Educators and students were among the 38 finalists who rose to the occasion in the California Raisin Marketing Board’s final bake-off.

The California Raisin Marketing Board, the state marketing order that represents nearly 3,000 California raisin growers, announced 13 winners in its third-annual America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest held recently. The “bakers’ dozen” winners rose to the top among a total of 85 initial entries submitted by professional and student bakers from throughout the country.

“This year’s formulas exceeded our expectations by featuring diverse California raisin-inspired breads and bakery products—from savory Raisin Focaccia Bread with goat cheese and caramelized onions to sweet Raisin Pecan Caramel Rolls,” said Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing for the board.

The mission of the America’s Best Raisin Bread competition is to recognize and celebrate aspiring and working bakers for their skills. To allow the bakers more creativity and to broaden the range of products, this year’s artisan and commercial baking categories were expanded to include raisin rolls, pastries and other breakfast breads.

By Edward M. Korry, CSS, CWE

A server needs to seize the opportunity for determining the type of sparkling wine his or her customers prefer.

Champagne and sparkling wines conjure up images of celebration, elegance and pure enjoyment. While frequently perceived as merely a reception wine, the styles of sparkling wines vary enormously, and if properly understood can enhance a restaurant’s bottom line and a server’s income considerably. The key is to also provide commensurate quality service.

Many people refer to any sparkling wine as champagne, though only wine from the specific geographic appellation, 70 miles northeast of Paris, France, can rightfully be called Champagne. Champagne sets the standard for sparkling-wine production, and until 1990, other appellations both within and outside of France were able to refer to the champagne method on their labels. Since then no other EU wine may even refer to the term. In the United States, we have 14 semi-generic labels including champagne. Most U.S. sparkling-wine producers refer to their wines with the term CM/CV on the label. This refers to classic method and classic grape varieties, which includes chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.

Culinary leaders from the Western Hemisphere gathered last month in San Antonio to celebrate El Sueño, The Culinary Institute of America’s mission to promote Latino diversity in the foodservice and hospitality industries.

The Culinary Institute of America celebrated the official opening of its expanded 30,000-square-foot campus in San Antonio, Texas, in October 2010 with a festival that included food, music, a healthy-snack competition for local high-school students and culinary demonstrations by chefs ranging from Rick Bayless to Johnny Hernandez. The opening marked the completion of the second phase of the CIA's El Sueño initiative that was launched in San Antonio to promote Latino diversity in the foodservice industry.

By John Paul Khoury, CCC, www.preferredmeats.com, www.preferredmeatsblog.com

An interview with Mark Liberman, chef/owner of Black Sheep Butchery, Sacramento.

Mark Liberman, a well-seasoned Sacramento, Calif., native, has worked in some of the top kitchens in America, if not the world, for such chefs as Joël Robuchon, Daniel Boulud and Roland Passot. Liberman has also competed in the semi-finals of the prestigious Bocuse d'Or. He has, curiously enough, returned to Sacramento and opened his own business. What brought Liberman back home, and what's his story?

Here's the scoop:

What drew you to the industry and why become a chef?
My initial draw into the restaurant/hospitality industry began when I was relatively young; growing up with both of my parents cooking at home and watching lots of PBS cooking shows is what drew me in. But when I got my first job as an apprentice at 15, I was hooked even before I ever worked on a line. Every day is something new, every day you start from scratch. It’s incredibly tough with long hours and constant pressure, but I never even fathomed doing something else.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Forming dyads requires students to clarify their own thinking before sharing it with another student, and then discuss it before sharing it with the entire class.

Last month, we discussed using current events in the classroom. This month, we will talk about strategies for using more and varied learning activities in our classroom by focusing on pairs.

Most of us have developed a series of strategies for working with small groups. This Mayo’s Clinic may remind some of you why they are helpful and suggest new ways to work with pairs of students in your classes.

Reasons for Pairs
Using pairs—often called dyads—In class is a way to help students feel comfortable discussing a topic that is new to them or one in which they do not feel well prepared, either because of difficulty learning the material, the lack of time spent studying or for some other reason. By letting them talk with just one other student, they can start to build a vocabulary for the topic and some confidence about the topic. It also enables them to learn from someone else who may know more or less; either way, it can be a learning experience.