Premium and natural descriptors resonate with consumers of beef and pork menu items, finds Technomic.

Nearly two out of three consumers recently surveyed by Chicago-based trend-tracker Technomic say they think beef and pork products labeled or menued with premium descriptors such as “grass-fed,” “lean,” “organic” or “natural” will taste better than other beef and pork products that do not carry these same labels. Terms describing premium types and cuts of meat had a strong influence on perception of flavor and price thresholds, while terms describing natural farming and preparation were likely to influence consumers’ perception of healthfulness.

Leading fast-casual restaurant chains not only weathered the economic storm, they prospered, reports NPD.

Visits to the leading fast-casual restaurant chains grew 17% over the last three years while the rest of the industry experienced its steepest traffic declines in decades, and consumer demand for fast-casual offerings exceeded the unit growth of leading fast-casual chains, according to foodservice market research by Port Washington, N.Y.-based The NPD Group, a leading market-research company.

By Lynn Schwartz

Daniel Holzman of The Meatball Shop in Manhattan doesn't miss the pressure of fine dining. That's partly because he's smiling all the way to the bank.

Daniel Holzman makes meatballs. Lots of them—beef, spicy pork, chicken, vegetable and a daily special ball, which one can customize with sauce—tomato, spicy meat, mushroom gravy, Parmesan cream or pesto. Holzman, executive chef, and Michael Chernow, general manager, own The Meatball Shop, located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The two born and bred New Yorkers have set out to give the customer a ballistic food adventure in their "fuss free kinda joint." A limited, meatball-focused menu offers up simple, sustainable eats with no strings attached (like an expensive bill) until 4 a.m. With an impressive upscale culinary background, Holzman had plenty of options, and the meatball business is no accident. It's a calculated choice. A choice designed to incorporate a satisfying lifestyle, good-quality food, customer value and fun.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Site visits, or field trips, are great educational experiences that provide students with an industry perspective we cannot provide in our classrooms.

Last month, we discussed Organizing Review Sessions, which help students prepare for examinations. However, the activity that broadens their education the most is probably field trips to restaurants, foodservice facilities, dining rooms, food markets and other organizations in our industry. While the logistics of these visits can be a challenge, this "Mayo's Clinic" will focus on making these trips into valuable educational experiences, a task that requires some careful planning ahead of time and the attention to appropriate follow-up assignments.

Planning for a Field Trip
One of the hardest activities for many of us is identifying the correct site for a field trip and then integrating it, effectively, into the courses that we are teaching. Often, the sequencing of the field trip becomes a challenge because the availability of the site might not match the timing of when appropriate topics are covered in the course. Sometimes, I have used a field trip to start attention to a topic and at other times, been forced to use it to review material later in the course.

By L. Adam Weiner, CFSE

Mind the chef, don’t steal and watch food costs. Students should live by these and eight other essential dos and don’ts to remain employed in that job for which you’ve trained him or her.

Last issue I addressed how to help your students get jobs. This issue will be about how to make sure they keep their jobs. Here are 11 key points to cut out and give to your students:

1. Be on Time. Depending on which survey you read, 90% to 97% of firings occur because of failing to arrive on time, not showing up at all and/or leaving early. Timeliness and attendance are so important because the schedule of the kitchen is based on everyone being there, and everyone being on time. If you come in 15 minutes late in the morning, the kitchen will be behind all day.

Courtesy of the Hass Avocado Board

A series of educational resources, first to earned CAFÉ’s new Endorsement Program seal.

This series of individual lessons/labs instructing on proper handling of and cooking and baking with Hass avocados, as well as applying sound nutrition principles to concept and menu development, provides comprehensive training developed by several experts using a versatile, year ‘round food.

The series focusing on Hass avocados from the Hass Avocado Board is the first resource from the foodservice industry to earn CAFÉ’s new Endorsement Program seal. CAFÉ’s Endorsement Program, through an independent panel of career educators, recommends select educational resources as applicable and desirable for use in a foodservice-educational environment in high schools and postsecondary schools nationwide.

On Earth Day and every day, Culinary Institute of America students go green in many ways.

Aspiring chefs at all three of The Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) domestic campuses in New York, California and Texas learn more than just how to cook. The CIA is also teaching them the importance of chefs as stewards of the environment—both in and out of the kitchen. This is becoming increasingly important as sustainability is prominently featured in restaurants across the country, and the National Restaurant Association cites local sourcing and sustainability as five of the top seven restaurant trends for 2011.

Each year the Hyde Park, N.Y., campus buys $750,000 worth of produce, dairy, eggs, honey and meat from 30 Hudson Valley producers. In the Napa Valley, the CIA's Greystone campus sources much of its food locally—in many cases the food is grown by the students as part of the Greystone Green Thumbs, who manage the student-run garden.

Fresh off visits to the “Today” show and “Colbert Report,” Dr. Nathan Myhrvold came to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on March 24, where he delivered the baccalaureate graduation address. During commencement exercises, Myhrvold was named an honorary alumnus of the college by CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC.

While on campus, the former Microsoft executive also gave a presentation attended by 1,000 students in the college's gymnasium and simulcast to classrooms on campus. Myhrvold's 2,400-page Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking is generating the biggest buzz in the food world in years. Ryan was recently quoted in USA Today, calling it "one of the most important cookbooks of all time." Ryan has been in discussions with Myhrvold to consider how knowledge from Modernist Cuisine can be incorporated into the college's curriculum.

Baltimore International College (BIC) welcomes Eric Frauwirth, M.Ed., CHE, as the new dean of culinary and culinary-management programs. Frauwirth has several degrees from Johnson & Wales University, including an associate degree in baking and pastry, a bachelor’s degree in foodservice education, a bachelor’s degree in foodservice management, and a master of education in education computing and technology leadership. He is currently pursuing his doctorate of education degree in educational leadership at Argosy University and has been certified by the American Hotel and Lodging Association as a Certified Hospitality Educator.

Renee Zonka, R.D., CEC, CHE, MBA, has been promoted to dean of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts. In her new role, Zonka will be responsible for strategic direction of the school’s culinary programs. A registered dietitian, she will also lead Kendall’s nutrition initiative. Zonka replaces Christopher Koetke, who has been named executive director of Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts, adding to his current title of vice president of Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts, a position in which he is responsible for the strategic direction of Laureate’s culinary programs worldwide.

Zonka joined Kendall College in 2007 as associate dean of the School of Culinary Arts, and was also named managing director in 2010. Prior to joining Kendall, she served as a lecturer at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and as a chef instructor at the Illinois Institute of Art–Chicago.

“Renee Zonka has been a tremendous asset to Kendall College since she joined us in 2007,” said Karen Gersten, president of Kendall College. “Her dedication to culinary education, strong background in culinary arts and nutrition, and demonstrated leadership make her a perfect fit for this role.”