Volume 33, No.40
March 21, 2014
Ferran Adria Visits the CIA
BY: Amy Zarichnak, AOS Culinary
The Culinary
Institute of America regularly welcomes leaders from the culinary industry to campus, but some guests shine brighter than others. Their contributions to the industry, as well as their accomplishments, seem elevated based on how groundbreaking their work has been. In that respect, Ferran Adria’s visit to campus on Wednesday, March 12, 2014, felt more exciting than any other guest in the past year, including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and even Paul Bocuse. While students embrace all of these icons, perhaps it is Adria’s tendency to be a maverick that cause him to be so admired and revered. He is truly breaking new ground with his new projects, but yet, we are still obsessed with and talking about his past endeavors. His past endeavor, of course, was elBulli, a three Michelin star restaurant in the town of Roses, Catalonia, Spain. After working in the restaurant business and then serving in the military, Adria joined the crew at elBulli in 1983 and within eighteen months, he became the head chef. In the late ‘80’s, he began culinary experiments and used chemicals to create foams and other textures. He would deconstruct a familiar item, such as a BLT, and break it down into its parts, and reassemble it with different textures,flavors, forms, and temperatures. While here, Adria remarked, “If you don’t know the original, you don’t have deconstruction.” All of his techniques are now common in the repetoires of chefs. His restaurant was considered the best in the world and won that title from Restaurant Magazine in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. The restaurant was open six months out of the year, and would also Culinary Culture
plans a comprehensive tome on cooking. At elBulli, he examined their own dishes and put together the impressive elBulli 2005 – 2011, which systematically categorizes every dish that was made at the restaurant organized by year, and including complete recipes, techniques, and discoveries. He plans to now do this with all food, applying his analyzation and observation techniques and publishing the information online in the interest of worldwide collaboration. His final venture, elBulli 1846, is a working museum of sorts. It will also be located in the space that the restaurant occupied, and will contain information on the history and theory of cuisine. The “1846” pertains to the number of recipes that they made at elBulli, and is also a reference to the year Auguste Escoffier was born. During Adria’s visit to campus, he had lunch with students who were nominated by faculty, and also did a book signing upstairs in the Marriott Pavilion following his lecture.
famously close for six months out of the year, while he and his staff retreated to elBulli Taller, his workshop, where they researched the next season’s culinary creations. Operating at a loss for six years, Adria made the decision to close elBulli, and served the last meal on July 30, 2011. He has said that he wasn’t sad at all about closing the restaurant, because he so looked forward to his next ventures. His next ventures, as he talked about while here, are threefold. His elBulli Foundation will support all of his ventures. This foundation will be housed in the old restaurant space, and will be part creative think tank, part research facility. elBulli DNA and Bullipedia is an incredibly ambitious venture, wherein culinary research will be meticulously executed, and recorded in their DNA test kitchens, which are said to be some of the most advanced in the world. The record of their findings will be known as Bullipedia, and will be available for free online. This distribution of knowledge for knowledge’s sake is typical of research scientists in a research setting, but completely unique in the culinary world. Bullipedia is going to take on ingredients in a whole new way, explaining their origins, their relations to other foods, and even their etymology. The questions he asks are both basic and profound: What’s the different between a fruit and vegetable? What’s the difference between an empanada and a ravioli? He
P3
All photos courtesy of Phil Mansfield FOOD & BEVERAGE
P 4-5
“Memoirs From a Meat M.I.T”
P 8-9
Book Review: Jacques Pepin
“So...I Failed My Practical” ON CAMPUS
CENTER SPREAD
P 6-7
“The Universal Flavoring”
BACK PAGE
“All In Good Taste”
P 12
LA PAPILLOTE
2
THE NEWSPAPER OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA SINCE 1979
March 21, 2014
PUBLISHER
The Student Affairs Division
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Amy Zarichnak
LAYOUT EDITOR
Diane Lam
ADVERTISING MANAGER CONTRIBUTORS Emily Dittmar Chef Freddie Brash Daniel Jarosz Francis Mailing Connor White Gareth Alonso Maxine Lambiase
Sue Haug
Alexis Harrington Stephanie Kirkland Gabrielle Thomas Andrew Vinegar Chef David McCue Irena Chalmers
COMPACT
La Papillote, the Newspaper of the Culinary Institute of America since 1979, is dedicated to respecting the mission, history and values of the college. Our primary purpose is to report the news of the institution to the students and other members of the campus community. We examine contemporary issues of the food service and hospitality industries to inform, challenge and develop the minds of students as they aspire to leadership roles in their chosen profession. We reflect the diverse views of the student body and provide a forum for civil discussion. Above all else, in our reporting and features, we strive to be accurate, fair, unbiased and free from distortion. Whenever we portray someone in a negative light or accuse a party of wrongdoing, we will make a real effort to obtain and print a response from that subject in the same issue. We will not plagiarize. Articles and features are expected to be independent assessments on a topic by an individual author. The views expressed are those of the author’s alone. They do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of La Papillote or its staff, nor do they represent the views or opinions of The Culinary Institute of America, or any entity of, or affiliated with the college.
FOOD REVIEW POLICY
As a valuable part of our content, La Papillote offers restaurant reviews. It is in the best interest of our readership to be honest, accurate and fair in providing information and judgment on these establishments. Reviews will reflect the writer’s opinions about the menu, atmosphere and service. Whenever possible, reviews will be conducted with complete anonymity. Permission from the restaurants will not be secured prior. All issues of La Papillote are available online, therefore, the critiqued restaurants, along with the public, can view editions at anytime on the web.
EDITORIAL POLICY
La Papillote welcomes submissions of work from students, chefs and outside professionals. The decision to print is based on the following criteria: quality of content, value of content to our readers, quality of writing, originality, objectivity, layout, and verifiability. Besides the Editor, there are two Copy Editors who read over submitted articles. Major changes will be reported to writers before the issue goes out. However, any other changes that need to be edited close to the deadline may or may not be forwarded to writers. This is due to the fact of lack of time. It is asked for writers to trust the Editor’s decision at this point during layout. Please direct all submissions to: Amy Zarichnak, Editor-In-Chief at lapapillote. culinary@gmail.com.
A
few months ago, before I returned from externship, the previous editor, Stephanie Kirkland, and her staff put out a newspaper with a question mark on it. It was in reference to student apathy on campus. At that juncture, I wasn’t convinced that “apathy” was the right word, or that it described exactly what’s going on with our student body. I’m still not. What I do know is that only a small percentage of students get involved in the clubs, the committees, and the community here on campus, which contributes to a diverse, interesting, learning-experience-rich culinary culture. That small percentage of students runs and participates in the clubs, puts out the newspaper, gives tours on campus, plans events, serves as resident assistants, blogs on the CIA website, and are generally the most recognizable faces on campus. This, in turn, yields them opportunities that others don’t have – being nominated by a staff or faculty member to work the Leadership Awards in April (where you rub elbows with many culinary industry luminaries), participating in the video that is shown at that event, meeting culinary leaders who come onto campus, interviewing them, speaking to outside magazines, newspapers, and websites as a representative of the CIA, and learning about certain events at the school and in the city at which the CIA needs assistance. These are very, very valuable things that can, and will, change the very trajectory of your career. I want to understand why more people aren’t involved. Being involved is extremely valuable to you, your future, and your education. I know you don’t have time. I didn’t, either. And I have even less time now that I’m one of “those” people who is involved and participating in everything that interests me. In fact, there are days when I get up at 4:30am and I don’t stop until I drop into bed at 10PM. In fact, those are most days. Monday through Friday are such a whirlwind, and my weekends have very little to do with down time anymore. Absolutely, there is sacrifice involved. If you could call it that. Because what I gain from this constant activity in my life is so great and so huge and so wonderful, that I couldn’t imagine living my life any other way right now. My life hasn’t always been this way. I’m not setting myself up as an example to follow because heaven knows, I have lived my share of misdirected days. Years, to be more accurate. So, please, this isn’t about how great I am versus how lazy you are. This is about, holy sh*t, I can’t believe my life has become this just based on a little bit of effort in following my dreams. More than anything, I want this for you, too. I’m sharing my revelations so that you don’t have to walk that path that I was on for so long. It’s hellish to hate what you do for a living, boys and girls. I want you to love what you do here. And if you do, you should get involved. Time is always going to be an issue. Spend it wisely, like you would your money. The trick for me has been to only do things that I love, or something that is in line with my career goals. Sometimes you have to exercise your right to say “No.” I came on campus this year and said “Yes” to everything, and quickly found myself overwhelmed, sleep-deprived, and cranky to everyone around me. This does no one any good. Pick one thing you think that you’ll love, and give it your all. Start there. Practice moderation, and underestimate your energy. Because when you truly do love what you do, you’ll find the time to do it well, do it better, make it better, and the next thing you know, what you love becomes your life. I find myself returning “business” emails at 10pm at night, something I would have NEVER done in my previous professional life. I don’t mind the meetings that seem to rule my life these days at school. I absolutely dreaded them at work before. Your purpose in life begins to gel once you funnel your effort and energy into those things you love. You become who you are supposed to be in life. I have different perspectives than the traditional students because I’m older. I know how these activities look on your resume and I know what skills they build that employers want. I understand the delayed gratification of being involved now and having that time investment pay off later. Some of you may not see this. I want to open your eyes to the amazing opportunities that come out of this school and are offered to the best students. I have said it before in this paper and I will say it again: The opportunity to touch greatness – interact with, pick their brains, meet and greet, small talk with, get in front of, show your face to, offer your resume – is so plentiful here. It’s okay to take the time as a new student to settle into your schedule. I sat back my first two semesters and observed more than I participated. When I came back from externship, I jumped in full-fledged. I knew the drill at school. I knew what I could handle. I knew what I wanted. I also know that I’m going to graduate soon and I need to make my time here as productive as possible. I want to encourage people to get involved. Not because I said to, but because of what it yields you. This isn’t about me. It’s about you. The reason why I am so passionate about this is because I spent over twenty years in a career that I hated. It wrung joy out of my life, it caused immense stress, and I was exhausted for years, trying to play the part of someone who I wasn’t. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. We need people at the paper. People who are responsible, reliable, high energy, interested, engaged, invested, and people who are warriors. We need people who can cut a path. We at La Papillote aren’t the only ones who needs great minds and able bodies. Figure out where your passion lies and pursue it here at the school. If it’s La Papillote, we welcome you. Our ever-changing roster of students means that a small core group of students have the almost-overwhelming task of putting out the paper. We need help. If you’re looking for opportunity, I am completely willing to share the wealth!
Amy Zarichnak az772942@cia.culinary.edu
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the Editor may not exceed 250 words and they should be exclusive to La Papillote. In selecting letters, the editors try to present a balance of views. We reserve the right to edit for space, clarity, civility and accuracy, and will send you the edited version before publication. If your letter is selected, we will try to reach you in necessary cases to verify the letter’s authenticity, to clarify your motivation, to clarify your relation to the subject for our readers or to verify facts or sources. Letters to the Editor may be sent to LaPapillote@ mycia.net with “Letter to the Editor - For Publication” in the subject line. Please include your phone number.
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Scan To Visit Our Library on issuu.com/lapapillote. Diane A. Lam Layout Editor
Stephanie Kirkland Copy Editor
March 21, 2014
3
So...I Failed My Practical
BY: Connor White, AOS Culinary
There, I said it out loud.
Many students are too embarrassed about failing their practical to talk about it. I wanted to share my story about how I managed to fail it in the hopes that I can help to prepare you for its many challenges. Honestly, I was shocked to have failed it. As an “A” student, it was hard to accept an F. I, like many a culinary mind, tend to be a perfectionist who doesn’t like to offer anything but their best. I think that’s exactly why this was so hard for me to accept my grade. Going into my practical, I was cool as a cucumber. I was confident that I had learned everything that I needed in order to pass. I felt that I would pass, but my goal was a score somewhere in the 90’s. Ha! So here’s what unfolded: When I pulled my dish, I knew that I didn’t want to cook the Shallow Poached Flounder, and I definitely wanted a menu with consommé on it, because I knew I was good making it. I pulled the Deep Poached Salmon. On my first day of A la Carte, this was the dish that I made. It is, in fact, the dish that I cut off the top of my thumb on, the dish that had sent me to the emergency room. I thought to myself “Well this is going to go either very well, or very badly.” I began my cooking. I knew that with this menu, one of my first steps had to be to get my consommé on the stove. When I went to the cooler, I noticed that we were out of eggs. I told the chef immediately and he told me that I would receive them on a supplemental order. “Hopefully, they’ll be here soon,” I thought to myself. While waiting for the eggs, I put on my court bouillon. While that cooked, I prepped everything that I could. Eventually I started the Summer Squash Noodles. I cut all of the squash, zucchini, and leeks. All that was left was the dreaded green beans, which is where I made my slip-up just three weeks earlier that cost me the tip of my thumb, which still isn’tfully healed. Thoughts of
bloody towels, passing out, and emergency room faces were all flashing through my mind. It was utterly distracting! I don’t know why, but I was psyching myself out. I walked into this practical completely calm and prepared. I was letting green beans and an accidental cut get in the way of my success mindset. Eventually, I shook that feeling, and continued on with my food. When I finished those green beans, I was relieved to
that all of my fingers relieved intact. Nearly an hour had passed, and there was still no sign of the eggs that I had ordered. With only an hour and a half left until my soup needed to be presented, I needed those eggs now. About five minutes later, my eggs had arrived. I separated the yolks and whites then finished the clarification. This would still have to sit in the cooler for 15 minutes. This was when I realized that I might just be screwed. I was cutting this far too close. I pushed through, knowing already that I would be presenting a sub-par dish based on my disrupted timeline, outof-sequence cooking, and ultimate psycho-out in my head that caused me to make mistakes. The time came for me to serve the soup. It had just finished, and to be honest, I was surprised at how well it had turned out. However, now I had just fifteen minutes left and quite a lot of work to do. First step: drop the salmon to poach. Then I began whisking my hollandaise. If this hollandaise went wrong, I’d have no time to fix it. I began frantically plating my food. To be
honest it was food that didn’t even come close to representing the type of cook that I actually am. When I reached for my hollandaise to finish my plate, I had 1 minute left until my plate had to be up. I looked and it was just barely beginning to break. I whisked it quickly and prayed to Escoffier that I’d be okay. I quickly wiped my plates and rushed them to the judge’s table. Time up! I was done. When I sat down with the chef he asked me how I thought that I had done. Bitter about my performance, I listed off the mistakes that I knew I had made. Chef agreed with me, and showed me item by item where I had been docked points. There was nothing more that I could do at this point to change whatever grade I would be getting. While chef was speaking, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t listening. My eyes flashed through my rubric and I quickly added up my grade in my head. At this point I knew that I was straddling a 65%. When he flipped the page to reveal my grade, my heart dropped. A 64%. Failing my practical by a matter of one point was not something that I could have predicted for myself. What had I just done? That night, I indulged in a round of selfdoubt before I came to terms with what had happened that day. I simply didn’t show up. I had no partner to blame for my mistakes. My proctor didn’t owe me a passing grade. I didn’t fail because of bad timing on eggs. I failed because I performed badly. I didn’t adapt to the setback. I got the grade that I had earned. In just a few days, I am scheduled to retake my practical. Just like before, I will walk in calm, with a good timeline, and well prepared. This time I will need to perform and show what I am actually capable of. We need to remember that these tests do not mean that we are good or bad chefs. Instead, they show how well we performed that day. I refuse to allow my outcome to have any impact on who I am or who I will be in this industry. After all, it’s just a test. Editor’s Note: Connor passed his practical on the second try!
Living My Culinary Dream
BY: Emilio Cera, AOS Culinary
In high school, if you told
me that in three years I would be attending The Culinary Institute of America, I wouldn’t have even understood what that was. I had never heard of the school prior to doing research on culinary schools. I was born in Mexico but grew up in Spartanburg, a medium-size town in upstate South Carolina. Spartanburg is by no means considered progressive or forward-thinking when it comes to its restaurant scene. I didn’t have any family or friends who worked in the foodservice industry prior to working in restaurants myself.However, at the same time, my family (both nuclear and extended) has always been very much captivated by food, cooking, and eating. Basically all of our family events would center around a meal. Even immediately after eating to total capacity, we found ourselves still sitting at the table, discussing what or where we were wanted to eat next. We were, essentially, “foodies.” I probably spent more time reading cookbooks and other books related to food or chefs than anything else. After a short one-year stint studying Computer Science at Clemson University, I realized how miserable I was. Clemson is not only an excellent school, but also has a beautiful campus. I was having fun socially there, but I just had zero ambitions for the future, and I found my programming classes to be a drag. So, after consulting with my parents, I began to pursue the idea of a culinary career. I was only interested in working at the highest levels of cuisine,
and eventually desired to open my own restaurant. In order to do that, I needed to get a solid education in the fundamentals of the culinary arts. I immediately knew that the local community college was not going to cut it, and after further research, I was pretty sure that the CIA was the right choice. I knew that they had over forty learning kitchens, as well as three award-winning restaurants, and also knew that the chef-instructors were all very experienced. The four month externship requirement meant real-world experience, too. It all looked fantastic on paper, but I still had some doubts, so I visited Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC. About twenty-five minutes into the tour, I could tell that it just was not quite the caliber of the CIA. In addition, they didn’t have any public kitchens, which immediately made me favor CIA. I also didn’t appreciate the fact that JWU would place you somewhere on externship, giving you very little choice on what kind of food/experience you would have. This continued to assure me that CIA was the right choice, and I continued with the application process. I had an immense amount of help from Jaqui Pressinger from the Admissions office here, which was yet another thumbs up for the CIA. Finally, I toured the school a few weeks before I was supposed to start, and I was more than blown away. Not only is the campus beautiful, but the kitchens and other facilities looked incredible. I no longer was at all worried about what the correct choice was, I knew I was headed to the CIA, and that is something that has been reinforced one hundred times over since I have been here. I have now been here a little over a month, and I have been continuously, pleasantly surprised by how incredible this
school really is. I have never met a group of more focused students who are also just as interested in their classmates’ success. Although the course load is heavy, and the truly difficult parts have not yet begun, the chefs and instructors are always here to help you. Both the faculty and the other students want to see you succeed. They want you to reach your highest potential. I have had students literally take me exactly where I needed to go when I asked for directions. One time even a student got up from a table at Farq, plate full of hot food, to show me where K-3 was when I had absolute no idea how to get there. The amount of activities the school has set up for the students outside of their typical classes is also astonishing. The other night after Fundamentals class I went to see a demo by the Butcher and the Beast Society on how to make smoked foie gras mousse that included a tasting of the mousse as well as a Tête de Cochon roulade tasting. I mean, come on! You don’t find this at any old culinary school. The library has every possible book related to food I could ever imagine. I have literally gotten goosebumps from the food I have tasted here, as well the different “moments” I have had. And it’s only been one month! I could not be prouder to be part of a student body that will go on to change and lead this industry. It feels amazing to finally be focused intently on my singular goal here at the CIA. I get more and more excited about my upcoming classes and the techniques and skills I will eventually learn, especially when I hear students who have been here longer than me discussing it. I am ready to continue to take “pride in traditions of excellence” and get the most of out my education here at the CIA.
LA PAPILLOTE
4
BY: Gabrielle Thomas, AOS Culinary
Arriving back to campus at 3 AM
in the wee hours of Sunday morning was actually the sacrifice of my precious sleep. I had the privilege of trailing at the famous Jean-George’s ABC Kitchen in New York City on a recent Saturday. I am a relatively new student here and am currently in fish class. Having grown up in a small town in Pennsylvania, near historic Gettysburg, I was not prepared for the grandness of “The Big Apple.” My journey to the restaurant began on the Metro North, destination Grand Central Station. Yearning for risotto, I searched the city for a place satiate my craving. Being a gigantic city with thousands of restaurants on every street corner, one would not think something seemingly so ubiquitous would be so hard to find. Eventually, I found a restaurant with risotto all over the menu. Upon entering, however, a sign stated that only AMEX and cash were accepted. There I was, without cash or an American Express card, and out of luck. Thankfully, I came across a mainstay in the area, a restaurant called PJ Clarke’s. They might not have had risotto on the menu, but my reuben and shoestring fries certainly hit he spot. After lunch, I decided it was best to head over to 18th street to arrive to my trail early. Stepping out of the subway and making my way up the stairs, I arrived at Union Square. I just so happened to stumble upon a farmer’s market that day. I walked back and forth, observing all of the mysterious New Yorkers and tourists going from stand to stand and purchasing locally grown food, while I could hear people discussing their beliefs on GMOs. By this point, New York City had my heart, and I was so happy
that I might have the chance to extern here. Before entering ABC Kitchen, I decided to sit across the street and observe those who entered and departed the restaurant, as I did not want to arrive too early. However, doing this certainly made me more nervous than necessary! After working up the courage, I decided to walk across the street and enter. Upon entering, I was greeted by the hostess and handed an application to fill out. “No big deal,” I thought, while trying to calm my nerves. “I can do this!” Finally, I was introduced to one of the sous chefs, Seth. Seth was very kind and welcoming. He asked me where I was from, my work background, and told me how their kitchen operated. I then toured the restaurant and got to see the kitchen firsthand. Then it was my turn to join in on the fun. I jumped into my chef jacket that was provided by ABC Kitchen and put the rest of my uniform together. Since I never worked BOH before, I was put in prep to chiffonade kale. As a matter of fact, I filled a whole tub with kale and was covered in green at the end. Taking what seemed like forever to complete a simple task, I thought it would be over. I began to doubt myself, thinking I didn’t have the skill to work in ABC kitchen. However, apparently this was not the case, Seth told me I was doing a great job. He said that I would be moving over to the garde manger station, and that it was wide open to the public for everyone to watch and see. There would be zero room for error there. For a moment, I was terrified. I was placed with Matt, who was the chef for the garde manger station daily. Matt, too, was very welcoming and kind and explained every task and menu item to me in great detail. At first, I started off with spooning out avocados and wiping them down, not so hard. But once again, I was covered in green. Finally on to the real deal, I was making and plating menu items. Not only did I have the opportunity to send out my own plates I had made, but I was also having delicious food shoved down my throat because Seth wanted me to try every single thing. I was
A Sense of Place Interview with Wil Guidara
BY: Gareth Alonso, AOS Culinary
What does a soda jerk at
Baskin-Robbins, a busboy at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and a general manager at one of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants have in common? They are all one and the same person: Will Guidara. Born into a restaurateur family, Will Guidara was immersed in the business from a very young age. His family had warned him about the hard times and financial struggles the business could bring and strongly urged him against going into this line of work. “Everyone else in the family pushed me to not get into the business, but it was one of those things that if you feel a very strong connection and passion, the only way to really find happiness is to give into that.” It was this passion that would push him over the years, and finally elevate him from the position of an ordinary busboy to a powerful and influential force in the restaurant industry. . In his quick rise to the top, Guidara had spent some time both in the kitchen and tending to the needs of the guests dining, and it was face-to-face with the patrons where he felt most comfortable. Although it wasn’t his intention to work in fine dining, a tentative placement in New York would land him in the same workspace as visionary chef, Daniel Humm. The partnership that grew out of their time working together blossomed into a formidable duo in the foodservice industry. While working with Chef Humm, Will was able to realize that “fine dining could be fun and it didn’t need to be stuffy.” That was where, he says, that he felt the most fulfilled. Upon returning from a culinary school in northern Spain, Will Guidara began work at a New York City Danny Meyerowned restaurant named Tabla. He attributes the success and fellowship of the now closed Tabla restaurant to his foundational knowledge of the hospitality service. He fondly remembers the lamb sandwich they used to serve and told of the “trade system” of delectable dishes that Eleven Madison Park and Tabla had established. Being afforded the opportunities to travel to exotic locales with world famous chefs, Will Guidara expounded on how he
and Chef Humm started taking inspiration from these travels. Surprisingly, they did not just taste unique ingredients in strange locales, and then try and shoehorn it into their menu here in New York. Rather, they found a deeper brilliance in the food they enjoyed. They began to realize that no matter where they were,
or what they were eating at these Michelin-Starred restaurants, all the ingredients came together to showcase “a sense of place,” as he so eloquently put it. It was this realization, combined with attempts to pinpoint a sense of authenticity in New York, that has been the impetus in much of the work and flair that goes into an establishment as renowned as Eleven Madison Park. What the two partners came to realize is that just because you can get any ingredient you want from at least one purveyor in the city, does not necessarily make it a good decision. They understood that people do not visit New York City for its subtlety, and they recognized that New York is a place full of hustle, drama and style. These things are uniquely New York. The collaboration between Will Guidara and Daniel Humm on the book I Love New York further exemplifies their vision, which is a love letter to the entire state as a whole. Where many people forget that there is more to the state than Manhattan, this book was to showcase the distinctiveness that is the Hudson Valley, the fertile farmlands to the west and also the people who make it possible for restaurants like Eleven Madison Park to serve three Michelin Star food to their guests. Finding new flavors and ingredients to play with is our life’s work, but Will Guidara shows how being true to yourself, finding inspirations, and creating a sense of place can enhance your success.
not going to complain! Everything that I tasted was impeccable. Being placed on the garde manger station and having duties other than prep work was not the only thing that made me want to extern at ABC Kitchen. Seeing the way the waiters and those in the kitchen worked and interacted with one another was amazing. ABC Kitchen is run perfectly and everyone helps each other out. Having the chance to be placed with Matt was also great, I not only learned how to operate garde manger station, but I learned about another chef’s background and goals, and he taught me a great deal. Going into this trail, I had heard some horror stories and was told I would be solely doing prep. Leaving this trail, I realized that you shouldn’t believe everything you read or hear. One needs to base opinions on what you learn firsthand. My first time working back of house and my first trail was more than I could had hoped. By the end of the night, I left knowing where I wanted to extern and most importantly, with a smile on my face and a full stomach.
All About the CHOWDAH!
BY: Andrew Vinegar, AOS Culinary The Thirteenth Annual Chowder Cook-Off was the biggest one to date! On Sunday, March 2, 2014, fourteen student teams came together to prepare their best seafood chowders. All teams fiercely cooked throughout the morning, but in the end, the What’s Cookin’ Good Lookin’ team prevailed with their bacon and scallop chowder. They took home both 1st Place and the People’s Choice Award. Their competitors, The Great Clamsby, followed in 2nd place with their “Roaring Clam Chowder” and 3rd Place went to Miley’s Wrecking Ball with their creamy Maryland crab chowder. Additional awards were handed out for Showmanship, which was given to Lazy Lightning, and for Professionalism, which was won by the Jammin’ Clammin’ team. Due to the gas supply malfunctioning in the SRC Banquet Kitchen, Jammin’ Clammin’ was one of the teams that chose to transport their station to K-16 in order to finish preparation. When the teams faced difficulties with the gas in the kitchen, Dean Whalen commented, “They handled it very well and very professionally. The students stayed positive and kept pushing through with some teams transporting some of their prep to K-16 before the gas issue was fixed.” The gas began working again shortly after the teams arrived in K-16. Even though they lost valuable time, they remained focused and organized, according to some judges and competitors. Chef Reilly noted, “All of the competitors displayed great courage and remained calm during the high-pressure situation.” The Chowder Cook-Off has continually grown since its inception in 2001. Since then, ten teams have increased to fourteen because more students have wanted to participate. The crowd turnout has increased as well. Chef Clark, a former fish class instructor and longtime chef of the CIA, created the Chowder Cook-Off while talking to Chef Heywood, who created the Chili Cook-Off. Chef Clark, being an avid seafood lover, decided our school needed a competition that incorporated seafood, and thus, the Chowder Cook-Off was created. Chef Clark retired last year, but actually returned to be a judge for the competition this year. He had been in charge of the cooking portion of the competition, but since his departure, that duty has been transferred to Chef Reilly as head chef. Culinary competitions have become a staple at the CIA and these events continue to be a hit among our student body. Dean Whalen sees events like the Chowder and Pizza CookOffs becoming much larger as our school grows which means bigger, more in-depth events for the students. This year’s event featured a photo booth, a nautical craft area, and a money booth. Entertainment was provided by The Shoemakers, Chef Tom Kief and Professor Bruce Ostwald’s band. Student Activities would like to thank all that participated in this great event, and all those who came out to support their peers this year’s event. The next competition, the Pizza Cook-Off, happens in April!
March 21, 2014
ON CAMPUS
Maximizing Your Tutoring Session
BY: Lacey Benjamin, Almuni
How to Get the Most out of the
Library Learning Commons Everyone knows where the Library Learning Commons (LLC) is, right? It’s that place that’s on the top floor of the library that has coffee, tea, fruit, granola bars, and the occasional cookie. Also inside the space that opened less than 6 months ago are a lot of fellow CIA students who spend their spare time outside of class tutoring others who need help with everything from knife skills to micro-economics. I spent the duration of my BPS career as a tutor for a lot of different subjects, and even though I loved being able to help others succeed, there were definitely some things that made being a tutor difficult. Through some research and time spent talking to some of my friends and current tutors, I have compiled a list of things that, for lack of a better word, are the primary pet peeves of the tutors. So, next time you feel the need to visit the LLC (and you should, it’s awesome!), keep these things in mind to get the most out of your time, and ours.
1. Tutors aren’t psychic: we don’t know you’re in the center if you sign in and silently sit down. Now, this may seem simple, but it actually happens more than
you would think. If you come into the LLC, sign in and sit down without saying anything, the tutors, for one, are usually very busy and may assume you are waiting to meet a friend, work independently, etc. The other problem with this is that if you have an appointment with a specific tutor who may not know who you are, they will wait approximately 15 minutes and mark you as a no-show in the computer resulting in an angry automated email and you won’t get the help you need. On the other hand, you may wait 30 minutes, get angry, and ask someone where the tutor you assumed is psychic is, and that doesn’t make anyone happy, and your session starts off on a bad foot. Nobody likes that. Moral of the story: when you sign in, say something. Let the person at the desk know who you are and who you are looking for. They will point out your tutor for you and you can introduce yourself. At that point, your tutor will let you know if they can help you immediately, or if they need a few minutes. Either way, you both know the other is present and waiting. 2. Again, tutors aren’t psychic: we don’t automatically know what class material you need help with, and we can’t help you if you don’t come prepared with it. When you make an appointment (and trust me, appointments are the way to go), or even walk into the center needing help without any books, class notes, study materials, homework assignments, the right questions and most importantly, the right attitude, we can’t help you as well as we would like to. You have to come both mentally and physically prepared for your appointment. Help us to help you. Come prepared. Would you show up in a kitchen without recipes or a timeline? 3. Plan ahead. This is a big one. If you are in a difficult class and need help right before a major test, or are about to take your costing practical, you are most likely not the only one from your class who needs help. The fact of the matter is, there are a lot more students than there are tutors. We can’t help you to achieve much (editing papers included) if you come to see us thirty minutes before the assignment is due, or right before you have to take the test. You will gain much more if you make appointments in advance, which will require planning on your
part, but will result in much better grades for you. In fact, for a large project or major test, make TWO appointments, a few days apart. A little preparation and time spent on studying can be the difference between a C grade and an A. I’ve seen it happen. 4. A little respect goes a long way. You’re required to clean the kitchen to spotless before you leave, so why is it different in the library? Toss your garbage, take your extra paper, and ensure you leave nothing behind. Also, if a tutor asks you to sign in, this is standard procedure and no reason to be annoyed. When you sign in, you say “Hey, I’m a student who uses the LLC!” which allows for more improvements to be made to the center because administration can clearly see that it is being used. If you use the space and don’t sign in, we don’t know that you’re using it. 5. Using the space wisely The LLC is fantastic, but it isn’t filled with infinite amounts of space, especially computer space. If you come into the LLC and start surfing Facebook, this isn’t utilizing the space for what it is intended. If a tutor needs to use a computer to help another student, you will be kicked off of the computer that you are not using for educational purposes. Bring your laptop, tablet, or smartphone, or simply go downstairs to the computer lab, but please do not use the computers that are earmarked for educational use at the tutoring center. 6. We can’t actually do your homework for you. Crazy, I know! But if you don’t make an effort to learn the material, we can’t help you any further. We can give you examples, make up problems, edit what you have already written for grammar, but we can’t transfer our thoughts to your head, or put our answers on your paper. Come with the willingness to learn and you will be surprised with what a tutor can help you do. Remember, two appointments, and you can increase a letter grade. This is about applying yourself and learning what you need to know with someone to help you along the way. This isn’t about getting the answers from us or us doing the work for you. Show up motivated.
delivering product to our kitchens. Patience became paramount, and it is something that I lacked. The first few blocks were the worst. I didn’t know how someone could do something ass-backwards after being shown the correct way three times, why the sinks would be grimy after four people spent a half hour cleaning them, and why there were always meat shrapnel bits on the wall when the group leader would tell me the class was ready to leave. I became impatient, frustrated, and very vocal about it those first few blocks. It wasn’t good for my students, and it wasn’t good for me, either. One Sunday in March I sat down and decided to do something about it. The first step was a document entitled “A Word From the MIT”, which all of my students would receive prior to the class, containing fifteen points of information. These fifteen points would make the difference between my students being prepared or starting off in the weeds. Then came the Packing Chart, and finally, the Portfolios. I wanted you, my students, to have as much information as I could, and make you autonomous. Let’s
face it, there are twenty of you, and just one of me. If the procedural questions could be pared down or eliminated, then we could get down to what really mattered. How can I help you to learn and understand more about meat? That’s what I was there for, right? For some, I became a friend and mentor of sorts, but my priority was to help you learn, and to send you on your way more capable and organized than you were before you started my class. While life did become more organized, there were still plenty of mistakes, but it’s a learning environment and the important thing is to not make the same mistake twice. Anticipating what could happen also became second nature, and having an awesome crew made it all possible. Ralph, Dan, and Fred are the unseen backbone of the meat room, and they all deserve a lot of credit for making it happen behind the scenes. Chef Elia and Chef Schneller have literal lifetimes of experience, both as instructors and as businessmen. I could not have asked for a better group from whom to learn. Their knowledge helped me to build ideas and develop into who I am now, because my knowledge and capabilities have expanded exponentially from where they were little more than a year ago. But more than anything, I hope I made a difference to you, my students. I hope you took something with you (ahem……portfolios!) and that there will be a moment when memories flood back and turn on like a light bulb. I hope you will all be able to properly French a rack of lamb or bone out a pork loin when you leave the CIA. I can still hear my Skills Chef right now and see that look on his face when I even think of cutting a corner. I often hear the voice of my mentor when I am disorganized, and I have learned to correct the situation. The lessons you learn, you take with you. More important than any of that, however, is that I want to say thank you. Not only to the Chefs who made my three years at the CIA worth every moment, but to the students, who in allowing me to teach them, taught me a few lessons too. Remain humble. There is always something to be learned.
Memoirs from a Meat M.I.T
BY: Miranda Crenshaw, CIA Alumna, Former M.I.T.
Being a Manager-in-Training
at the CIA was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and I would not trade it for anything. By being an MIT, I was given an opportunity to influence the next generation of culinary professionals, which was incredibly rewarding. More than that, it was an opportunity to recognize my strengths and weaknesses. Most people wouldn’t challenge my leadership ability or work ethic. Those are my strengths. My weaknesses, unfortunately, are patience and time management. I suddenly became responsible for not only my own tasks, but also organizing the tasks more than sixty people, and
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LA PAPILLOTE
CENTER SPREAD
Raising the Noodle Bar
BY: Gareth Alonso, AOS Culinary
In the past, myreviews have featured
restaurants with a real pedigree: eateries that have experienced chefs backing the fantastic food coming out of the kitchen, and places that have left my wallet more than a bit lighter. For this issue, I elected to take a more casual approach. This time around, I ate at Yum Yum Noodle Bar in Kingston. Asian food has always had a place in the hearts, and stomachs, of many Americans and culinary students alike. Yum Yum Noodle Bar offers a plethora of options to satiate these cravings. Yum Yum Noodle is not the traditional Asian food found in some of the neighborhoods which checker the streets of Manhattan. It has more of an American spin on the dishes while still being faithful to the overall tastes and textures one might find deep in the heart of Chinatown. The popular restaurant, nestled in the center of Fair Street, offers dishes and flavors from various regions in Asia ranging from China, Thailand, and as far away as Indonesia, and all are priced within reach of a hungry college student. Walking into the restaurant, sitting down and looking at the bright colors and social seating areas, you might think you were sitting in a cute little café or pastry shop. The walls are brightly painted and feature artistic designs, and the bathroom even has a love lock fence, a nod to those traditions abroad. The soy sauce sitting in the condiment rack on the table quickly reminded me of why I was here. We sat down and ordered up some appetizers from the chalkboard menu which displayed the day’s specials on the wall. The Chinese sausage buns and seitan satay caught our eyes, respectively, eyes and we quickly ordered
them. Both were delicious, and discovered was pleased to find that the seitan had a very nice “meaty” texture for not actually being meat. The satay was a perfect showcase of the umami flavors we hear so much about at school, with the peanut sauce and garnish. I am partial to charcuterie, so I loved the sausage buns. The sausages were served open-faced on a warm and soft steam bun, topped with a small helping of an aromatic red cabbage salad. The dijonaisse smeared between the bun and the meat was exactly the sharp tanginess that the appetizer needed. Overall, it was a very good start to my meal. For entrees, we ordered the noodle bowl and the daily bento box. When ordering a noodle bowl, you are given the options of choosing your noodle, the type of broth, and a choice of protein. On the day that I visited, I decided on was rice noodles, with coconut curry broth, and crisp pork. All noodle bowls come with vegetables, scallions, nori and, of course, an egg! The spiciness of the curry was well-balanced with notes from the coconut and assorted vegetables. The crispy pork was actually crispy, which is a key component of the dish that can get lost in lesser kitchens. The bento box (what is a bento box?) is a varied and balanced meal, and I chose the pork over the seitan version. The box came with a small portion of ginger noodles, brown rice, mixed greens, miso soup and a pork slider, which
is a a great deal for ten dollars. The ginger noodles were light and refreshing, and the miso soup with mushrooms was delicious, well-seasoned and further showcases exactly what umami is. My only complaint came from the slider, in that it was just too small for a man with a big appetite! However, the mixed green salad was less than inspired. Knowing that I was not paying upwards of twenty dollars for my entrée, I picked out the sadder-looking greens, and underneath found a well dressed and flavorful salad. Between the lightly acidic vinaigrette and the slight bitterness of the greens, the spring mix had a very nice balance of flavors. The brown rice that came with the dish also left a little to be desired, because while the rice grains were cooked to fluffy perfection, the only warmth in the mound was found in the center. Of course, what meal is complete without a nice sweet finish? From the standard desert menu offerings -- sweet, fruity and chocolaty -- we decided upon chocolaty. Something about the velvety andsoul-satisfying taste of chocolate just seems to go well with cold weather. The Vietnamese chocolate coffee tart was just what I neede !The coffee flavor was to found in the crumbly crust which cradled the dense chocolaty decadence of the filling. The bit of sugary glaze dripped over top was the coup de gras, and embarrassingly, I have to admit, I practically licked the platter clean. While one could, no doubt, find more traditional Asian cuisine at a plethora of restaurants smattered across the city, Yum Yum Noodle Bar elevates the dining experience and atmosphere to more than just a bright and colorful detour on a day trip to Kingston. The plates offered are more than enough to satisfy any array of noodle-y desires one might have. It also offers many vegetarian options, and they are truly delicious. . Yum Yum Noodle bar also has a more intimate (read: smaller) location in Woodstock, New York, that can serve as a nice place to get away andget your noodle on, American style.
immersed in a solution of salt and water will eventually pull out the soil from the green veggie. Clams similarly release soil deposits rapidly upon ingesting salt. When treated with salt, the shells open up ever so slightly and release soil. Furthermore, salt is also used to preserve food. It can prolong the shelf life of many ingredients. For example, cloves of garlic can be preserved for weeks, even months, when packed in salt. This period of time enables the sodium to fight off any microorganism. This explains why pork or beef sausage casings that are saturated in salt can be safely held for long periods of time. A slight disadvantage to the curing process is the prominent salty taste in some items, and sometimes, a dried out appearance. This issue can be resolved by rinsing your heavily salted goods with cold water or milk. In fact, milk is one of the best alternatives for diluting the sodium content of ingredients, such as salted cod. Salt helps to form a golden crust on meats and even assists in baking. In order to achieve a brown crust on proteins, season it after blotting it dry on paper towels. This seasoning also incorporates itself into most cooking techniques. In baking and pastry, salt sets off the chemical reaction that initiates baking. In yeast doughs, the salt content helps the yeast and the flour work together, like a team. Most importantly, though, salt increases the overall flavor of food. The number one rule in cooking is to season every step of the preparation. For instance, making salad calls for the salad itself to be seasoned, followed by the dressing, croutons (if
applicable), vegetables, and even the garnish. A small dusting of salt at every stage of the preparation ensures well-flavored food. When all the salted components come together, the flavors immediately pop. Taste as you salt, so you don’t overseason. Salting every component lightly is an effective tool in the kitchen. Some varieties of salt, like expensive fleur de sel, are dried near large bodies of water. Others are mass produced to certain fineness in the grain. One, iodized salt contains the compound iodine to prevent any thyroid deficiencies. Kosher salt is exactly what the name implies, kosher. Nonetheless, there are hundreds of salts in the market, with different origins and uses. Discover the world of salt and be adventurous with this universal seasoning.
T he Universal F lavoring
BY: Daniel Jarosz, BPS Culinary What is commonly mined, associated with large, rich countries, is shaped as a crystal, and once was as valuable as gold? Salt, it is! The word alone derives from the word salary, as it was used centuries ago as currency. A dash of fine sea salt over warm french fries improves the overall taste. A small handful of salt tossed into a cream of broccoli soup or a chicken broth provides complexity to the food. For all these reasons, salt is a universal flavoring for enhancing food, so never accept bland food. Salt serves many purposes, besides developing taste. Most significantly, salt draws out moisture from ingredients like eggplant or meat. The term used to express pulling out moisture from food is curing. Just think of dry cured prosciutto to get a better idea. As eggplant is salted, water will form in droplets on it surface, and this moisture being pulled out of it will prevent fat absorption during the cooking process. Fifteen to twenty minutes is enough time for moisture to be drawn out from the eggplant. However, items such as hamburger patties or red meats will bleed moisture when seasoned too far in advance, so you need to be cognizant of when to salt certain items. We want our meat to be juicy, but excess moisture in an eggplant can make it have a spongy texture. Besides its absorption qualities, salt can change the texture of food. A simple brine of half water and salt, applied to cactus or okra, will eliminate the slime from those vegetables. If you salting kale or salad greens too soon, though, you will immediately notice it wilting. A leek, however, completely
March 21, 2014
C hef C enterfold
7
Sweet or Savory?
BY: Maxine Lambiase, AOS Baking and Pastry
I say both!
Chef Tom Kief Cuisines of the Americas How did you get into the Food Service Industry? While I was in college for liberal arts, I worked in restaurants and I learned about The Culinary Institute in Hyde Park. I thought that going there would be a pretty cool thing to do. I came to tour the campus and fell in love with the CIA. The campus, the cooking aspect, and upstate NY. At this point of my life, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but this felt right. Who was a mentor to you when you were training as a cook? In the seventies it was not like it is today where mentors are readily available. My mentors became reading. Julia Child and Jacques Pepin were chefs who I looked up to and inspired to be. Now, students here at CIA have far more opportunity than I did to work with a mentor. However, Jasper White and Rick Bayless, who gave me opportunities to do stages in their restaurants, I would regard as my former mentors. We have learned here at CIA that you have a passion for Mexican cuisine. How has that evolved? When we changed the curriculum in the nineties, I looked for the weakest part of my repertoire and started to read about the cuisine. I actually traveled to Mexico three times and took cooking classes. It was a natural evolution for me as a chef to take that step. We hear that you are in a band. How does music play into your life? Music is my hobby and I have been taking guitar lessons since 1997, learning different styles of music. Acoustic blues caught my ear and now I am in a band called the Shoemakers, we just recorded a CD with 5 songs. Music is always there, it’s a really good friend. It’s also important to me to learn new things using my brain. I sometimes will hear a song that catches my ear, and I think, “I have to learn that!” In our profession, I am always amazed how many people play music. Chef can you give some advice for students. Read, read, read! If you look at chefs in the foodservice industry, they always have hundreds of books, and now there are even more books published, because cooking is a very popular pastime these days. For example, if you are going into Cuisines of Asia, buy a book on Korean or Japanese cuisine. Reading has given me depth in my life.
Why should we choose when they are better together? The flavor combination makes eating more fun and interesting. It creates layers and depth and actually causes us to think while we eat. Our taste buds are given a challenge when the ingredients compliment each other through contrast. As children we are taught our five senses, smell, taste, touch, sight,and hearing, and we also learn the four flavors, sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. Then one arrives at culinary school, and we learned of the fifth, which is umami. As children we are slowly introduced to new and different flavors. Most children prefer sweet and savory items separately, but as our palate matures we start blending the simple flavors. We look for more exciting things fro, our food. Something that’s simply just sweet is no longer as satisfying as it once was, we look for more complexity so adding a salty or even sour component creates a more enjoyable meal. It also transforms eating from just nourishing our body to a full-on, multi-sensory experience. As chefs, this is our goal. We want the meal or dessert to be memorable and intoxicating. To accomplish this, we combine flavors in new ways, combining sweet and savory foods to create an experience that diners remember. Let’s take a look at salted caramel. Caramel is delicious by itself, but when we add salt, it is transformed into a pool of pure heaven we want to dive into. The salt highlights the caramel’s depth and body, it goes from a one dimensional sweet drizzle to a three dimensional
sauce, sometimes with actual flakes of salt adding texture. It’s incredibly trendy these days, but for a reason: it’s delicious! No longer does it seem too sweet for anyone because the salt not only cuts the sweetness, it enhances it, as well. When you think of onions the first thing that comes to mind is a savory food but caramelized onions are an entirely different story. They still taste like an onion, but caramelizing them bring out the sweetness of the cooked onion, and completely changes the texture. They are no longer crispy and crunchy, they are soft and chewy. Any meal’s flavor profile changes completely when raw onions are switched out with caramelized onions. A burger becomes meatier and a steak becomes is elevated from a piece of meat to a masterpiece. Everyone likes cheese. Even people who shouldn’t eat it cannot seem to get enough of it. The range of flavor from just one cheese can be aweinspiring. It can be subtle and mild to sharp and tangy depending upon how long it’s been aged. Cheese can be paired with so many things but the most popular are the flavors that contrast the cheese. What’s the first pairing that comes to mind when we think of cheese? Grapes, honey, figs, jams, fruit, and let’s not forget the number one drink pairing, wine! This is because these combinations appeal to the palate because their flavors contrast, highlighting the best of each item. We enjoy the harsh flavor and crumbly texture of the cheese with a sweet crisp grape, or sticky and sweet honey with a salty cheese. The wine then enhances the cheese because of the flavor components in it. All of these foods and flavors come together to create a new, more exciting dining experience. As we get older and learn more, our taste buds require a more sophisticated flavor experience. Combining sweet foods with savory ones is something that always surprises our tastebuds, but more often than not, delights them as well.
LA PAPILLOTE
8
Fr e d d i e B ’s M u s t R e a d !
BY: John Schlichting, AOS Culinary
There are so many books in our library here on campus,
Unfortunately for modern culinary students, La Technique
and many of us have so little free time that it can be really
is out of print, making it difficult to find after leaving our
hard to tell if a book will be worth your time. In an effort
campus and the remarkable culinary resources of the
to assist you make good selections, we’ll offer suggestions
Hilton library. However, as a gift to modern cooks and
from our chefs of books that they love and that hopefully
CIA students, Jacques Pepin has combined La Techniques
you will, too! Included with each of the books titles are
and it’s sister volume, La Methode, into a single volume of
also the call numbers, to make it that much easier to find
complete techniques, entitled New Complete Techniques.
the books in the stacks.
There is one copy available, and at the time of publishing,
Jacques Pepin’s New Complete Techniques by Jacques Pepin TX 651.P398 2012
that book was on the shelf and not checked out. For more visual learners, the book is filled with color
I asked Chef Brash about the book that he’d most
photographs featuring Chef Pepin demonstrating all of the
recommend to CIA students. One of the books, he said,
cooking tips and techniques expounded upon in the book.
that most helped him after graduating, was La Technique
The recipes are clear, concise and classic.
by Jacques Pepin. The book pages are filled with all of the
This is a fantastic companion work for the student trying
techniques you were just taught in fundamentals. In case
to get their fundamentals down faster or even students who
you’re in need of a refresher, or if your notes just weren’t
are past Fundies class trying to get a few more tips on the
as good as you thought they were at the time, this is the
food they’re working on.
book to pick up. Students could just read the book for tips and tricks from Jacques Pepin, a chef who has been cooking for so long that he’s seen just about everything. His insights on French cooking, from his professional career, are timeless.
T he Cultural Impact of Food: Italy’s Garlic Debate BY: Alexis Harrington, AOS Culinary
F
or generations, garlic has been a staple of Italian cuisine. From American-Italian cuisine to fine authentic Italian cuisine, garlic has always been present in recipes. However, recent events in Italy have made the topic of garlic in Italian cuisine somewhat controversial. In ancient days, the Romans used garlic to prepare for battle. It was a staple in their diet because they believed, along with other cultures (Egyptians, Muslims, and Hebrews), that garlic was a magical herb. They believed that garlic granted one strength, immunity, and even fertility. Because of the Roman’s vast travels, garlic had made its way around the world. It is widely believed that the Romans introduced garlic to the AngloSaxons of present day England, and the English brought it over to the New World. In recent interviews with Chefs from Italy, there is a hot debate about removing garlic from Italian cuisine all together. Many people are aware of the significant differences, almost a rivalry, between northern and southern Italy. There are a few northern Italian chefs that wish to completely remove Garlic from the cuisine of Italy, claiming that Garlic masks the delicate flavors of the other ingredients. There are some northern Italian chefs who insist that there should not be a single clove of garlic in their establishment, nor the smell of garlic on the breath of any of their staff. They find that garlic is a lower class ingredient, and had no place in fine Italian cuisine. On the other hand of the spectrum, most southern Italians find the idea of removing garlic from their cuisine as insulting. History will show that southern Italy was once very much poorer than Northern, and garlic was one of the only things they could cheaply plant and flavor their food with. Generations later, they still hold true to their culture and tradition. The concept of becoming “more refined” disgusts some of the locals, insisting that their relationship with garlic has been such an integral part of their life for generations, so integral that giving it up would be giving up a part of who they are as a people and culture. “Italian food” means different things to different people. As a Midwesterner, whenever we ate Italian food, it meant boxed linguine boiled until it was pleasantly overcooked, then drowned in a jar of alfredo sauce . If we were feeling fancy that night, we’d throw in a handful of rough chopped garlic. My childhood take on Italian food would make most actual Italians cringe, begging for mercy for me. As culinarians, we need to understand the beliefs and culture behind the food. Our life as a culinarian, and our careers as chefs, revolve around the principle of accommodating individual tastes and needs. To do that, one must understand the culture and background of the people whom you are serving in order to offer proper hospitality. It is this careful attention to detail that shows how much you care for somebody. Love your food.
March 21. 2014
FOOD & BEVERAGE
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Have You Thanked Your RA Today?
BY: James H Manley Jr., Ph.D., Director of Residential Campus Life On Wednesday, February 19, 2014 colleges and univerOur RAs and SRAs are an important keystone to the sities all over the nation recognized the work of Resident success of our residence life program here at the Culinary Assistants (RAs) as part of RA Appreciation Day. Here at Institute of America. Between welcoming new students who the Culinary Institute of America we are fortunate to have a move-in sixteen times a year, planning over one hundred dedicated staff of forty-five student leaders who serve in the residence hall programs, answering numerous questions, rerole of RAs or SRAs (Senior Resident Assistant). These stusolving conflicts, and completing various administrative tasks, dents went through an intense application process and after our RAs still manage a full academic course load, become they were hired each candidate went through an exhaustive involved in other clubs and organizations on campus, and series of training programs to provide them with the skills assist with a variety of special projects on campus. All of this and knowledge needed to successfully fulfill their leadership is done as part of their efforts to make this campus a second responsibilities. home for all the students who live within the residence halls. So what do the RAs do anyway? Well I could go on and on This is made even more amazing by the fact that our RA listing all the various expectations and responsibilities that staffs are constantly changing due to the unique academic make up the day-to-day routine of our RAs, but I think the program here at the CIA. So if you see the following students poem below, written by Josh Feinblum, sums it up nicely: listed below anytime during the year, please show your apHopes of a RA preciation and thank them for a job well done. “If you enter my room feeling lost My hope is to show you direction. If you enter my room full of tears My hope is that you will leave with a smile. If you enter my room feeling like a stranger My hope is that when you leave, We will know each other. If you enter my room full of happiness My hope is to share your excitement. If you enter my room bothered by worry My hope is that you will leave feeling at ease. If you enter my room glowing with love My hope is to share in your warmth. If you enter my room bubbling with dreams My hope is to watch them develop for you. If you enter my room with a troubling problem My hope is that you can confide in me. If you enter my room My hope is that we will both grow stronger.”
Angell Hall Staff: Ja’Toria Harper Maddison Orman Kelsey Finley Melissa Schmidt Miranda Garza Shannon Haggerty (SRA) Pick-Herndon Hall Staff: Corrine Williams Nicholas Ellison Sean Appel-Polonski Kern Liam MacLeod Ashley Stassi Maxwell Moreis Liam Kamp (SRA)
Rosenthal Hall Staff: Matthew Oliveira Arni Cabatingan Carissa Kratz Robert Micks Claire Sanders Monica Rivera CJ Cheyne Daniel Jarosz (SRA) Hudson Hall Staff: Ken Keane Erica Tatham Alisandro Serna Shirel Berger Connor Rand Jason Tucker Matthew Campion Jonathan Duncan (SRA)
Lodges/Townhouses Staff: Thoemaas Lozier Kyle Luce Jason Sedgwick David Slonkosky Ryan Lee Nicholas Rojas Luke Tatti Michael DiPaola Lindsay Ontko Sarah Garcia Patrick Chuckas Linnea Prejean Daniel Colonel Samantha Cancro (SRA) Mackenzie Mantegazza (SRA)
Dorm Room Recipes
BY: Stephanie Kirkland, BPS Culinary Arts I have recently become a vegetarian. When I try to explain this to people, our conversation goes a little something like this: (Gasp, with an incredulous look!) “What? Why?” My typical response: “Besides the fact that the U.S. food system is almost completely in the gutter, I just want to take better care of myself and what I put into my body.” Their eyes literally look like question marks at this point. So all I will say, without getting into the controversial nitty-gritty, is that I don’t feel deprived in the least, and I am definitely not compromising on flavor. Simple techniques and preparations can completely turn any dish into a satisfying meal, while omitting any animal protein. For instance, instead of making a soup with some kind of pork product, what I do to achieve the utmost richness possible out of some meager produce items would be to roast those vegetables before I make soup from them. By roasting, you can create the intense, rounded, bold flavors that are just as delicious as the flavor that you can coax out of a ham hock. Of course, you won’t have a pork taste, but crisp, fresh vegetables become satisfying and delicious when roasted. If anything, my experience so far with being mostly meat-free has been a great segue into changing my diet entirely, one step at a time, and one experimental meal at a time. I don’t miss meat. I don’t need it. I can be well-fed and enjoy my meals without it. In fact, I prefer my meals meat-free.
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Roasted Cream of Broccoli Soup Broccoli 1 bunch, stems included, roughly chopped Shallots 2 each, roughly chopped Olive Oil as needed Salt and Pepper as needed plus more Roast both of the broccoli and the shallots on a sheet pan at 375°F with enough olive oil and salt and pepper to coat, until blistered evenly. Vegetable broth or water 1 quart, to cover Heavy Cream 1 pint Cider Vinegar To taste After roasting, add vegetables into a stock pot with enough stock or water to cover, and heat until simmering. Turn off heat and use an immersion blender to puree. After blending, add the cream, and a few teaspoons of cider vinegar, to taste. Turn the heat back to low and check the seasoning. You may want to add a bit more salt and pepper, along with red pepper flakes for serving.
LA PAPILLOTE
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Graduation Speaker: Bill Telepan B
ill Telepan is chef/owner of Telepan and Telepan Local, both in New York City. One of New York’s first and most acclaimed devotees of “Greenmarket cooking,” Chef Telepan showcases the season’s bounty through his cuisine by using the freshest ingredients from the city’s farmers’ markets. His style of cooking stems from his childhood in
New Jersey, where his family cooked and shared hearty meals together, often featuring fresh vegetables from their garden. He began working at local restaurants at a young age, eventually enrolling in The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. After graduating from the CIA in 1987, Chef Telepan accepted a job at one of Manhattan’s top restaurants, Gotham Bar and Grill. As a line cook working under Alfred Portale ’81, he learned the importance of treating vegetables with care and precision to enhance their natural beauty and flavor. In 1990, Chef Telepan traveled to Mionnay, France—just north of Lyon—to apprentice with the legendary Alain Chapel at his eponymous threeMichelin-star restaurant. While there, he acquired an appreciation for cooking locally and seasonally. After returning to New York, Chef Telepan trained with Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque and with Gilbert Le Coze at Le Bernardin. Working with these world-renowned chefs, he practiced the art of balancing flavors and textures while forging his own style of cooking. Chef Telepan’s career came full circle in 1991, when he signed on as executive chef of Gotham Bar and Grill. During his four years there, he prepared refined dishes using ingredients from nearby Union Square Greenmarket. Chef Telepan then moved on to the executive chef position at Ansonia on the Upper West Side, where he developed
his own menu and further refined his craft. In 1998, he joined Judson Grill as executive chef, where his cuisine helped the restaurant earn a three-star review from The New York Times. Chef Telepan’s cookbook, Inspired by Ingredients, was published in 2004. The following year, he opened Telepan on the Upper West Side. The restaurant allows Chef Telepan to showcase his simple and balanced approach to cooking, which has earned him a loyal following and accolades such as a 2014 Michelin star, a glowing two-star review from The New York Times, and the title of “Best Newcomer” in the 2007 Zagat Survey. In 2014, Chef Telepan made his downtown debut with the opening of Telepan Local in Tribeca. The restaurant’s menu features casual tapas-style American fare from an open kitchen, with a seasonal focus that has become the chef’s signature. Since 2008, Chef Telepan has served as executive chef for Wellness in the Schools (WITS), a non-profit organization dedicated to making school food healthy. As the first chef to join the WITS team, he has led the WITS Cook for Kids program by developing nutritious school menus, training cafeteria workers, and teaching culinary and nutrition concepts to students, parents, and teachers. In 2009, Chef Telepan was selected for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to School task force and preliminary conferences.
AOS Graduating Class of March 21, 2014 Culinary Arts Group #1 Front: Ivan Gonzalez Tucker Eric Corona Emily Schurgin Erin Lucas Seihara Sorrell Rosemary Miller Trevor Damiani
Back: Jason Lanoue Spencer Shrapton John Sutton Iain Simmons Nick Newcomb Mckenzie Bird Dylan Pitcher Hogan Popkess
Culinary Arts Group #2
Front: Chieyen Meachem Andy Wang Marla Villar-Martin Jazz West Lulu Hou Emma Fretheim Nicolas Altero Kevin Silverman
Back: Lou Guarneiri Juan Agustin Will Quartel Jared Heider Brandon Louis Soto Thomas Villa Adam Gale Sam Petrosky Mark Lascell Sean
Culinary Arts Group #3 Front: Arni Cabatingan Evelyn Ling Nicole Schumann Dawn Sicari Rebecca Lawrence Kirsten Carlson Chelsie Lincoln Karen Mayorga
Baking and Pastry Front: Paulina Gil-Pier Samantha Chiusano Allegra Kellorgg Hannah Harris Helen Hua Kat Chlumsky Sara Elliott
Back: Elena Suozzi Kimberely Bernstein Amanda Verni Alinda Lawrence Lauren Bradley Kelly Gilchrist Emily Nelson Jamie Moreno Haylee Shaddock Josephine Lemay
Back: Luke Tatti Kyle Luce Khristian Martinez Kaelyn Buckley Grant Young John Cronk David Stockford Robert Micks Garret Lim Matt Lewis Kierra Ragland Steven Leavitt
POT LUCK
March 21, 2014
W hat Would
BY: David McCue, Faculty Conributer
Editor’s Note: Chef McCue has a Facebook page up that highlights all the goings-on in his kitchens. Of course, the funniest ones are the catastrophes and the silly things students do. With his big heart and quick-witted tongue, we thought it would be fun to hear his advice on some of the students’ problems. We asked some students what was going on in their lives that they needed help with, and here are his replies. Need advice? Submit your questions to Chef McCue by emailing lapapillote. culinary@gmail.com. Chef McCue’s Note: First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone for considering my semi-vast accrual of selectively pertinent, and often trivial, knowledge as a psychological sounding board for the sophomoric shenanigans that students engage in on an all-too-frequent basis. Nevertheless, the fact that you are turning to a media source as a means of resolution can only mean one of two things: One, you realize this is solely for entertainment purposes and that this should be taken as seriously as financial advice from a Ouji board, or perhaps even skydiving advice from a turtle. Two, you really are at the end of your rope if this is all you have to go on. In which case, hold on, your life is about to get even more messed up if you listen to me. Welcome, one and all, to the WWMD advice page. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. I aspire to offend everyone equally. Dear Chef McCue, I appreciate the kind, albeit censored, reply, since the 1st amendment doesn’t necessarily apply to all papers. Perhaps this will receive the same scrutiny. Why is it so hard to believe in love at first sight? I applaud our youth for speaking their minds. Although I would have chosen to delve deeper and find out the reasons why love has been sparked? Is it the chiseled abs, the ultra long eyelashes, the flexibility that nine years of dedicated daily yoga provides, as well as the endurance of someone half my age provided from marathon running? (So as far as needing to take care of a decrepit old man, I think you may have me confused with someone else) Who knows for sure? It does, though, add up to quite the dreamy package if I may so humbly agree with you. I say bring on the resumes and headshots, or a silent auction to increase funds for the Side Towel Scholarship open to any graduates (of course). And by the way, Sonicare toothbrushes have over 1000 bristles. Yours truly, Chef V (AKA Dreamy) Chef V, Thank you for taking the time to formulate such a well thoughtout and provocative response. I am by no means saying that love at first sight does not exist. On the contrary, I believe it does. In fact I experienced it myself a number of times, specifically, with my children. My true love, the other half to my soul, my wife, however, was love at second sight… Funny story for a later time. However, I think you might have misread my advice to Ms. Anonymous. I never said you would be “decrepit,” I think what I said was “cranky”. True, it could hardly be argued that anyone who spends so much time on self-maintenance and sculpting would possibly be anything other than a mint condition silver fox by then, far from decrepit. This is why I advised the young lady to seek you out and tell you. This, after all, could be the love that is written about for all ages (historically not demographically, although in this case, both) to aspire to. But suffice to say, I understand where you are coming from, I myself fell in love with the most beautiful student I had ever met. I totally get the attraction. However, at the time we began courting, I was also a student. My apologies to Sonicare, I had my facts wrong.
Q: I met a guy in my class who seemed really great, and we started dating, and then we had “relations,” and now he’s completely dropped the ball. Don’t tell me “he just wasn’t that into me,” because I was basically doing charity work when I dated him. Now I have to see him every day. How should I act towards him? Nicole, AOS Culinary Nicole,
McCue Do?
It is not uncommon for people in this industry to find themselves attracted to people they work with. The close quarters, the passion we express for our work, the flattering uniform. So now he’s buttered your croissant and he’s no longer talking to you... Hmmm.. Maybe this wasn’t actually the love of your life. I know it’s hard to believe, you had “relations” and everything. So, how you should act? Well, try having a conversation. Lots of people are doing it these days. It’s how you find out if someone is “into” you, shares your interests, and helps you to not use your boudoir (or his dorm room!) like some sort of compatibility practical exam. And may I suggest a more traditional way of doing “charity work”? Perhaps a soup kitchen, or reading to sick children in the hospital. Plus, I’m no Sherlock Holmes, but maybe you’re not that good in bed. Take five bucks and go get yourself a copy of Cosmo. They have all sorts of tricks to keep a man interested for longer than the amount of time it takes him to put his pants back on.
Q: My roommate is a slob and caused me to fail my room inspection. How can I get Stinky Feet to clean up his side of the room? Jeff, AOS Culinary Jeff, I might start by having a discussion with your RA. They might have some insight for you, as they have seen this many times before. If they can’t help you, I would try some form of mild harassment, like inviting people over. Frequently. Especially people who your roommate might be interested in. If that doesn’t work take photos of him in his surroundings, how he keeps his clothes, and his tool kit, and what not... Send them along to his mom, his girlfriend, or better yet, his chef. A filthy uniform has no place in the kitchen. If his personal life is putting people in jeopardy then make him aware you are the type of person who will let someone know about it.
Q: I’m of legal drinking age but got in trouble for drinking with some underage kids on campus. Why am I in trouble? Anonymous Anonymous, Quite simply, it is against the rules. I know you are 21, so why are you punished? Well, here goes: it is illegal to provide minors with alcohol. That is the law. You, a 21 year old, provided alcohol in an environment where underage people were present. Therefore, the minors present would have access to alcohol. Unfortunately, laws exist because people don’t know how to follow simpler rules. So, rules get more complicated and restrictive. Check out the handbook on page 26. There was a time when someone of age could enjoy a beverage of their choice with someone underage present. But, obviously someone screwed it up for the rest of us. So now, we have rules saying you can’t. Can you really blame the CIA for enforcing this rule? This crazy, litigious, I’mnot-responsible-for-my-actions, someone-else-should-be society would just love to drag a prestigious institution like ours into a three ring courtroom circus because some human being unit decides to get juiced on his roommate’s hootch and slips and breaks his neck on his or someone else’s vomit. The way you kids drink, this place would be out of business in a few months. By the way, try going out to a bar or hanging out with people your own age. I know it sounds over-simplified, but you don’t have to make yourself cooler by drinking around kids. Or do you?
Q:
I think my RA is completely hot. Is this a nono or can I go for it? Anonymous Anonymous, Sure. What’s the worst that can happen? Lots of people find love by jumping thoughtlessly into an intimate relationship. Right, Nicole?
Q:
What’s up with the toques, Chef? Why can’t we wear skull caps or bandannas? Tyler, AOS Culinary Tyler, Here at The Culinary Institute of America we wear the classic, time-honored, traditional chef’s uniform. A uniform allows people in an organization to avoid judgment by non-objective criteria of fashion or the ability to purchase fancy duds. Not only that, we wear them for the same reason we don’t come to work in jeans and old metallica t-shirts, the same reason we don’t smoke
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on the line, drink during work, use stock base, or go into the walk-in with Nicole. Because we are at the CIA. We should be displaying the utmost level of professionalism. That’s not to say that these things aren’t done in the industry, but here we try to showcase the classics, the foundation. Then when you are out in the industry you are free to do whatever you want with what you’ve learned. It’s not a fashion statement, it’s discipline and respect. Besides, don’t worry about the way it makes you look, Nicole will still sleep with you anyway.
Q: I like country music, Chef, and my roommate and his friends make fun of me. I want to show them what a country boy is about and take them out back and kick their asses, but I don’t want demerits. I need a good practical joke to get them back. Know any? Brian, BPS Culinary Brian, Ummmmm, a practical joke you say… I must admit that I have a few up my sleeve, but if I were to post them here it wouldn’t surprise your roommates, now would it? Stop by and see me though, I might have a few gags up my sleeve that you possibly shouldn’t, absolutely not use.
Q: Chef, you don’t strike me as the type who is good with the ladies, but since you’re the only chef with an advice column, you’re all I’ve got. How do I up my game with the girls? I never get lucky. Anonymous Anonymous, You are as subtle as a hammer. Perhaps that’s the issue you have with the ladies. I might have tried a slightly more backhanded compliment approach, like “Chef, you have kids that kind of look like you, so at some point you must have been successful with the ladies... Or at least one. I need some advice with regards to women or my genetic code dies with me… or when someone cleans my shower floor.” This would have been a bit witty, at least. Nevertheless, I understand your plight. Try treating a lady, well, like a lady. Talk to her, act like you care about what she is saying. Pretend like what she is saying is important to you. They love that stuff. Someday, when you’re mature, funny thing, it actually will be important to you. Be that guy and the ladies will be lining up for you. And when you finally do manage to date one of them, don’t just run off scared because the thought of spending your life with someone is too terrifying. You want to up your game? Be a man, don’t run, actually build a relationship. P.S. Give Nicole a call, she misses you.
Q:
This school is like a pressure cooker, Chef. All I want to do when I get out of class is get drunk or sleep. How can I get disciplined? Dave, AOS Culinary Dave, No doubt our career typifies the work hard, play hard lifestyle. Long hours and little time to recreate often leads to substance issues. Too bad, really. Yes, I will agree, this business is a real pressure cooker. But in order to succeed in it, you had better love it. Love the rush, love the pressure. And when the day is over, there is nothing wrong with a drink or two, even occasional complete debauchery, but to have that turn into a lifestyle? There’s the problem. It is one thing to have a drink, relax, and celebrate your accomplishments of the day. It is another to have a drink to escape. Nothing wrong with a drink to relax and have a good night’s sleep. The problem is when it intrudes upon our lives, when you use it as a crutch and when it becomes the reason, and not the reward for a job well done.
Mise out, Chef McCue
If you have an issue and want help from Chef McCue, email your question to lapapillote. culinary@gmail.com.
All In Good Taste
A Commentary on Life at the CIA as a Nontraditional Student BY: Amy Zarichnak, AOS Culinary
I am currently in Cuisines of the Mediterranean. At this stage of the program, I feel more confident with the execution of the basic techniques, I’m starting to feel more confident in what I know, but I am also painfully aware of how much I don’t know. What I enjoy now is picking the brains of all the students around me as to what their externships were like, because everyone seems to have come back from externship with some new information or technique that they saw or performed that they can tell me about. I love it. I love learning, and there are so many things to know in the field of cooking, that I will pursue education wherever I can get it. Post-externship, there is more of a familiarity with your class schedule and what is required to succeed at this school, and I’ve also really heightened my involvement here at the school in different areas. Every time I think I cannot possibly take on one more thing, I do. And somehow, it gets done. I admit that I play a whole lot less than I used to, which isn’t a bad thing because I love what I am doing. I also admit that I have been in bed by 10:30pm the last four Fridays in a row – also very unlike me. But what I gain from this constant activity in my life – which isn’t always welcome -- is immeasurable. My involvement here at the school has yielded me so many opportunities. Let me explain how being a nerdy, good student benefits you. As I started the program in January of 2013, I listened intently at orientation where we were told to get involved with the clubs and organizations here at the school, as well as volunteering for events and staging whenever possible. I honestly thought, at that juncture, that it was going to be impossible to do and that I wouldn’t have time. I knew, though, that I wanted to write for the newspaper. My first time at college (in 1989!), I was in my first week, and I saw an ad in the student newspaper for writers for the paper, and also spied an ad for a part-time job at a publishing company. I got the job at the publishing company, but did not get the writing job at the newspaper. My writing career derailed at that point. Now, thanks to my new college career and the experiences I am having here at the CIA, I am back on track. It’s taken me 20 years to get here, so, thus, I greatly appreciate it. I am taking advantage of everything that will solidly put me on my career path this time. Let me tell you about what a little bit of involvement here at the school has
yielded me. First of all, I started out writing this article for the paper
I was recently contacted by someone in the marketing and
for every issue, because I felt it was important to reach out
communications office here at the school and was told that
to other non-traditional students who might feel isolated.
the New York Times was doing an article on career changers
This school is so intense, I wanted to tell the older students
and culinary school. I was asked if I would speak to the
that it’s okay to get frustrated, it’s okay to be exhausted, and
author of the article as a representative of the school I was
it’s fine to be the nerd in your class who talks about things
interviewed and the article, which includes a comparisn of
like your “learning experience” and who cares about your
the CIA and other culinry schools, was published on March
grades. I also started to interview chefs for the paper, which
17th. (I was misquoted, but who cares?! I was in the New
was really interesting, because a lot of our chefs have varied
York Timse!).
backgrounds, and most are incredibly accomplished.
This year, I was again nominated for the Leadership
Because of my involvement with the paper, and my good
Awards. This year, I plan to attend, and have been given the
grades, I was nominated by CIA faculty to become a student
interviewer position as a student ambassador, which was a
ambassador at the Leadership Awards in New York City.
position that they made specifically with me in mind. This
The Leadership Awards honors outstanding leaders in the
means anyone who is even remotely well-known will be
foodservice industry and raises essential scholarship funds
crossing my path. You can bet I will have my business cards
for students. While I ended up not attending because I didn’t
at the ready.
want to miss class (I told you, I’m a nerd!), I was still part of the video that was shown at the events, which allows you to
I was again in the video for the Leadership Awards. The James Beard Awards are on my radar this year, as well.
meet other people who work in marketing and advancement
I have also been contacted by the organizers of the
at that school. These people can connect you with other
Women in Leadership committee to join this organization. I
opportunities and will remember you when they need a voice
initially told them I wasn’t sure that I would have time. I have
or input or comment for a marketing opportunity.
thought about it, and am making the time to get involved in
When I went to externship, I decided to continue to write for the paper. I felt that there would be valuable information
and participate because I feel it is important, and I feel that the connections and information will be worthwhile.
for people while I was there, and I didn’t want to abandon
I was nominated by faculty to have lunch with Ferran
my duties just because I wasn’t on campus. After all, most
Adria. Honestly, the experience was surreal, sitting at a table
of my interaction with the editor of the paper was done via
with someone who has been considered the best chef in the
email, anyway. Not being on campus would really not affect
world. I have the respect of (most of) the chefs and faculty
what I needed to do to continue to write the article.
here (Sorry, Chef Johnson! I know you didn’t like my article
So, I continued to write, and in October of last year, I got an email from Dean David Whalen, who is essentially in charge of the newspaper, although in an advising capacity,
last year!). In fact, because of my editor duties, I met with President Ryan, and he gave me some great job leads. So many wonderful things come out of hard work and
not in a managerial capacity. He complimented me on my
dedication.
columns, and informed me that Stephanie Kirkland, the
recognition from faculty, and recognition begets further
editor at the time, was stepping down, and he asked me to
opportunities. There are no drawbacks to hard work and
interview for the position.
focus except for a decrease in play time. But the truth is,
While not everything, good grades yield you
So, because of the visibility of my work, and my reliability,
I’ve played enough over the past 20 years. I’m ready to work
I was asked to interview for a position that I had no idea
and fulfill my life’s purpose. I want this more than I’ve ever
was even going to be vacant. By the grace of God, I got
wanted anything in my life.
the position, and immediately, I was able to interview Daniel Boulud, who was making a relatively short-notice appearance at the CIA to be a graduation speaker. I was actually able to interact with him as a real person, and not just a star-struck student, because as editor, I had the responsibility to make an article out of the interaction. I guarantee that when I cross his path again, whether in person or
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if my resume crosses his desk, he will remember me.
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Because when you do what you love, it honestly doesn’t feel like work.