Pastry-chef instructors from Joliet Junior College, SAIT Polytechnic and The Pennsylvania School of Culinary Arts hope to become the 12^th, 13^th and 14^th CMPCs in the United States.

Four pastry chefs from across the nation will gather at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, N.C., Aug. 16-23, for the ultimate test—the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Certified Master Pastry Chef® (CMPC) exam. The eight-day long exam gives candidates the opportunity to earn the highest professional distinction available and join the elite group of only 11 CMPCs in the nation.

The Certified Master Chef® (CMC) program was initiated in 1981 and granted official recognition by the World Association of Chefs Societies the next year. The CMPC examination, first held in 1993, requires exacting familiarity and proficiency in a broad range of pastry styles and techniques. The most recent CMPC exam was held in 2005 at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. Frank Vollkommer, CMPC, corporate executive chef at Hillcrest Foods in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., was the only candidate to pass the exam and receive the master-chef certification. Currently, there are 67 CMCs and 11 CMPCs in the United States, with a CMC exam scheduled for late 2014.

“How are you today?”, though arguably better than nothing, is so overused and insincere that it fails to distinguish the service culture of your retail foodservice outlets. To employ an effective interaction strategy (and increase sales), understand that customers respond on conscious and unconscious levels to every aspect of their engagement with your instructors and student employees.

By Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, MBA

Last month, I wrote about how an “interaction economy” is replacing the “experience economy” with which the United States has identified since 1999 upon the publication of The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage by B. Joseph Pine, II, and James H. Gilmore. As I stated, everyone can identify with the basic premise of an experience economy, in which companies state an “experience” when they engage customers in a memorable way.

In the candy and chips aisles, Sriracha is undoubtedly the pepper of the year, as evidenced at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in May. And “free from” claims reign supreme in this industry. A foremost food-trends expert surveys the landscape of cross-over flavor demands between the snack shop and restaurant.

By Sharon Olson, courtesy of Olson Communications

It might seem simply a sweet indulgence to attend the annual Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, but there is a refreshing perspective and much to be learned from a show that is centered on candy and snacks. The energy at the 2014 Sweets & Snacks Expo, May 20-22, was a remarkable contrast to the National Restaurant Association Show on the other side of McCormick Place.

Here, business professionals are scurrying around the show with bags of samples and the sparkle of excitement in their eyes at almost every booth. A curated display of couture style made completely of candy wrappers tells the visitor that this show is a world all its own.

This report explores some of the parallel perspectives on the trends seen at the candy show that have relevance to the food business and not just the sweet side of foodservice.

Since graduating in May, alums have already earned esteemed jobs, including at the “world’s best restaurant,” located in Denmark, and the world’s largest privately owned flavor and fragrance developer in Switzerland.

Ushering in a new era of advanced techniques and innovation for chefs, the first group of students to graduate with bachelor’s degrees in culinary science from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) received their diplomas in May. The students entered the program in February 2013 after earning their associate degrees in culinary artsor baking and pastry artsat the college.

“The culinary science majoroffers a unique perspective into the world of food,” says new graduate Kristin McGinn from Hackettstown, N.J.,who accepted an internship with McCormick & Company. “The program uses a dual teaching style with both a scientist and chef in each class. Because of this, we learned the in-depth science behind food while getting lessons on how to create and balance flavors at the same time.”

Nearly 700 chefs benefit from fourth certification to be approved by the independent NCCA.

The American Culinary Federation’s Certified Culinary Educator^® (CCE^®) credential recently received accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) under the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). This is the fourth professional culinary certification offered by the St. Augustine, Fla.-based ACF that has received independent accreditation.

Credentials are becoming recognized as a growing alternative path for full-time workers wanting to highlight specialized skills for career advancement and higher earnings, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau in January, “Measuring Alternative Education Credentials: 2012.” Thirty-four million adults in the United States have a professional certification from an educational institution or organization.

“As research from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates, professional certification is important to full-time working professionals,” said Don Dickinson, CEC, CCA, AAC, chair, ACF Certification Commission. “With American Culinary Federation’s fourth credential receiving accreditation, we are pleased that our comprehensive certification program continues to grow in credibility and expand in recognition to help professional chefs reach their career goals.”

More than 12,800 chefs and foodservice professionals hold a professional certification from the American Culinary Federation, the largest professional membership organization for chefs in North America. Three other ACF certifications have received outside accreditation from ICE since 2011: Certified Executive Chef^® (CEC^®), Certified Sous Chef^® (CSC^®) and Certified Executive Pastry Chef^® (CEPC^®).