Chef Adam Weiner detailed the benefits of planning and mise en place in February 2010 for one of his first 50 Minute Classroom articles for CAFÉ’s Gold Medal Classroom. The preparation, passion and pride skills he wrote about perfectly describe Chef Adam’s commitment to all things culinary. Fast forward 147 articles later to his June and August 2023 articles where he chronicles his culinary career trajectory, from budding young lawyer through a navy culinary trainer to director of national training with Flagship Culinary Services, Facebook’s foodservice provider. These articles bookend a column spanning more than 14 years and contain a trove of culinary education wisdom and practical teaching methods.

I would like to thank Chef Adam for sharing his knowledge throughout the years. The idea of the original 50 Minute Classroom column began as a guide for teaching culinary techniques in the span of an hour. Yes, his ideas and suggestions applied to high school teachers but they also worked well for college instructors and in classes that lasted far longer than 50 minutes. Additionally, his lessons go well beyond instructional culinary topics; they delve into finding and keeping employment, accepting change, understanding and practicing sustainability, and so much more.

You will better understand his instructional methodology after reading his 149^th article, “Teach and Mentor Students to be Open and Prepared for Life’s Changes.” In the article he says, “… you were dooming people to failure if you only taught them a job’s technical skills. You needed to teach them the rules (hidden and not hidden) of the working world. You had to teach them how to work and be successful.” This guiding principle has informed all the articles Chef Weiner wrote for CAFÉ’s 50 Minute Classroom.

Both myself and Mary Petersen, CAFÉ president, would like to thank Chef Adam for sharing his knowledge and time. He generously gave the readers of CAFÉ’s Gold Medal Classroom blueprints that can help build successful culinarians in whatever field they choose to work. Your impact extends far beyond the 150 electronic pages of the 50 Minute Classroom. Thank you!

Click here for the complete 150-article list of Chef Adam’s 50 Minute Classroom.