By Eric Stein, M.S., R.D.

‘Tis the season for incorporating a wealth of Mediterranean-origin fruits and vegetables in menu development.

The spring season brings a major increase in the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to markets around the country. Some examples of produce that come into harvest in the spring include artichokes, cardoons, citrus, fennel, an assortment of greens and lettuces, spring onions and an array of different herbs. While many of these items are common on restaurant menus in the United States, throughout a variety of cuisines, they also share a common trait that most are also used extensively in the Mediterranean diet.

By Edward Korry, CWE, CSS

Here’s what every wine server should know.

Service involves more than the step-by-step procedures of opening and pouring wine correctly; it includes suggesting wines that not only pair with the food being ordered, but also that guests will enjoy. That requires knowledge of how food and wines interact with each other so that both either taste the way their creators intended or are enhanced and includes being able to help quests with their selection.

By Brent T. Frei

DC Central Kitchen’s Linda Vogler—who will present at CAFÉ’s upcoming Leadership Conference—helps transform despair into triumph for adult learners through food and service.

Chef Linda Vogler, culinary coordinator at DC Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C., trains people in the culinary arts who are otherwise challenged at finding meaningful employment. For her work, Vogler received Women Chefs & Restaurateurs’ 2009 Community Service Award honoring her contributions that have made a strong impact on the lives of others.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Making students responsible for assessing their own performance can yield real differences in the way you teach and impact students’ attitude toward evaluation.

Last month, we mentioned the five elements of grading including: feedback, methods, criteria, grading mix and recording; we also discussed, in some detail, the topics of feedback and methods of evaluating student work. This month, we shall focus on the criteria—the standards that are used to judge the success or lack of it in performing work or demonstrating knowledge and skills—and ways to have student practice self assessment.

By Wendy Gay, CHE

Teach students to communicate intent, enhance impact and add value by using business-building phrases and gestures at service.

Every profession has a language. We have at least two. In the kitchen, for example, we sometimes “86” an item, saying it is not available. When orders fly in, we can be “in the weeds.” In the front of the house, language is an extremely important part of what we do. The words we speak can create business or take it away.

By Adam Weiner

Is teaching a world of different cuisines possible in only 50 minutes? Probably not, says Chef Weiner, but international cuisines can be successfully taught in a short series of classes.

For most teachers, teaching international cuisines has two limitations: time and money.

Let’s be honest. I don’t think that you can teach international cuisines in only 50 minutes. But, I do think that you can teach international cuisines in a series of 50-minute classes. I would recommend allocating about five class periods for this.

By Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE

Educators seeking solutions for environmental efforts and teaching greener foodservice practices will find a wealth of information, products, services and contacts, May 22-25 in Chicago.

As schedules ramp up in preparation for the 2010 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, I wanted to let you know about a few things you won’t want to miss. NRA has gone all out to put together a cornucopia of sustainability resources for both operators and educators. From the brand-new Conserve Solutions Center and Greener Restaurants program to a full track of educational sessions that focus exclusively on sustainability and social responsibility, they’ve got it covered … and you won’t want to miss it!

Delmar, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of learning solutions for ongoing career development and education, announces the publication of Guide to Produce Identification, Fabrication, and Utilization (ISBN-13: 978-1-4354-0121-1, $58.49), a comprehensive guide to fruit and vegetables. Written by Brad Matthews and Paul Wigsten, this resource is part of the successful Kitchen Pro Series focusing on kitchen preparation skills from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world’s premier culinary college, based in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Produce is a definitive manual on selection, purchasing, and fabricating produce for professional chefs, foodservice personnel, culinary students and food enthusiasts. This user-friendly, full-color resource provides practical and detailed information on product identification, seasonality, availability, proper receiving and storage, maturity and ripeness, flavor and nutrition.

Leaders of two travel and tourism giants came together for the April 5, 2010, groundbreaking of Florida International University (FIU) School of Hospitality’s new Carnival Student Center.

FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg, FIU School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Interim Dean Joan Remington and FIU Board of Trustees Chairman Albert E. Dotson, Sr., joined Carnival Cruise Lines President and CEO Gerald R. Cahill, Carnival Foundation Director Linda Coll, Carnival Sr. Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jim Berra, guests and dignitaries to break ground on the new center on the grounds of FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus.

From high-fructose corn syrup to lactose, there are many types of sugar with varying levels of sweetness. There are also numerous widespread questions when it comes to sweeteners—from which ones are best for diabetics to which ones are said to cause cancer. The April issue of “Culinary Nutrition News: Sweeteners Exposed,” presented by the American Culinary Federation Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., answers these questions and more. Download the free article at www.acfchefs.org/CNN.