz

It’s hip. It’s sassy. It’s Latin. Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is a smash hit and expanding—opening its next location in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in early August.Executive chef Joseph Tis will be overseeing a menu that features an American interpretation of the vibrant flavors of Central and South America and the Latin Caribbean, with a special nod to the cuisine of Cuba.

This is nuevo Latino, a mix-and-match culinary style, which is at once familiar, exotic and diverse. But many Americans mistakenly assume that Latin means Tex-Mex, requiring Tis and the Paladar team to coax the less-adventurous diner to try something besides a chicken taco.

Introducing a New Cuisine
Latino Americans are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. Like Latino culture and music, the flavorful foods are gaining popularity, even with those Americans who cannot pronounce pupusa, ropa vieja or chimichurri.

The awakening is similar to other cuisines that have been adopted into American mainstream culinary habits. Mexican food is now viewed as commonplace, and it was not so long ago that Chinese food only meant chop suey and fortune cookies. Paladar is among the pioneers, basing its restaurant concept on an up-and-coming and still-evolving fusion cuisine. “We create our dishes by blending and borrowing from a wide variety of traditional Latin recipes,” says Tis. “It’s our own spin.”

Paladar (the name is taken from paladares, a Cuban term for small, home-based restaurants) opened its first location in Cleveland in 2007. The owners are not of Latin descent, but are galvanized by the cuisine’s diverse flavors and creative spirit.

Recognizing and respecting differences among people is characteristic of our industry, and a reality in most workplaces. In the classroom, honoring differences also creates a positive environment where everyone is welcome and feels safe and included.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Last month, we discussed ways to promote diversity in our classrooms, a continuing challenge for many of us, especially when it involves more than just focus on different foods, in itself a great activity. This month, we will discuss honoring and celebrating differences—moving beyond recognizing diversity to making special notice of ways in which people are distinguished, one from another.

Reasons for Honoring
There are many reasons to honor individual differences, not the least of which is making the classroom a positive environment where everyone is welcome, everyone feels safe, and everyone feels included. In addition, honoring differences is characteristic of this industry, and a reality in most kitchens, restaurants and hotels. And as a way of contributing to the growth of the profession, we need to role model accepting and honoring differences.

Several Strategies
In trying to honor differences, I practice three of four different strategies: learning and using students’ correct names, remembering and mentioning particular details of their lives, publically recognizing aspects of their lives, and organizing groups that recognize the range of differences.

From opening and staring into a hot oven until the inside temperature plummets to reasons not to overcrowd a frying pan, Chef Weiner discusses how to successfully teach some hard-to-learn rules in the culinary classroom. For one common practice among students, however, he still seeks a solution.

By Adam Weiner, CFSE

In June I had the privilege of attending CAFÉ’s Leadership Conference in Miami. There are two reasons I love the conference: 1) the seminars and 2) the out-of-seminar discussions.

Let me share with you one of the out-of-seminar discussions that a group of us had at the breakfast table. The topic is particularly appropriate since many of you will be reading this at the start of your school year. What Is the Hardest Thing to Teach New Culinary Students? Here is our top 10 list:

1. Tasting
This is really two categories. Tasting as you cook, which is somewhat easy to drill into new students’ cooking routines. The other is far more difficult: getting people to taste the foods in the first place. I have many students who think I am trying to kill them by giving them a piece of beef that is cooked less than well done. Don’t even ask what they say about ceviche! I have had a little success with tough love: “This is what we are serving. If you don’t want to eat it, that’s fine.” However, if you do this better, guard your pantry and walk-in because they will try to make their own food, thinking you won’t notice.

A collegiate culinary-arts program in central Oregon and a high school in Phoenix earn top honors for exemplary practices in—and innovative teaching of—ecological sustainability.

Kendall College in Chicago and the Annapolis, Md.-based Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ) presented 2013 CAFÉ/Kendall College Green Awards to two culinary-arts training programs during a June 20 reception at CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference for foodservice educators in Miami, Fla.

Cascade Culinary Institute (CCI) at Central Oregon Community College in Bend received this year’s award. CCI’s Jungers Culinary Center, which opened in late-2011, was built to Earth Advantage gold-certification standards. Successful management of day-to-day operations includes composting, recycling and use of green chemicals for ware washing. Additionally, CCI’s public restaurant and student training lab, Elevation, focuses on locally sourced produce, proteins, cheeses and grains.

“Even more impressive is the institute’s creation of one of the nation’s first culinary-arts certificates in sustainable food systems,” says Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, HAAC, vice president of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and the Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts, who oversaw evaluation of award entries. “Students earning the certificate learn current industry standards of sustainable restaurant practices via a pioneering curriculum that includes applied growing and raising of farm plants and animals, applied harvesting and food-preservation principles, farm-to-table and sustainable-cuisine practices, and even a 200-hour internship in farming and regional agriculture.”