July 28, 2016
La
Volume 37, No. 10
Papillote
Summer Events in the Hudson Valley
BY: Alison Sprong, AOS Culinary
Unlike other colleges in the area, here at the CIA we only have three weeks of summer break. This does give plenty of opportunity to go out and experience summer in the Hudson Valley. Luckily for us CIA students, some of the best things to do all involve food and are just a short car ride from Hyde Park. Farmers markets, distilleries and festivals are all within 40 minutes of campus and all perfect for a weekend day trip. Here is a guide to some of the best stops. Fishkill Farms: This 15-acre farm in Hopewell Junction, NY offers you pick produce beginning in June and runs through the fall. In the late summer months, visitors are able to pick blackberries, peaches and nectarines. Fishkill Farms also features a farm store which offers baked goods, cheeses and other local products. Behind the farm store is a patio that looks over the apple orchard there where they encourage picnicking. If you follow the
photo courtsey of Taconic Distillery
farm on Facebook you can be in the know about their frequent special events, such as the yoga classes they hold on the property. Taconic Distillery: For the over 21 crowd, Taconic Distillery is open in Millbrook, NY for the summer. They specialize in whiskeys and bourbons and focus on the traditional American style of distilling. For students not quite of age, they also make maple syrup that is aged in their bourbon barrels.
Hyde Park Farmers Market: Across from the Stop n Shop right up the street is the Hyde Park farmers market. Every Saturday from 9am to 2pm, vendors sell local produce, prepared foods and crafts. If you want to make a day out of it, there are more than 10 farmers markets in Dutchess county. The Rhinebeck farmers market is also very popular and is open from 10am – 2pm every Sunday all year. Dutchess County Fair: The
Nationwide Cook Shortage
week that we return from break (August 22nd for those of you trying to forget) the Dutchess County Fair will be in full swing at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds up in beautiful Rhinebeck, NY. The fair has numerous different features including antiques, arts and crafts, a wildlife exhibit and over 300 vendors of shopping. The most important feature, of course, is the food. Highlighted during the fair is the field to table and harvest kitchen exhibits. The field to table building is basically a pop up county store. They will have local honeys, jams, candies and many other sweet items. The harvest kitchen will have local chefs from all over New York State hosting demos on everything from how to taste chocolate to how to make fresh mozzarella. Several of the demos have tastings at the end so be sure to get a good seat. Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest: Mark your calendars for the Hudson Valley Wine & Food Fest at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds (Rhinebeck,
BY: Ian Gilchrist, AOS Baking & Pastry
Cooks are in short supply, particularly in New York, and the restaurant industry is scrambling to find people to replace vacant positions. Every year, a news outlet features the so-called “Chef Exodus” that is hitting the industry, a growing problem where cooks are deciding to leave the industry as the economy improves. The problem isn’t limited to the East Coast; shortages are appearing in Seattle, San Francisco, and nearly every major city across the United States. Good news for you, recent graduates; according to the Washington Post, there will be at least one applicant for every twelve vacancies. Jobs are certainly not in short supply in this industry, and with the right skills, you could be walking right into your first major gig at a restaurant—if you have the skills. This is all stemming from a serious problem in the restaurant industry—low wages, and unaffordable housing, coupled with an improving economy and declining immigration. The Bureau of Labor reports that the average median monthly income of a line cook is $1200-
photo courtsey of www.firstwefeast.com
1400/month, far too low to live on in major cities, where the average rent price for a single bedroom apartment almost certainly exceeds their income. Additionally, potential large amounts of student loan debt must be considered when making an employment decision. Despite all of this, the United States continues to see restaurants opening every year. Many are pointing to this trend worsening the problem by creating jobs that cannot be filled. But this is ultimately a two-sided problem. While culinary graduates are plentiful, not all students want to become cooks when they graduate.
Some take the opportunity to find work outside of the restaurant kitchen with food organizations, hotels, and health services. There are simply more options for culinary graduates and food service professionals, and potentially more attractive job opportunities with higher pay and benefits. Some turn away from the industry entirely, and many are blaming the labor conditions. Fortune Magazine ran a piece last year (2015) on the cook exodus, interviewing Chef Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill, a Michelin-starred New York city
restaurant. Gotham was a major destination for cooks hoping to embark on a culinary career Chef Portale said that the number of applicants has dropped sharply. In order to make up for the decline in cooks, salaried employees working up to 70 hours per week, on average, to keep pace with production, and it’s a pace that can only be sustained for so long. At 70 works per week it is difficult to have a good quality of life. Cooks need to rest, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. That’s why many cooks are leaving the restaurant industry, and seeking employment in other
NY) to close out the summer. On September 10th and 11th hundreds of vendors will come together for a huge festival celebrating what we all know and love. Some of the events will include wine seminars and cooking demos all accompanied by live music. Hard cider breweries, craft beers, distilleries, vineyards, and gourmet foods will all be there each with a booth or even a pavilion to sit and enjoy. Not to mention there will be a food truck “corral” where local trucks serving a huge variety of all different kinds of cuisines. Check out their website to get a complete list of every vendor that will be there. The three week vacation might not seem long enough to do too much, but lucky for us we can spend a lot of time in the Hudson Valley and experience all it has to offer during the summer. Load up those Zipcar credits, or find a friend with transportation, and get out in the area for some Summer fun.
industries. Corporations, hotels, and alternative areas of the food industry are attracting droves of workers, because they can afford to pay higher wages, offer benefits packages. That’s another thing the New York Times has touched on—the industry is growing tired of the screaming, abusive chef stereotype that has driven many away from the industry. Combine this persona with chronic substance and physical abuse problems the industry is plagued by, and it’s not hard to see why cooks are leaving restaurants behind. The restaurant industry should embrace its problems, and commit to a massive restoration, and a top-to-bottom restructuring of kitchens, wages, and labor. Restaurants that can afford to, should be hiring skilled cooks, and paying them higher wages for their skills. The cost of those cooks can be offset by raising prices on menus, something that David Chang, owner of the Momofuku empire has suggested (and is looking into at his restaurants as of 2015). Unless actions are taken soon, the restaurant industry might be too short-staffed, and mass closures will follow.