By Wendy Gay, CHE

It’s easier to teach how to set the table and serve the guest than to teach the emotional skills of being passionate, caring, hard-working and intelligent.

Teaching front of the house to culinary students can be a very interesting proposition. Most students come to school to learn to cook, “not,” as more than one student has retorted, “to act like some kind of server.” We have some students who resent and resist being outside the kitchen. “I’m going to be a chef like those guys on TV. What do I need to know about table service?”

By Adam Weiner

Letting students fail a few times before showing them the tricks of the trade will make them more receptive.

I teach my students that there are five Ps to professional cooking: Planning, Preparation, Presentation, Passion and Pride. Last year in the January/February issue I wrote about presentation, so I am a bit out of order on how to teach planning.

By Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE

NRA’s latest “What’s Hot” survey lists “local” and “sustainable” as the biggest menu trends.

The National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) annual survey of more than 1,800 professional chef members of the American Culinary Federation reveals that local sourcing of ingredients and sustainability will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2010. Locally grown produce, locally sourced meats and seafood, sustainability and locally produced wine and beer top the list of nearly 215 items in the “What’s Hot in 2010” survey.

Three chefs from the Johnson & Wales University College of Culinary Arts Providence Campus captured gold medals at the 141st Salon of Culinary Arts in November in New York City. Organized by the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, the competition was held in conjunction with the 94^th-annual International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show (IHMRS).

The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) recently named Chef Victor McNulty of the Culinary Academy of Long Island the 2009 Instructor of the Year. This prestigious title and award has been given to McNulty for his efforts in providing outstanding career and technical instruction at an ACCSC accredited institution.

It was once said, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.” The ingredients of said axiom are the same ingredients that are so profoundly evident within the spirit of Common Threads.

Candy Wallace, founder and executive director of the American Personal & Private Chef Association (APPCA), was honored by The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), Grand Rapids, Mich., with the culinary-arts program’s 2009 Leadership Award on November 9.

The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) honored the 2009 recipients of the Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) Emeritus and Master Hotel Supplier (MHS) Emeritus designations at its annual Celebration of Excellence Breakfast on November 9 at the Jacob Javits Center during the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York.

Culinary Institute of America (CIA) students Kaleena Bliss and Robert “Robbie” Rensel are the two most recent recipients of The Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund at the CIA, according to Philip Jones, sixth-generation president of 120-year-old Jones Dairy Farm and a professionally trained chef.

Established in May 2006, the Jones Dairy Farm Scholarship Fund supports three scholarships each year. CIA juniors and seniors pursuing baccalaureate degrees in culinary-arts management can apply for the scholarship by submitting a short essay and original recipe using a Jones’ product. Awards are restricted to students with a demonstrated financial need and G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher. More information about the program is available by visiting www.jonesdairyfarm.com.

By Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE

A pioneering program will inspire similar programs nationwide.

Across the country, educators are beginning to integrate sustainability into their curricula and operations. At Kendall, we’re taking it a step further by reaching out to the industry with education to help foodservice operations embark on their own sustainability journey. At the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapi’olani Community College in Hawaii, students have been the catalyst for their sustainability movement. San Shoppell and a few other dedicated students, supported by culinary-arts chair Ron Takahashi, have changed the face of their school.