HPM Announces Completion of Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center

CONTRIBUTED BY HPM

AUBURN —

HPM is pleased to announce the grand opening of Auburn University’s Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, an innovative, dual-purpose building that houses a learning environment blended with a luxury boutique hotel, restaurant, food hall and more.

HPM served as program manager on the project, providing project management support for Auburn University Facilities Management during the pre-construction and construction phases of the world-class educational and hospitality facility.

The Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center is a 142,000-square-foot complex with the capacity to facilitate hands-on, immersive learning experiences for students pursuing careers in hospitality and culinary sciences.

Students will train alongside world-renowned chefs and hospitality professionals in Class-A training kitchens, restaurants and labs, as well as

SHOWCASE >>

from A7 night and Sunday shows.

At 5 p.m., guests can shop with local vendors until the show begins at 7 p.m.

Saturday night’s show features recording artist

SUNDILLA >>

from A7 performer, and though his career has been highly successful, parts of it can be summed up quite simply. As a songwriter, he’s “the guy who has had his songs recorded by Guy Clark, Joan Baez, Nanci Griffith, Garth Brooks, Peter, Paul & Mary, Janis Ian, David Wilcox and Maura O’Connell, just to name a few.”

As a performer, he’s “the guy who Guy Clark heard before immediately walking into a Nashville publishing house with the demand, ‘Listen to this kid and sign him now; he’s good!’” As a singer, he’s “the guy who performed in a group with Art Garfunkel.” (No, “Buddy Mondlock” isn’t an alias for Paul Simon, but he and Garfunkel did indeed team up with Maia Sharp, and the trio recorded a CD and toured North America and Europe.)

Despite his success as a recording artist, as a solo performer and as a member of a group, Mondlock will a brewery, retail food hall and boutique hotel. Also located on the first floor of the building is 1856, a tasting-menu-only teaching restaurant. Situated at the corner of East Thach Avenue and South College Street in downtown Auburn, construction on the building began in 2019.

“We have had a wonderful experience working with Auburn University Facilities Management to bring this one-of-a-kind hospitality learning environment to life,” said HPM President Ryan Austin. “The strong relationships we have formed with our partners have driven home success for this project and kept us focused throughout every step, even as we faced a global pandemic. This is another successful project that we are pleased to add to our portfolio of high-profile hospitality and higher-education initiatives across the Southeast.”

HPM provided pre-construction and construction services on the project, including contract oversight, and quality

Demetriace "Chee Chee" Jordan, Donald Frison, dancers from Make Your Move, Katherine Jones, and Natasha Staples-White. Sunday’s lineup includes Jackie Jones, Rosalyn Thomas, Donald Frison, Greater Peace Male Church Choir, Make Your forever be known as a songwriter. He does it so well that some great songwriters have recorded his songs on their own albums. Clark, Griffith and Ian are just a few of them; names familiar to Sundilla fans, like Tom Kimmel and Pierce Pettis, are also on that list. But there’s nothing like hearing the guy who wrote them sing them. He’s not going to pin your ears back with those songs. He’s going to draw you into his world — where a single snowflake follows the trajectory of a relationship, where you get your pocket picked by a Roman cat, where you might swim over the edge of the world if you’re not careful and where dreams that don’t come true still count. He does it in little folk clubs and on a stage by a grassy hill, in someone’s living room or in the Royal Albert Hall. When Mondlock grabs his guitar and does his thing, it’s always a magical evening for the audience. For more information, go to www.sundillamusic.com. control and assurance. The firm worked closely with design teams during the planning stages to ensure the initial drawings aligned with the budget and timeline, while also managing communication with all partners and subcontractors to ensure that progress remained on schedule.

HPM scoped out and managed the bidding of a separate utility and enabling works package for the building contractor, helping bypass time-intensive utility relocations and keeping the overall project schedule on track. The firm also oversaw the construction of a six-story, $10 million parking deck nearby before beginning work on the culinary facility.

Move dancers and Danielle Pierce. Admission to all shows and workshops are free. Donations will be accepted.

“I am proud of our team’s dedication to collaboration and preplanning, which ultimately led to a smooth transition between each phase of the project lifecycle,” said

Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and a matinee on Sunday at 2 p.m. Even though admission is free, you must

HPM Operations Manager Caleb Camp. “This facility is a trailblazer in both the hospitality and higher education industries, providing a range of training opportunities that are not offered at other institutions in the country. HPM’s expertise in owner’s representation and construction management maintained cost efficiency and ensured this project was completed to Auburn University’s high standard of excellence.” make reservations through Eventbrite or by going to www. opelikatheatrecompany .com.

Black History

Auburn alumnus and Board of Trustees member Jimmy Rane helped kickstart the project with a $12 million gift dedicated to the building’s construction. The board later approved naming the facility in honor of his parents, Tony and Libba Rane.

“It’s been a privilege to work with the HPM team,” said Mary Melissa Taddeo, campus architect at Auburn University.

“Their support through pre-construction and construction phases was invaluable, especially as our Facilities Management team navigated staffing transitions and procurement hurdles throughout construction. HPM’s consistent, high-quality leadership and ‘boots on the ground’ guidance in the field was key to this project’s success.”

HPM helped administer the state of Alabama bid process during the pre-construction phase to select qualified, experienced contractors and partners.

Additional project partners include architecture and design firm Cooper

Showcase and workshop will be held at Southside Center for the Arts at 1103 Glenn St. in Opelika.

De Tigris expanded and recently held its annual gala. Its sixth annual parade will be held in downtown Auburn on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 3 p.m.

Baysinger has had an interest in cooking from an early age. When she was 6 years old, she was “helping” her mom make dinner. Her mom sat her on the kitchen island with Sister Shubert’s yeast rolls and a large container of margarine in her lap and asked her to butter the rolls. Baysinger remembers saying, “Look at me. I am being a master chef.” Then she looked at her mom and announced, “When I grow up, I want to be a master chef.”

After that, Baysinger began preparing a variety of dishes. When she was 12 years old, her interest shifted to baking rather than general cooking. From that point, her maternal grandparents became interested in her cooking and gave her a chef’s coat. The baking company is named after her grandfather, Jewel Green Belcher Jr.

Business partner Land was born and raised in Salem. Cooking has been big in his family. His grandmother would always have the family over for the holidays and prepare a big meal around the table. While she passed away when he was young, Land was influenced in cooking by his mother, Tricia Land, and an aunt, watching them cook growing up. His mother and her sister were close in age and enjoyed getting together to cook with the children running around the house.

When he was 8 or 9 years old, Land decided he wanted to be a chef. His aunt, Jo Ann Perrella, opened Happy Belly Deli in Beauregard. He helped her at the deli, which served fresh products. He watched them prep the food and helped in other areas. It inspired him to go into hospitality and become a chef. He attended restaurant management at Auburn University.

He first worked at Jim Bob’s Chicken Fingers while he was in high school and then worked at other local places, including Newk’s Eatery in Opelika — where Baysinger was also working — and they became friends.

Land and his wife Kelley have two children, a 4-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son. Baysinger and her husband Brian don’t have children of their own, but he is a father to five children from a previous marriage. Both Kelley and Brian are supportive of the bakery business.

Although Baysinger and Land tossed around the idea of opening a business together for about 10 years, they began the cottage business bakery last November.

“Everything is homemade,” Baysinger said. “I think it is a better quality than what is mass-produced. Everything that comes out of the kitchen is painstakingly done.”

Cinnamon rolls are among their most popular items, as well as seasonal cookie trays with assorted varieties. They offer decorating kits with cookies and three different colors of royal icings that come packaged for a fun family activity. They also have cookies and decorating kits for Mardi Gras and Easter.

Baysinger also bakes other Mardi Gras favorites, such as king cakes and king cake cupcakes. She gets inspiration from her family in Louisiana. Sometimes, she uses family recipes that have been passed down through generations. She tweaks them as her own. She offers a classic king cake that generally takes four to five hours to make.

“The ones from [a] grocery store are more like croissant than actual bread,” she said. “Traditionally, a king cake is a cross between a cinnamon bread and a brioche loaf with that nice, crisp outer shell, which is what I make. Almost everything we offer can be tweaked to customize it. I am also making a cinnamon and cream cheese king cake.”

Baysinger and Land also use the inspiration from what they have learned from their careers so far. They will brainstorm ideas for every holiday.

Along with seasonal cookies at Easter, they will have favorite spring cakes.

Baysinger is planning a special lemon cake.

For the bakery, Land manages the business side with marketing, the website and Facebook page. With him handling those things, it has been easier for Baysinger to be in the kitchen baking.

In recent months, food prices have increased. “With rising cost in supplies, we want to keep everything as reasonably priced as possible,” Land said. “We look at the food prices, but we are going to go a little less to get the loyal customers.”

At some point, they hope to have their own shop. Then, they can make wedding cakes and offer local coffee. Until then, they will continue to sell online and plan to be at local farmers markets when in season.

“When we started, I didn’t realize how difficult and labor-intensive it was going to be,” Baysinger said. “I don’t regret that, as this is what I have wanted to do my entire life. It set in quickly how important it is to support local and small businesses in the community. Buying local can change people’s lives in ways others can’t imagine.”

Their menu is available on the website, jewel-green-baking-company-llc.square.site, as well as on Facebook at @ Jewelgreenbakingco and Instagram. They require at least 48 hours for orders.

Carry, facility operator Ithaka Hospitality Partners, the Auburn University Facilities Management department and general contractor Bailey-Harris Construction.

With a presence throughout the U.S. and a total management portfolio value of $1 billion-plus annually, HPM has established itself as one of the industry’s leading program managers and owner’s representative companies. The firm’s recent notable clients and accounts include a program management contract for Airbus’ campus, including the A320 and A220 assembly lines in Mobile, Alabama; an assignment to lead the site selection process, planning, design and construction of Boom Supersonic’s first manufacturing facility; project management services for several new minor league baseball ballparks and major league spring training facilities in Florida; a pre-construction services and construction administration contract for facilities owned by Regions Financial Corporation; a partnership with the World Games 2022 as the official program management partner; and program management services for multiple K-12 school districts and higher education institutions throughout the South. For more information on HPM and its services, visit www.hpmleadership. com/.

ABOUT HPM

HPM provides comprehensive planning, design and construction-related experience to offer clients a one-stop approach to complete program management and owner’s representation. From real estate acquisition analysis and facilities assessments to construction auditing and move management, HPM services clients in aerospace, automotive, sports and entertainment venues, commercial and industrial, higher education, K-12, and state and local government. With a footprint of accounts, projects and offices spanning throughout the U.S., the HPM team manages its work for national and international clients while providing a flexible, scalable team of experts at just the right time in the life of your facilities. For more information, please visit wwwhpmleadership. com.

CIPPERLY RECIPES >>

NEW ORLEANS

BEIGNETS

1/4 oz. active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

1 cup evaporated milk

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

4½ cups self-rising flour

Oil for deep-frying

Confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Do not knead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch down dough. Turn onto a floured surface; roll into a 16x12inch rectangle. Cut into 2-inch squares.

In a deep cast-iron or electric skillet, heat 1 inch oil to 375 degrees. Fry squares, in batches, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Roll warm beignets in confectioners' sugar.

KING CAKE

CINNAMON ROLLS

Dough:

¾ cup lukewarm whole milk

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 cup sugar

2¼ tsp. instant yeast

¾ tsp. salt

3¼ cups all-purpose flour, with more for flouring surfaces

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

Filling:

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

¾ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup milk, plus more as needed

To prepare dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir to combine milk, eggs, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add sugar, yeast and salt, and stir to combine. On low speed with paddle attachment, add flour, ½ cup at a time, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Increase to medium speed and begin adding softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Scrape sides of bowl and then continue beating for an additional 4 minutes. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

Lightly grease a large bowl and place dough inside, covering tightly with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest in a warm spot until it has approximately doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Once dough has nearly doubled in size, prepare filling.

To prepare filling, stir to combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt; set aside.

To prepare rolls:

After first rise, roll dough out into a 11x2-inch rectangle. Use an offset spatula to spread filling onto rectangle. Starting with one of long ends, roll dough into a tight log and pinch edges together to seal. Use a sharp knife to cut 2-inch pieces out of the log. Lightly grease a muffin tin and place a roll, face-up, into each compartment of the muffin tin, which will be 12 rolls. Lightly over tops of the dishes with plastic wrap for about a half hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When rolls have risen, remove and bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before stirring together icing ingredients and drizzling over top. For thinner icing glaze, add an additional tablespoon milk until desired consistency is reached. Rewarm and enjoy.

Pecan Praline Cookies

Cookies:

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Praline Icing:

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until well incorporated.

Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder and kosher salt in a separate mixing bowl; add to creamed butter and mix well with a baking spatula by hand until the dry ingredients are just before they are fully mixed in. Add in pecans and gently mix them in until all the ingredients are mixed in well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Form dough into balls using a cookie scoop then place 2 inches apart on silicone baking mat lined (or parchment paper-lined) baking sheets. Bake praline cookies for 10 minutes.

Let cool on pans for 5 minutes then remove to cool on wire racks.

Praline Icing: Stir together brown sugar and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Drizzle over cookies or dip the cookies into icing.

KING CAKE

CUPCAKES

Cupcakes:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 2/3 cups all-purpose Flour

1¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

6 Tbsp. butter, softened

2/3 cup milk, at room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla plus 1/8 tsp. lemon oil, optional

2 large eggs at room temperature

Icing:

3 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. lemon oil, optional

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 Tbsp. milk, enough to make a spreadable icing

Colored sugars, preferably purple, yellow and green

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a muffin tin. You can also line muffin tins with papers and spray the insides of the papers.

To make cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt.

Add butter and beat with an electric mixer at low speed, until mixture looks sandy.

Combine milk and vanilla and add, all at once. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of mixing bowl.

With mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg. Increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Add second egg, again beating for 30 seconds.

Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl and beat briefly, just until smooth.

Scoop batter by heaping 1/4-cupfuls into prepared muffin tin.

Bake cupcakes for 23 to 25 minutes, until they are lightly golden brown around edges, spring back when pressed gently on top, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Remove cupcakes from oven and place on a rack to cool completely before icing.

To make icing: Combine butter, cream cheese, vanilla and lemon oil in a medium-sized bowl and beat them together until light and fluffy.

Adds sugar gradually, beating well.

Beat in milk a little at a time, until frosting is a spreadable consistency.

Spread each cake with icing, and immediately dip in gold, purple and green sparkling sugars, covering about 1/3 of cupcake with each color sugar.

Store at room temperature for several days. Can freeze.

LOUISIANA BANANA PUDDING

¾ cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% milk

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

36 vanilla wafers

3 medium ripe bananas, cut into ¼ inch slices

Meringue:

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

3 Tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, combine sugar and flour. Stir in milk until smooth.

Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot milk mixture into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; gently stir in butter and vanilla.

In an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish, layer a third of the vanilla wafers, bananas and filling. Repeat layers twice.

For meringue, beat egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to sides of dish. Bake until meringue is golden, 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Southern Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 cup whole buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse to combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Once those ingredients are combined, add cold butter cubes and pulse mixture about 10 times to break down butter into small pea-sized pieces. Add buttermilk, then pulse about 10 times until dough clumps together in one side of the food processor.

Use a large 3-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop scoops of biscuit mixture onto a baking sheet. You should have 12 scoops. Bake for 15 minutes in the lower third of the oven until golden brown.

HOMEMADE PIE CRUST

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

6 Tbsp. very cold water

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. With a pastry cutter or your fingers, gradually work the butter into the flour until dime-sized pieces form. In a small bowl, combine cold water and apple cider vinegar. Add mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently in between each addition. Stir together until ingredients are incorporated and mixture holds together when pinched together with your fingers. Turn mixture out onto a clean countertop and knead 4-5 times until combined. Divide into 2 evenly sized balls and flatten each to a disk shape (with minimal cracks). Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days before rolling out.