Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) announces its slate of learning opportunities for students and professionals in its 2011 Scholarship and Internship Program.

“Our scholarships and internships allow WCR to fulfill its mission by offering women in the culinary industry invaluable educational opportunities,” says Jamie Leeds, president of WCR and chef/owner of two Hank’s Oyster Bar locations in greater Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jolene Birmingham will become the new academic dean of Chicago-based Lexington College, the only all-women hospitality college in the United States, at the beginning of the next academic year in July 2011. Currently a mathematics and statistics faculty member, Birmingham will replace Dean Mary Hunt, who will become the new president of Lexington College.

Preparing healthy, high-quality food in volume is a challenge for even the most experienced foodservice professionals. MODERN BATCH COOKERY (Wiley Hardcover, $65.00), written by Victor Gielisse, CMC, and Ron DeSantis, CMC, is a complete guide to volume cooking for restaurants, caterers, hotels and other large foodservice operations, offering up-to-date information with a focus on healthy cooking, nutrition and smart menu planning. The recipes in MODERN BATCH COOKERY are designed to yield 50 servings, and cover every meal and every occasion. Features include:

• More than 200 healthy, nutritious, large-batch recipes such as Gorgonzola and Pear Sandwiches, Tequila-Roasted Oysters with Salsa Cruda, Chesapeake-Style Crab Cakes and many more.

• Chapters on Stocks, Soups, and Sauces; Breakfast and Brunch; Salad Dressings, Salads, Sandwiches, Appetizers; Entrées; Side Dishes; Reception Foods; and Baked Goods and Desserts

• Conversion charts and a glossary, as well as full-color photos of finished dishes that provide fresh ideas for plating and presentation

• All the essentials of menu and recipe development

MODERN BATCH COOKERY is a comprehensive resource for all culinarians and foodservice operators working in (but not limited to) resorts, hotels, college foodservice, healthcare, retirement communities, banquet facilities, country clubs and on-site catering companies.

For more information, or to request a review copy, visit Wiley—MODERN BATCH COOKERY.

The National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) at Sullivan University in Louisville, Ky., honored Hiroshi Noguchi, CEC, AAC, with the prestigious Distinguished Visiting Chef Award on February 24. Noguchi presented cooking demonstrations for students and faculty before the award presentation.

Noguchi directed all food operations at the Renaissance Orlando Resort at SeaWorld for more than 12 years and also worked at top hotels in Tokyo, Chicago and Atlanta. In addition to specializing in French and Asian cuisines, Noguchi has mastered the art of ice carving and has received several national and international awards for his work. He is a motivational speaker on culinary skills and has appeared on CBS Evening News, Nickelodeon and in Travelhost magazine. He is a member of several prestigious culinary organizations, including the American Culinary Federation and the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque.

Sullivan University’s Distinguished Visiting Chef series began in 1988 and is an inventive culinary-inspired education program designed to connect students with today's top chefs. Noguchi is the 39th recipient of the Distinguished Visiting Chef honor. Other chefs to receive this award include Bob Kinkead, Emeril Lagasse, Louis Osteen, Rick Tramonto and Marcel Desaulniers.

USA Pears has issued a challenge to all post-secondary culinary-arts students to enter an insPEARational recipe competition. Students must create an original recipe using any fresh USA pear variety (Bartlett, Anjou, Comice, Seckel, Concorde, Forelle, Bosc, Starkrimson) in the following categories: breakfast, salad, soup, appetizer, side dish, entrée, dessert. Enter online by March 31, 2011 at www.usapears.org/students.aspx.

Carrie Vail, a 2005 graduate of Ernest J. King High School (Sasebo, Japan), recently received a prestigious Distinguished Visiting Chef scholarship at Johnson & Wales University (JWU) College of Culinary Arts, where she is studying for a bachelor of science degree in culinary nutrition. The $2,000 award was presented in honor of JWU's 162nd Distinguished Visiting Chef Scott Leibfried, partner and senior culinary advisor, HJL Restaurant Advisors Group, TV celebrity chef and JWU graduate Class of 1993.