More than a cooking school - CIA Sizzle

Modern Mexican Cuisine Pioneer Richard Sandoval '91 Addresses Graduates at The Culinary Institute of America

Richard Sandoval, chef and owner of Modern Mexican restaurants, returned to his alma mater to deliver the commencement address on Friday, March 20, 2009.

"I'm here to tell you the really hard work has just begun," Chef Sandoval, a 1991 CIA graduate, told 72 recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. "I don't mean to instill fear in your hearts. I mean to put fire in your belly...to achieve your dreams."

Born in Mexico City, he learned the business side of the foodservice industry from his father, who founded a successful restaurant in Acapulco. Chef Sandoval now owns that establishment, along with more than a dozen other restaurants in the United States, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.

The winner of Bon Appétit's Restaurateur of the Year Award in 2006 advised his newest fellow CIA alumni that this may not be the best time to be graduating from college. But, he said, "You will cut your teeth in the worst economic crisis this country has seen for decades. If you can triumph in this environment, you're golden."

CIA President Receives Prestigious Silver Plate Award

Dr. Tim Ryan is Honored by IFMA.

The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) has conferred a prestigious 2009 Silver Plate Award on Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Dr. Ryan won the award in the "Specialty Foodservices" category, recognizing his many accomplishments in culinary education and American cuisine.

Silver Plate Awards are presented annually by IFMA in recognition of lasting and outstanding contributions by foodservice operators in nine segments of the industry: Independent Restaurants, Chain Full Service, Chain Fast Service, Health Care, Elementary and Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities, Business & Industry/Foodservice Management, Hotels and Lodging, and Specialty Foodservices. The organization's 2009 Gold Plate winner will be chosen from among the nine Silver Plate honorees at IFMA's Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration on May 18 in Chicago.

"Tim Ryan is a true foodservice visionary," said IFMA President & CEO Michael J Licata. "His contributions to the American cuisine movement and The Culinary Institute of America make him an industry icon."

Dr. Ryan, a 1977 CIA graduate, has been president of the college since 2001. He was the youngest person to become a Certified Master Chef and the youngest national president of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Since joining the CIA faculty in 1982, Dr. Ryan's service to the college has been broad. He developed the American Bounty Restaurant on campus to advance American cuisine for fine dining. He further championed the CIA's launch of the first Bachelor of Professional Studies degree in culinary arts management, and in 2007 he established the college's new campus in San Antonio, TX. The CIA, San Antonio is dedicated to providing formal culinary education to help aspiring Latin American chefs become industry leaders, and to elevating Latin American cuisines to their rightful place among the great cuisines of the world.

The list of honors Dr. Ryan has earned in his career includes ACF Chef of the Year in 1998 and the Presidential Medal from the World Association of Cooks.

The Culinary Institute of America Presents 2009 Augie™ Awards

Ferran Adrià, Grant Achatz '94, and John Profaci to be Honored at NYC Gala to Benefit Student Scholarships.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will confer its third annual CIA Leadership Awards in honor of Auguste Escoffier, in New York City on Thursday, March 26. The 2009 Augie Awards are being presented at a black tie gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. Proceeds benefit the education of future culinarians through the college's scholarship endowment.

 The Chef of the Year Award is being bestowed upon Ferran Adrià, chef and co-owner of Spain's famed elBulli. Adrià, a native of Barcelona, has been head chef of elBulli for the past 22 years. The restaurant has been named the World's Best Restaurant four times in the last six years by England's Restaurant magazine. elBulli is open only half of the year. During the other six months, Chef Adrià works in his test kitchen developing new recipes that feature unexpected contrasts of flavor, temperature, and texture. Though often associated with molecular gastronomy, he refers to his cooking as "deconstructivist."

The Alumnus of the Year Award will be presented to Grant Achatz, a 1994 CIA graduate. Achatz is chef and owner of Alinea in Chicago. While working for Thomas Keller at the French Laundry in Yountville, CA, Achatz was sent to train with Chef Adrià at elBulli--an experience that would later inform his own future inventiveness. Achatz has won numerous awards from the James Beard Foundation, including Rising Star Chef (2003), Best Chef: Great Lakes (2007), and Outstanding Chef (2008). Food & Wine named him one of the Best New Chefs in America in 2002; and in 2006, Gourmet chose Alinea as the Best Restaurant in America. But even as he was piling up honors, Achatz was struck by devastating news in 2007. At age 33, he was diagnosed with tongue cancer. While he battled for his life, Achatz also faced the prospect of never being able to taste again. Through treatment, thankfully the disease is now in remission and his sense of taste is returning.

Being inducted into the CIA Hall of Fame is John J. Profaci, Sr., president and founder of Colavita USA. Mr. Profaci is credited with opening the North American market to genuine Italian extra virgin olive oil. After meeting Enrico Colavita in 1978, he began selling Colavita's olive oil in the U.S. The company later expanded to import and distribute other Italian specialty foods including pasta, sauces, and balsamic vinegar. Mr. Profaci, together with Mr. Colavita, provided the financial support that enabled the CIA to open The Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine on the college's Hyde Park campus in 2001. John Profaci is the 16th inductee in the CIA Hall of Fame, since its founding in 1985.

Tickets to the gala are $1,000 per person (of which $750 is tax deductible). The CIA created the Augie in 2007 to celebrate success and achievement of the foodservice industry's best and brightest. Augie recipients exemplify a tradition of innovation and leadership. This year's emcee is veteran actress Ruta Lee.

For information and reservations, contact Rebecca Perchick-Kent at 845-905-4278 or visit http://culinary.imodules.com/gala.

Podcast Features Chef Whose Empire Stretches from New York to California

Chat with Charlie Palmer, CIA Class of 1979, is Newest in Series.

Chef and restaurateur Charlie Palmer talks about his 12-restaurant culinary empire and "Progressive American" cuisine 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 21-minute chat, the 1979 CIA graduate shares details of his successful career as a chef, entrepreneur, and cookbook author. He also has advice for culinarians just starting out: "Look at the options out there. Really try to figure out what avenue [you] want to go down. Think about a career path from the get-go. It may change, but there's some real value in thinking about where you want to be a year or two years from now."

To launch his career, Chef Palmer says there was only one choice. "When I started looking at schools, it became apparent very quickly that the CIA was for me, because it was so highly focused on a high level of food and food preparation," he recalls, adding that the college provided him and others the foundation that led to success. "We've seen great accomplishments from so many people who have come from the CIA and used that basis to advance and become icons in the industry."

Chef Palmer's first restaurant, Aureole, opened in New York in 1988. His restaurants, boutique hotels, and wine shops can now be found in New York City; Washington, DC; Dallas, TX; Las Vegas and Reno, NV; and Costa Mesa and Healdsburg, CA. He has about 70 fellow CIA graduates working for him at his properties around the country.

Charlie Palmer won the 1997 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in New York City and his Aureole restaurants in New York and Las Vegas have earned prestigious Michelin stars.

"Insight from the Inside" has featured CIA graduates John Besh, 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 Palmer or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.

CIA Hires Rummy Pandit as New Associate Dean of Business Management

Bachelor's Degree Programs Focus on Preparing Industry Leaders.

As The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) continues to develop and strengthen its business management program, the college has hired a new associate dean for business management. Rummy Pandit comes to the CIA from Rutgers University, where he was assistant dean and executive director of hospitality management.

Most of the CIA's business management courses are offered during the junior and senior years for students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in culinary arts management or baking and pastry arts management. There are a record 559 students currently enrolled in their junior and senior years, with hundreds more freshmen and sophomores committed to earning bachelor's degrees from the CIA. Recent bachelor's degree graduates have been hired as managers, as management trainees, and in other supervisory roles for major foodservice corporations and hotel chains.

Through its business management curriculum, the CIA provides a hands-on business experience for its students, preparing them to excel in management challenges in areas such as finance, human resources, and marketing. One example is the senior-level Restaurant Operations class, a capstone course in which students conceptualize, develop, and execute special events.

"With its complexity and broad scope, today's foodservice and hospitality industry needs more and better-prepared managers," said Dr. Kathy Merget, CIA dean of liberal arts and business management. "We want to expose our students to the latest business practices, technology, and leadership opportunities, whether in the kitchen or the boardroom. Mr. Pandit's experience will help provide CIA students with the most advanced business applications at both the associate and bachelor's degree levels."

Mr. Pandit holds both a Masters in Hotel Management from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration/IMHI and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Rutgers. Before joining the academic world, he held a variety of managerial positions in the hospitality industry, including executive director of hotel operations for Harrah's Showboat Casino-Hotel and general manager of the Atlantic Palace Suites in Atlantic City, NJ; general manager of The Shoreham Hotel in New York City; and rooms division manager at The Ritz Carlton in Boston, MA. Mr. Pandit also worked in hotel and food and beverage management in France and India. He holds a Certified Hotel Administrator (C.H.A.) designation from the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

The CIA Shares Its Culinary "Secrets" Online

World's Premier Culinary College Launches New CIA Culinary Intelligence Blog.

The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY has introduced a new blog--CIA Culinary Intelligence--to share the college's culinary "secrets" more easily. Originally founded in 1946, the world's premier culinary college has not shared its recipes so widely until now. The new blog--inspired by the college's famous acronym with a nod to the "other" CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency--allows food enthusiasts to sample the recipes of the CIA and learn from the college's expert chef-instructors through streaming videos provided at www.ciaculinaryintelligence.com.

The CIA Culinary Intelligence blog, part of the CIA's extensive presence in the world of new media, was created to complement other existing online offerings from the college. These include the CIA's new branded page on YouTube (www.YouTube.com/CIANetwork), and the college's presence on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, as well as its impressive list of podcasts with celebrity alumni that range from Duff Goldman to Charlie Palmer online at www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.

With new seasonal recipes and instructional videos posted monthly, the CIA Culinary Intelligence blog showcases the talents of the college's 140-plus chefs and instructors from 16 countries. Designed with tools that allow members of the media, consumers, and prospective students to subscribe to the CIA's RSS feed, the blog allows individuals to readily share recipes and video through a wide variety of social networking sites.

CIA Grants 186 Diplomas in Two Graduation Ceremonies

120 Earn Bachelor's Degrees; 66 Receive Associate Degrees.

In a ceremony held at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, 120 graduates of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) received bachelor's degrees in culinary arts management and baking and pastry arts management. The following day, 66 more students earned their associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts at the CIA campus.

The baccalaureate degree commencement on Thursday, February 26 was held off-campus to accommodate the nearly 1,000 people attending the ceremony. Graduation speaker John Dorman, general manager of New York City's University Club, advised graduates they are ready to become the culinary leaders of tomorrow.

"As a leader, you can always talk the talk. But you better also walk the talk," advised Mr. Dorman, a 1978 CIA alumnus. "It is through mutual respect that you lead. Make sure the people on your team can be trusted and show them you can be trusted. Keep your promises."

Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious.com, provided a "recipe for success" during her commencement speech to associate degree recipients on Friday, February 27. Ingredients in her recipe include understanding techniques and theories, gaining practical experience, practicing humility, and having good humor. "The art of creating food, and the love and passion food engenders, will continue to grow, giving you ample career opportunities around the globe," said Ms. Steel.

Epicurious.com was the winner of the 2008 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Web Site Focusing on Food, Beverage, Restaurant, or Nutrition. The CIA has partnered with the site on a number of projects, including the current "Around the World in 80 Dishes," which can be found at www.epicurious.com/video/80-global-dishes.

Among the associate degree graduates was Kaiulani Tellez-Giron, the first transfer student from The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio to earn a degree. Students at the new San Antonio campus study for seven months and earn a culinary arts certificate, with credits transferable towards their associate and bachelor's degrees at the college's Hyde Park campus.

The Culinary Institiute of America Meets Menu, Flavor, and Economic Trends Head on with New Food Identification Series

Kitchen Pro Series from publisher Delmar Cengage Learning debuts with Meat and Fish and Seafood.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world's premier culinary college, in conjunction with Delmar Publishing, a part of Cengage Learning, announces the release of the first two books in the multipart Kitchen Pro Series.

Both Meat: Identification, Fabrication and Utilization (ISBN: 1-4283-1994-8, $71.95) by Thomas Schneller and Fish and Seafood: Identification, Fabrication and Utilization (ISBN: 1-4354-0036-4, $71.95) by Mark Ainsworth serve as definitive manuals that describe both time-honored and state-of-the-art methods of identifying species and cuts, purchasing, fabricating, and storing. Designed for chefs, foodservice managers, purchasing agents, suppliers and vendors, retailers, culinary students and instructors, and food enthusiasts, these highly visual, full-color, hard-bound texts also demonstrate basic preparation methods--many in easy, step-by-step format--along with tested recipes reflecting classic and contemporary cooking.

Additionally, both books capture and offer perspective on prevailing consumer and foodservice issues such as local sourcing, heritage breeds, animal-production practices, maximizing secondary cuts to control food costs, and flavors and cooking methods that meet diner demands while increasing restaurants' check averages.

"Books in the new Kitchen Pro Series from the CIA not only are indispensable guides to selecting foods that offer economical and flavorful cooking solutions to consumers, professional chefs, and restaurant operators, they're also beautifully designed and illustrated print resources that will add distinction to any cook's library," says Jim Gish, senior acquisitions editor at Delmar Cengage Learning. "More important, Kitchen Pro Series books are valuable assets for anyone who wants to identify and properly handle the best quality products among the wealth of food choices available in the global marketplace."

A "Lost Art" that Improves Margins
For those who believe butchery is a lost art, Schneller, in Meat, counters that theory with a close examination and explanation of the craft applied to everything from beef, pork, veal, lamb, and game to exotic meats. Understanding portion control and waste is particularly important in a weak economy, which not only has reduced restaurant traffic, but has influenced diners' choices in entrées, according to foodservice consultants Technomic.

When ordering beef, and especially steak, for example, diners expect more quality, better cuts, aging, and seasonings to justify paying a higher cost. A recent Technomic survey of 3,000 consumers and nearly 500 menus found that among emerging full-service chains and independent restaurants, the top three preparation methods for beef were "cut" (as in hand-cut, center-cut, or barrel-cut), "grilled," and "aged." These were often used together in describing specific beef entrées.

Meat explores fabrication and cooking of meats fully, with recipes that make the most of primal and underutilized cuts, such as applejack-cured braised pork belly, grilled veal flank steak adobo style, syrah-braised lamb shoulder, and smoked beef tongue in a Reuben sandwich. Graphic step-by-step instructions cover time-honored and even less-common butchery methods--everything from fabricating a whole suckling pig to butterflying a lamb leg for grilling.

From Barramundi to Algaculture
Throughout the lavishly illustrated Fish and Seafood, Ainsworth educates readers on how to purchase everything from anchovies to wolfish, how to receive and store, and how to transform fish and seafood into healthful and delicious dishes. Even non-traditional fish such as branzino, Arctic char, and barramundi--which a recent National Restaurant Association survey of 1,600 chefs identifies as a top menu trend in 2009--are featured here.

Recipes, in both U.S. and metric measures, include appetizing classic and "on trend" applications such as ceviche featuring scallops, flounder, and wild shrimp; bouillabaisse; cold-smoked salmon and grilled salmon with ginger glaze; and a basic formula for shallow-poaching any portioned and seasoned fish fillet. The hot-button issue of sustainability is addressed thoroughly with comparisons of fabricating and cooking farm-raised vs. wild-caught product, and meanings and importance of recent buzzwords such as "algaculture," "sea ranching," and "aquaponics" are explained fully. Indeed, virtually every topic pertaining to contemporary fish and seafood handling--from seasonality of select finfish and caviar grading to sushi shapes and properly freezing your own fresh-caught fish--is covered.

Schneller, author of Meat, is an assistant professor at the CIA. He is the former chef/owner of Schneller's Restaurant and former butcher and co-owner of Schneller's Meats, both in Kingston, NY, where he was also assistant chef and manager of Schneller's Caterers--giving him a unique view to the market from both an educator and business operator's standpoint. Additionally, he is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) through the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

A 1986 graduate of the CIA, Ainsworth, author of Fish and Seafood, is a professor in the continuing-education department. He holds dual certification from the CIA and the American Culinary Federation as a ProChef Level II (PC) and Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCC), and is also a CHE. Prior to returning to his alma mater as a member of the faculty, Ainsworth was executive chef at Pusser's Landing in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, and for Clipper Cruise Line in St. Louis, MO. He was chef de partie at the renowned Le Bernardin in New York City, and held chef positions at the Grill Room at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, Germany; the Charleston Marriott in Charleston, WV; and the Presbyterian Center in Holmes, NY. In addition to his degree from the CIA, Ainsworth earned a bachelor's in media-communications from the University of South Carolina.

For culinary instructors, each subject component in the Kitchen Pro Series is accompanied by an Instructor's Manual, a valuable resource that provides review and test questions, course outline, teaching tips and guidelines, objectives, and key terms. The Kitchen Pro Series comprises six components, four of which will release later this year and next. For more information, visit: www.culinary.delmar.com.

The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health Help Volume Foodservice Operations Respond to Public Health Issues and "Downturn Diet"

The Fifth Annual Worlds of Healthy Flavors leadership retreat, a collaboration between The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone and Harvard School of Public Health, focused on presenting culinary strategies to address three major nutrition and health issues affecting public health in the United States--carbohydrate quality (including sugar-sweetened beverages), sodium, and nutrition labeling.

Worlds of Healthy Flavors (WOHF) is designed to assist corporate chefs, executive chefs, and volume foodservice professionals to expand options for healthy menu choices. The conference brings together a unique triad of influencers: some of America's leading nutrition scientists; culinary experts representing Mediterranean, Latin, and Asian culinary traditions; and key decision-makers from college and university foodservice, chain restaurants, manufacturers, supermarkets, branches of the military, and other professionals who make decisions about menus that feed millions of people every day.

"Building on the success of the foodservice industry in drastically reducing trans fat in their operations--an issue that was presented at the first Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference in 2004--we are energized to tackle tough problems in tough times by presenting flavor-developing culinary strategies that make food simultaneously craveable, healthful, and affordable," notes Greg Drescher, executive director of strategic initiatives for the CIA.

This year's WOHF presented many culinary strategies for facing recessionary times. In what might be termed "The Downturn Diet," the use of less animal protein, using more sources of plant-based protein such as legumes and nuts, incorporating more fruits and vegetables, and using nut- and seed-based sauces to make other health-promoting foods like grilled vegetables and fish more craveable were featured in cooking demonstrations such as the Nut-Based Sauces of the Mediterranean and Mexico and The Health Benefits of Nuts, and Legumes with Vegetables: Legumes as Vegetables. The redesigning of the American plate with portion control--for both health and economic reasons--resonated with many in the audience, including George Rhode, corporate chef and director of R & D for Outback Steakhouse. "While we retain customer favorites on our menu, we are adding more 'composed' or 'mixed' plates that feature less animal protein with more vegetables and grains."

Many scientists at the conference saw sodium levels as the next big "nutrition train barreling down the track." To address solutions to lowering sodium content, global cuisine culinary strategies were presented in sessions such as Indian and Eastern Mediterranean Spice Blends: Flavoring Opportunities for Volume Foodservice and Spice Blends: Rating Potential for "New" Blends on American Menus.

The use of more whole grains on American menus was a topic of keen interest to attending foodservice operators, and presentations such as Whole Grains on American Menus: Industry Best Practices gave participants a wealth of ways that chain restaurants and volume foodservice operators were deliciously introducing whole grains in their menus. Success stories using a "stealth health" approach--such as flavorfully adding whole grains to menu items customers were already familiar with--were presented, including one from Chris Gatto, vice president of food and beverage for Uno Chicago Grill. "One of our success stories with incorporating more whole grains into our menu is that we give customers the choice of ordering any of our pasta dishes with whole grain pasta," notes Gatto. "This idea of providing customers healthier choices while not eliminating customer favorites has been a positive way to increase whole grain consumption."

For further Worlds of Healthy Flavors information, including a conference summary and downloads of recipes and presentations, please visit www.ciaprochef.com/wohf2009.

The Culinary Institute of America Offers Unique Scholarships for Student Members of SkillsUSA, ProStart®, and FCCLA

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is offering a special scholarship opportunity to members of the national student organizations SkillsUSA, ProStart®, and Family Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

The National Student Organization (NSO) Scholarships consist of thirty one-time $3,000 scholarships for active members of any of the three organizations in their high schools. The CIA also provides separate scholarships for students who place strongly in culinary or baking and pastry competitions through SkillsUSA, ProStart®, and FCCLA and for those who serve as officers of their organization's chapters.

"Members of these national student organizations have already proven their interest in the culinary or baking and pastry arts," says Drusilla Blackman, CIA vice president of enrollment management. "Recognizing the commitment and potential these future industry leaders have shown, The Culinary Institute of America is proud to provide scholarship opportunities especially for them."

Deadline for the 2009 NSO Scholarships is April 15, 2009. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu/admissions/finaid/merit.asp or call 1-800-CULINARY.