More than a cooking school - CIA Sizzle

Hawaiian Fusion Pioneer Speaks at CIA Commencement

Roy Yamaguchi '76 Returns to Alma Mater to Address Graduates.

Roy Yamaguchi, founder of the Honolulu-based Roy's restaurants, spoke to graduates at commencement ceremonies at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

"One would think that you are free at last, but not for long; this is only the beginning. The CIA gave you a strong foundation. Now it is up to you to build on that foundation," Chef Yamaguchi told 42 recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts.

"Along the way there are going to be setbacks. Stay focused on your goals; distractions are natural occurrences along the way. It is how you handle these setbacks and distractions that will define you as both as person and a leader."

Roy's has 37 locations worldwide: 28 in the continental U.S., seven in Hawaii, and one each in Japan and Guam. Chef Yamaguchi is considered the developer of Hawaiian fusion cuisine, featuring fresh local ingredients influenced by Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Filipino, Italian, French, and Thai flavors. The New York Times has called him "the Wolfgang Puck of the Pacific."

Chef Yamaguchi was born in Japan and moved to Hawaii as a teenager. He is a 1976 CIA graduate and was named to the college's Board of Trustees in 2006.

Global Food Crisis Expert Speaks at CIA

Raj Patel Lecture is Part of the College's Dooley Lecture Series.

Writer, academic, journalist, and activist Raj Patel spoke at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park on Tuesday, January 15, 2009. Dr. Patel's talk is part of the CIA's Dooley Lecture Series.

Dr. Patel earned his Ph.D from Cornell University. He is currently a scholar in residence at University of California, Berkeley. He has worked at the World Bank, the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Dr. Patel is the author of Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System (Melville, 2007). He has been a frequent contributor to the BBC, NBC, Al Jazeera, and NPR. In 2008 he testified on the global food crisis before the U.S. House of Representatives' Financial Services Committee.

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. The public is invited to attend the lectures. The CIA is on Rt. 9 in Hyde Park. Attendance is limited to 100, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

New Series of Food Enthusiast Classes Lead Spring 2009 Schedule at The Culinary Institute of America

Innovative "Saturdays at the CIA" Curriculum Offers Continuing Education Classes Built Around Best-Selling Cookbooks

A new series of classes for food enthusiasts, highlighting recipes from best-selling cookbooks, leads the Spring 2009 curriculum at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). The new "Saturdays at the CIA" lineup of classes will give budding chefs the chance to prepare signature dishes from the CIA's popular line of cookbooks.

Among the 12 new classes to be offered this season: Rise of Asia; Spain and the World Table; Soups; Grilling; Baking at Home--The Desserts; Cake Decorating; Gourmet Meals in Minutes; and Breakfast & Brunches. "Saturdays at the CIA" classes will be held on the following Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.: March 7 and 21; April 4 and 18; May 9 and 16; June 6 and 20.

"In our new Spain and the World Table course, participants will have the opportunity to work with ingredients they may have only seen until now on the Food Network," explains Laura Pickover, director of food enthusiasts programs at the CIA. "In making the signature tapas, the small bites so popular in the Latino world, students will work for the first time with fiery peppers, exotic spices, and savory foods that are used to create Spain's greatest culinary inventions. It's like traveling abroad with our chefs to sample specialties--right here in Hyde Park."

A Saturday schedule begins at 9:30 a.m. with orientation, followed by a lecture. Students head to the kitchen for food production and collaborate together on lunch. All attendees will receive a CIA cookbook and an official apron. Tuition for classes is $225 per person.

To register for one of the new "Saturdays at the CIA" classes, food enthusiasts can visit the CIA Web site at www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts or call the college's Continuing Education Department at 1-800-888-7850.