As their career paths become clear, students will inevitably emulate what they’ve experienced in our classrooms and kitchens. Thus, our responsibility is great. Which attitudes, aptitudes and beliefs do we want graduates to portray throughout their careers as a result of our actions?

By Paul Sorgule, MS, AAC

As many schools head into the final stretch of an academic year, I thought that it might be an opportune time to reflect on the responsibility we share as a catalyst for positive change in the food industry.

Each student who walks across that commencement stage in 2015 and beyond could be a person who helps to make our industry that much better; a person who may very well define what it means to be a successful restaurateur, chef, research chef, pastry chef, teacher, author or advocate for food integrity in America.

As educators we have an obligation and a wonderful opportunity to set the stage for this to take place. Students will inevitably emulate what they experience in classrooms and kitchens as their career paths become clear. You can, and do, make a difference every day and should never lose sight of the power and responsibility that coexist.

Here’s a valuable education-resources fact sheet to help educators effectively teach seafood sustainability.

Courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation

Education is the key to the future development and management of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. Available below as a .pdf file for download, educators will find descriptions of helpful web sites linking them to an array of educational materials so they can develop an appropriate curriculum for their classes.

Begin by visiting Monterey Bay Aquarium’s SeafoodWatch website at www.seafoodwatch.org. This site provides downloadable pocket guides as well as important information on seafood species, fishery and aquaculture issues and much more.

Top chefs know that exceptional produce is where flavor begins. More produce choices equates to more chances to shine. That’s why citrus is something to celebrate.

Courtesy of The Culinary Institute of America

The citrus world has several notable newcomers—specialty varieties that used to be rare are now poised for takeoff. Growers have expanded plantings of citrus that once seemed exotic, like Meyer lemons, Cara Cara oranges and Moro oranges. And they’re devoting more acreage to the truly unusual, like Zebra™ (pink variegated) lemons and pummelos.

These up-and-coming citrus are clearly fruits with a future, and chefs who embrace them have a competitive edge. A cocktail garnished with a Zebra lemon slice makes a cutting-edge impression; a mundane roast chicken makes a fashion statement with grilled Cara Cara oranges (pictured).

The new International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education Penn State Research Report, entitled “University Lodging Demand: An Analysis of its Stability and Guidance for Estimating its Growth Potential at the Market Level,” reveals the demand for college and university lodging is more stable than the typical lodging demand, and that markets dominated by a college are more stable in terms of not only occupancy rates, but also average room rates.

“At many recent hotel-investment conferences and in recent issues of hotel-trade magazines, hotel developers have proposed that a hot prospective location for hotel development is near colleges and universities,” said School of Hospitality Management director John O’Neill, who conducted the study. “The primary reason often cited for this optimism is the relative stability of lodging demand generated by colleges. However, until now, this proposition has never been empirically tested, and no empirical research has shown hotel developers what variables about colleges they should study to determine the feasibility of hotel development in any given college marketplace.”

It’s the New Year, and with it comes a new wave of prognostications that seek to give direction to operators and chefs looking for “the next big thing.” What can we look forward to?

Courtesy of Sysco Shape

Industry oracles see the continuation of such mega-trends as healthful dining, local sourcing and the ratcheting up of flavor profiles. In addition, sweet and spicy mashups, the blending of mushrooms with ground meat, increased menu transparency and the rise of Generation Z will help to drive innovation as we progress into the year. Here are 10 trends to watch in 2015.

A Matter of Taste
Middle-of-the-road flavor profiles are out; robust flavors are in. Once noted for their unadventurous palates, Americans now just can’t seem to get enough spicy fare at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our former “fear of flavor,” which once largely dominated domestic eating habits, is being supplanted by a bold, global attitude that embraces multiple culinary experiences—particularly those ethnic foods that pack a punch. Authentic Mexican and Latin concepts are among the most popular influences, together with other ethnic-inspired cuisines like Southeast Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern. And white-hot ingredients like Sriracha can be found in virtually every professional kitchen today.

Premium Blend
A collaborative effort by The Culinary Institute of America, the University of California at Davis and the Mushroom Council found that both health and flavor concerns can be addressed by the blending of chopped mushrooms together with ground meat. Not only does this mashup yield a food product that is tastier, juicier and more nutritious than traditional ground-meat items like hamburgers, meat balls and meatloaf, but it adds volume as well, proponents say. At the same time, blending helps to reduce the amount of sodium, fat and calories in a menu item. Today, an increasing number of commercial and noncommercial operators are embracing the blending process, with many more expected to join the ranks this year.