2014 11 7 final

Volume 35, No.14

November 7 2014

Pangea: The Coming of a New CIA Restaurant

BY: Sydney Taylor, AOS Culinary

Each restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America has it’s own special theme: Bocuse, executing Classical French with a modern twist; Caterina de Medici, authentic Italian cuisine; and American Bounty, traditional contemporary regional dishes. What if there was a restaurant that included all different parts of cuisines? What if all of those cuisines were combined, perfectly balanced, and you could taste all cuisines in just one dish? Well, coming soon to a campus near you, is Pangea, the ultimate global fusion restaurant. I sat down with Provost Mark Erikson and Chef Tom Peer, Food & Beverage Director here at the CIA, to learn more about Pangea and what it’s all about.

First of all, due to the increasing number of students coming in, the kitchens are starting to become a little cramped. To maintain the quality of the school’s education and allow students to have the experience they need without cramming too many students into a kitchen,

Provost Mark Erickson, overseer of all aspects of the culinary programs, including Pangea.

Photo Courtesy of CIA

this new restaurant will be here shortly to give us future chefs a proper kitchen experience. The school has had five restaurants before, but has reduced down to four since the class size is always increasing and decreasing. With too little students, a restaurant must be removed when is seen fit. Therefore, these pop-up restaurants are necessary to go with the ebb and flow of the school’s ever-changing size. While Pangea is just being known as a pop-up at the moment, many great restaurants have been labeled as a “pop-up,” yet have continued to go on to be successful and great businesses. Pangea could very well be a permanent restaurant on campus, but only time will tell.

As we know, Pangea was the base continent that held all of the Earth’s landmass. Essentially, that is what’s going to be accomplished with the restaurant Pangea. Pangea’s goal is to showcase how food is put together internationally. The phrase “unified diversity” has been used to describe exactly what Pangea is shooting for. In almost all cuisines, we try to find a perfect balance of sweet, salty, savory, bitter, and umami. In Pangea, we’re finding a perfect balance amongst all cuisines and showing how it can all come together. How can Asian cuisine and Spanish cuisine come together in a harmonious dish on a plate? At Pangea you can expect to find this and plenty more. The different types of cuisines are combined to make you explore different cultures, all within one plate.

While unified diversity describes Pangea’s concept, I believe this is also a reflection of our school itself. As a core value at the CIA, respect for diversity is always being highlighted. We are reminded that we come from all different walks of life, and we can create something wonderful that couldn’t be made without the other because of our different background or experiences. Our goal in cooking is to create dishes with perfect balance and flavor, but it is also to provide our guests with an expression of ourselves.

Pangea will serve as a representation of cuisines from everywhere. Cuisines will transport you to an experience both wonderful and new. Flavors will be exotic, yet relatable and familiar with tastes you know, no matter where you are from. This will be a place to eat to experience new concepts, and to also be reminded of the classical favorites.

As our society is becoming healthier and more knowledgeable about what is best for our bodies, the foodservice industry will surely follow. Part of Pangea’s menu concept is to serve global fusion cuisine that is largely plant-based. As someone very interested in plant-based food, I’m ecstatic. I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Don’t worry yet carnivores, Pangea is not a vegetarian restaurant.

This is the Culinary Institute of America, and we cater to everyone.

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“Beneath the Bark at Crown Maple”

Funny enough, with rumors going on about an exciting new restaurant coming on campus, the first question I kept hearing was, “Where will it be?!” Well, soon you’ll find Pangea located in the East Wing Dining Room, a very underused facility. This will be a more casual style restaurant, and the school will be testing out something new. Pangea will be testing out a ticket system instead of your usual call-ahead reservations. There are always problems with no-shows and late arrivals for reservations, so instead diners will each receive a ticket. Just like when you go to the movies, you’ll get your ticket for your reservation and with your ticket you’ll be seated.

Pangea is an excellent opportunity for future entrepreneurs to showcase their ideas. Many entrepreneurs may be wondering what it takes to build a pop-up restaurant, how would you even start it, and more. Students will be taught the process of starting of opening this style of restaurant from the ground up. Pangea will be a go to for the entrepreneurial-minded students who are going in to restaurants. If you are interested in opening a business of your own, look closely at Pangea. This pop-up restaurant could be a big influence in your career!

Pangea’s grand opening will be January 7th, 2015, for dinner only. After two blocks, on February 13th, 2015, the restaurant will increase its dining to lunch and dinner. Get ready to get your ultimate global fusion fix in just a few short months! In the meantime, happy eating!

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“Top 5: This Weekend & Beyond”

“BPS Students Launch ‘A Taste of Fall’”

CIA’s new restaurant’s name, logo, and motto.

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Levine

CENTER SPREAD

“Tattoo Talk”

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BACK PAGE

“WD-50 in Their Final Moments”

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LA PAPILLOTE

Editorial

THE NEWSPAPER OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA SINCE 1979

November 7, 2014

PUBLISHER The Student Affairs Division EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Connor White LAYOUT EDITOR Thiana Anderson ADVERTISING MANAGER Sue Haug CONTRIBUTORS Sydney Taylor Sarah Lubitz Deja Burrows Betsy Ruch Sera Park Jeff Levine Katie Fenton Andrew Vinegar

From the Editor’s Desk: The Power of a Chef Instructor

Dana DeRiancho Chef David McCue Crystal Tan Katherine Miller Amy Zarichnak Tricia Manzanero Marisa Licandro

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: Connor White, Editor-In-Chief at lapapillote.culinary@gmail.com.

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.culinary@gmail.com with “Letter to the Editor - For Publication” in the subject line. Please include your phone number.

I feel as if for some reason recently my class was stuck in a bit of a slump. For a little while, going to class was just tough for us. We were uninspired so to say. It was clear that we needed something to bring back our life.

Until we returned to our normal selves, it was hard to be excited about going to class. Then something changed.

It wasn’t that we were putting out bad food. In fact, I was proud of the food that our class was putting out.

However, there was something that was lacking in our group. When culinary students return from externship the first class that they take is Baking & Pastry Skills, then followed by Garde Manger. While both of these classes are provide vital skills for any cook, they also take us out of our element. Both classes teach concepts that are new to the students entirely. Baking and Pastry seems to offer a challenge for culinary students who tend to have little knowledge and experience with breads, desserts, pastries, and various other foreign techniques. Garde Manger splits the class into preserving techniques, charcuterie, and Grande Buffet. While these techniques are more familiar to us culinary students, they still tend to utilize ingredients and methods that the students have yet to be master. As a class of cooks, it is our tendency to thrive on the line. Being separated from that type of work environment started to make my class a little crazy. Nonetheless, we powered through our struggle and made it through to the other side. In order to get there though, we needed a push.

This previous block, my class was in Cuisines of the Americas. Traditionally this section of the class is taught

by Chef Polenz, but for this block Chef Roe would be filling in her place as she helps design the course for CIA’s new restaurant, Pangea (see first page for more details).

On our first day of the block we came in and set ourselves to work. We kept our heads down, began preparing our dishes, and just tried our hardest to give a good impression to our new chef.

Fairly quickly, Chef Roe made his teaching style clear

to the class. During our lectures, he would tell stories about the cuisine and cultures that we were covering in class. When Chef Roe gave demos, he gave us real world advice. Dishes such as tartare should run as a special, not a daily menu item. That way the fish trimmings can be utilized as they become available, instead of using higher price cuts of fish that would be required if it was a daily menu item. He speaks with such passion about food that students can’t help but to become captivated by what they are learning.

In the Cuisines classes, a large part of the courses are about learning the cultures and geographic locations that helped influence the cuisines of those peoples. In Cuisines of the Americas the curriculum is divided into 6 subcuisines (New England and the Mid-Atlantic States, the American South, the American Southwest and Pacific Coast, Caribbean and Central America, Mexico, and South America) spending only a couple of days learning each location.

Of course being back into a production kitchen at CIA brings its stresses, but I truly believe that our class held up to the challenge. In fact it seemed rather natural to slip back into the swing of things on a line. It just feels so nice to get hit with a line of people hungrily waiting for you to put your dishes in the pass. By the end of the block, our class had been transformed. It was as if we had been working together our whole lives. Of course with this newfound excitement, the food that was going out of our kitchen became better and better as the days went on.

A huge thanks goes out to Chef Roe for providing our class with the inspiration that we had somehow lost somewhere along our journey. This just goes to show the incredible opportunity that the instructors have to make an impact on their students. Reinspired, we move onward.

Happy Eating,

Connor White, AOS Culinary Editor-in-Chief

Andrew Vinegar Director of Campus Outreach

Thiana A. Anderson Layout Editor

Frank Guido Photographer and Social Media Editor

Sarah Lubitz Copy Editor

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November 7, 2014

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The Food Network New York City Food & Wine Festival

BY: Sarah Lubitz, AOS Culinary

The Food Network New York City Food & Wine Festival, presented

by Food & Wine, was held from October 16th-19th at Piers 92 and 94.

The festival also hosted smaller events across the city. One-hundred percent of the net proceeds of the festival go to Share Our Strength and the Food Bank for New York City. These organizations do work to end childhood hunger across the country and in the city of New York. This festival is one that is talked about because of the celebrity chefs that attend, and because of the food that is served. I was lucky enough to attend the festival on Sunday, October 19th, the last day of the festival.

Walking into Pier 94 gave me the same feeling that Harry Potter must have had when he first entered Hogwarts. I had officially arrived at the New York City Wine & Food Festival (NYCWFF). Back in June, Alfredo and Erin Malatesta from Flavour Gallery were kind enough to extend an invitation to attend this magical event, and I couldn’t say yes quickly enough. So, when I walked through the doors, I couldn’t believe I had actually arrived. I was given a wine glass and instructed to walk into the Grand Tasting area. Grand Tasting reminded me of a dealers’ hall at a sci-fi convention. There were rows of tables serving wine, liquor, and food. These vendors and chefs were from all across the country. They were all there to promote their products and to have an incredible time.

I spent most of my day tasting wine and food from topnotch restaurants and vineyards. It was a dream come true to attend such a tasting.

In between tastings, I managed to get in lines for book signings and celebrity chef demos. Both Anne

Writer Sarah Lubitz sits with CIA Graduate Geoffery Zakarian ‘83.

Photo: Courtesy of Sarah Lubitz

Burrell ’96 and Geoffrey Zakarian ’83 were guests at the event, and I was fortunate enough to meet them. When I asked Chef Zakarian what young culinarians should know, his advice was this: “Find the best restaurant, even if it’s not paid, and learn as much as you can. After you’ve absorbed all of the knowledge that you can, move to another great restaurant. That’s what I did.” Alex Guarnaschelli was also in attendance. During her cooking demo, audience members were encouraged to ask the chef questions.

I asked her for advice as well, and her advice was spot on.

“Never get discouraged. This business can be hard, but you should never get discouraged.” I found that advice to be very relevant to what we do. We cannot allow one bad day to get us down!

After spending time at the Grand Tasting, Erin and Alfredo took me to the rooftop of Pier 92 to attend Me-

atopia. Meatopia was founded by Josh Ozersky ten years ago, and was brought to NYCWFF this year. Michael Symon ’90 was the host of the celebration, and, boy, did he work the room. His infectious laugh filled the entire tent, and he got all of us pumped up to eat more food. He encouraged us to eat as much meat as possible, and to have a good time. Before introducing the live entertainment, Chef Symon brought our attention to the main event: the whole hog that had been cooking all day. The smell of the smoky meat filled the air, and hundreds of guests lined up to get a taste. None of the food disappointed, and we all ate and drank the night away.

When all of us think about food and wine festivals, we automatically ask two questions: Who’s going to be there, and what kind of food will be served? Whenever I go to an event, I ask another question: What can I do to better myself and others? As I walked through the event, I talked to the representatives from Share Our Strength and the Food Bank for New York City. These organizations were in attendance to raise awareness. As chefs, we have a responsibility to pay it forward when we can. As chefs, we also have a responsibility to ourselves to better our careers. Networking is essential, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to finally meet Alfredo and Erin.

Their company makes quality products and they deliver brilliant customer service. I got the chance to help them out at the event, and it was an honor. My overall experience at NYCWFF was unforgettable. If you get the chance to attend, I highly recommend it.

For more information about this festival, the sponsors, the charity partners, or Flavour Gallery, visit these websites: www.nycwff.org; www.nokidhungry.org; www. foodbanknyc.org; www.flavourgallery.com

BPS Students Launch “A Taste of Fall”

BY: Deja Burrows, AOS Culinary

A traditional bachelor’s degree is completed with a Senior Thesis, but as we all know, The Culinary Institute of America doesn’t always do what is traditional. Therefore, students majoring in Management do not have a senior thesis but rather a Senior Event. About three months prior to graduation, the senior class is divided into smaller groups to plan, prepare, and host a charity event to benefit both the community and the student body. The students are given roughly a month to put together an event on their own. Every detail, from selecting a name for the event to electing a head chef, must be attended to by the students.

On Saturday, the 25th of November, the first class hosted their event, entitled “A Taste of Fall” and I had the opportunity to gain some insight on both the assignment and the event.

The class first divides themselves into four teams: the financial team, marketing team, culinary team, and dining room service team. Each team elects a leader and then as a class they elect a general manager. From there, the students must make an array of decisions from the charity which the event is to be in aid of, down to the garnishes on the deserts. The marketing team then begins spreading the word about the event and opens ticket sales, of which family and friends are given first preference. The students choose a theme which the menu and decor are aligned with. Their menu includes recipes the students write themselves, modify from class here at the CIA, or find elsewhere. The students are given two test days to try out their recipes and modify them if need be. All of the planning takes place within a period of about one month and the students in their respected teams oversee all of the details, with little supervision from their professor. The class works together using their knowledge of financial management, menu development, communication, and supervisory management to plan prepare and host their

Senior Event.

On Saturday October 26th, I had the chance to speak to the general manger of the first senor event, “A Taste of Fall”. The event was hosted in the kitchen of the school’s Catarina de Medici dining room and was in aid of the Down Syndrome Association, Hudson Valley and funds also went towards a scholarship fund for Bachelor’s students at the school. In accordance with the theme, the room was decorated in shades of orange, red, and yellow with each table centered by vases of willows barley and acorns. The students also decided to host a silent auction to raise additional funds for their charities with donated prizes. The event started with a cocktail reception and passed hors d’oeuvres, then it flowed into the silent auction in the private dining room, and dinner was then served in the main dining room in four courses. The dishes included local seasonal items such as apples and cranberries. Students showed off their culinary skills by hand making puff pastry, which they filled with apples and cheese, and crafting deconstructed sweet potato pie. The class invited an experienced chef from the school to help with the food at the event, as well as the professor who helped with the other various event details.

The real purpose of this senior capstone is not just raise funds for the class’ charity of choice, but really to display all the aspects of a Culinary Institute of America education. The students’ interpersonal communication through the planning process as well as on the evening of the event was assessed. Their ability to work together, take initiative, and see things through were shown in doing the assignment. The project is driven by the students with only minimal supervision from the professor. Professors use this final project to truly see what the students have learned during their time here at the CIA. All of the strengths and shortcoming of the program are shown through during the planning and hosting of the event.

This is beneficial because, through the years, the school has allowed the bachelor’s program to evolve based on this.

Along with professors, the guest also analyzes the nights’ events via surveys so that those outside of the school may also share their opinions.

The senior capstone of a charity event is a project that those in the Management Bachelor’s major look forward to. The event not only reassures the students that they are ready to go out into the world and mange and host events of their own, it also eases the professors’ minds knowing they have taught and molded students who can take initiative and follow through. There are three more senior events to come which promise to be just as productive and exciting. “A Taste of Fall” was a taste of success for the senior students, and I hope that the other senior events also bring out our CIA pride.

LA PAPILLOTE

4

The Gold Pin

BY: Betsy Ruch, AOS Culinary I started school here on March 25th, and 228 days later, being group leader has been the most rewarding and difficult thing I have ever had to do. There are fourteen different classes, six being kitchen classes, that seem to last for days at a time when you are butting heads with the whole group.

Flashback to Fundamentals. I started with twelve people, including myself, in my class with Chef Scott Swartz. There were students from Korea, New York, Taiwan, California, Maryland, Georgia, Texas, and Mexico; a largely diverse group that unraveled so much more than what I had originally thought. I did not even think about being the leader at first. I was there for myself, to learn and grow. It was not until a few chefs talked to me about my predicted capability of leading a class of stubborn, hardworking, and creative workers. I ran against four fellow classmates who all would have been a good option to have lead our class. At the end of an anxious night, I was elected to lead my group until extern. I met with the Dean and recieved my pin; something that has forever changed my life.

I am not sure quite how to describe my experience being the leader of a group with people added and leaving every block. The best way I can describe this whole experience is amazing, heart wrenching, brutal, rewarding, and challenging. I became close friends with each and every person in my group but, when we hit the kitchen, I had to

learn to forget my friendships and realize I need to lead a class to work together, not to fall apart. I never wanted to use my authority as the person with the pin until I realized how unorganized my class was. I started calling people out when needed and making sure everyone had their work done. I loved them all, hated them all, loved them all, and back and forth. I don’t think I will ever come to an ending with my feelings towards them. Each of them has their own strengths and weaknesses. I am blessed to be given such a group to support, even if I did not, and do not, always see it.

Externship came too fast, faster than I was able to get to know everyone to my fullest extent. Having a boyfriend, working on campus, going to class, and being a

Marsh Snail Soup

BY: Sera Park, AOS Baking & Pastry

24/7 support hotline for my class was tough. But now that it is coming to an end for the mean time, I am sad to see everyone go. There is no warmth in your heart like knowing you are doing better than you ever imagined yourself doing, and knowing that it came from strength within and also power and support around from my teammates. I have laughed more times than I can count, and probably cried the same amount as well. I have yelled and loved more than I thought that was inside of me. Coming down to the final days of school with now only ten people in my final group has become so bittersweet. I am excited to leave and move to Utah to start this new chapter in my life. It will be far from home and school, but I cannot wait. On the other hand, I will be far from everyone else. I’ll be far from my class and the people that I learned to love and be with over the past seven months.

For a while, I never thought I would be a leader. I came to this school afraid to fail, and found out how much being group leader has helped me pass. Yes, I will admit, in the beginning, I was not happy with my group, but now, I could not envision being in a different group. I give my love and wishes to my whole class, to wherever they end up, even if it is not back with me post-extern. I also give my thanks to all the chefs that have helped my class and me along the way. Even the chefs we did not personally have, every one of the chefs that I crossed paths with here have taught me so much. Having the gold pin is not just having the power to have authority, it is a blessing in disguise to learn and grow more than you could ever imagine.

CIA Grad at Helm of Nation’s Best New Restaurant BY: Jeff Levine, Staff Contributor

My grandmother is a great cook. Every time I visit my grandparents’ house, I look forward to my grandmother’s tasty food; it is the best in my family. My grandparents’ house is located in Danyang, a beautiful county in Korea.

In front of their house, a small river and a nice green mountain make for great scenery. My favorite food memory is set in this place.

In the summer, my family went to a local stream to catch marsh snails. We got together and had a picnic near the stream. All of my family, except my grandfather, started to catch marsh snails from the stream. These snails loved rocks, and when I picked up a rock, the snails were stuck on the bottom of it. About an hour later, we felt hungry, so one of my aunts cooked spicy ramen noodles, and my grandmother set up a grill to cook Korean barbecue. We enjoyed eating all the delicious food while we talked about our lives. For dessert, we cut a watermelon, which had been cooled from the stream water. It was very sweet and cool.

After sunset, we went back home and everyone took a shower, and my grandmother started to cook the marsh snails that we had collected. She put the snails into a big bucket and poured salted cold water on them. After 30 minutes, she rubbed the shells to clean them. She boiled water and put the cleaned marsh snails inside. After they were cooked well, she took them to the living room, and everyone got together to separate the shells and meat by using toothpicks. However, by this point, we had already eaten about half of them. Their taste was like a chewy savory jelly. It had a strong umami taste. The remaining snails were used to make the soup.

First, my grandmother boiled dashi (seaweed) stock and added brown doenjang (soybean paste). Then, she added sliced zucchini, sliced daikon, chopped garlic,

Photo: http://news.invil.org/article/PnArticleDetail. jsp?article_no=25938 chopped green onion and the marsh snails. She set up the table with the soup, rice, kimchi, grilled fish and other vegetable side dishes. I can describe the flavor of this soup as a sweet bitter taste of liquid and delicate earthy aroma.

The chunky, mild vegetables and little meat from the marsh snails made a wonderful combination. It was truly an unforgettable meal.

From my grandmother’s cooking, I have learned traditional Korean cuisine and farm-to-table meals. The cooking is always fresh and delicious, and I also feel a sense of nostalgia for the soup. Since I came to America four years ago, I have not been back to Korea, so I really miss my family. The times that my family got together, caught marsh snails, and ate wonderful meals remain strongly in my memory.

CIA Graduate JJ Johnson ‘07 Photo: Courtesy Jeff Levine The Cecil in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood was named the Best New Restaurant in America by Esquire magazine in October. The Cecil’s chef de cuisine is CIA bachelor’s degree graduate JJ Johnson ’07.

Esquire’s editors wrote, “Its food was the most thrillingly unique we tasted this year, primed and loaded with the flavors of the African diaspora—that trail of taste that moved from West Africa to India, the Caribbean to America to China, and then back again.” Referring to Johnson as a “great young chef ” they added that his “classical training provides the backbone for all the exotica.”

This is not JJ’s first big honor from a major publication. Earlier this year, Forbes magazine recognized Chef Johnson as one of its 30-Under-30 rising superstars. He held a cooking demonstration on the Hyde Park campus on October 25 as part of Homecoming Weekend at the college.

November 7, 2014

ON CAMPUS

BY: Katie Fenton, BPS Culinary

5

Beneath the Bark at Crown Maple

Saturday mornings always remind me of one of my most cherished food memories: sitting at my kitchen table, reading the Peanuts comics across from my dad and digging into some Strawberry Eggos with thick Aunt Jemima on top. Although I’ll always keep that memory close to my heart, I didn’t realize what my waffles were truly missing until the Saturday of October 11th, when I visited Madava Farms: Home of Crown Maple Syrup. Cozied up in the heart of a Dover Plains maple forest of gorgeous foliage, Madava Farms has a large production building in addition to holding a small café, a gift shop walking trails and, my personal favorite: a fire pit overlooking the natural graces of autumn on the farm. We were brought inside and given a tour of how Crown Maple Syrup is made with Resident Chef Jacob Griffin.

Each batch of syrup is made the same day the tapping of its sap occurs. Those little bottles in Apple Pie are more precious than you think: it takes 40-50 gallons of tapped sap to make just one gallon of pure maple syrup.

It all starts in those acres of trees surrounding the main production building: the stressful beginning of tapping into the bark as quickly and efficiently as possible in the short season. Because the tapping has to be done when the nights are extremely cool, Crown’s season is in December and January. During this time, the sap is youthful and the best tasting. Despite the fact that tapping season hasn’t started yet, we were able to get a closer look behind the scenes at all of the equipment and rooms in the factory that produce the syrup.

After tapping, the sap is then pumped into the Sugarhouse and transferred to the large steel vats in the main production building where the sap is held extremely cold.

Chef Griffin explained how in the winter, the windows in the vat room are kept wide open to maintain proper temperature and minimize bacterial growth. The sap runs through a reverse osmosis machine, which separates the water and continues through a filtration system known as the DAF machine (Dissolved Air Flotation). This not only provides a more concentrated flavor in the syrup, but also prevents any backup in the machines after the cooking process. This extra filtration step prior to cooking is unique in comparison to other syrup companies all over

the Northeastern United States. The batch is moved to the evaporator where the syrup will be cooked at 218°F to a brix of 66°F to 68°F. Workers are constantly watching the batch during this process to ensure the syrup is cooked to the correct temperature, without burning (we were informed of the centuries it takes to cool down and clean out the burnt syrup in the evaporator). A burnt batch could cost Crown a large percentage of production for the year, as they only have a few weeks to produce the top quality they sell.

Once cooked, the syrup is filtered twice more through a syrup press to provide the purest of syrups. The finished product is tasted throughout the process, and then twice more: once when it is ¼ the way up the barrels, and again when it is filled to the top. This shows an even cooking and production process throughout. Finally, the syrup is bottled and sold to foodies hungry for something sweeter than the squeeze bottles.

We were brought to a tasting room outside the bottling area where we sampled three of the four syrups Crown specializes in and a Bourbon-infused syrup and Maple Sugar. The four syrups Crown specializes in are Light Amber, Medium Amber, Dark Amber, and Extra Dark Amber. Chef Griffin explained how the amount of each of the four varieties of syrup produced isn’t predict-

Maple Syrup bottling line at Madava Farms.

Photos Courtesy of Katie Fenton able; some seasons produce more of one versus the other.

Like wine, terroir strongly affects the flavor profiles in each of the syrups - one can taste more buttery, with notes of wheat and honey, almost like a graham cracker, while another can have a smoky, deep chocolaty taste. Each of the varieties of maple syrup could incorporate well into not only sweet, but also savory recipes such as Crown’s Maple Bourbon Glazed Short Ribs.

Leaving Madava Farms with nothing but a sugar high and a new favorite to top my waffles with, I have been given a whole new outlook on the maple syrup industry, and it’s only getting sweeter.

Tasting of Crown Maple Syrup.

Wicked Weekend 2014: Oz Goes Wicked

BY: Andrew Vinegar, AOS Culinary

Wicked Weekend was the place to be October 23-26th this year!

Thursday night students gathered in Renaissance Lounge to take part in the pop culture tradition that is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” Party hats were worn, bubbles blown, and few choice words shouted at Janet!

On Friday, students were able to partake in some of the Alumni Homecoming activities at Marriott Pavilion and come to the Carnival down in the SRC parking lot. RAs and SPICE had activities for their fellow students such as pumpkin carving, a photo booth, face painting, and hand illusions! Cupcakes, popcorn, and candy were available to keep the energy going. Pick-Herndon Hall RAs and residents ran a “Wicked Wizard of Oz” haunted trail along Lake Velouté to frighten those wanting to walk the yellow brick road.

Saturday night was the biggest event of the Weekend-the Dance and Drag Show! Roth and Farq Hall were transformed into Oz and the Wicked Witch of the West’s castle for the night. Students were served chicken wings, mummy dogs, and wizard of oz themed mocktails to keep

Roth Hall is transformed into Oz and the Wicked Witch of the West’s castle for the Wicked Weekend dance.

Photo courtesy of Andrew Vinegar

their energy up throughout the night. The real fun started at 11 with the drag show’s emcee, Candie, a favorite among the students who have attend the drag show the previous years. After a few jokes and performance, Candie introduced the student performers. This year’s show was very impressive with 15+ students giving the fiercest performances and lip-syncing for lives! Candie and a few chefs were there to judge the acts. Marilyn Monroe placed third with her take on Katherine McPhee’s Don’t Forget Me, Deelish Skittles placed second with her mash-up of Beyonce’s Partition and Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda. The winner of this year’s Drag Show was supergroup of RAs with their performance of “Cell Block Tango” from the musical/movie CHICAGO. Partners in Equality (PIE) would like to thank all the performers, chefs, and Candie for participating in this year’s drag show and making it the biggest one yet!

Students were able to attend the Headless Horseman Hayride Sunday night at a discounted price. Residence Life and SPICE would like to thank all the volunteers that helped make this weekend happen and to everyone that came out and enjoyed themselves!

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Tattoo Talk From a Chef and Student Perspective

BY: Dana DeRiancho, AOS Culinary

BY: Chef David McCue, Faculty Contributor

Body modification of all kinds are fascinating because they are culturally universal and take on so many different forms which are both culturally approved or frowned upon. It is standard practice in the United States to pierce young girls’ ears, while other facial piercings can be considered taboo and certainly not appropriate for children. Permanent tattooing is one form of body modification that is simultaneously common and stigmatized in Western culture. What is it that motivates certain individuals to engage in these practices that are culturally stigmatized? What is gained by these people psychologically to justify defying such cultural norms? The culinary industry is counterculture, which embraces and praises those who are heavily inked, but negative attitudes toward individuals with tattoos still remain. Studies have shown that people with tattoos are seen in the public sphere as less attractive, motivated, honest, and intelligent than those without tattoos, therefore making them less hirable.

I have two large pieces on my calves, which are easy to hide and usually covered, but I plan on getting more visible work done in the future. I am sometimes hesitant to make that leap because I don’t want to fit into anyone’s negative stereotypes, particularly in the job field. However, I believe in the vitality of never dictating one’s actions to appease others. Doing so is a great way to end up unsatisfied and burdened with regret.

One of my favorite writers, John Waters, wrote a chapter in his latest book imagining himself displayed at a freak show carnival as “The Man with No Tattoos.” He then hypothesizes that the generation to come after us will see no rebellion in inking their skin, as it has become such commonplace, and therefore will have no desire to participate in it. Tattoos may seem trendy at the moment, but they have been sported by even the world’s oldest known mummy Otzi, who is over 5,000 years old. It would appear that tattoos are in fact no passing trend, and that some would even argue that it is part of the human desire to adorn our bodies. We are in good company with other tattooed folks throughout history including Ancient Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, indigenous tribes, sailors, and as luck would have it...chefs.

Being a chef simply demands more devotion that many other professions. Working in kitchens leaves me

Personally, I see nothing wrong with tattoos. They are often a beautiful and symbiotic art form.

Quite frankly, I find it easier to get to know someone with a tattoo, after all, they let you know so much about themselves before the conversation even begins and have opened the door to the interaction.

Wearing one’s heart on their sleeve, figuratively and sometimes literally. Tattoos give people a chance to make a statement. It has the ability to draw attention, show off our form, and describe our beliefs... you know, make a statement.

I have often contemplated what sort of message I would find acceptable to have permanently etched onto my being. While I have very strong beliefs, I could not see enduring the process to have something etched into my body for all my life, with the exception of a crucufix, a wedding band, or military motto like acta non verba or semper fidelis. I’m just old fashioned that way and honestly... scared of needles. Not that these messages are not relevant throughout my life, or that the media will not hold up, personally, it’s just not my thing. Believe it or not, I do not like to draw attention to myself.

I know it’s hard to imagine as a youth, filled with vigor, the world by the strings, no wrinkles on you, but someday you may get old. What are those tattoos going to look like? Will the canvass display the message well or the content still be relevant? Tough call. From what I’ve seen this industry do to people I can honestly say, we do not age well. Perhaps someone might wind up hiding the message that so perfectly describes their life outlook because the parts they were affixed to have drifted south.

I can completely understand the need to make a statement; it’s part of being young. Just think it all the way through. After all, it’s a consequence you will have to live with your whole life. Or at least until you save up enough money to have it covered over or burned off with a laser.

Choose wisely.

One of the many culinary tattoos found on campus.

Photo Courtesy of Sarah Lubitz

dirty, dehydrated, and disheveled, but it also fuels me. I view it as so much more than a job or paycheck; it is a fundamental part of my identity, a facet that I am always particularly proud and eager to share. That being said, even I have to plead guilty to rolling my eyes as I walk around Farquison Hall and spot the same chef ’s knife zapped onto a dozen peoples’ forearms. It can come across to me as uncreative or repetitive, but I understand it. Tattoos are an instant conversation starter and offer opportunities for you to share intimate parts of yourself without saying a word. Having a knife or any other chef related tattoo easily communicates to the world, “This is who I am, this is how I choose to spend my time.” Even when the image is clichéd, it can be reflective of something extremely personal and self expressive.

Some tattoos are nothing more than works of art, some are impulsive regrets, but I have found that mostly they are used to document important life events, structure a social identity, and are therapeutically used to overcome difficult past experiences or loss. It’s possible that in the future I will look at my tattoos and begin to feel a twinge of regret, as my skin ages and sags. However, I could never truly regret something so integral to my story, something that has become a part of myself. I plan to wear my artwork proudly and use it as a reminder of how it felt to be twenty-two, brimming with recklessness and ambition.

Italy’s Most Famous Chef Speaks at Hyde Park Campus BY: Jeff Levine, Staff Contributor

Italy’s most famous chef, Massimo Bottura, spoke to several hundred students at the Hyde Park campus on October 14. Bottura’s restaurant in Modena, Osteria Francescana, is ranked number 3 on the 2014 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Chef Bottura was in the United States for just nine days to promote his first major cookbook, Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, and one of his stops was the CIA. He has been called “the Jimi Hendrix of Italian chefs”

by Mario Batali for his innovative, boundary-breaking dishes. Chef Bottura’s Michelin three-star restaurant honors Italian food traditions while boldly advancing the cuisine into the future. Two days before his lecture and book signing at the CIA, he cooked on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Tickets to see Chef Bottura during his time in the United States cost as much as $150, but CIA students were able to see his presentation and meet him afterwards for free.

Photo Courtesy of Jeff Levine

CIA Athletes Earn Honors

BY: Jeff Levine, Staff Contributor

Several athletes for the CIA sports teams have been honored by the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC).

In early October, the Steels swept both the men’s and women’s cross country Runners of the Week awards.

Sophomore Grant Rico (Silverdale, WA) and freshman Olivia José (St. Fords, NJ) were recognized for their great races at the Mt. St. Mary Invitational on October 4. Later in the month, Rico finished 11th in the men’s conference championship race. Jose finished eighth in the women’s championship, just ahead of fellow freshmen teammates Cheyenne Boinais (Clawson, MI) and Angela Piccinich (Farmingdale, NJ). The strong finish by three freshmen bodes well for the Steels heading into the 2015 season.

Sophomore volleyball player Emily Brown (Clarence, NY ) was named to the All-Conference Team, after the Steels finished their season with a 6-7 record. For the week of October 21, freshman Marcela Andonie (San Pedro Sula, Honduras) was named the women’s volleyball Rookie of the Week.

The men’s soccer team, meanwhile, won the HVIAC regular season with a 5-1 record (8-4-1 overall), and headed into the conference tournament as the top seed, before falling in an overtime penalty shootout to Berkeley.

The Steels were led this season by sophomore striker Dan Landon ( Johnsburgh, IL) with 15 goals, and the strong goalkeeping of sophomore Jonathan Bedell (Naperville, IL) with a 1.25 goals against average and three shutouts.

November 7, 2014

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SPREAD Chef Centerfold C hef D ominick C errone

learn more about food, instead of just looking at it from the outside.” He says, “You know, you’re welcome to come down here and poke around in the kitchen, do what you can do, and, by the way, this young fellow right over here is leaving in two weeks.” And I said, “Well,” and I looked at him and I said, “I guess that would be the right way to do it.” And, he goes, “Sounds about right to me.” So, I had the time, and one thing led to another, and, I don’t know, it was a year that I was there, and I exhausted my time, it was a simple little restaurant, and I said that I was hungry for more, and he said, “Well, go to New York. ‘Cause New York is the place where there’s going to be big stuff and world class restaurants and you can pursue it.” So, I came, thinking I was only going to stay for 6 months, and that was [laughs, adding up the years in his head] – that was 40 years ago.

Photo Courtesy of CIA BY: Sarah Lubitz, AOS Culinary Q:What advice can you give students here?

A: In general? That are coming through the program?

Q: Yes, current students.

A: That in order to face the challenges of the industry and the future, it’s more than just requiring the knowledge and the skills, but you have to have discipline. As I stress with my students in class, you need discipline in your life, a lifestyle that is going to make you successful, because you could even have the talent and the knowledge, and that won’t necessarily make you successful in the long run because not only do you need a discipline your life, you know, there’s fiscal discipline, there’s so many other disciplines that are involved; you could be good at one and not the other. So, you have to have a balance in your repertoire in order for you to become successful, and I think discipline is very, very important.

Q: Yes, I agree.

A: More so, there are many other pursuits in life. I’m sure if you were a doctor or a Wall Street trader you’d have to know other disciplines, right?

Q: Absolutely.

A: You have to come up, and keep your hours and cooking is definitely one of those things.

Q: How did you get into the service industry?

A: Well, it was sort of like a romantic notion for me because I was in school in electrical engineering, and, uh, I don’t want to say I was disillusioned with it, but I just, you know, my heart wasn’t in it. And I remember, I was just doing some reading, casual reading, and I started reading about some article about the history of French cooking.

And, the article went into not only the history of French food, but some of the restaurants in New York, Lutèce, which was a great restaurant that closed a couple of years back. The owner was a friend of mine, and I just had this notion – I was in college working my way through school.

I would work restaurant waiting on tables, and tending bar and so on, and I just caught up in this lifestyle, and the more I read about it, the more I – so there was this little French restaurant in Downtown Albany, upstate, so I went to see him one day, and I said, “Hey, I’d like to

Q: How did you end up here at The Culinary?

A: Well, there are a number of staff members here that I’ve worked with over the years, especially Bruce Mattel, who was with me on the staff at Le Bernardin when we first opened. And, I always kept in touch with Bruce when he had his own business, and then he knew that I’d sold my portion of the restaurant that I had and I was loose for a while. And, then he called me up one day out of the blue, and he said, “What are you doing?” I said, “You know, thinking about my next move.” I was thinking about whether or not to go back into business or whatever. And, he said, “Are you interested in teaching?” I was living in New York at the time, or actually, New Jersey, I’d just moved to New Jersey, and, you know, I was going to be in New York anymore, so I said, “Well, I could transition up here.” My wife and I had a little place; we used to come here on weekends, so we were already familiar with the area. So, I came up, and I interviewed and I talked to them, and one thing led to another, so it’s been serendipitous.

Q: Who’s influenced your career the most? If there is one person that has.

A: I can’t say that there’s one person, but I have to say that at least 3 or 4 chefs, that I’ve either known or worked for, have had their sphere of influence with me, in particular with things that they did. And, Chef Andre Soltner at Lutèce, with him it was more of a lifestyle, and the image of he as a professional, which I try to embody because he’s an old school type, and, you know, he’s not a flashy guy, wasn’t about PR. You know, he never did any PR at the restaurant, and it was probably one of the most successful restaurants in the country, and one of the most popular, and he never spent a dime on PR; his reputation spoke for itself, and in the 50 years that he worked, he was at the piano, as they say, at the stove, every single day. The restaurant was never open and he wasn’t there. So, that’s a brand of professional that isn’t around anymore.

Q: No. A: And, then the other chefs that I worked with, each of them had their own style of cooking, so that was important. But, I also garner a lot of influences from other areas of life that I bring into my work as far as philosophically.

Q: What are your hobbies outside of school?

A: Well, I’m an avid guitar player, and I like to do a lot of woodworking, besides the typical chores around the house.

[Laughs] So, those are two of my passions. I always play, I play every day as a mantra. And, when I can get a little woodworking project going, I’ve got the tools and the resources to do it, but I don’t have too much time to do it.

The Vineyard and Much Traveling

BY: Crystal Tan, AOS Baking & Pastry

The Vineyard at Stockcross, Berkshire, UK. Photo Courtesy of Crystal Tan As a person with an insatiable fernweh (n.origin: German, an ache for distance places; the craving for travel), I love the numinous (adj. origin: Latin, describing an experience that makes you fearful yet fascinated, awed yet attracted- the powerful, personal feeling of being overwhelmed and inspired) feeling of discovering and experiencing new places. When externship came up, because of my fear of yoko meshi (n., origin: Japan, the peculiar stress of speaking a foreign language) I chose England.

The Vineyard at Stockcross is an approved externship site and looked very promising on the eRecruiting website.

However, I understood the challenge of going to a foreign country. There are endless preparations to be made, phone interviews, email correspondences and visa applications, not to mention changing currencies and booking flights!

As a Canadian, because of the Commonwealth, being approved for a work visa had been relatively easy. However, because the times that government offices are open matches exactly with class times at CIA, it is surprisingly hard to find time for submitting the visa documents in person in New York City.

Another challenge for externing abroad is the communication throughout getting an extern position. The time difference is difficult for the scheduling of a phone interview, especially because of the chef schedules in the kitchen. I was very surprised at the phone interview, because Executive Chef Daniel Galmiche was incredibly warm and welcoming during the interview (and with a cute French accent). “Bonjour Christal!” He basically sounded like he was convincing me of the benefits of externing with The Vineyard, and I was absolutely convinced.

I am glad to say that all my efforts have paid off and The Vineyard turned out much better than even in my imagination. It was worth every second of the very, very long flight. As soon as I arrived, I walked into a beautiful, unique hotel with a glass walkway filled bottles upon bottles of wine. I later learned that the owner of The Vineyard, Sir Peter Michael, also owns the Peter Michael Winery in California, and that The Vineyard Cellars inside the hotel hold more than 23,000 unique wines and supply to most Michelin-star establishments in UK including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, The Square, Lucknam Park, Le Menoir aux Quat Saisons, and Gidleigh Park.

As I toured the kitchen on the first day, I was offered coffee and pastries from my welcoming future colleagues with many handshakes. I could hear “Bonjour!” and “Comment ça va?” as I walked through the kitchen. I was horrified! Most of the kitchen staff is French, so much for trying to avoid Yoko meshi!

“Christal, at the end of your time here you will learn pastries, breads, chocolate, and FRENCH! It will be the best externship ever!!!!” - Chef Daniel

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E-Cigarettes Can Kill Too

BY: Katherine Miller RN BSN MS, Director of Student Health Services

Dr. Lobsang T. Lhungay, President of the Board of Health said “What you may not know is that this hot topic of conversation, of a new way of smoking, without actually smoking, is a potential health hazard with the Center for Disease Control Center (CDC) reporting calls to poison control about e-cigarette exposure up to 215 per month across the country.”

An e-cigarette is a battery operated smoking device designed to deliver nicotine and flavor to the user. The liquid in e-cigarettes is comprised of nicotine, flavorings, and other additives. The device heats up a liquid, turning it to a vapor, which is inhaled, or “vaped” by the user.

The candy and fruit flavors are a draw for young children. The cartridges the liquid comes in are not childproof. Poisonings can happen by ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the nose and eyes. With three possible ways of poisoning, liquid nicotine is deadly.

Children are not the only ones affected by e-cigarette poisonings. In calls to poison control, 42% of the victims were age 20 or older. These statistics make e-cigarettes a concern for everyone.

The FDA currently does not regulate e-cigarettes.

There is no ingredient listing on the packaging. The amount of nicotine varies from 26.8 to 43.2 micrograms of

BY: Amy Zarichnak, Alumna ‘14 Throughout the course of my 20+ year marketing career, I was laid off in 1995, 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012.

Suffice it to say, I’m good at finding a job.

So, when I graduated this past July, I knew the drill. I knew what to do, I knew where to post my resume, I knew whom to call, I knew what I was doing.

And I’m not alarmed that I still haven’t found employment. It’s the name of the game. They also say that it will take one month for every $10,000 in salary you command. Because I’m looking to combine my marketing and sales background with my newfound culinary degree -- and because I can’t live on a $10/hr line cook wage – I knew that my job search was going to take a bit longer than my fellow classmates.

Job searching has changed over the years. It used to be that you’d go get yourself a Sunday newspaper with all the job listings in it, and you’d spend the day snail-mailing your resume out to all the different jobs to which you wanted to apply. Cover letters were mandatory. That process changed with the advent of the Internet, where you would comb through the want ads online the same way.

Then came job boards and career sites. It was all fairly easy up until about 2009, when it seemed like critical mass was achieved in online job searching – and not in a good way. Job hunting in general became primarily web-based, and in addition to that, every company had their own human resources page where they wanted you to apply for their jobs a certain way. With those changes, all of a sudden, applying to jobs online became tedious, repetitive, redundant, and finally, completely ineffective, as hundreds of candidates applied for the few jobs that existed in the down economy from 2007 – 2011. It became an exercise in futility.

It still is. The number of hospitality-job websites out there will make your head spin. I used to make spreadsheets of the jobs that I had applied to, with the names of the company, any contact names with emails and phone numbers, and notes as to where we were in the process.

For example, “Talked to John, they want to hire right away, he is interested in me but has a few other candidates that have a few more years’ experience.” That way, when I followed up, I’d know to stress strengths I had over the amount of years that I’d been doing it. I’d also respond in a way that appealed to their sense of urgency, like telling them that I since I was unemployed, I wouldn’t have to give two-weeks notice at my current job. I always found a

nicotine per 100 milliliter puff. Unregulated nicotine also means unregulated chemicals. There is no knowing what may be in devices. For example the FDA laboratory analysis of cartridges found that some of the liquid nicotine for e-cigarettes contained 1% diethylene glycol, a toxic chemical found in antifreeze.

When e-cigarettes were introduced to the market they appeared to offer an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking. However, the report from the CDC raises concerns about the liquid nicotine and other chemicals that are used in e-cigarettes. In addition to the fact that you may be inhaling toxic chemicals, there is no study to show that there are any health benefits associated with the smoking of e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes are a concern for the general population, potentially dangerous for the consumers, and can cause extreme health risks for children and adults alike.

The Dutchess County Board of Health and Student Health Services urges you not to use e-cigarettes.

As a reminder, using e-cigarettes is considered smoking and anyone using e-cigarettes must follow the campus Smoking Policy outlined in the 2014-2015 Student Handbook.

All in Good Taste way to finagle my big toe in the door, so I could force that door open a bit, get my foot in it, and get the job.

However, in the two years that I’ve been in school, the job market has changed yet again. The job websites are so plentiful, the applicant pool so vast, and the process has been so streamlined that it no longer makes sense to customize cover letters for each employer. There is no point in editing your resume to highlight your strengths to fit the job description. Employers no longer have the time nor the will to read through lengthy cover letters. I have realized that it’s likely that I will send out thirty resumes to every one response I get back. I would say in previous job searches over the years, the ratio would have been closer to five to seven resumes out for every one response.

The job market has gotten more competitive, it’s easier than ever to apply, including to jobs all over the country and the world, and there becomes a point of information overload, both for those looking for a job and those hiring.

You can easily find 200 jobs in a day for which you are qualified. You must find a way to narrow that pool so that you have time to actually apply for the jobs you actually want and would enjoy doing. And on the hiring side, how does one effectively go through the 300 resumes received for one position?

Thus, we end up at what I’ve deemed the point of no return. No return response, I mean; the resume black hole. The place where your resume goes when you are relatively qualified for a position that you half-heartedly want and to which everyone and their mother has applied: the resume abyss.

These days, you no longer regularly hear back from employers. You send out resumes, in fact, knowing that you won’t get a response back, positive or negative. When I was in college (the first time), a friend of mine wallpapered his bathroom with rejection letters. These days, it is quite standard practice for an employer to just leave you hanging and never acknowledge receipt of your resume, let alone be courteous enough to send an email to formally reject you. I interviewed at Baldor Specialty Foods in the Bronx the other day. They were practically salivating at my resume and personality. They loved me! They also had a revolving door of candidates and an HR manager who was clearly overwhelmed and overworked. The lobby was full of brand-new CIA graduates hungry for their first job. They practically hired me on the spot, telling me they knew exactly the position they wanted me to occupy. Before I left, the HR manager, who told me she was merely the “information gatherer,” asked me what my target salary was. After explaining to her that I had no idea what the range was for the positions I had interviewed for (I had

Alumni Compete for Top Chef

BY: Jeff Levine, Staff Contributor The newest season of Top Chef debuted in October on the Bravo network, and five of the “chef-testants” are CIA alumni.

On the twelfth season of the program, 16 chefs cook their way through Boston, competing for the title of “Top Chef ” and a grand prize of $125,000. According to the Top Chef website, “The chefs will go knife-to-knife at iconic Boston locales including Fenway Park, Plimoth Plantation, and “Cheers!” One of the many interesting challenges this season will be to prepare a meal using only ingredients that would have been available at the first Thanksgiving.

The competing chefs who earned their pedigree at the CIA:

• Gregory Gourdet ’00

• Adam Harvey ’07

• Rebecca LaMalfa ’05

• George Pagonis ’07

• Melissa King ’97 In addition to the alumni competitors, one of the judges is Richard Blais ’98, the first Top Chef winner to return to the show to serve as a judge. Boston-based guest judges include alumni Ken Oringer ’89, Jasper White ’76, and Todd English ’82.

interviewed for both a marketing position and a sales position), I gave her a number that I thought was fair for both the position and the geographical area (New York City is going to pay higher than the same position in, say, Dubuque, Iowa, obviously). She told me that I’d hear from her in a week.

Two weeks later, I still hadn’t heard back, so I touched base with them. I promptly got a canned email in return telling me how while my background was impressive, they had decided to “pursue candidates who are better qualified for the position.”

No, they didn’t. Let’s call a spade a spade. They were looking to hire someone cheaper than me. My extensive background was not required to do the job, so there would be no reason to pay someone for it when they could save $25,000 and hire a recent CIA graduate with a lot less experience than me.

And this is the way job searches go, my friends.

What I’m finding is that networking also helps. While it hasn’t yielded me much during this search, I will tell you that if nothing else, sending your resume to an actual person instead of just into the resume void is helpful. If you know someone who can hand-deliver your resume, or at least forward your resume to an actual person in human resources instead of it getting stored in an electronic database, you’re that much better off.

My advice is this: spend your time applying only to jobs that you would absolutely love to have. Then, make sure your application is complete, comprehensive, and you include all the information that they are looking for, including references and previous salary information, if requested. Write a cover letter, but keep it brief, and hit on all the points as to why are the best candidate for the position. Finally, if you know someone, use your contacts not to help you get the job, but to deliver the resume to the appropriate person. Don’t abuse or exploit the people you know by expecting them to help you get the job. A hand-delivered resume or an email introduction is a good way to get your foot in the door.

In the meantime, I’ve been doing some catering for On The Marc Events catering out of Stamford, CT. They often put up signs on campus and pay quite well. It’s a hike to commute to Connecticut and back, especially late at night after events. However, they do a lot of high-end catering, and the experience is completely worth it. Also, nothing beats being in a prominent person’s mansion and or summer home so you can start to imagine what your multi-million dollar home is going to look like when you hit it big in the hospitality industry.

November 7, 2014

9

Sudoku-Hard

Last Block’s Puzzle Solution

The solution will be in the next issue.

Courtesy of BergerandWyse.com

BY: Tricia Manzanero, AOS Culinary

Top 5: This Weekend & Beyond

“Chaos” is an understatement when it comes to this last, preholiday stretch. Between finals, midterms, planning our fabulous, multi-course Turkey Day feasts, and figuring out how our house won’t explode once packed with our entire crazy family, we have a lot to balance on our plate. With all the organized craziness, it can be hard to keep track of anything going on beyond campus.

But this cool, fall season also brings a hot lineup of food festivals and events that shouldn’t be missed—prefixe dinners on-the-cheap, wine-o wonderlands, street food festivities on steroids and more. Here are a few of our top picks to help make planning your culinary social calendar super simple. #1) Hudson Valley Restaurant Week – November 3 to 16 A three-course meal for under $30? Hudson Valley Restaurant Week makes this dream a reality from November 3 – 16. Even those of us on strict student budgets can sample some of the best fare the Hudson Valley has to offer, with nearly 200 restaurants participating. You can also save more and still savor local flavors during lunchtime, with pre fixe menus set at just $20.95. Be sure to check out the restaurant list and make your reservations today. www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com #2) New York Taste – November 10 Indulge in the Big Apple’s top fare all in one spot at New York Taste. Start the week off right as New York magazine brings together some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants and mixology bars to serve up their extraordinary dishes and cocktails. From 7-9 p.m. at The Waterfront, you can mix with some of New York’s best chefs and mingle with the city’s top mixologists, all while making your tummy very happy. You won’t want to miss this 16th annual food-lover’s paradise. General Admission is $108.88 and guests must be 21 and over. For more info, visit taste.nymag.com.

#3) Brooklyn Crush Wine & Artisanal Food Festival – November 15 Oenophiles rejoice! On November 15, Industry City’s Factory Floor in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, will transform into a wine- and food-tasting mecca. This year’s lineup features more than 250 wines, plus samplings of some of Brooklyn’s best foods and live music to boot. Vendors slinging out tasty treats include Li-Lac Chocolates, Sottocasa Pizzeria, Sucre Bleu, Regal Vegan and Carcosa Caramelier, just to name a few. Attendees can sign up for two sessions: an afternoon slot from 3-6 p.m. and an evening appointment from 8-11 p.m. Tickets are $79. For details, directions and more, check out http://www.nywinefestivals.com. #4) Slow Food NYC’s Third Annual Spirits Fest – November 18 Let the local booze flow free at Slow Food NYC’s Third Annual Spirits Fest. The Empire State’s own artisanal producers are leading a revolution, bringing back small-scale, regional spirit-making, supporting local farmers and jobs, as well as building up vibrant, local farm and food economies along the way. These trailblazers will take center stage on November 18, pouring a slew of spirits—vodka, gin, shine, white brandy, rye, Bourbon and jack—both neat as well as in some seasonally-inspired cocktails. So, why not raise a glass with some of the state’s premier spirits makers at the New York Distilling Company? Tickets are just $40. Proceeds will benefit Slow Food NYC’s Urban Harvest, a program in support of education neighborhood farms. www.slowfoodnyc.org #5) Vendy Plaza at East Harlem’s La Marqueta – November 9, 16, 23 No longer just sidewalk afterthoughts, many street food vendors today are now culinary forces to reckon with.

For the next three Sundays, The Vendy Awards, the first street food event and competition series in the U.S., and the Office of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will bring together some of the area’s best street vendors to East Harlem’s open-air market space, La Marqueta. Offering

food, cash bars and live jazz, Vendy Plaza is a perfect end to the weekend. Admission is free, but be sure to bring spending money if you plan to eat. Ice & Vice (2014 Dessert Winner), Nuchas Empanadas (2014 People’s Choice), Wafels & Dinges (2009 Dessert Winner), and Khao Man Gai (2013 Market Winner) are just a few vendors featured. Discover more about the Plaza at www.vendyawards.streetvendor.org.

10

LA PAPILLOTE

Graduation

AOS Graduation Speaker: Michel Roux

Photo Courtesy of Leslie Jennings

Michel Roux is the owner of the Relais & Chateaux property The Waterside Inn in Bray, England, and proprietor of La Maison 1888 at the five-star InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam. He and his brother Albert are often referred to as the godfathers of modern restaurant cuisine in the United Kingdom.

Born in Charolles, France, in a room above his grandfather’s charcuterie, Michel moved with his family to Paris when he was a child. He developed a love of cooking from his mother, and at the age of 14, followed his older brother into the culinary world. Chef Roux took a three-year apprenticeship at the Pâtisserie Camille Loyal in Belleville, France and went on to work as a pastry chef at the British Embassy in Paris and then as chef de cuisine for Philippe and Cécile de Rothschilds. In 1967, Albert convinced Michel to move to London, where they opened their first restaurant, Le Gavroche, with the goal of achieving a worldwide reputation for their cuisine and service. The restaurant ultimately became the first in the United Kingdom to be awarded three Michelin stars.

After opening a series of other successful restaurants in the city, the brothers purchased a traditional English village pub in Bray, England in 1972 and transformed it into the elegant Waterside Inn. The establishment first received a three-Michelin-star rating in 1985 and has maintained it to this day. In 1986, the brothers split their business, with Michel taking the helm at The Waterside Inn and Albert at Le Gavroche. In addition to leading

his own restaurants, Chef Roux served as a consultant for British Airways for 20 years, as well as for Celebrity Cruises. With his latest venture, the 2012 opening of La Maison 1888 in Da Nang, Vietnam, he is looking to the future of the industry in Asia.

Chef Roux’s long list of professional awards and honors includes being made a Chevalier of the Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur in 2004 and a Chevalier in the Order des Arts et des Lettres in 1990, and being awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France in 1976. He has earned several Lifetime Achievement Awards, including one from the Cateys (considered by many to be the U.K. hospitality industry’s equivalent of an Oscar) in 1995. In addition, Chef Roux was made an honorary professor of Thames Valley University in 2006 and an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2002. In a 2003 poll of U.K. chefs conducted by Caterer and Hotelkeeper, he and his brother were named the most influential chefs in the country.

In 1984, Michel and Albert founded the coveted Roux Scholarship, for which 50 young chefs working in the U.K. or Australia compete to win three months experience in any three-Michelin-starred restaurant of their choice in the world. The author or co-author of a long list of cookbooks, including Eggs, Desserts, Pastry, and Sauces, Chef Roux is a supporter of the project Recipes for Life, a cookbook for cancer patients.

AOS Graduating Class of November 7, 2014

Culinary Arts Group #1

Front Row: Timothy Jung-Ming, Alan Alexander, Ashley Trujillo, Aref Zalatimo Back Row: William Sobo, Jonathan Free, Robert Krieger II, Oscar Marin

Culinary Arts Group #3

Front Row: Nicholas Pace, Jonathan Viola, Jihyun Na, Geraldine Cesardo, Tim Gonzales Back Row: Ashish Sethi, Fernando Scarpati, Scott Perry, Nathan Gutcher, Christopher Minckler, Matthew Lykens, Santi Sinrapanurak

Culinary Arts Group #2

Front Row: Jacob Robertson, Anthony Pasqualini III, Kayce Lanfair, Ian Everlanka, Igor Goldshmidt Back Row: Ryan O’Sullivan, Jeffrey DiStefano, Joshua E. Castro-Martinez, Jason Dalykas, Joshua Rajala

Baking & Pastry

Front Row: Kevin Halim, Gabriella Borelli, Sarah Brucker, Emily Smith, Benjamin Vickers Back Row: Lyanet Santos, Sierra Tyler, Alexandra Legarreta, Christine Andrews, Tiffany Duffy, Matt DeMello, Natalie Sugameli

November 7, 2014

Events

Sunday

November 9, 2014-November 29, 2014

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10am- Taste the Rhythm Dance Club 1pm- Basketball-Home

16

10am- Taste the Rhythm Dance Club 2pm- Basketball-Away

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10am- Taste the Rhythm Dance Club 1pm- Basketball-Away

Monday

10

9:15pm- Culinary Christian Fellowship

17

9:15pm-Culinary Christian Fellowship 9:15pm-CIA Paintball Coalition

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9:15pm-Culinary Christian Fellowship

Tuesday

4:30pm-CHOP’T

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9:15pm-Bacchus Wine Society 9:15pm- Public SGA Meeting 9:15pm-Gay Straight Alliance Club 9:15pm- The Word Poetry Club

7pm-Taste the Rhythm18 Dance Club 8:45pm-Korean Association 9pm-Culinarians Against Cancer 9:15pm-Veterans Assoc.

9:15pm-Slow Food 9:15pm-Culinary Notes

9:15pm-Bacchus Wine Society 9:15pm-Gay Straight Alliance Club 9:15pm- The Word Poetry Club

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26

7pm- Taste the No Classes Rhythm Dance Club 9:15pm-Culinary Notes 9:15pm-Veterans Association & Auxiliary

-Taste the Rhythm Dance Club- SRC, Group Fitness Room -Culinary Christian Fellowship- SRC, Multipurpose Room (West) -Culinary Notes- SRC, Multipurpose Room (East) -Veterans Association & Auxiliary- SRC, Multipurpose Room (West) -CHOP’T- SRC Pool Lounge

Library Learning Conrad N. Hilton Commons: Library Monday-Thursday: 7:00am- Monday-Thursday: 8:00am11:00pm 11:00pm Friday: 8:00am-7:00pm Friday: 7:00am-7:00pm Saturday: 10:00am-5:00pm Saturday: 10:00am-5:00pm Sunday: Noon-9:00pm Sunday: Noon-11:00pm Campus Store Video Center Hours: Monday-Thursday: 8:30am- Monday: 10:00am-4:00pm Tuesday-Friday: 10:00am10:00pm 6:00pm Friday: 8:30am-5:00pm Saturday: 11:00am-6:00pm Saturday: Noon-5:00pm Sunday: Noon-8:00pm

BY: Andrew Vinegar, AOS Culinary

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7pm- Taste the Rhythm Dance Club 7pm-Eta Sigma Delta 9:15pm-Culinary Notes 9:15pm-Veterans Association & Auxiliary

Wednesday

19

Thursday

20

No Classes

No Classes

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Saturday Saturday Classes

2pm- BasketballHome

No Classes

15

22

29

Thanksgiving

Hours of Operation

Apple Pie Monday-Friday: 7:30am-5:00pm (when classes are in session)

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14

21

9pm-SPICE 9:15pm-Black Culinarian Society 9:15pm-Guild of Tea

-Bacchus Wine Society- Wine Spectator Classroom -Public SGA Meetings- SRC, Multipurpose Room -Gay Straight Alliance Club- Pick Lounge -The Word Poetry Club- SRC Pool Lounge -SPICE- SRC Conference Room -Black Culinarian Society- SRC, Multipurpose Room (West) -Guild of Tea- Admissions EcoLab Theater

Copy Center Monday-Friday: 8:00am5:30pm

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9pm-SPICE 9:15pm-Black Culinarian Society 9:15pm-Guild of Tea

Club Meeting Locations

Mailroom Monday-Friday: 8:00am5:00pm Saturday: 9:00am-1:00pm (closed holiday weekends)

Friday

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Plaza Cafe (Courtside) Monday-Thursday: 11:00am-11:00pm Friday: 11:00am-10:30pm Saturday: 9:00am-10:30pm Sunday: 9:00am-11:00pm

Student Recreation Center Monday-Thursday: 7:00amMidnight Friday: 7:00am-10:00pm Saturday: 9:00am-10:00pm Sunday: 9:00am-11:00pm

-CIA Paintball Coalition- SRC, Multipurpose Room -Korean Association- Wine Spectator Classroom -Culinarians Against Cancer- Admissions EcoLab Theater -Slow Food- Anheuser Busch Theater -Eta Sigma Delta- Admissions EcoLab Theater -La Papillote- SRC Conference Room -Club Con- Marriot Pavillion-Lower Level

Pool Hours Monday-Thursday: 10:00am1:00pm & 3:00pm-10:00pm Friday: 10:00am-1:00pm & 3:00pm-7:00pm Saturday & Sunday: Noon-7:00pm Resident Life Monday-Friday: 7:00am-5:00pm

(East)

Campus Safety Open 24 hours 7 Days a week Health Services Monday-Friday: 7:00am-8:45pm Career Services Monday-Friday: 8:30am-5:00pm Drop in: 9:00am-1:00pm 2:00pm-4:00pm

Homecoming Weekend Wrap Up

This year’s Alumni Homecoming Weekend (October 24-26, 2014) was a huge success with 149 alumni and guests in attendance. Friday night, alumni and students were treated to four alumni owned and operated food trucks on the CIA campus. This was great for students to see the success you can have with a food truck and get a different selection of food then just the usual Plaza Café or Roth Hall options. Along with the food trucks, alumni had a special screening of the movie Chef, and a seminar on the history of cheese conducted by, Warren Katz ’93.

On Saturday morning, over 200 students and alumni came out for the 4th Annual Run for Your Knives 5K, making it the biggest one to date! The race times were spot on this year. The race results: Alumni (Male): 1st Place-Robert Kabakoff ’86, 2nd Place-Paul Bulman ’98, and 3rd place- Jacob Funk ’14, Alumni (Female):1st Place- Cheryl Ann Niedzwiecki ‘86, 2nd Place- Maria Riccitelli ‘92, and 3rd Place- Stacy Flanagan ‘92, Student

Students gather after f inishing the 4th Annual Run for Your Knives.

Photo Courtesy of CIA

(Male): 1st Place- Grant Rico, 2nd Place-Stefano Schiahino, 3rd Place- Collin Cook, Student (Female): 1st Place: Olivia Jose, 2nd Place: Cheyenne Boinais, and 3rd PlaceAngela Piccinich.

After the race student participants and student volunteers gathered to celebrate the raffle winners who were drawn to receive scholarships. This money was accumulated through Alumni/Faculty race registration, Alumni donors, and corporate sponsors. $33, 620 in scholarships were handed out to CIA students. Congratulations to

this year’s scholarship recipients: Susan Armas, Yujoon Jang, Dayna Palmer, Arni Cabatingan, Sarah Ely, Dakota Ngyuen, Alyssa Basham, Sam Petrosky, Adam Serafin, Mason Aronson, Kyungkun Ra, Benjamin Haffner, Joseph Luecken, Andrea Russell, Page Ford, Hasina Grice, Stephanie Denney, Adrian Daniel Pantoja, Andy Wong, Layton Edwards, Aubree Hunter, Elizabeth Kuretich, Cesar Cazares, Lynn Roberts, and Jennifer Kempin. Alumnus Peter Holt ‘97, owner of Lupe Tortilla, supported CIA in making sure we had T-shirts, gifts and goodie bags to recognize all of our loyal donors. Alumnus Troy Chmielewski ’04, brought his food truck, Southwest Savory Grill, to the campus to provide breakfast to those attending the 5K. CIA owes a special thank you to our Alumni Council members, led by Robert Kabakoff ‘86, for continuing the tradtion of this special scholarship race.

The Alumni Office would also like to thank Chef Dave Kamen who coordinated the food lectures and the chefs who presented during Alumni Homecoming: Jehangir Mehta ‘95, Viraj Borkar ‘10, JJ Johnson ‘07, and Eric Kastel ‘90.

12

LA PAPILLOTE

In The Industry

WD-50 in Their Final Moments

BY: Marisa Licandro, AOS Culinary

Dining is an experience adored and shared by many, especially the students at CIA. It is a chance to witness the guest perspective, which is essential to our success as food industry professionals. Once in a while, we encounter grand opportunities to eat at restaurants that are vanguards of trends or movements.

That is what happened to me and three friends when we ate at WD-50. We savored every moment, knowing one day we would look back and realize how lucky we were to eat at a monumental restaurant within its last 2 months of existence. From start to finish, the meal was truly exhilarating.

I almost walked past the restaurant when I first ar-

Shrimp Grits, Pickled Jalapeno

Wagyu Flatiron, Watermelon, Fermented Black Bean rived. It is subtly, yet modernly designed with only small glowing lights announcing “WD-50”. Its conspicuousness proves that the restaurant does not need a flashy sign advertising itself. It is a trendsetter of the Lower East Side and the world. The décor inside was beautiful yet comfortable: reminiscent of the menu to come. We were presented with two menu options: one “Tasting Menu”, the restaurant’s current twelve course menu and one “From

the Vault”, highlights and memorable dishes from the past. We unanimously decided upon the tasting menu, opting to experience WD-50’s current ideas and innovations. Although each of the twelve courses were deliciously unforgettable, three of them especially stood out to me.

The sixth course entitled “Shrimp Grits, Pickled Jalapeno” was especially memorable. It was warm and comforting as most shrimp and grits dishes are, but the difference was that the shrimp were the grits. We pondered how the kitchen managed to turn the texture of shrimp into that of grits; possibly dehydrating the shrimp, grinding, then cooking as grits. Maybe they were par cooked, then pulsed, then cooked. The important aspect is that the food causes discussion and interest. The pickled jalapeno added the perfect counter flavor.

My favorite course, the last before the dessert portion of the menu entitled “Wagyu Flatiron, Watermelon, Fermented Black Bean” was perfect in every bite. The courses gradually grew in size and heartiness as they passed and at this final savory course, it was delightfully robust. The watermelon was sliced thin and warmed: a nod to the leaving summer and coming fall. It was the perfect accompaniment to a perfectly seasoned and tender round of

beef. There was a dusting of a brown powder, fermented black bean and mushroom. The contrast between savory ingredients like mushrooms and sweet from the watermelon culminated to the absolute flawless final savory course.

Next were three dessert courses. My favorite was the “Ovaltine Cake, Marcona Almond, Cardamom, and Sheep’s Milk” dessert. The beauty in this tasting menu was the trendsetting ideas on classic favorites. The food is innovative, but still known to evoke nostalgic feelings within each diner. I was expecting to be blown away with the creativity of the meal at WD-50. In addition to the incredibly creative food, it was familiar enough to feel warm and comfortable. I respect and draw inspiration from the creator and all people involved.

Wylie Dufresne’s closure is sad amongst the culinary world, especially since it was not a personal decision to close this gastronomic landmark, but rather the result of a developer replacing the restaurant and surrounding businesses with a building. Many revered chefs around the world, including René Redzepi and David Chang, have acknowledged the misfortune of the occurrence. The positive aspect is that Wylie Dufresne can focus more on Alder, his second restaurant. There is also the possibility of the relocation of WD-50, which offers exciting new changes. All in all, I am not sad about this closure. The restaurant doors are closing, but not the mind of a culinary legend. I look forward to seeing what comes from Wylie Dufresne’s in the future.

Ovaltine Cake, Marcona Almond, Cardamom, Sheep’s Milk

BY: Connor White, AOS Culinary This year at CIA I have a full schedule, and because of that I find that I have less time to enjoy going out to eat myself. I try to treat myself when I can, but still I am left craving more. It is a necessity for chefs to stay in touch with what is happening in the industry.

Each meal should be a learning experience. I believe that dining out is a commonly forgotten practice for most of us in the culinary industry. So, when my friend Asnia invited me to go to WD-50 with her and some friends, I jumped at the chance. It would be our first meal together since being back at school after externship and I couldn’t wait to share it with such good company.

We each made our way into the Lower East Side thrilled for our meal. With such buzz surrounding WD50 about its closing, it was nice to be able to experience the restaurant for myself before they close their doors on November 30th. The courses were packed with complex flavor profiles, utilized innovative techniques, and featured only the highest quality ingredients. Each dish’s arrival to the table was delivered with such grandeur. Each of us took our time analyzing the dish on our own before striking up a conversation about its concept, flavors, ingredi-

ents, and other standouts within the meal.

A personal favorite of mine was the fifth course: charred chicken liver, Szechuan, injera, and yuzu. The umami and fattiness of the chicken liver was perfectly contrasted by the acidic yuzu. Plated beautifully, this course was a true standout. Every once in a while, I come across new flavor profiles that just blow me away. This dish was just that. The meal continued on with dish after dish of beautiful food. Their desserts were meticulously thought out and utilized daring ingredients such as yeasted yogurt. As the meal came to a close, our waiter welcomed our table into the kitchen for a tour. The kitchen was spotless, an all around professional environment.

It was clear that WD-50 had a lot to teach our group of emerging culinary students.

We made our way home dazzled by our experience. I know that sometimes it can be hard to find the time and money to go out and experience cuisine ourselves. However, with so much to learn from these experiences, it’s crazy to turn down these types of opportunities. With just a few weeks left of service, WD-50 is still accepting reservations. If you want to check out WD-50 before they close, visit their website at www.WD-50.com for more information.

Charred Chicken Liver, Szechuan, Injera, Yuzu

Photos Courtesy of Marisa Licandro