CIA grad Brandt wins Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge

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Maureen "Molly" Brandt, Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduate, won the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge and a one-year paid contract to be the chef de cuisine of 150 Central Park onboard the Allure of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Maureen "Molly" Brandt plates her dishes during the final challenge

Brandt was one of six chefs--all CIA graduates--to be a finalist in the challenge, a contest open exclusively to The CIA's alumni network. The six chefs participated in a two-part final challenge at the college's Hyde Park campus in New York on Aug. 5 and 6, where they prepared a three-course meal for a panel of judges from Royal Caribbean and The CIA. The panel also interviewed the finalists.

(l to r) Frank Weber, vice president, food and beverage operations, Royal Caribbean International; Maureen "Molly" Brandt; Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, hotel operations, Royal Caribbean International; and Ron DeSantis, director, CIA consulting, The CIA

Brandt's winning dish consisted of chilled lobster with fennel, carrots, citrus, caviar and tempura battered lobster; Provencal lamb loin with Dijon potato purée, ratatouille, pattypan squash and olive tapenade; and pistachio cake with whipped rosewater crème fraîche and carbonated raspberries.

For more information, visit www.allureoftheseas.com.
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Competitors announced for U.S. selections of '11 World Chocolate Masters

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Seven of the country's leading pastry chefs and chocolatiers have been selected to compete in the U.S. selections for the 2011 World Chocolate Masters event in Paris. The competition, organized by Barry Callebaut, will take place Sept. 27 and 28 during the International Baking Industry Exposition in Las Vegas. The contestants will make Aztec-inspired sculptures out of gourmet chocolate.

The winner of the U.S. selections competition will advance to the 2011 World Chocolate Masters, where he or she will compete against culinary artisans from approximately 20 other countries. (Pictured, right, Lionel Clement, former chef chocolatier at the Wynn Las Vegas, was the last U.S. National Chocolate Master.)

This year's competitors for the U.S. selections for the World Chocolate Masters include:
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The lexicon of kitchen ventilation

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by Russell L. Bean, CFSP

In "Venting in the kitchen" (read it here!) in the August 2010 issue of Chef Magazine, we discuss the latest in kitchen ventilation technology, from green Type I hoods to ventless systems to ultraviolet light solutions. To prepare you for speaking with your ventilation system specialist, Chef has pulled together a ventilation jargon and acronym guide.

Type I Hoods
Designed to capture heat and moisture, plus smoke and grease, these hoods are typically required for frying, broiling and griddle cooking operations. These hoods must have water-tight construction and a built-in fire suppression system.

Type II Hoods
Designed to capture heat and moisture, they also can be used for dishwashing and some baking and steam equipment.

Unlisted Hoods
Unlisted hoods must meet the materials, design and exhaust rate requirements of local building and health codes.

Listed Hoods
Listed hoods are tested to meet a recognized standard, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standard 710, which specifies construction materials, design requirements and capture performance.

Ventless Hoods/Systems
These are smaller hood systems that capture then clean air using multiple filters, before exhausting the "clean" air back into the kitchen.

Proximity Hoods
As the name implies, these are back-shelf, pass-over and eyebrow-style hoods that are positioned just above the cooking equipment.

UV Systems
These are hoods that use ultraviolet light to convert--or reduce the size of--a significant portion of grease particulate into carbon dioxide and water.

Side Panels
Full and partial side panels are designed to help capture and contain effluents at the end of a hood.

Plenum
This is a transitional sheet-metal fabrication that connects the hood to the exhaust duct.

Effluents
Effluents are a commonly used collective for all cooking process byproducts including heat, moisture, combustion gases, smoke, grease and odors.

Capture and Containment
The goal of all hood systems, to "capture" 100 percent of all effluents produced by cooking processes, plus waste heat and humidity; and "contain" these cooking byproducts until they are either exhausted to the building exterior or filtered and returned to the kitchen.

Makeup (Supply, Replacement) Air
This is the fresh air brought in to replace air consumed by gas burner combustion or exhausted by the ventilation system. Air removed by an exhaust hood must be replaced by an equal volume of replacement air.

Microns
Effluent particulate is typically measured in microns, a unit of measure that is one-millionth of a meter, or .000001 m.

CFMs
Short for cubic feet per minute, CFMs are a measure of the air volume removed from a kitchen by an exhaust hood and venting system, and/or the volume of makeup air added or returned to the kitchen.

FPM
Short for feet per minute, this is a measurement of the speed of air moving through an exhaust system or part thereof.
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RATIONAL SelfCooking Center® overnight cooking feature increases productivity in foodservice kitchens

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SPONSORED POST

For foodservice operations large and small, it might seem like there are never enough hours in the day to complete everything on the daily prep list. RATIONAL's overnight cooking feature can reduce the unevenness of the work during the day by conducting some of the longer cooking processes unattended after hours. The SelfCooking Center and its overnight cooking feature enable operators to make the use of their equipment during non-operational hours--leaving the unit available during operational hours to prepare foods that can't be made ahead of time.

RATIONAL SelfCooking Center

Specifically, the overnight cooking feature can be used to prepare a wide variety of meats, typically larger cuts of meat including prime rib, roasts, pork medallions, ribs, turkey breast and roast duck. The feature is easy to use, chefs select the browning and desired doneness of the food, and the SelfCooking Center determines the cooking time. The process keeps the meat tender and juicy without the need for monitoring the cooking process or basting. Meats of different sizes and cuts can be prepared simultaneously to specification.

Epicurean Catering in Centennial, Colo., uses the SelfCooking Center for overnight cooking at INVESCO Field at Mile High. "All the roasts for the 144 carving stations in the suites are done overnight. We just load the units the evening before, and when we take them out in the morning, we have unbeatable quality with almost 50 percent less shrinkage than traditional cooking methods," said Larry DiPasquale, Epicurean president and CEO. Instead of coming in at 2 a.m., using overnight cooking, DiPasquale's staff can arrive at 6 with a good portion of their work completed.

As DiPasquale learned, products prepared using the overnight cooking feature have significantly reduced yield loss compared to conventional cooking equipment. For example, to yield 7 pounds of cooked product, a chef would cook 8 pounds of meat using the overnight cooking process instead of 10 pounds using conventional cooking equipment. This equates to a product cost savings of 20 percent. In addition to the cost savings, the overnight cooking process also follows all of the HACCP guidelines--ensuring that the operation is running within industry standards.

RATIONAL provides a hands-on experience with the SelfCooking Center® through its TeamCooking Live events. Register for TeamCooking Live at www.rational-usa.com. The events, which take place on a range of dates at over 100 venues nationwide, are guided by one of the company's culinary consultants.
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CHART members volunteer at NoLa Habitat for Humanity

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During the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART) 80th semiannual Hospitality Training Conference in New Orleans last month, nearly 40 CHART members and guests came a day early to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity. The volunteers traveled to a residential neighborhood where they helped a homeowner paint, put up a fence and install insulation.

CHART members and guests at the Habitat for Humanity volunteer site

"CHART comes to its host cities with an attitude of caring," says Mike Amos, franchise consultant for Perkins and Marie Callender's Inc. and president of CHART, in a statement. "We want to give back to the local community, while creating bonds among members and providing them an example of volunteerism they can take back to their restaurants and hotels."

Community service projects have been incorporated into CHART's semiannual conferences since 2002. The next conference will take place Feb. 5 to 8, 2011, at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort. For more information, visit www.chart.org.
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United Fresh applauds child nutrition bill

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The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (S. 3307), which passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on Aug. 5, is supported by the United Fresh Produce Association. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ariz.), chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, introduced the legislation earlier this year.

"The drive for healthier kids through increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is something that United Fresh and the entire produce industry has pursued for many years now," said United Fresh president and CEO Tom Stenzel, in a statement. "United Fresh commends [chair] Lincoln, ranking member Saxby Chambliss [R-Ga.] and the Senate Agriculture Committee and members of the Senate for their passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. This bill provides a clear road map for healthier school meals and greater access to fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables."

United Fresh and other members of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity Coalition urge the House of Representatives to pass child nutrition legislation before the programs expire on Sept. 30. For more information about the bill, visit www.ag.senate.gov/site.
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Seeking culinary arts director

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SPONSORED POST

Francis Tuttle Technology Center, Oklahoma City, is under construction on a 34,000-square-foot school of culinary arts and is seeking a culinary arts director. This individual will be involved in all aspects of opening, staffing and operating this state-of-the-art facility.

Work in an environment where:
  • you can share your knowledge and experience of the culinary profession;
  • you will have an integral role in the program planning and design and curriculum development for a facility consisting of eight instructional kitchens and an a la carte kitchen as part of our teaching restaurant; and
  • excellence, innovation and continuous improvement are fostered and where respect and appreciation for "employees as our greatest asset" are part of our core values.
Francis Tuttle Technology Center, located in northwest Oklahoma City is one of the finest technology centers in the nation. Access our Web site at www.francistuttle.edu for information about the school. Annual Salary: $60,000 to $70,000. Comprehensive Benefit Package to include paid health and dental insurance and 100 percent contribution into the Teachers Retirement System of Oklahoma. Relocation costs are not covered.

Primary Function: Will provide leadership, coordination and supervision for the school of culinary arts. This individual will also play a prominent role in the local culinary industry and is expected to have national connections within this industry.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts or advanced industry-related certifications required. Must have a minimum of five years of culinary experience with at least three years recent experience in a managerial capacity or as an executive chef with supervisory responsibilities. Instructional and supervisory/managerial experience with a culinary educational institution preferred. Must hold or qualify for an Oklahoma Secondary Vocational Teaching Certificate.

Apply Today: Website: www.francistuttle.edu/discover/jobs for additional information and application. Or contact Human Resources at (800) 722-7799, ext. 4331, to obtain application and extended job description. EOE

Job closing date: August 16, 2010

Submit completed application and resume to:
Francis Tuttle Technology Center
Human Resources
12777 N. Rockwell Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73142-2789

Questions:
Bill Allen, Director
Personal Services Programs
(800) 722-7799, ext. 4333 · (405) 717-4333
ballen@francistuttle.edu
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NRA adds two to public policy staff

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The National Restaurant Association (NRA) has added two new staff members to its public policy team to work alongside the advocacy team. Angelo Amador joined the NRA as vice president of labor and workforce policy, and Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., has been named director of nutrition and healthy living.

Amador most recently served as an executive director in the labor, immigration and employee benefits division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In his new role, he will lead workforce regulatory efforts on behalf of the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Dubost joins the NRA from PepsiCo Inc., where she most recently was principal nutritionist in nutrition communications for key PepsiCo initiatives, including supporting the brands Quaker and Tropicana. In her new position, she will provide leadership and expertise on a wide spectrum of health and nutrition issues.

For more information, visit www.restaurant.org.
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Chefs seek payment for falsely labeled virgin oils

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A group of prominent California restauranteurs and chefs has sued olive oil distributors and retailers over a study that found many of the oils were not as pure as they were marketed, according to an article in the Washington Post.

The lawsuit cites a recent University of California--Davis study that sampled a random selection and found that 69 percent of imported oils branded as extra virgin did not meet international standards for the label. Ten percent of California oils sampled did not meet the standards.

The "extra virgin" designation indicates that the oil was extracted without the use of heat or chemicals, is pure, satisfies a taste test and falls within chemical parameters established by the International Olive Council.

The lawsuit, filed Aug. 2 in Orange County Superior Court, seeks punitive damages and reimbursement for profits made from alleged false marketing and advertising using the extra virgin label. The suit, which seeks class action status, targets 10 major olive oil brands, including Bertolli, Filippo Berio, Carapelli, Star, Colavita, Mezzetta, Pompeian, Rachael Ray, Mazola and Safeway Select.

Read the article in its entirety here.
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