California Raisin Marketing Board Calls for Entries in Fifth-Annual “America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest”

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The California Raisin Marketing Board’s (CRMB) fifth-annual America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest is now open, and all industry professionals and student bakers are encouraged to enter their most mouthwatering masterpieces in one or all of the three categories of this competition: Artisan, Commercial and Breakfast.

All eligible contestants are:
  • Bakers and research & development staff of commercial baking companies
  • Craft bakers and retail shop owners/managers
  • Certified baking teachers
  • Students in accredited baking programs
  • Bakery technicians at bakery supply wholesalers, flour milling companies and other allied bakery ingredient suppliers
  • 18 years or older
Entries are accepted through July 15, 2012. Contest application, rules and additional details are available at www.loveyourraisins.com. The contest features two divisions, professional and student.
Luminita Cirstea was a recent co-grand-prize winner in “America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest” thanks to her entry, Raisin Rye Bread.
Preliminary contest judging will take place in August. A total of 36 finalists will receive a complimentary trip to the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kan., October 11-13, 2012, where they will bake their formulas before a panel of distinguished judges from both the artisan and commercial baking industries. A total of 12 winners—nine in the professional division and three in student division—will be selected.

Winners will be selected based on their formula’s taste, appearance, originality and value. The California Raisin Marketing Board seeks to encourage the use of healthy ingredients. Formulas that feature 100% whole grains and/or gluten-free ingredients will be awarded in each division.

In addition to industry-wide recognition, winning bakers will receive a five-day California educational vacation with visits to The Culinary Institute of America and Yosemite National Park.
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Ramsay to Open Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas

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Gordon Ramsay Steak, the celebrity TV chef’s first Las Vegas venture, is scheduled to open at Paris Las Vegas in mid-May. Designed by San Francisco-based EDG Interior Architecture + Design, the restaurant will be a fresh, high-energy dining environment that playfully transports guests from Paris to London, and its design will celebrate Ramsay and the city of London, where he lives.

The concept will reflect edgy, exciting and bold designs and will bridge the resort’s Parisian theme with Ramsay’s British heritage—reflecting Ramsay’s early education that took place in the Paris kitchens of famous Michelin Star chefs such as Guy Savoy and Joël Robuchon.

Gordon Ramsay Steak under construction for its mid-May 2012 opening at Paris Las Vegas.
A large-scale, neon sculpture commissioned by EDG Interior Architecture + Design from Canadian artist Andrey Berezowdky of SWON Design will serve as the figurative heart of the room. Representing Ramsay’s energy and inspired by his hand movements while he cooks, the red piece of art will hang just below the enormous Union Jack that makes up the ceiling of the dining room. The piece will be 12 x 12 x 4 feet; although, if laid flat, the hand-blown glass tubes would stretch more than 250 feet. The piece took more than a month to create (one whole week consisted of only glass blowing) and was shipped from Montreal to Paris Las Vegas in numerous 10-foot sections. It took more than a day to assemble.

The 200-seat restaurant spread between two floors will offer guests the opportunity to experience the exclusive beef-aging program created under the direction of Ramsay and his culinary team. Menu selections will range from traditional steakhouse fare with delectable cuts of beef to Ramsay’s signature fish and chips and shepherd’s pie. This new addition to Ramsay’s collection of restaurants will also offer fresh seafood, French-influenced sides and signature desserts.
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Boston Jams Out to Lamb; Alberg Wins Best in Show

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The American Lamb Board partnered with www.BostonChefs.com to host the third-annual Boston Lamb Jam, Feb. 19. Eighteen chefs competed for top honors and served luscious lamb tastes paired with Boston beer to judges and lamb-loving attendees. Chef Brian Alberg from The Red Lion Inn was named “Best in Show” by a panel of media judges for his Lamb Shoulder & Kale Meatballs with Farm Girl Farm Smoked Tomato Purée & Parmesan Crustade, and will go on to battle top chefs from San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C., at a Lamb Jam Masters competition at Savor the Central Coast in San Luis Obispo, Calif., in September.

“The energy and excitement surrounding Lamb Jam Boston grows stronger every year,” said Megan Wortman, executive director, American Lamb Board. “We are excited to have Brian join us for this year’s Lamb Jam Masters competition and wish him luck in the final round this fall.”
Alberg’s Best-in-Show dish, Lamb Shoulder & Kale Meatballs with Farm Girl Farm Smoked Tomato Purée & Parmesan Crustade.
Guests at the American Lamb Jam enjoyed live butchery demonstrations and “ewe-nique” eats from competing chefs, who received the following notable accolades:
  • Overall “Best in Show”/Shoulder “Best in Show”: Red Lion Inn for the Lamb Shoulder & Kale Meatballs with Farm Girl Farm Smoked Tomato Purée & Parmesan Crustade 
  • “People’s Choice”: Oleana for Lebanese Style Lamb Crêpe with Harra Sauce, Crushed Walnuts, Cucumber & Pomegranate
  • Leg “Best in Show”: Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar for Lamb Leg & Bone Marrow Polpettone with Bourbon Cherries
  • Loin “Best in Show”: La Laiterie for Korean Lamb Reuben: Red Miso Cured Lamb Loin, Sauerruben, Gochujang 1000 Island and Smoked Emmentaler on a Semolina & Lamb Fat Roll 
  • Shank “Best in Show”: Russell House Tavern for Braised Lamb Shank Terrine, Caraway Brioche, Horseradish and Crispy Lamb Bacon
As the American Lamb Board’s national partner, a portion of the proceeds from this event went to Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit organization working to end childhood hunger in America.

To view a complete list of participating chefs, breweries and winning recipes, visit www.FansofLambBoston.com.
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Mestan and Stein Win Inaugural Professional Culinology® Competition

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The team of Eric Stein, M.S., R.D., a chef-instructor at the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, and Jaime Mestan, C.S.C., a Kendall College culinary alum (‘08) and research chef at Ed Miniat, Inc., in South Holland, Ill., took first place in the inaugural Professional Culinology® Competition, March 23 in San Antonio, Texas, held in conjunction with the Research Chefs Association’s (RCA) Annual Conference and Culinology® Expo.

Stein and Mestan beat two other teams, winning a gold medal and a $5,000 cash award with their entry of lobster paella bites, chicken and white-bean empanadillas and loaded patatas bravas (a cherished white-potato tapa of Spain). The competition, which was sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), called for entries to consist of three frozen heat-and-serve tapas suitable for serving in a casual restaurant chain. 
(l. to r.) Competition judge Walter Zuromski, CEC, CCE, proprietor, Chef Services Group, Inc.; Stein; Mestan; Joel Berry, vice president of research & development, premier sponsor Quantum Foods; and event co-chair Christian “Kit” Kiefer, CEC, CCE, AAC, FMP, director of culinary services and corporate executive chef, Schwan’s Food Service, Inc., and incoming president of the Research Chefs Association.
 
Prior to the competition, each team shipped its frozen products to San Antonio. On competition day, each team created the fresh versions of its commercialized concepts and was judged in part against how well the plated, commercialized products matched up against the fresh gold standards. Entries were judged by a panel of culinary R&D experts against criteria that included originality of concept, nutritional profile, manufacturing feasibility, flavor, aroma, texture, presentation and safety standards. The team of Stein and Mestan was announced as the winner at the RCA’s Awards Luncheon on March 24.
 
Following the announcement, Stein expressed a newfound appreciation for the role of chefs who work and create within two worlds—culinary arts and food science—the perfect melding of which results in satisfied diners and successful foodservice operators. “Participating in this competition and attending the RCA conference really gave me a better understanding of the diversity within the field of Culinology®,” he said.

The discipline of Culinology® was pioneered by the Research Chefs Association with the organization’s founding in 1996. The RCA represents more than 2,000 members including chefs, food scientists, technologists, writers, nutritionists, academicians, researchers, consultants, sales and marketing professionals, suppliers, co-packers, distributors and students. RCA is the premier source of culinary and technical information for the food industry and is committed to the advancement of Culinology®—the blending of the culinary arts and food science. For more information, visit www.culinology.com.
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Holleman Receives Research Chefs Association's Lifetime Achievement Award

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Michael Holleman, director of culinary development for Indian Harvest, a producer and supplier of specialty grains, beans, legumes and blends for foodservice, received the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Atlanta-based Research Chefs Association (RCA) at the organization’s Annual Conference and Culinology® Expo in San Antonio, Texas, on March 24.  

The RCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to an individual who has achieved industrywide recognition for his or her contributions to the field of Culinology®. The recipient must have significantly influenced the food industry and/or the consumer market throughout his or her career, must be a veteran in the food industry for at least 25 years, and should be generally recognized as an inspiration to others in the industry.

Michael Holleman receives the RCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Janet Carver, president of the RCA and senior Culinology® group leader at National Starch Food Innovation.
Granting of the Lifetime Achievement Award is at the discretion of the RCA board to determine if nominees meet the stated criteria, and is not necessarily granted each year. Harry Crane, immediate past president of the RCA and executive chef of the Kraft Culinary Center of Excellence, was responsible for receiving nominations and working with the RCA’s board to determine the award’s recipient.

“Michael Holleman practices what we advocate,” Crane says. “He represents the ‘sweet spot’ of who the RCA really is—a mover and shaker in the food-product-development/culinary world—while still being at the tactical/development level of our industry.”

As the latest RCA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Holleman joins the ranks of such notable honorees as celebrity chef and author Jacques Pepin (2004); Paul Prudhomme (2005), owner of Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends and K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen; and Robert Okura, CEC, CFBE (2008), vice president of culinary development and corporate executive chef of The Cheesecake Factory, Inc.

“We couldn’t be more proud of Chef Mike’s recognition by the Research Chefs Association, which is an incredible milestone,” says Trevor Duininck, vice president of Indian Harvest. “As the leader of our experienced Culinary Team for many years, Mike has forged the way for innovative whole-grain solutions not only here at Indian Harvest, but in the industry as a whole. His passion for culinary excellence and the integrity he shares in bringing lesser-known grains to a wider market permeates our entire company.”

Founded in 1996, the Research Chefs Association represents more than 2,000 members including chefs, food scientists, technologists, writers, nutritionists, academicians, researchers, consultants, sales and marketing professionals, suppliers, co-packers, distributors and students. RCA is the premier source of culinary and technical information for the food industry and is committed to the advancement of Culinology®—the blending of the culinary arts and food science. For more information, visit www.culinology.com.
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Survey Reveals Popularity of Ethnic Salads; Mediterranean Tops the List

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A Mediterranean-style salad holds the most appeal as a new flavor for diners at casual-dining restaurants, according to a Culinary Visions™ Panel study conducted by Chicago-based Olson Communications.

“When restaurants want to add new salads they should look to the Mediterranean for inspiration,” said Sharon Olson, president of Olson Communications. “We discovered a full 60% of customers are highly likely to choose that type of salad when they have ethnic salad choices that also include Latin and Asian.”

The Latin salad was the next most likely to be ordered, with 52% of respondents choosing it. The Asian salad attracted 44% of the respondents. There were also some gender-specific side discoveries revealed in the responses.

Of all three ethnic choices in salads, 50% of men were likely to choose the Mediterranean salad and 45% of women were likely to choose it. Overall, 71% of women will order a salad, while only 54% of men will. About 44% of both men and women said they’d order a Latin salad. For the Asian salad, almost 40% of men said they’d order it, compared to 30% of women, and it was least likely to be ordered of all the ethnic salad concepts.

In the study, Culinary Visions Panel asked the likelihood that respondents would order menu concepts from categories that included burgers, salads, side dishes, pizzas and ice cream. Not surprisingly, men are more likely to order burgers and women are more likely to order salads when ordering at their favorite casual-dining restaurants. Salads had the widest gap between men and women across the entire survey.

About Culinary Visions™ Panel
The Culinary Visions™ Panel explores a wide range of culinary topics with food-industry professionals and consumers. Consumers surveyed were those who frequented casual restaurants and comparisons were made between male and female consumers. A closer look was taken at self-described foodies with more adventurous menu preferences.




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Scott of Isleworth Golf and Country Club Named Education Dean at CIA at Greystone

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Russell Scott, one of only 66 Certified Master Chefs in the United States, has been named dean of education of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, effective April 2, 2012. In his new role, Scott will be responsible for the quality and effectiveness of all education programs at the CIA campus in St. Helena, Calif. He will oversee faculty and staff on the education team, direct the development and delivery of the curriculum, and lead the support of students enrolled in the campus’ degree and certificate programs.
Scott was previously an associate professor at the college’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus from 1998 to 2005. During that time, he taught several culinary courses and served as executive chef and instructor in the American Bounty Restaurant. “It is very gratifying to rejoin the CIA family and to once again be part of the jet stream of culinary knowledge,” he says. “I am indeed privileged to be able to work directly with the finest staff and faculty in hospitality education.”

“We are excited to welcome Chef Scott back to the CIA,” says college provost and Certified Master Chef Mark Erickson. “His culinary background and experience coupled with his commitment to education will be a tremendous asset to our Greystone campus.”

Between his stints at the CIA, Scott was executive chef of the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, Fla. Earlier in his career, he was executive chef at the Hotel Nikko in Los Angeles and the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif. He is also the proprietor of the Gore-Scott Hospitality Partnership, which consists of restaurants and wine shops in Florida, New York, California and Colorado.

The American Culinary Federation honored Russell Scott as the USA’s Chef of the Year™ for 2008 and presented him with its Chef Professionalism Award in 2011. Representing the United States in the Global Chefs Challenge in 2009, he took second place among chefs from throughout the Americas.

Scott won numerous medals as a member and captain of teams competing in the quadrennial Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (commonly known as the “Culinary Olympics”) and Culinary World Cup between 1996 and 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine from Everglades University in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and an associate degree in culinary arts from the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh.

With Scott’s return to the CIA, the college now has eight Certified Master Chefs on its education team and administration, more than any other organization.
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Ronald DeSantis of Yale University Named ACF Certification Commission Chair

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Certified Master Chef® (CMC®) Ronald DeSantis, AAC®, CHE, of Staatsburg, N.Y., began his two-year term as chair of the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) Certification Commission at the group’s bi-annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 13-14. DeSantis, director of culinary excellence and quality assurance for Yale Dining at Yale University, New Haven, Conn., says he and the commission’s 16 other current members will focus on increasing the awareness and credibility of ACF certification.

“My vision for the commission is to develop and project the message of certification relevance beyond ACF,” DeSantis said. “Members know certification’s value and importance. We need to make the dining public and foodservice employers aware of the value of certified chefs.”
ACF certification is based on education, experience and completion of official coursework and exams. ACF certification credentials distinguish culinary professionals as leaders in the culinary field, and demonstrate skill and expertise to peers and potential employers. Currently, more than 11,500 professionals hold ACF certification.

Since its inception in 2007, the ACF Certification Commission has been developing, implementing and monitoring a validated process of globally recognized certifications based on skills, knowledge, integrity and equality through an achievable process for all culinary professionals. The commission was formed in order to meet the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation standards to obtain accreditation from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). In August 2011, ACF’s Certificated Executive Chef® (CEC®) designation was accredited, making it the first and only culinary credential accredited by ICE. The commission is now in the process of accrediting its Certified Sous Chef™ (CSC™) designation and will seek accreditation for its Certified Executive Pastry Chef® (CEPC®) designation in 2013.

The Certification Commission comprises professionals with experience in culinary, media, marketing, management, education and government. Commission members represent many different levels of ACF certificants. In addition to DeSantis, Certification Commission members are:

• Past chair Derek Spendlove, CEPC®, CCE®, AAC®, baking and pastry chair, Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky.
• Chair-elect Donald Dickinson, CEC®, CCA®, AAC®, culinary-division director, Institute of Technology, Citrus Heights, Calif.
• Alex Askew, president, Black Culinarian Alliance, North Babylon, N.Y.
• Kirk Bachmann, CEC®, AAC®, president, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, Chicago
• Brad Barnes, CMC®, CCA®, AAC®, senior director, culinary education, The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.
• Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4) Russell Campbell, CEC®, chief, Advanced Food Service Training Division, U.S. Army, Fort Lee, Va.
• Wendy Chan, president, Definity Marketing, New York
• Karl Guggenmos, AAC®, university dean of culinary education, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.
• Erica Lattimore, CC®, banquet chef, Cincinnati Marriott North, West Chester, Ohio
• Jeanette Scarcella, culinary relations/program officer, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.
• Leonard Scranton, CEC®, CCA®, region vice president, Morrison Management Specialists, Atlanta
• Renee Shortlidge, CSC™, purchasing coordinator, Johnson County Community College, Olathe, Kan.
• Travis Smith, CEC®, CCA®, AAC®, executive chef and educator, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Colorado, Denver
• Nick Versteeg, producer/director, DV Media/DVCuisine, Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
• B.J. Whitmore, CEC®, chef manager, Sodexo Campus Division, Hospers, Iowa
• Grace Yek, CCC®, assistant professor/chef-instructor, University of Cincinnati/Midwest Culinary Institute, Cincinnati

At Yale University, DeSantis provides leadership for all facets of culinary-concept design, development of innovative menus and cuisine and training of a culinary team. Prior to joining the staff in November 2011, he worked at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Hyde Park, N.Y., as director of CIA Consulting, as director of education services and as a professor in the culinary-arts department. DeSantis is a 1981 CIA alumnus. He earned a Basic Food Service Certificate from the U.S. Marine Corps and a master’s in business administration (MBA) from Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He has held positions in restaurant kitchens worldwide, including chief cook for the U.S. Marines, Okinawa, Japan; banquet cook, The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago; commis de cuisine, The Grand Hotel Continental, Munich, Germany; chef de partie, Michels’ Küche Restaurant, Bamberg, Germany; and chef de cuisine, Restaurant Böttingerhaus, Bamberg. He is a member of Mid Hudson Culinary Association.

Learn more about ACF’s certification program and the value of certification by viewing a video available at www.acfchefs.org/Certification-Accreditation.
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