More than a cooking school - CIA Sizzle

National Restaurant Association Chair Speaks at CIA Graduation

Michael Kaufman: Graduates Have Both Opportunity and Responsibility.

Michael Kaufman, chairman of the National Restaurant Association and co-president of Enovo Restaurant Ventures of Chappaqua, NY, spoke to graduates at commencement ceremonies at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on Thursday, December 18, 2008.

Kaufman told 57 recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts they will have much opportunity for success. "This economy is more challenging than it has been in generations. But your competitive edge is your education and training. In our increasingly Food Network-oriented world, the variety of opportunities for you is limitless."

But, advised Kaufman, there is also a responsibility that comes with being a CIA graduate. "Ironically enough, we are facing both hunger and obesity. In our great nation, there is no reason for either. Your culinary skills can be of special use in helping strive for enhanced nutritional value in foods we prepare. I hope you will see your mission as not only achieving great success in your business and personal lives, but also in your contribution back to your community, our country, and the world."

The Culinary Institute of America to Become Site of SkillsUSA National Culinary Training Center

In partnership with SkillsUSA, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has established the SkillsUSA WorldTeam National Culinary Training Center on its Hyde Park, NY campus. The CIA will provide technical expertise and educational resources to prepare the national culinary champion to represent the United States at next September's 2009 WorldSkills Competition in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

To qualify for SkillsUSA's WorldTeam, top culinary performers from the annual SkillsUSA Championships will be ranked by contest scores and other professional qualifications, and subsequently invited to train at the CIA.

CIA faculty will design a training curriculum for the finalist, who begins training in January 2009 in preparation for the competition in Calgary eight months later.

"SkillsUSA is proud to partner with The Culinary Institute of America," says Peter Carey, coordinator of SkillsUSA's WorldTeam. "By joining forces with one of America 's premier culinary education institutions, SkillsUSA students will have a leg up in their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete on the world stage at the WorldSkills Competitions."

SkillsUSA is a nonprofit educational association serving more than 300,000 teachers and students annually who are preparing for careers in trade, technical and health occupations. SkillsUSA complements technical skills training with instruction in the "employability skills" that employers increasingly cite as deficient in the emerging work force. The association holds an annual conference that includes the SkillsUSA Championships, showcasing the finest high school and college students in more than 80 skilled trade and leadership competitions, including culinary arts.

The Best of Besh: Podcast Features Louisiana Chef-Restaurateur

Chat with John Besh, CIA Class of 1992, is Newest in Series.

John Besh, chef and owner of four New Orleans-area restaurants, talks about his career in the newest "Insight from the Inside" podcast from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). "Insight from the Inside" is a series of chats with graduates who have exciting jobs in the food world.

During the 20-minute chat, Besh talks about the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina and his efforts in the city's physical and emotional recovery, his experience on the Food Network's Next Iron Chef competition, and taking time off from his CIA studies to serve in the U.S. Marines during the first Gulf War.3

The 1992 graduate credits his time at the CIA for providing the groundwork for his success. "There are great people everywhere, but some of the best instructors in the world are right here," said Besh, recalling chefs and professors who taught basic culinary skills, butchery, charcuterie, and wines, among other courses. "Our horizons were broadened by the staff here...Things I learned in those early days stayed with me throughout my career. That was the foundation that really made it possible for me to thrive."

Chef Besh's ongoing commitment to his home state's relief and rebuilding earned him the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Neighbor Award in 2007. His Restaurant August has been inducted into the Nation's Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame. He also owns Besh Steak, Lüke, and La Provence in and around New Orleans. Besh earned the 2006 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Southeast and New Orleans magazine's Chef of the Year for 2007. He was runner-up on Next Iron Chef, some of which was taped at the CIA.

"Insight from the Inside" has featured CIA graduates Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Duff Goldman, Johnny Iuzzini, Sara Moulton, Michael Symon, and Top Chef winners Ilan Hall and Hung Huynh. To hear the interview with Chef Besh or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.

The Culinary Institute of America announces the winners of the Annual "Top Turkey" Scholarship contest

More than $35,000 in Scholarships Awarded to Seven Aspiring Chefs from Across the Country.

Seven aspiring chefs have been selected as winners in the second annual Culinary Institute of America Top Turkey Scholarship competition. The top award was presented to Carolyn Cho of Torrance, CA, who received $10,000 for her Korean-American Thanksgiving Pancakes & Cranberry Dipping Sauce recipe and video.

The $7,500 Second Place winner was Matthew McCarthy of Marietta, GA who prepared Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Turkey, Seasonal Vegetables, and Brown Butter Jus. The $5,000 Third Place award went to Justin Henry Lee of Oak Hill, VA for his Turkey and Stuffing Pumpkin.

An additional $5,000 People's Choice Award was won by Matthew Goike of Naples, FL for his video on how to prepare Turkey Mandu.

Three $3,000 honorable mention awards went to Darren Beauregard of Lynchburg, VA for his Turkey Panini with Cranberry Mango Relish; Cyndra Rook of St. Louis, MO for her Thanksgiving Turkey Roulade; and Kathleen Baran of Ann Arbor, MI, who prepared her own Quiche Valerie.

Each of the winners has been accepted to The Culinary Institute of America, and will begin pursuing either a bachelor's or associate degree at the world's premier culinary college in the coming year.

The Top Turkey Scholarship contest was especially notable because students were encouraged to submit video recordings with their original recipes. These video presentations, detailing the preparation of their creations, were required for the special $5,000 People's Choice Award. Finalists were rated by YouTube viewers from across the country, and the video with the highest ranking was crowned the People's Choice. Creativity was encouraged, since entries had to first impress the expert chef-instructors at the CIA, and then entertain thousands of visitors to YouTube.com.

Recipes and videos from the finalists of the second annual Top Turkey Scholarship Contest offered by The Culinary Institute of America are available to inspire home cooks for this holiday season. To view the winning videos and print the recipes, visit www.ciachef.edu/leftovers.

Acclaimed Bay Area Chef Michael Mina Addresses CIA Graduates in Napa Valley

Michael Mina, an accomplished Bay Area chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, addressed 19 graduates at commencement ceremonies at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone on Friday, December 5, 2008.

"Your responsibility is to continue to make our industry better and better," said Mina, a 1989 CIA graduate. "It's about perfection, whether it's a Michelin three-star restaurant or the perfect roast chicken."

Mina graduated from the CIA in Hyde Park, NY, and soon after joined forces with partners to open Aqua, a nationally acclaimed high-end seafood restaurant in San Francisco. In July 2004 he opened his signature restaurant, Michael Mina, which has earned two stars from the Michelin Guide and four stars from the San Francisco Chronicle. Mina has since opened five more restaurants in California and Las Vegas, earned numerous chef and hospitality awards, and made TV appearances on the Food Network, The Today Show, The Early Show on CBS, and more.

At the ceremony, the CIA awarded Mina with a Master of the Aesthetics of Hospitality Award for his many accomplishments and accolades.

The graduates who received Mina's advice make up the third class to earn an associate degree in culinary arts at the CIA at Greystone. This 18-month program offers students extensive hands-on cooking classes amidst the Napa Valley's outstanding food and wine culture.

The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone Creates One of the Greenest Buildings in Napa Valley

New Building Will House Future Culinary Leaders

The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone has begun construction on a new dormitory for students that will be one of the greenest buildings in Napa Valley. The college has been approved to build a 31-unit student housing facility that will hold 60 students and incorporate state of the art eco-friendly technology designed to reach a minimum of LEED gold certification. The building is expected to be finished in summer of 2009.

Increased student enrollment at the not-for-profit culinary college combined with the lack of affordable housing in the area has created the need for the new building. Creating an eco-friendly dorm from scratch is an opportunity CIA administrators are very excited about.

"This is a chance to show our students and our community how we can make a positive environmental impact, and how it can be done in an economical way," says Charles E. Henning, managing director at the CIA at Greystone.

The 12,000 square foot building is being constructed next to an existing 40-unit student dorm on Pratt Avenue, a little more than a mile from Greystone. Water conservation is one of the biggest goals of the project with the installation of low flow sinks, toilets and showers. Water will be recycled through a membrane bio reactor (MBR) which will treat used water to a tertiary standard, then used to irrigate the landscaped yard, wash clothing in the machines provided, and for flushing toilets.

Solar panels will heat water used in the facility and collect energy for electrical power. A new variant refrigerant volume system (VRV) will allow students to have temperature control in their own rooms while using energy efficiently. Materials from a small storage building on the property will be recycled and used in the new project where possible. For instance, cinderblock from the building will be crushed and used as a base for a parking lot.

The outside of the building will have a contemporary farmhouse look, fitting of the style of Napa Valley wine country. Builders say the structure will have clean lines, numerous windows to provide natural light, and the solar panels will be worked into an integral part of the design.

"Students who are fortunate enough to live in this new housing will be energized by it," says lead contractor Bob Massaro of Healthy Buildings Management Group in Napa. "It is a physical testament to the CIA's ideal of a strong connection to a healthy environment, good food and wine, and good health."

The Culinary Institute of America Announces the 2009 Vintners Hall of Fame Inductees

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) announced the wine industry leaders who will be officially inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame (VHF) at a gala reception and dinner ceremony on March 14, 2009 at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, CA.

The 2009 Hall of Fame inductees include noted wine journalist Gerald Asher, Gourmet magazine; Jack and Jamie Davies, founders of Schramsberg Vineyards; Jess Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Estates; Carole Meredith, UC Davis professor and co-founder of Lagier-Meredith Winery; Justin Meyer, co-founder of Silver Oak Cellars; and Warren Winiarski, founder of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars.

Frederick and Jacob Beringer, who founded Beringer Vineyards, will be inducted as "Pioneers," a category that recognizes those who made a significant contribution to the California wine industry and passed away prior to March 1989.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who have made the California wine industry the success it is today," says Dr. Tim Ryan, president of the CIA. "Their efforts and dedication in creating the worldwide prestige of the California wine industry are inspiring, and the Vintners Hall of Fame is a wonderful place to recognize their contributions."

This year's nominating committee, chaired by noted wine journalist W. Blake Gray, included Charles Sullivan, wine historian and author; Mike Dunne, Sacramento Bee; John Olney, The Wine Country Club; Jim Gordon, Wines and Vines; and Darrell Corti, Corti Brothers, who was inducted into the VHF in 2008. The final inductees were elected by the 45 members of the Vintners Hall of Fame Electoral College.

"I'm delighted that the voting members of the Vintners Hall of Fame Electoral College have chosen such an outstanding induction class that represents so many aspects of the California wine industry: not just making, selling and promoting wine, but also researching and writing about wine," says W. Blake Gray. "This superb induction class brings great honor to the Vintners Hall of Fame at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, and I thank the voters for selecting it."

The Vintners Hall of Fame annual induction dinner provides scholarships for the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA's Greystone campus. The 2009 induction gala and ceremony will be supported by a spectacular selection of seminars, luncheons, and food and wine tastings that will take place on March 13 and 14, 2009.

For more information on the 2009 Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and weekend celebration of California food and wine, please contact Reuben Katz at 707-967-2305 or r_katz@culinary.edu. To view photos from previous galas, please visit www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/vintners.html.

2009 Vintners Hall of Fame inductees' bios:

Gerald Asher
Wine editor of Gourmet magazine for more than 30 years, Asher displays both great knowledge of wine and the ability to write about it without technical jargon. His elegant, witty writing has passed along a passion for wine to many food lovers.

Jack & Jamie Davies
Jack and Jamie Davies resurrected the abandoned Schramsberg estate in the mid-1960s. With Jack overseeing production and Jamie doing the marketing, they established Schramsberg as a world-class house of sparkling wine. Every president starting with Richard Nixon has served Schramsberg wine at an official White House function.

Jess Jackson
In 1974, Jackson, a founding member of Family Winemakers of California, converted an orchard in Lakeport to a vineyard. By 1982, the first Kendall-Jackson-labeled wine went to market. He created a new style of Chardonnay that made it the most popular varietal in America. Jackson has also embarked on a quest to elevate the best Sonoma County wines to the highest level of respect in the wine world.

Carole Meredith, Ph.D.
Dr. Meredith spent 20 plus years in the Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis, studying grape genetics and using DNA typing methods to discover the origins of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, and, most recently, Zinfandel. Today she is the co-owner of the Napa winery Lagier-Meredith.

Justin Meyer
A Brother in the Christian Brothers order, Meyer began his winemaking career as an assistant to Brother Timothy at Greystone Cellars, now the West Coast campus of the CIA. After studying at UC Davis, he left the Brotherhood to create the Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon-only program with David Duncan. The wine became one of the most requested premium wines in U.S. restaurants.

Warren Winiarski, Ph.D.
Dr. Winiarski left his teaching position at the University of Chicago to become a winemaker, first working at Robert Mondavi Winery before forming his own company, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. The very first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon produced at his new winery won the famous 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, instantly proving that California red wines are as good as any in the world.

2009 Vintners Hall of Fame "Pioneer" inductee bio:

Frederick & Jacob Beringer
The Beringer brothers emigrated from Mainz, Germany in the 1860s to seek their fortune, and became leaders of the California wine industry in its rise to greatness from the 1870s until the 1890s. A Beringer Riesling won a silver medal at the Paris Exhibition of 1887. The winery and house they built are among the most treasured buildings in the Napa Valley.

"Top Chef" Hung Huynh Addresses CIA Graduates

Winner of Bravo Reality Show Returns to Alma Mater

Hung Huynh, executive chef at New York City's Solo and winner of the third season of the television series Top Chef, addressed 67 graduates at commencement ceremonies at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on Tuesday, November 25, 2008.

"I got here through hard work, determination, and the will to succeed," said Huynh, a 2002 CIA graduate, whose family immigrated to Pittsfield, MA from Vietnam when he was child. "Follow your heart. Follow your dreams. And don't be afraid."

Two of Huynh's brothers are also CIA alumni. He told the newest recipients of associate degrees from the college, "We're graduates of the most prestigious cooking school in the world. People will look to us and come to us for answers."

In addition to his success on Top Chef, Huynh, 30, was one of eight finalists to represent the United States at the 2009 Bocuse d'Or international cooking competition.

Leading Voice About Food and Politics Speaks at CIA

Marion Nestle Lecture is Part of the College's Dooley Lecture Series

Outspoken nutrition educator Marion Nestle spoke at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park on Thursday, December 4, 2008. Dr. Nestle's discussion--"Food Politics: Chefs in the Middle"--is part of the CIA's Dooley Lecture Series.

Dr. Nestle is a professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, where she was department chair from 1988 to 2003. She is the author of several books, including What to Eat (North Point Press, 2006) and Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health (University of California Press, 2002).

In 2004, Time magazine recognized Dr. Nestle as an "obesity warrior," and the James Beard Foundation inducted her into "Who's Who in Food and Beverage in America" in 2003. Dr. Nestle is generally regarded as one of a handful of people who most influence public policy regarding food in America.

The Dooley Lecture Series brings food industry luminaries and experts on international relations to The Culinary Institute of America. The series is named for Carroll F. Dooley, the first director of the college's food preparation division in 1946.

CPR Training and Quick Action Saves the Life of Student at The Culinary Institute of America

Two campus safety officers and a registered nurse at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) saved the life of an 18-year-old student on December 1 by performing immediate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and administering a shock from an on-campus automated external defibrillator within minutes.

At 7:34 a.m., as students were beginning their first classes after Thanksgiving break, a freshman from Missouri collapsed in a kitchen classroom. As the chef called the Safety Office to request assistance, a student ran to Health Services to summon a nurse. Within a minute, nurse Kelly O'Connor and safety officer Carl Wilson were on the scene. O'Connor initially found a pulse, but when it was lost, the two began performing CPR. Moments later, safety supervisor Lyle Burnett arrived with a defibrillator. After Burnett attached the shock pads, the machine advised that the student had a "shockable rhythm." Shortly after a shock was administered, the patient began breathing on his own, and his color returned.

This all took place before an advanced life support Alamo Ambulance arrived on the scene with a paramedic. By 8:01, the student was on his way to St. Francis Hospital in Poughkeepsie, where he is recovering. By Monday evening, his parents were at his side.

"Credit goes to all the heroes on campus who made it possible for this story to have a happy ending," said Neil Garrison, CIA supervisor of environmental health and safety. "In a situation like this, seconds make a big difference, and the prompt action by the chef and students put the chain of survival into motion almost instantly. That allowed Kelly, Carl, and Lyle to quickly respond, then use their training and instincts to save the life of this young man."

Garrison adds that the CIA's nursing staff took a CPR and defibrillation refresher class just this past August, and safety officers were recertified in their skills 10 months ago. There are six defibrillators placed strategically around campus.

The Roosevelt Fire Department Rescue Squad and Hyde Park Police assisted at the scene.