Edwards, who is personal chef to Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, claimed victory in the annual competition over rival chefs who had been in the field upwards to 25 years.
A native of Woodstock, NY, Edwards is currently enrolled in the Culinary Enrichment and Innovation program (CEIP), a culinary leadership program created by the CIA and Hormel Foods.
A previous Military Chef of the Year winner, Travis W. Smith, is also a CIA ProChef graduate.
Edwards recently appeared in a segment of the Pentagon Channel's ReCon Show, which focused on the CIA's ProChef Certification program. To see the segment, click on the following link: http://tiny.cc/EeGt9.
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has received a nomination for a James Beard Foundation Award in the category of Best Webcast. The Beard Awards are considered the Academy Awards of the foodservice industry, honoring chefs and restaurants, as well as restaurant design, cookbooks and journalism. The Print and Broadcast Media Awards recognize excellence in food and beverage journalism for material published and aired in 2008 in the United States and Canada. The CIA won in the Best Webcast category in 2007 for Savoring the Best of World Flavors, Volume I: India, Spain, Mexico and Thailand.
The CIA's Video Webcast entry is titled Savoring the Best of Worlds Flavors, Volume III: Vietnam and the Island of Sicily. The program was produced internationally and at the college's Greystone campus in St. Helena, CA. It was hosted by Jonathan Coleman, produced by CIA staff members Greg Drescher, John Barkley, and Janet Fletcher and directed by Chad Wilmoth. The program complements the CIA Worlds of Flavor® programs, including the Worlds of Flavor International Conference & Festival (the next of which, World Street Food, World Comfort Food will be November 12-14, 2009) and CIA Worlds of Flavor online.
"We are honored to be recognized by the James Beard Foundation and we commend them on including the New Media category in their awards," notes John Barkley, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the CIA. "In these times of limited travel and resources, Webcasting offers a unique opportunity to deliver a greater understanding of global cuisines into both the home and professional kitchen."
Savoring the Best of World Flavors: Volume III: Vietnam and the Island of Siciliy was produced in conjunction with Unilever Foodsolutions. Streaming video and recipes from the program can be found at www.ciaprochef.com/WCA3.
Exchange Program Will Allow CIA Students and Faculty to Study at Pioneering Catalan Culinary Research Center
The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has announced a new partnership with the Alícia Foundation and PRODECA, both based in Catalonia, to facilitate an exchange of culinary faculty, students, and experts.
Famed Catalan chef and Alícia Foundation Chairman, Ferran Adrià of Spain's el Bulli restaurant; Dr. Tim Ryan, president of the CIA, the world's premier culinary college, and Joan Gené i Albesa and Fernando Bienert Serraclara, President and General Manager respectively of PRODECA (part of the Government of Catalonia), signed the agreement during Chef Adrià's visit to the college's Hyde Park, New York campus with top Spanish chef José Andrés on Wednesday, March 25.
The agreement will allow CIA faculty and students to study at the Alícia Foundation in Catalonia, a region in Spain that includes Barcelona and that has long been a leader with in world-class chefs and restaurants as well as its critically acclaimed wines, olive oils, and other foods. In addition to studying at the Alícia Foundation, visiting CIA students and faculty will be able to experience first-hand the top kitchens, markets, and producers of Catalan food and wine.
At the same time, the new agreement will fund a 2009-2010 program series of visiting guest chefs and other leaders in Catalan gastronomy at the New York and California campuses of the CIA. This program series will include instruction on the avant-garde Catalan cuisine that has dazzled the culinary world in recent years, as well as the rich traditional culinary heritage of the region.
Results of this exchange program will be highlighted in the coming months at the CIA's groundbreaking new Web site, www.WorldsofFlavorSpain.com, of which PRODECA is a lead sponsor.
The Alícia Foundation, based in Món Sant Benet near Barcelona, is a center of research devoted to the technological innovation in cooking, with a focus on promoting wider social access to good, healthy food. The foundation is funded by the Government of Catalonia and the Bank of Manresa.
The CIA is represented in Spain for this and other educational projects by Gastronomic+34 (www.gastronomic34.com).
The Vintners Hall of Fame celebrates the men and women whose collective vision, determination, and hard work have been responsible for the growth and worldwide prestige of the California wine industry. Bronze sculptures of the inductees--crafted by renowned artist Lawrence Newlan—are displayed on the historic 2,200--gallon redwood wine barrels in the former Christian Brothers' Barrel Room. Plaques provide rich biographies of the inductees, giving testament to their unique accomplishments and roles in making California one of the most legendary places in the world for fine wine.
The CIA's Vintners Hall of Fame also displays "A History of California Wine: The David and Judy Breitstein Collection." This is the first major educational exhibit to document the rich history of California wine as told through rare bottles and their accompanying informational placards. Meticulously curated by Karen MacNeil, chair of the CIA's Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies, the Breitstein Collection will display some 40 of the 150 historic bottles in the collection at any one time.
"For every wine lover, whether novice or aficionado, a visit to the Vintners Hall of Fame provides an engaging view of the leaders who have cultivated California to be the successful and dynamic wine region that it is today," notes Dr. Tim Ryan, CIA president. "From early 19th-century pioneers to the most noted contemporary winemakers, the Vintners Hall of Fame chronicles the extraordinary accomplishments of the California wine experience."
Apple Pie Bakery Café is the College's Record Fifth Ivy Winner
The Apple Pie Bakery Café at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is a recipient of the prestigious Ivy Award for 2009. The Apple Pie Bakery Café becomes the fifth CIA restaurant to receive an Ivy. The 2009 award will be presented to the CIA in Chicago on May 17, in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show.
The Ivy Awards are presented annually by Restaurants & Institutions magazine to honor operations that foodservice professionals believe embody the highest standards in food, hospitality, and service. Since 1971, about 300 operations have earned Ivy Awards.
The CIA is the only organization to earn five Ivy Awards. Previous Ivy-winning CIA restaurants are: Escoffier Restaurant (1981), American Bounty Restaurant (1987), Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant (1999), and Ristorante Caterina de' Medici (2004). The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant is on the college's Greystone campus in St. Helena, CA, and the other restaurants are at the CIA's main campus in Hyde Park, NY.
"This important recognition from fellow foodservice leaders is testament once again to the CIA's outstanding faculty and curriculum," said college President Dr. Tim Ryan. "We serve 1,200 people daily in the Apple Pie Bakery Café, and we have been proud of its level of excellence since opening in 2000. It's gratifying to have the industry recognize the Café's superb food and hospitality, especially since both the bakeshop and dining room are classrooms for our students."
Students train in the restaurants on the Hyde Park and Greystone campuses at the end of their sophomore year. At the Apple Pie Bakery Café, students majoring in baking and pastry arts put their first two years of CIA study to practical use. Other CIA restaurants are staffed by culinary arts majors. Students hone their skills in the back- and front-of-the house for three weeks each before earning their associate degrees. The quality and consistency of the food and service in CIA restaurants is even more impressive given this constant staff "turnover."
Ferran Adrià, chef and co-owner of Spain's famed elBulli, spent a day with students at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY on Wednesday, March 25. elBulli has been selected as the best restaurant in the world four times in the last six years by England's Restaurant magazine.
In the morning, about 1,100 students came to hear Chef Adrià speak about his culinary background and cooking philosophy. The 90-minute presentation included an opportunity for students to ask questions of the man who is widely considered the best and most innovative chef in the world today.
In the afternoon, Chef Adrià's cooking style--which he calls "deconstructivist"--was on full display while he showed how he develops recipes with unexpected contrasts of flavor, temperature, and texture. The two-hour demonstration was a treat for the more than 1,300 students and faculty attending, as Chef Adrià rarely cooks away from elBulli and his test kitchen in Barcelona, Spain.
The following day, Chef Adrià received the college's Augie™ Award as Chef of the Year during the annual CIA Leadership Awards dinner at Cipriani 42nd St. in New York City.
A broad vista of the history of the California wine industry came together for The Culinary Institute of America's Celebration of California Food & Wine on March 14, at the college's Greystone campus in the heart of the Napa Valley. The event culminated in the Third Annual Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.
The list of 2009 Vintners Hall of Fame inductees was an impressive "Who's Who" of the most noted names in the world of wine--wine journalist Gerald Asher, Gourmet magazine; Jack and Jamie Davies, founders of Schramsberg Vineyards; Jess Jackson, founder of Kendall-Jackson Estates; UC Davis Professor and co-founder of Lagier-Meredith Winery, Carole Meredith; 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, were inducted as "Pioneers," a category which recognizes those who made a significant contribution to the California wine industry and passed away prior to March 1989.
Morning salons, including The Art of Food and Wine Pairing and Tasting Wine with the Pros, provided intimate opportunities to learn from some of the country's most distinguished and original voices in the world of wine and food. Winery lunches with special tours and tastings, at some of the Napa Valley's most treasured and exclusive wineries, punctuated the day.
The evening's festivities began with a walk-around celebrity chef reception that included Charlie Palmer, Michael Chiarello, Todd Humphries, and Christopher Kostow. An elegant five-course dinner with some of California's most coveted wines rounded out the celebration.
Proceeds from the Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Dinner contribute to the CIA at Greystone's Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies.
The Vintners Hall of Fame will be open to the public for the first time starting March 30, 2009 at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. For a complete gallery of inductees, please visit www.ciavintnershalloffame.com.
Cupcakes are the perfect treats to please every sweet tooth. Chef Stéphane Weber of The Culinary Institute of America has some great suggestions on how you and your family can create beautifully decorated cupcakes easily using a pastry bag and various piping tips that you can find at most kitchen and craft stores. For a fun and creative family project, ask your kids to help decorate the iced cupcake tops using the abundance of pastel colored candies available during the Spring season.
According to Wedding Cakes and Cultural History by Simon R. Charsley, piping icing onto cake is said to have been invented in M. Lorsa's confectioner shop in Bordeaux. An unnamed apprentice cut off the point of a paper poke that was used to sell sweets, filled it with a left-over meringue mixture, and used it to write his name onto a work bench. The owner quickly realized the possibilities and began to experiment using different icings and perfecting techniques to produce elaborately designed cakes. Soon after, small metal funnels of various sizes to extrude different shapes were developed to fit into the bottom of a piping bag.
Chef Weber used the following recipes from The Culinary Institute of America Cake Art cookbook for both the cupcakes and the Italian Buttercream frosting. However, if you are pressed for time, the chef suggests using a box cake mix to prepare your cupcakes, and make frosting using the simple recipe on the back of the box of confectioner's sugar.
Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes with piped Italian
Buttercream icing.
Photo Credit: CIA/Keith Ferris
Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes
* 3 cups cake flour * 2 tsp baking powder * 1 cup sugar, divided * 4 large egg yolks * 1 cup vegetable oil * 1 cup water * 1/2 tsp vanilla extract * Zest of 1 lemon * 4 large egg whites
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place paper cupcake inserts inside cupcake pan.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and half the sugar together into a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl and reserve.
3. In another large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, water, vanilla, and zest. Mix with a handheld mixer or whip attachment until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.
4. Add the egg yolk mixture gradually to the dry ingredients, mixing with a handheld mixer or whip attachment on medium speed until a paste forms. When a paste has formed, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and continue adding the remainder of the yolk mixture until it is all incorporated. Beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium speed.
5. In a separate mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, whip the egg whites with a clean whip attachment on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar while beating the egg whites and continue to beat until medium peaks form.
6. Gently blend 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
7. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups.
8. Bake at 375°F until the top of a cake springs back to the touch, about 20 minutes.
9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cakes are ready to frost now, or they can be wrapped and stored at room temperature for 2 days, or frozen for up to 3 weeks.
* 2 cups sugar * 1/2 cup water * 8 large egg whites * 4 cups unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature * 1 tbsp vanilla extract
1. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the sugar with the water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Continue cooking without stirring to the soft ball stage (240°F).
2. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment.
3. When the sugar syrup has reached approximately 230°F, whip the egg whites on medium speed to soft peak consistency. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until the egg whites hold to medium peaks.
4. When the sugar syrup reaches 240°F, immediately pour it into a heatproof glass measuring cup with a pouring spout. This will allow better control of the flow of the hot syrup into the egg whites. You can also stream the hot syrup into the egg whites directly from the pot, if desired. Pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites with the mixer running on medium speed. As soon as all of the syrup has been added, increase the speed to high and continue to whip until the meringue has cooled to room temperature.
5. Add the cubed butter gradually, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. The buttercream is ready for use or may be tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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