No Sleep…No Problem - Le Cordon Bleu

No Sleep...No Problem(Continued from front page.)Most teams practice months for a single competitionand are together for at least two years. Tryoutswere held in July, barely two months before theregional competition. The majority of the teammembers had never seen each other before, muchless worked together in such an intense atmosphere.Not a single member had ever before competed formally.When the team left for Orlando, their expectationswere set mainly on the overall experience, sothat they could better prepare themselves for futurecompetitions.When it was all said and done, MeredithRoberts, Tsuzumi Sakaue, Noel Buenaventura,Philip Vargas, and William Milian won third placeoverall (among 11 teams), and a Silver Medal fromthe American Culinary Federation. Not only that,but the LCB Miami team was the rave of the competition.They received impressive reviews fromnationally recognized judges. They all urged theteam to continue their efforts and perfect theiralready marvelous creations.After the unexpected success of the Miami teamin Orlando, Chef Romero, the team coach and a formerACF Gold Medal winner, pressed on to developthe team into a nationally-recognized culinary team.The competition team has also received excellentguidance from Chef John Kane, Lead ChefInstructor at LCB Miami. One month later, inOctober, Team Miami once again represented thecollege in the ACF Palm Beach InvitationalCulinary Salon. Even with, or perhaps thanks to, theaddition of a new member, Anndy Senatus Jean, theteam once again captured ACF Silver, and took firstplace overall. Not bad for a three-month old!By this time, the Miami student competitionteam was already gaining recognition in the localculinary scene. A major high-end department storecontacted Chef Romero for an in-store demonstration.Also, the ACF Greater Miami Chapter invitedthe team to represent the organization’s junior membersat the America’s Chef Competition held inMiami Beach this past November, which featuredprofessional chefs from all over the Americas.This time around, the team was still forming(Juan Orlandi and Zoltan Varga joined the squadonly ten days before the competition) and theexpectations were not as high as they were inOctober. Incredibly, Team Miami won First Placeand an ACF Gold Medal.How has Team Miami, against the odds,achieved such implausible success? Their recipe forvictory is a blend of determination, teamwork, andsacrifice. This results in an exceptionally unitedteam. They share in their successes and challenges,improve their skills by helping each other, and learnfrom every event in which they participate. Evenformer members who have already graduated regularlylend their free time to help train and practicefor upcoming events.The current incarnation of Team Miami for 2006– Noel Buenaventura, Juan Orlandi, Margot Sprung,David Bromfield, James Figueroa and Tate Roussel,with the continued support of Chef Romero and theadded counsel of Chef David St. John-Grubb –readies for the challenges of the New Year. With ahost of community involvement events and professionaldemonstrations, the team is gaining statewiderecognition as the student culinary team tobeat in Florida. Team Miami will participate in variousculinary events and competitions across theUnited States and overseas. They also intend to hosta competition in April, to which all Le Cordon BleuNorth America Schools will be invited.In sum, earning two Silver Medals and one GoldMedal, gaining experience and skill for a lifetime,and forming a new culinary family are the benefitsof not sleeping. The lights are still on in Miami. ■“Their recipe forvictory is a blend ofdetermination, teamwork,and sacrifice.”3

“There is immeasurable learning beyond the classroom.Formal schooling is only a portion of what it takes to build a career.”Teaching “The Box”…Promoting Student Successby Michael Graves, Chef Instructor, Atlantic Culinary Academy, a division of McIntosh CollegeNot long ago I was approached by one of mystudent advisees. Though she was one of the highachievers in our program, she was having negativethoughts about her professional goals. Apparentlyshe hadn’t done well on her “mystery basket” examand it had undermined her confidence. Althoughshe imaged a unique career outside of a restaurantkitchen, as she neared graduation she felt incompleteand confused. I related to her a personal storyof when I was in culinary school. I was an ambitiouscareer changer like her with no restaurantexperience when I enrolled. And though I did wellin the program, it wasn’t until I had ample industryexperience that I was able to work with some confidenceas a chef. “There is immeasurable learningbeyond the classroom. Formal schooling is only aportion of what it takes to build a career.”During a week-long refresher seminar I attendedin Ottawa this past fall, chef instructors from thevarious culinary schools in Career EducationCorporation were presented reviews of the basiccooking methods recognized by Le Cordon Bleu.The reasoning behind these exercises was to ensurethat there was uniformity in the instruction at thevarious individual campuses. The LCB instructionalmethod (demonstration/production/assessment)was scrutinized in order to measure consistency ofgrading. During discussion these collective cookingtechniques were referred to as being “The Box,” anebulous concept that when acquired would facilitateour students to become creative culinary professionals.It was our job as chef instructors to teach itto them.On Wednesday the participants were shown howto prepare a classical duck dish and asked to replicatethe demo. After two hours of trussing, searing,roasting, basting, glacage and knife cutting in thestudent kitchens, we presented our eleven platters ofCanard Aux Navets, a poelet of duck with glazedtourne turnips, to be assessed by the LCB instructorsand a randomly chosen group of our peers.During this exercise I was impressed by the coresimplicity of Le Cordon Bleu teaching method.When I was a new chef instructor teaching my firstgroups of beginning students a few years ago Ifound this approach invaluable. It was easy for thestudents to comprehend and for me to teach evenlyand fairly.Recently I received e-mails from two formerstudents. Since leaving the academy a year earlierboth had experienced rewarding externships andwere offered jobs at those same properties. Onewas currently the head line chef in a prestigiousBoston restaurant and the other had been promotedto kitchen manager of a Colorado mountain resort.I mused how just two short years before they werein our Intro to Culinary Arts class with a group ofother beginners. Now they were speaking like confidentprofessionals about scheduling, food costpercentages, new food items, stories of other classmatesdoing equally well, learning new skills… Ireflected on just how powerful education in thehands/minds of focused students can be and howquickly advancement can be realized.“The more you learn, the more you’re aware youdon’t know,” I was once told by a former instructor.Unarguably food service is a profession that offersmany avenues. Whatever the route taken, eachrequires education, experience, practice and stayingpower; sometimes taking years to achieve proficiencyand occasionally a lifetime to receive the respectfor one’s accomplishments. So many careers do notoffer these possibilities. Incredible freedom ofexpression and fulfillment can be realized thinkingoutside “The Box”; and while doing so comes surprisingenjoyment as one continually fills it. ■5

HowDo YouDefineSuccess?by Chef Jae Gruber, Chef Instructor – Le CordonBleu College of Culinary Arts AtlantaSometimes success seems obvious when instructorsobserve a student coming into the classroomwith cookbooks and magazines, staying after classto ask extra questions or to practice their techniques,volunteering for numerous events andattending each and every Master Workshop. Othertimes success seems to be hiding behind the studentwho surely wants to be there, but is not askingquestions, does not appear interested in the subjectmatter, or who truly fears presenting an oral reporton a subject. At Le Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts Atlanta, instructors realize that oftenthe lack of confidence in the latter student limitstheir ability to achieve their full potential and thesuccess they desire.Very often instructors have heard from students“I don’t test well” or “I’m not good at this knifecut.” It is such statements that indicate a lack ofconfidence that can certainly be transformed into anew vision in the same fashion as knife cuts can befine-tuned. Time. Practice. Persistence.Reinforcement.This has often been apparent to me, but mostrecently a perfect example came to my attention.While teaching one of my classes, Purchasing andCost Control, a student insisted that she hated mathand was going to do poorly on the quiz. Workingwith the techniques of positive reinforcement, Icomplimented her on how well she had done onexercises given in class, assured her she would dowell, and told her to decide - really decide - that shewould do excellent work on the quiz. When shereceived the corrected quiz, her eyes and face lit upwhen she saw her high score. “I’ve always beentold I was bad at math!” she said. I was not surprised,but simply smiled and replied, “Well, clearlythat is not true.” The look on her face was telling.She had seen the proof that another way of thinking,and the belief that she could accomplish the task,which was further verbalized by another person,could produce positive results. From that point forward,while she was still concerned, it was clear thatshe was more confident in her abilities.It seems simplistic, and naturally, the studentmust be open to accepting the possibility that everyclass and every opportunity is a new canvas onwhich to paint possibilities. However, certainlymany instructors of Le Cordon Bleu have encounteredtimes in our past experiences when peopledoubted and questioned our abilities.Discouragement to some is an excellent reason toreach within, rise above, and prove others wrong.Discouragement to others creates emotional andmental blocks that can last a lifetime, and can limitsuccess. At Le Cordon Bleu College of CulinaryArts Atlanta, I believe we provide more than a culinaryeducation, but also instill a sense of confidenceso that students may graduate not only knowingtechniques and principals, but also firmlybelieving, within their hearts and minds, their abilityto execute the skills that will ensure their success.How do you define success? Sometimes it is inencouraging obvious motivation. Sometimes it is inrecognizing and fostering what is not so apparent tothe student. In either case, at Le Cordon BleuCollege of Culinary Arts Atlanta we tell our students,“YES! You can. You will. Success is possible.”■“...every class and everyopportunity is a new canvason which to paintpossibilities.”7

Bringing in theNew Year!!!The Wonderful World ofFood and Wineby Michael Carmel, CEC, CCE, M.Ad. Ed.,Vice President of Education – OrlandoCulinary AcademyOrlando Culinary Academy started off the NewYear with two very strong achievements throughtwo different chefs and two different venues.Chef Tran is a four-diamond hotel chef originallyfrom Viet Nam. His specialty is Chinese and S.E.Asian cuisine. Recently featured in a well-knownculinary magazine article, Chef Tran teaches thetechnique of Jiaozi or Chinese Dumpling. ChefTran’s passion for cooking and teaching does notcome out in the article, but the students at OrlandoCulinary Academy love his animated style, funnydemeanor, and his impeccable knife skills. He hastaken melon carving to a new art form. Chef Tranteaches International Cuisine and is always quick toshare his love of Viet Nam with all of our studentsand staff. In fact, this April he will be leading a tripto Viet Nam and Thailand with about 30 students.This will be the first Asian trip Orlando CulinaryAcademy has undertaken, so the competition hasbeen fierce amongst the students to vie for theopportunity to be a part of this 14-day excursion.Our second achievement came from one of ourSenior Pastry Chefs, Joe Utera and two students,Ashley Morgan and Alicia Randall. All three competedin an ACF sanctioned culinary competition inSt. Augustine, Florida. The students presented beautifulspecialty cakes and each received bronzemedals. This was the first competition for both ofthem. Chef Utera received a silver medal for hissugar piece of dolphins and coral.Chef Utera has been actively involved in culinarycompetitions since starting at OrlandoCulinary Academy back in 2003. His experience innumerous hotels, and being the owner of his ownbakery, have given him the talent and respect of hispeers and students. Chef Utera oversees all of theACF Certification testing at our school and isactively involved in the process of working towardshis Master Pastry Chef Certification with theAmerican Culinary Federation. ■When in Rome…by Victoria Scillia, Former Student – CaliforniaSchool of Culinary ArtsPatty Rubalacava kindly gave California Schoolof Culinary Arts students a peek into living abroadas an extern under the tutelage of some of the finestchefs in Europe. She got to experience first handthe perks and hardships of cooking in a Europeankitchen. While Patty spoke of her travels to theItalian beaches and trips through the Basque country,much of the excitement of her externship camefrom the workplace. The most interesting part of herseminar was definitely the way of life in kitchensabroad.While in the Basque country, Patty lived with anArgentinean family because at the time her chef didnot offer housing for women. (Being a womanmakes externing in Europe somewhat inconvenient;free housing is usually offered to the men, but notthe women.) She remarked how her chef’s kitchenwas very intense and he was constantly yelling.Working under him proved invaluable, for shegained the skills to work in an upscale restaurantwith unique savory menu selections.During her stay in Italy she externed under adifferent Chef. He had a completely different styleof running a kitchen from the first chef. He hadvery little staff, no dishwasher or cleaning crew, andrelied heavily on the externs to help his kitchen.Patty’s stay in Italy proved to be not only a firstexperience for herself, but also a first for the restaurantshe worked in. She was the first woman to everwork at the meat and fish stations. “It’s a man’skitchen in a man’s world in Europe,” Patty told us.However, she didn’t let the fact that she was in theminority stand in her way.Her European stay was not all work and no play.She did have the opportunity to travel. She traveledto Venice, Florence, Rimini, Pamplona, and eventook trips into France. Travel is much easier andcheaper in Europe. Patty urged students to savemoney before going to Europe, because you areworking for free and you really want to experienceall you can while abroad. She also urged the studentsto eat where the locals eat, go to people’shomes and eat the real cuisine. She also urged studentsto eat the food in the finest restaurants; it’sworth every Euro, according to Patty. After all,when in Rome, do as the Romans do.Patty’s externship helped her learn to cope withthe demands of her current job as line prep cook atL’Orangerie, one of Southern California’s mostprestigious French restaurants. From cleaning theceilings and floors, to actually being on a line in akitchen, Patty’s travels in Europe gave her thehands-on education needed to prepare her for hercareer as a chef. ■“After all, when in Rome...”8

Almost FamousChef…Anna Ference, California CulinaryAcademy Student Wins Top Prize!by Brian Mattingly, Executive Chef, CEC,California Culinary AcademyCalifornia Culinary Academy student AnnaFerence brought home the gold medal from the 4thAnnual San Pellegrino Almost Famous ChefCompetition, held this past October at COPIA inNapa, California. Anna won the CCA’s regionalcompetition in September, beating out seven otherfinalists (from an initial pool of 47 applicants) andwent on to defeat eight other regional winners fromaround the country to win the first place award.The two-day event consisted of a market basketcompetition as well as the preparation of each challenger’s“signature dish” for 200 people. Anna triumphedin the first day’s market basket competition,which consisted of creating an original dish in2 hours from a basket of specific ingredients. With15 minutes to create a recipe using antelope, lobster,forbidden rice, baby turnips, and baby watercressand 1 hour and 45 minutes to create 7 perfectplates of her dish, Anna was cool under pressureand stayed focused, bringing in her dish of medallionof antelope on top of lobster with forbiddenrice and vegetables on time and in perfect order.On the second day, Anna prepared 200 appetizersize portions of her signature “Seared Ahi Tuna ona Grilled Plum Salad and Horseradish PotatoRosti”. When the awards were announced at theend of day 2, Anna scooped up the Market Basketaward as well as the Judge’s Choice and wasdeclared the overall winner as the next AlmostFamous Chef!Chef Ali Haghighi, Food and Beverage ManagerJohn Melby, and I rounded out the support crew forAnna. Chef Ali and I worked with all CCA finalistsextensively before the regional competition inSeptember and continued the rigorous training withAnna prior to the October event. I coached Anna tokeep it simple, stay within the parameters set forth,respect the time limits imposed, and to be sure toserve the food hot. It appears that Anna had noproblem following my guidance! As the winner ofthe competition, Anna will receive 2 weeks of culinaryeducation in Italy, an appearance on the Todayshow (date TBA), participation in the upcomingAlmost Famous Chef cookbook, and a chance toprepare her signature dish for 500 guests at theNational Restaurant Association annual restaurantshow in Chicago.Congratulations Anna! The entire CaliforniaCulinary Academy is thrilled by your accomplishment!■A Tasty KarmaSandwichStudents Support our Militaryby Jeff Mekolites, Chef Instructor – Le CordonBleu College of Culinary Arts AtlantaIt’s Thursday afternoon at Le Cordon BleuCollege of Culinary Arts Atlanta campus, and theclassroom for Introduction to Culinary Skills 1 isbuzzing. The white chef coats of students are ablur. There are students hurrying around slicingsmoked turkey breasts and ham. Other students aregrilling and roasting vegetables. Some have coveredthe long stainless steel tables of the demonstrationclassroom with plastic film and are laying outvarious types of breads. Another student is slicingand packaging up tomatoes. Soon all these componentswill come together and create something thatis actually very simple in terms of culinary creations– a sandwich.Every Thursday the students assemble 100 sandwiches– 75 with sliced turkey and ham, Swiss andcheddar cheeses and red onions; the other 25 arevegetarian sandwiches, including a mix of roastedpeppers, eggplant, grilled mushrooms andcaramelized onions, and sometimes a student-createdveggie patty. For the many soldiers and sailorsthat fly in and out of the very busy Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, it is not just a sandwichbut a token of support and appreciation. Most ofthe students are surprised how much something assimple as a sandwich is appreciated.I tell the many students who volunteer to helpout every Thursday, that it is instant karma. It issetting aside one hour of your week to go out ofyour way and give something back. The responsefrom students volunteering to help out and from themany soldiers that have consumed one of the over10,000 sandwiches that have been made is astounding.An e-mail from a Major in the Army summedit up best: “I was in the Atlanta Airport this pastweek and had the opportunity to enjoy one of yoursandwiches. I sincerely appreciate your support ofour country and the military. Thank you again forthe wonderful sandwich. I hope you are able tocontinue supporting the United States Military.”Actually, the e-mail doesn’t surprise me, nordoes the fact that we have made that many sandwiches.The students at Le Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts Atlanta have always stepped up.Whether it is volunteering time during the holidaysto do a full spread of turkey and all the trimmingsfor Thanksgiving or showing up everyThursday in the Skills 1 classroom tomake sandwiches, the students at LeCordon Bleu College of Culinary ArtsAtlanta are using their skills to make adifference in the community. ■9

School ScoopsSchool HappeningsThe 2006 team consists of Adam Hartle, TeamCaptain, a graduate of Pennsylvania CulinaryInstitute and currently a cook at the Duquesne Club.Sean Ambrose a 2005 graduate of the Pastry Artsprogram at PCI and currently assistant pastry chefat the Duquesne Club. Poissonier Shannon Rotar isa 2005 graduate of PCI and was a member of lastyear’s PCI Knowledge Bowl team. EntremetierTammy Byrd is a current third cycle student in theculinary program at PCI, and the team alternate isNatalie Hodous, currently a student at the ArtInstitute of Pittsburgh.I manage and coach the team along withPennsylvania Culinary Institute chef instructor RikkPanzera, CEC, CCE.Pennsylvania CulinaryInstituteOur Team Wins StateChampionship….Again!by Arthur Inzinga, CEC, CCE, AAC, ChefInstructor and Team Manager–PennsylvaniaCulinary InstituteThis past January, the Student Culinary Team ofthe ACF Pittsburgh Chapter won the StateChampionship. This marks the third year in a rowand sixth out of the past eight years that thePittsburgh team has won the title. In the process ofwinning the state title, each of the students alsoearned ACF silver medals, and the respect of thejudges. The Team now moves onto the Northeastregional competition, which will be held in Torontoin March. For the second year in a row the competitionwas hosted by Pennsylvania Culinary Institute.The Junior Member competition is sanctionedby and held under the direction of the AmericanCulinary Federation. Teams are comprised of juniormembers of the ACF; those in the cooking professionwith less than three years industry experience.The competition for the five person teams are dividedinto two phases. Phase one is a 75 minute practicalknife skill and mis en place demonstration,where each team member must butcher a chicken,fillet a fish and then execute classical cuts of vegetables.Phase one is judged on knife skill, accuracyof cuts, waste, timing and also sanitation practices.In phase two of the competition the team hasone and a half hours to execute a four course-mealof four portions each. The teams are allowed tobring in only whole and raw products, and must usetheir items prepped in phase one. No finishedsauces or prepared food items are allowed. In phasetwo the team is judged on sanitation and cleanliness,organization and timing, teamwork and culinaryskills and technique. The food they prepare isjudged on presentation, portion size and nutritionalbalance, flavor, texture, doneness and creativity.The 2004 team has a lofty tradition to uphold.The 1999 team was Champion for the Northeastregion of the United States and competed inChicago for the National title. The ultimate goal isthe National Championship which will be determinedin July during the ACF’s NationalConvention which will be held this year across thestate in Philadelphia. ■10

Scottsdale CulinaryInstituteThe Titanium Chefs Answer TheQuestion!by Chef Karen Kleinknecht, Chef Instructor -Scottsdale Culinary InstituteHow many culinary students do you know thathave NOT watched the Iron Chef or Iron ChefAmerica competitions? When it comes to the studentsat Scottsdale Culinary Institute, not many!This may be why we have had such a successfulTitanium Chef program at the school for the pastthree and a half years.As the new school year began at ScottsdaleCulinary Institute, I was tying up a few loose endsfor the next day’s lecture when an e-mail popped upfrom a producer from the Food Network. She wrote,“Chef Karen, be sure to check out ScottsdaleCulinary Institute’s ‘How Do You Iron Chef?’ website,because it came out fabulous.” Sure enough,there in full-color streaming video was our top twoTitanium Chef teams battling it out to see “Whosecuisine reigns supreme!”Our concept begins with 10 teams of no morethan 4 students on a team which compete to secureeither a first, second or third place. The competitionsstart after the winter recess with Rounds I, IIand III. By early June the top three winners of eachround will compete in the Grand Finale. The winnerwill receive a scholarship award and be titled,Titanium Chef of Scottsdale Culinary Institute!In developing this competition, we choose to gowith a team concept so students would quicklygrasp how critical good teamwork is in our industry.Each team receives an identical tray of assortedvegetables and, aromatics (lemon, garlic, shallot,brocollini, asparagus, baby carrots, rutabaga, etc.),starches (couscous, wild rice, new potatoes), freshfruit, dried fruit, cheese and maybe some nuts. The“Secret Ingredient”, which must be included in eachof the team’s entrée plates, is then revealed! Thesecret ingredient is always a protein, and in the pastwe have used chicken, red snapper, ostrich, buffaloand, lobster. For the Food Network competition webrought in something just a bit different for the students,monkfish!Each team will have ninety minutes to producetwo entrée plates consisting of the secret ingredient,starch, vegetable, sauce and two knife cuts. Duringthis kitchen chaos, the students are evaluated ontheir sanitation skills, organization and time management.The kitchen judges will watch for possiblecross contamination, how product is being held, utilization,hand washing, teamwork, and timing.The tasting judges (never present in the kitchen)will make their decision based on presentation,taste, knife cuts, creativity, height, color, balance,texture and portion control. While the judges taste,analyze and dissect each dish, the competitors arebusy scrubbing down the kitchen from the pandemoniumjust minutes ago. Finally, the signal comesfrom the Chef in charge, that the kitchen is back tonormal and the teams are now free to go and waitfor the judge’s results.Competitors, friends and family wait on pinsand needles for the final tally. Yes, many studentsare upset when their team does not make the cut,but the judges do not allow the students to leavewithout speaking to them about their dishes—whatthey can do next time to improve their chances. Thetop three teams (those with the highest point value)will proceed to the Grand Finale and the possibilityof going all the way to the title of Titanium Chef.What made this last December’s Titanium Chefso special was the fact that the Food Network decidedto film the top two teams for the Grand Finale.The top two student teams battled for 8 hours whilethe Food Network filmed their every move! What athrill, for all involved, to watch the two minute segmentover and over on the streaming web cast. So toanswer the question, "This is how we Iron Chef!”■11

Heating Things up in a New Arenaby Kari Engstrom, PR Representative –Scottsdale Culinary InstituteNew York Giants Football Star Turns Chef-in-Training. Lionel Manuel is sporting more than aSuper Bowl ring on his finger these days – he isalso wearing his chef whites as a new student atScottsdale Culinary Institute. A prolific mediamagnet and dedicated family man with three children– ex-Giants player Manuel is starting over in anew career as a chef.“I hadn’t been to school in 23 years. It wasscary yet exciting to think I would have to learneverything all over again,” says Manuel.A recent transfer to the Phoenix Valley, Manuelfound himself in need of a rebirth in career. Afterplaying for the New York Giants, he spent sometime doing everything and anything. Always havinga passion for cooking, including a father who ran adonut shop and a mother who was an inspiration inthe kitchen, Manuel felt it was time to try somethingnew.“I want to bring another avenue to the kids,”says Manuel of his future restaurant dreams. Thisincludes the potential of opening a new familysports bar in the soon-to-open Cardinals Stadium inGlendale, Arizona.Lionel Manuel is expected to graduate inNovember. According to Scottsdale CulinaryInstitute Executive Chef Jon-Paul Hutchins, Manuelhas a positive attitude and is doing a phenomenaljob at learning. He’s displaying the same momentumhe put forth in the pros in his new playing fieldof culinary school.For more information, visit www.chefs.com. ■Texas Culinary AcademyLet’s Do Lunch…by Erin M. Wofford, Marketing Manager –Texas Culinary AcademyTexas Culinary Academy (TCA) is excited toannounce a partnership with the Texas Departmentof Agriculture (TDA) in order to provide Texasschools with new recipes for their lunch programs.Texas Culinary Academy will develop newrecipes based on nutritional guidelines, flavor, texture,kid-appeal, appearance, costs, and operationalproductivity. The recipes will be created based onthe needs and specifications of both small andlarge-scale schools in the Austin school district.The first step will include a visit by TCA toselected schools in Travis County to reviewkitchen and dining facilities in order to gainknowledge of the operational challenges facing thedirectors and staff of these schools in developing newmenu items. Then TCA will meet with the school’sdirector and staff to discuss goals and objectives fornew menu items. After addressing purveyor lists,equipment, labor pool, and nutritional guidelines,TCA will deliver 50 new recipes that will be incorporatedinto school menus at the start of the 2006school year.“TCA is honored to be involved in such animportant project. Our children’s health and futuredepend on the nutritional foundation that we lay forthem today. TCA is proud to be involved with theAustin Independent School District and the TexasDepartment of Agriculture in helping our children tohave access to a healthier lifestyle,” states JuliaBrooks, TCA’s President. ■12

Western Culinary InstituteBarbeque…Best in the Westby Julie B. Kinnaman, Manager of AdmissionServices – Western Culinary InstituteOnly months after graduating from theHospitality & Restaurant Management program,three Western Culinary Institute graduates have madea mark for themselves in the Portland area barbequeworld.William Vaughan, Peter McCormick, and ThomasNellen, all November 2005 graduates, have recentlyopened Willie V's Catering which specializes inauthentic pit-smoked barbeque.While still students, the three had an opportunityto host an impromptu barbeque at the St. Helens(OR) Chamber of Commerce. One of the attendeeswas the son-in-law of an owner of a well-knownfarm, who, after tasting the barbeque without andthen with sauce, was sold on the products he hadtasted, Huckleberry BBQ and Honey Ginger WildMushroom BBQ Sauce.The students were introduced to the owner, andspent the next two weekends providing barbeque forthe farms' annual festival. A faithful fan base began.Working with newly made connections, Willie V'scontinues to grow. They have already made a namefor themselves in St. Helens and around, as Williamrelated a story from his wife: she was shopping in alocal grocery store and mentioned Willie V's new barbequecatering business to the checker. Anothershopper stopped her and said "They'll never make ithere! We have the Four Dudes (Willie V's) - I've eatentheir food twice, and you guys can't possibly beatthat barbeque!" Of course, William's wife laughedand responded, "I'm glad to hear that - we are WillieV's."Willie V's Catering currently offers hand chosenUSDA certified meat rubbed with their special blendof 17 herbs and spices. Catering options run fromThe Feather Weight (one meat, two sides, and bread)to The Heavy Weight (three meats, two sides, andbread) as well as meat by the pound and classic barbequesides such as cole slaw, macaroni and cheese,and baked beans. They hope to begin bottling theirsix different sauces this spring. ■Le Cordon Bleu Collegeof Culinary Arts MiamiLeading by ExampleContributions by LCB Miami students JamesFigueroa and Marcela Guzman, and ChefsJohn Kane and Glenn Mack.Not all the recent rumblings down in SouthFlorida are hurricane-related. One of the mostimpressive elements of Le Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts Miami is the ACF Junior Chapter.James Figueroa serves as the Miami ACF JuniorChapter President, Ivan Vega as Vice-President,Roberto Padron, Treasurer, and Racine Richards,Secretary. They began the year by assisting at the VIPtent of the Haitian Carnival in downtown Miami;they formed a winning medal competition team; andduring Thanksgiving they fed firefighters and policemenfrom the City of Miramar, where the Miamicampus is located.LCB Miami is particularly grateful to the firefighters,who are called to the college on a moment’snotice to tend to minor accidents and medical issueson the premises. And how can poultry with sidesreally pay back those brave men who extinguished aself-igniting car last year? The menu was a deliciousde-boned roasted turkey with all the trimmings,topped off with apple, pecan, and pumpkin pies. Ofcourse we included a thank you note expressing ourgratitude for their support. Some families from theHomestead area also enjoyed this delicious feast.Over 25 students participated in the holiday foodpreparation. For the holidays the Miami JuniorChapter teamed up with the Haitian Club and organizeda Toy Drive for the Joe DiMaggio Children'sHospital. They gave away toys and cookies onDecember 24th.The roughly 50 student members meet once amonth, both in the afternoons and evenings toaccommodate all students. Besides the usual ACFbusiness items, the students discuss upcoming activities,listen to guest chefs lectures and watch demonstrations.The New Year promises many more rewardingevents. Now that Chef John Kane, the Lead ChefInstructor at LCB Miami, was recently electedChapter President for the ACF Greater MiamiChapter Epicurean Club, we can expect greater collaborationbetween the junior and senior chapters.The year began with a special presentation by ChefPatrick Martin, Vice-President of Le Cordon BleuInternational, who addressed members during the lastjunior meeting. ■13

Chefs RisingChef Instructor Awards and RecognitionNew Kid in Townby Chef Glenn Mack – Le Cordon BleuCollege of Culinary Arts MiamiLe Cordon Bleu College of Culinary ArtsMiami appears to be set with its ACF JuniorChapter and student competition teams for sometime to come. Renowned Master Chef David St.John-Grubb, an enthusiastic ACF participant, andadvocate has recently joined LCB Miami as itsExecutive Chef. This bodes well for student successin culinary competitions. Chef St. John-Grubb is acreative and passionate culinary professional withexperience leading foodservice operations of topratedhotels, restaurants, and cruise lines the worldover. At The Culinary Institute of America, in additionto teaching, he developed recipes, menus, andcorporate training programs.Chef St. John-Grubb earned the certification ofEuropean Master Chef (Meisterbrief or MasterCraftsman), after the rigorous two week examinationsfor Academics and Culinary preparations. Heis the outgoing President of the ACF Akron-CantonChapter of Ohio and served on the board ofDirectors of the Research Chefs Association. As aresult of being on the American CulinaryFederation elite list of approved and certified culinaryjudges, he is regularly invited around thecountry and overseas to judge Culinary SalonCompetitions.St. John-Grubb has achieved many accomplishmentsduring his career, some of which includefounding a Baillage of the Confrerie de la ChaineRotisseurs in Akron, Ohio; competing inInternational Culinary Salons; and winning thecoveted Table D’honour, Gold Silver and Bronzemedals. His vision is to create a brand image ofexcellence and credibility for the students attendingLCB Miami which students will be able to lookback upon with pride and fervor. As a former studentsummed up, "Chef St. John-Grubb is the bestof the best and stands out as a dedicated professionalwho is willing to share his talents". ■Les Amis d’EscoffierSocietyby Claude Cevasco, Honorary Chairman andChef Instructor – Le Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts Las VegasThe aim of Les Amis d'Escoffier Society is tobring together members of the culinary professionand loyal friends who appreciate good food and goodwines; men who believe in the adage, “Live and LetLive”, men who place sincere friendship above allelse.On Monday, January 23, 2006, the Las Vegaschapter of Les Amis d'Escoffier held a very specialevent to induct over a dozen new members into theculinary honor society. The evening began at half pastsix with a special "Escoffier" presentation of fiveminute movies; it was a sort of return to the past of100 years ago when the great Georges AugusteEscoffier was in his heyday.After the film, we shared a Champagne Toast as Iwelcomed all of the guests. I offered special thanks toChristian Rassinoux, visiting Honorary Chairmanfrom the California chapter and began the inductionof the new members. In all, fourteen men were honoredto join this prestigious and exclusive society.Amongst them were Le Cordon Bleu College ofCulinary Arts Las Vegas’ Mark Levasseur, HeinzLauer, Peter Sherlock, Carlos Fernandez andChristophe Sorel; Le Cordon Bleu International VicePresident of Culinary Education Patrick Martin andLe Cordon Bleu Schools North America VicePresident of Education Kirk Bachmann.Afterwards, I spoke to the guests of the camaraderiewhich brought us together; the purpose of theevening was to really take care of each other in theindustry and profession. “Chefs are always solicited toparticipate in one charity event or another; this is whywe have evenings like this, just to have a great timebetween friends.”The dinner was hosted by the Executive ChefStephen Marshall and Oliver Baader, Director of Foodand Beverage of the Ritz Carlton who were alsoinducted into the chapter. Over and above the incrediblefoods and wines offered, the service was superb.“Las Vegas is a growing city- especially in thefield of the culinary. I am honored and pleased tonow have twenty members in the Les Amisd’Escoffier Las Vegas chapter with so many beingpart of LCB- Las Vegas. It will give the studentsmore opportunities for externship and jobs. It is easyto ask a friend executive chef from Escoffier to placea student in their kitchen then to approach a strangerwho perhaps does not have the same passion that wehave.”The evening concluded with a toast to the culinaryprofession; passion and dedication for what we doand sharing what we learn for the future. ■14

Pots and PansWhat’s simmering in the world of the culinary artsUnited States.• Approximately 11 million people in the UnitedStates alone suffer from food allergies.• Anaphylactic reactions to foods are reason forabout 30,000 trips to emergency rooms eachyear.• About 150 to 200 people die each year from anaphylacticshock caused by food allergies.Food Allergiesby Wayne Gisslen, John Wiley & SonsA news item, reported across the country, emphasizesthe importance and timeliness of this article:food allergies. Recently a girl died after exposure topeanuts, to which she was allergic. She hadn’t eatenany peanuts but had merely kissed her boyfriend,who had previously eaten a peanut butter sandwich.Food allergies are a serious health problem. Manyof us, inside and outside the food service industry,have only recently become aware of its seriousness.An understanding of the problem must become a partof our educational efforts and incorporated into ourfood safety programs. Health agencies report thatmore and more people are being diagnosed with foodallergies each year, so this is a growing problemworld-wide.What is a food allergy? According to the FDA,a food allergy is an abnormal response to a food triggeredby the immune system. In other words, thebody’s immune system mistakenly believes a fooditem is harmful and reacts to protect the body. Thisreaction may include the production of chemicalsthat are actually harmful to the body, sometimes evenfatal. A sudden, severe, allergic reaction of theimmune system is called anaphylaxis.The foods most commonly spurring allergic reactionsare peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish,milk, soybeans, and wheat.A food allergy is not the same as a food intolerance.For example, a person may develop gas andbloating after eating a particular food, but this reactiondoes not involve the immune system. For example,people with a lactose intolerance lack an enzymethat enables them to digest milk sugar, or lactose.These persons may develop gas and abdominal painwhen they consume dairy products.The following points illustrate why food serviceworkers must take the problem of food allergies veryseriously. The figures cited are only those for theUnited States. Per capita figures for Canada andEurope are also rising rapidly, as they are in theThe only prevention for allergic reaction to foodsis complete avoidance of those foods. Even thesmallest trace can cause a severe reaction, as thenews report at the beginning of this article testifies.Picking shrimp off a pre-made salad to serve to anallergic customer or scraping the walnuts off the topof a cake are not acceptable solutions.In a food-service operation, precautions must betaken both in the preparation of food and in serviceto customers. These are just a few of the steps youshould take. For more detailed information, consultthe additional resources cited at the end of this article.Food Preparation. Train staff to be aware of theingredients that can cause allergic reactions. Read theingredient labels on all prepared food items used inthe kitchen. Don’t make casual or unannouncedingredient substitutions. Avoid cross-contamination:for example, a “safe” food could become dangerouslyallergenic if it is prepared on an inadequatelycleaned prep table containing dust from peanuts usedin prepping an earlier item. Ideally, keep a separateprep area for preparing foods for allergy sufferers.Food Service. Service personnel should be awareof the ingredients in all menu items and should beprepared to answer questions about ingredients or toconsult someone on staff who knows the answer. Besensitive to customers’ questions; if someone askswhether an ingredient is used, find out if that customerhas an allergy. It is not uncommon for waitstaff to ask up front if any customers at the table havefood allergies rather than waiting for a customer toask. If a customer’s questions cannot be answeredwith confidence, admit it and be prepared to suggestalternative choices.Agencies such as the National RestaurantAssociation, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration,and the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network cansupply detailed information that food workers shouldstudy carefully. ■Photo Courtesy of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Reprintedwith permission.Le Cordon Bleu ®Restaurant Receives ThePrestigious Five DiamondAward For 2006Le Cordon Bleu is the Only Culinary Schoolwith a Restaurant to Receive Five Diamonds.Le Cordon Bleu is proud to announce that it hasreceived a 2006 Five Diamond rating from theCanadian/American Automobile Association(CAA/AAA). A Five Diamond rating is the highesthonor bestowed upon restaurants by the CAA/AAA,and signifies world-class excellence: menus are often“cutting edge,” featuring only the finest ingredientsavailable; presentations are spectacular and reflectimpeccable artistry and awareness; staff memberspay unfailing attention to detail and service guestseffortlessly and unobtrusively. Le Cordon Bleu isthe only school to receive this recognition.“We are honored to receive this prestigious recognition,”said André Cointreau, President, Le CordonBleu International. “The Five Diamond rating is atestament to our long-standing commitment to culinaryand hospitality excellence and innovation. Weshare this honor with all our chefs and students.”15

“Engage your passion, realize your dream”LE CORDON BLEU, A TIMELESS VISIONLe Cordon Bleu is the name in culinary and hospitality education. In addition to being one of the oldest and mostrespected names, Le Cordon Bleu is recognized around the world for its hands-on, career-focused training.Offering programs in Culinary Arts, Pâtisserie and Baking as well as Hospitality & Restaurant Management,Le Cordon Bleu provides its students the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to be successful in the dynamichospitality industry.A Le Cordon Bleu education is designed to provide a unique learning experience in an environment that promotesexcellence and professionalism.For more information on Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, please visit www.lecordonbleuschoolsusa.comCareer Education Corporation2895 Greenspoint Parkway, Sixth FloorHoffman Estates, IL 60195