After years of working hard and plenty of time spent “doing life,” retirees have earned their break. Chefs at Beacon Hill at Eastgate in Grand Rapids, Mich., uniquely meld their talents with the culinary wonders of the region and the desires of residents.

By Timothy England, CEC, AAC

It been said time and again that life begins at retirement. For many this means a time for travel, investing in family, perhaps even taking up a new hobby, or reengaging in an old one. It may mean new experiences with your bride or a time to dance with your groom again. Perhaps it is a friendship that needs nurturing or a time for your soul to rejuvenate with regular exercise.

Retirement has long since passed the time of boring days at home with little or nothing to do; menial tasks that fill the time but do little to engage the mind. With all the possibilities for adventure and new discoveries, retirees these days are known to be setting out on a new life that takes them far beyond the routine of their long, hard working years and into a world of fresh starts and checking things off that lifelong “bucket list.”

Look for noodles of all stripes to show up in hearty layered bowls on menus. We’ll also see mainstreaming of South American-style grilled meats and Latin-Asian fusion seafood dishes. And, African peri-peri chicken should take flight.

 Technomic, the Chicago-based foodservice research and consulting firm, brings together the best judgments of its consultants and editors to peer ahead to food trends that might significantly impact the restaurant industry in 2013.

These expert insights are based on site visits evaluating the restaurant scene in cities across the country as well as interviews and surveys of operators, chefs and consumers, backed up by qualitative data from Technomic’s extensive Digital Resource Library and quantitative data from its vast MenuMonitor database. Some of these developments are mainstream trends among major players; others are edgy urban movements that might or might not spread to the wider American public; and some are in the process of evolving from leading-edge to mainstream.

Passion for fresh, seasonal, straightforward ingredients and cooking; diversity and flexibility of service; and leveraging meal occasions to build community among students and staff are hallmarks of the dining program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Olson Communications, a food-marketing agency based in Chicago, is proud to announce that Vanderbilt Campus Dining, a nonprofit, university-managed auxiliary service for Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., is the recipient of a 2012 Chefs of Tomorrow™ Award. Sharon Olson, founder and president of Chicago-based Olson Communications, presented the award to Chef Camp Howard, CEC, director of Vanderbilt Campus Dining, on Nov. 6 at an annual dinner for foodservice media.

Inaugural seven-month program concludes with ceremony and celebratory meal at San Antonio campus.

Nine culinary professionals spent the 30 weeks at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), San Antonio, learning about the cuisines of Latin America and preparing menus with leading chefs from many of the regions studied. A graduation ceremony on October 27, 2012, marked the completion of the first class of the college’s Latin Cuisines Certificate Program. Graduates then celebrated with a special luncheon at Nao, the newest restaurant on the CIA’s San Antonio, Texas, campus.

The country’s oldest collegiate foodservice operation partners with a noted authority to meet student demand for cuisine authenticity.

Authentic Greek fare is being introduced to the menus and students at Harvard thanks to collaboration between chef and cookbook author Diane Kochilas and Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS). Beginning last summer and extending into the fall, Kochilas and HUDS have developed recipes, trainings and tastings, which will culminate in more than a dozen new items for HUDS’ residential-dining winter menus.

Greek cuisine, regarded for its nutritional benefits through the use of plant oils, lean proteins, vegetables and distinct seasonings, is an ideal fit for Harvard menus where students are increasingly interested in authenticity and health. Seafood and vegetarian options that appeal to non-vegetarians are among the most demanded items on student surveys.

Kochilas was a presenter at the Spring 2012 Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference, hosted by the Harvard School of Public Health and The Culinary Institute of America. HUDS’ managing director, David Davidson, and director for culinary operations Martin Breslin were in attendance and immediately saw the opportunity for bringing Kochilas’ expertise to campus.