Weekend Featured Seminar, Dinner, and Chowder Cook-Off
Students at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) had a weekend of learning
about, tasting, and preparing seafood in April at the college's Hyde Park, NY
campus.
The weekend kicked off with an educational forum regarding seafood sustainability. Panelists included CIA alumni John Besh '92, chef/owner of Besh Restaurant Group; Ed Brown '83, executive chef of Eighty One Restaurants; and Rick Moonen '78, executive chef of rm seafood; as well as Roger Berkowitz, president/CEO of Legal Seafoods, Inc.; Claudia Hogue of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI); Chris Moore of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service; Peter Ramsden of Foley Fish; and Karla Ruzicka of the U.S. Department of Commerce Seafood Inspection Program.
Afterwards, 100 students joined the panelists for a dinner featuring sustainable seafood from Alaska. Fellow CIA students prepared and served Alaskan spot prawns, king salmon, and halibut as part of the four-course meal. The dinner was one of three Poisson d'Avril (April Fish Day) dinners around the country sponsored by Passionfish, a non-profit project that promotes sustainable fisheries and aquaculture through public education and stakeholder collaboration. Other dinners were held in California and Arizona.
The conference culminated with dozens of students competing in a Chowder Cook-off and Oyster Shucking contest. The chowder was judged by 200 student taste-testers. Overall, the weekend's events were attended by more than 500 students.
"This unique weekend centered around a topic that impacts so many people's lives," said organizer and CIA Associate Professor Gerard Viverito. "These events have sparked inspiring dialogue between educators, students, and the seafood industry. This is truly what higher education is all about."
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