Famed chef and television personality Jacques Pépin was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from The Culinary Institute of America after delivering the commencement address at the college’s New York campus on May 22.

Pépin served as personal chef to three French presidents, including Charles de Gaulle, and his career in the United States ranged from cooking at some of the nation’s finest French restaurants, such as New York’s Le Pavillon, to being a trailblazing R&D chef for Howard Johnson’s.

“Today is your day,” Pépin told recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and arts. “It is a time of hope; a time to believe in yourself; a time to dare, to be curious, to be enthusiastic, to be tenacious, and to be engaged. It is a time in your life where the word ‘impossible’ does not exist; a time to reach for the sky.”

Individuals with a flair for cooking can now put their passion to work at Star Career Academy’s Egg Harbor Township, N.J., campus, which recently introduced three new culinary programs: Professional Cooking, Commercial Cooking and Professional Pastry & Baking.

The Professional Cooking class began on April 7, 2015, with new classes beginning each month. In June, the campus began its first Commercial Cooking class and on July 1, 2015, the first Professional Pastry & Baking class.

Star Career Academy has a history of producing satisfied graduates. Graduate Aronita Foxwell initially began attending classes simply to hone her cooking skills, but after spending time in the classroom, she realized she wanted to make cooking her career. Foxwell realized her dream and works in her field as a chef. Now, individuals residing near the Egg Harbor Township campus have the same opportunity to pursue this career path.

Donna L. Quadri-Felitti has been selected as the new director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State, effective July 2015.

“Dr. Quadri-Felitti brings a combination of academic and industry experience, which means she will do well at helping the school build relationships with industry partners and other external constituents, such as alumni,” said Ann C. Crouter, Raymond E. and Eric Stuart Schultz Dean of the College of Health and Human Development. “She brings a broad perspective on hospitality from foodservice to hotels while understanding the connection between communities and hospitality.”

Prior to joining Penn State, Quadri-Felitti served on the faculty of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism in New York University’s School of Professional Studies, where her most recent post was as academic chair of the center.

Quadri-Felitti replaces John O’Neill, professor of Hospitality Management, who will lead the school’s new Center for Hospitality Real Estate Strategy.

While at NYU, Quadri-Felitti developed and taught various hospitality-management undergraduate and graduate courses not only at the flagship campus in New York City, but in NYU programs in Florence and Prague. She has advised scores of undergraduate and graduate students on their individual academic, research and career development.

On Monday, May 11, fine-dining connoisseurs are invited to enjoy the modern French cuisine of Mélisse (www.melisse.com), a Michelin two-star restaurant in Santa Monica, Calif. Event proceeds will benefit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Los Angeles, a nonprofit dedicated to preparing underserved students for college and career opportunities in the restaurant and hospitality industries.
 
Guests will have the opportunity to dine in the chic ambiance of the famed restaurant while relishing chef/owner Josiah Citrin’s intriguing season-driven menu. Mélisse has been voted as Zagat’s No. 1-rated restaurant in Los Angeles since 2003, and Forbes Travel Guide named Mélisse “One of the Finest Five Star Properties in the World.” Citrin has been named one of the “Best Chefs of the Year” by Los Angeles Magazine and is also co-owner of the popular Los Angeles eatery, Lemon Moon Café.

Peter “Pete” Mondavi, Jr., scion of one of Napa Valley’s leading winemaking families, was keynote speaker at the March 27, 2015, graduation ceremony for the Accelerated Wine and Beverage and Accelerated Culinary Arts certificate programs at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. Mondavi advised graduates to use their newly honed skills to help people’s dining experiences become a break from the fast-paced cell-phone world.

“We can’t alter the pace of life here, but we can dedicate ourselves to making sure that fine food, wine and beverages are not the casualties of that pace, but a way to escape from it,” Mondavi told 45 certificate recipients. “Your challenge is to find a way to bring America back to the dining table, to show Americans how to remove their electronic tethers and enjoy the remarkable cuisine and beverages that you and your fellow graduates have learned to prepare and serve.”

Idaho^® potatoes­—the term refers to their source of origin—are renowned for quality and reliability in all 50 states. While most consumers and foodservice operators associate the Idaho trademark with russet potatoes, Idaho growers are seeding fields with new varieties to meet a burgeoning demand for reds, yellows and other niche varietal potatoes.

To help all Idaho potato customers find the variety that best fits their menu needs, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) has created “Bringing Variety to the Plate,” a full-color brochure that details the qualities, characteristics and applications for almost 30 potato varieties. For example, the commercially successful Russet Burbank is a late-maturing variety, oval shaped and thin skinned with a distinctive, earthy potato flavor. It bakes fluffy, fries crispy and is well suited to all applications.

To order a complimentary copy of “Bringing Variety to the Plate,” contact the IPC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To research menu concepts using all the Idaho potato varieties, visit the IPC recipe database at foodservice.idahopotato.com/recipes. While on the site, check out the helpful size guideand Idahopotato preparation tips, and find answers and solutions to operational and culinary FAQs.