No. 75, January 2018
ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
APPLIED
contents FE ATURES
ACROSS C A MPUS
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28
Food Studies...Applied 6
Tidbits 20
Medieval Food 18
Celebrating a Trio of Titans 28 It Bears Repeating 44
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EDUC ATION FOR LIFE
G IF T S AT WORK
31
32
Women in Foodser vice 26
Turning Out Entrepreneurs 32
Externship Opens Doors 30
From Tide to Table 33
Menus of Change 31
Why Give / Giving’s Impact 34 Class Notes 36
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Editor’s Note Years ago, I visited Colonial Williamsburg, where costumed interpreters draw you into the life and times of the citizenry of 18th century Virginia. I ate in one of the taverns where food was cooked using the technology and methods of the time. That living history experience opened my eyes to the social, economic, and cultural lives of the Williamsburg community. It was a tasty and compelling lesson. In the very popular Applied Food Studies major at the CIA, students study anthropology, food systems, politics, economics, technology, and ecology through the lens of food to better understand the past and to envision the future. These students grow to appreciate how food impacts human culture and experience. They are the ones who will go forward to create more sustainable food systems, and help to shape policy that will address global food concerns. In this edition of mise en place, our faculty members share their varied approaches to teaching Applied Food Studies. You’ll want to come back to college and take this major once you learn about all the innovative and engaging ways our teachers are integrating instruction, research, and experiential learning in their courses. Hey, why not! Enjoy, Nancy Cocola, Editor Nancy.Cocola@culinary.edu
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Food is an accessible and revealing window into history, economics, culture, class, and politics. Students majoring in the Applied Food Studies bachelor’s degree program are taught to look at each of these areas using food as the common denominator. They study the anthropology, ecology, history, governmental policies, and sustainability of food. Through these courses, students are gaining a perspective that may well translate into careers focused on the broader issues that impact our global relationship with food. Careers in food advocacy, food media, government policy, and education are just some areas these students might pursue. Enjoy this firsthand look at what the CIA faculty is teaching in this innovative and far-reaching program. Welcome to Food Studies‌ Applied!
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Anthropology of Food How food shapes culture and culture shapes food By Dr. Willa Zhen My section of the course prioritizes socio-cultural anthropology, the largest branch of anthropology. Socio-cultural anthropology focuses on the diversity of human behavior in present times. So, why do humans care so much about their food? After all, food is just fuel, right? But, unlike animals who eat to live, many humans live to eat. We use food in rituals, to mark celebrations, to define who we are (and who we are not). But why is this the case? How did food come to play such a critical role in human life? This course shows how our food habits have made us human; separating us from other animals. It also discusses how humans’ relationships to food are continuing to change as societies advance and develop new technologies, take on new social and environmental challenges, and evolve tastes and trends. We delve into different aspects of food and human culture, starting with pre-history and the lives of the first humans over three million years ago and eventually moving to current issues in America and around the globe. The course begins by giving the students an understanding of anthropology and laying the
groundwork for why the study of human culture is meaningful to many fields, including the culinary industry. Students role-play cross-cultural scenarios to encourage thinking beyond their immediate experience to consider how attitudes, beliefs, practices, and values can vary from culture to culture, and society to society. We then move on to cover several thematic issues: agriculture and human development; cooking and the rise of civilizations; food exchange, and the food chain; family and kinship; race and ethnicity; caste and class; gender; and commensality and gastro-politics. Students dive into a series of handson activities to enhance their understanding of theoretical concepts. For instance, while studying the rise of agriculture and technological change around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, students are tasked with grinding ancient grains by hand. They search for rocks they think would be good grinding stones, and then they toil for about an hour, after which most have made enough flour for a small cracker. Students quickly come to appreciate how agriculture and technology shifted our ability to obtain and process food and why civilizations were able to form. The course ends with students applying all these concepts together in a final project. They form teams and create what they consider the “perfect” food-based culture. Over the years, students have come up with some rather inventive civilizations, among them: a matriarchal fruit-based society in the Amazon jungle that worships Carmen Miranda; a futuristic robot society powered by beer; and a futuristic society regulated by social media and “likes.” The list goes on. Students leave this course with an appreciation of food’s role in human culture, and how food will continue to shape the human experience. Dr. Willa Zhen is a CIA professor of liberal arts.
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Corn and Human Skulls Anthropology of Food By Dr. Maureen Costura In a recent Anthropology of Food class, I talked about corn…and human skulls. It went something like this… “For the Mayan people, maize was such a staple crop that they symbolically associated their own flesh with corn. The more elite you were, the more access you had to maize. And the truly elite represented this by binding the heads of their infants in a way that produced an elongated skull, representing the shape of the corn cob.” I showed pictures and heard the inevitable responses—grossed-out noises and comments about aliens. When the noise died down, I explained. “The point isn’t that this is strange, it’s that the staple crops that past cultures relied on became intrinsically linked to their societies. Religion, art, taxation systems, inequality, even their flesh itself was bound up in their food.” I’m trained as an archaeologist. Put Indiana Jones out of your mind. I’ve never had to outrun a giant boulder bearing down on me, been thrown into a snake pit, or discovered ancient treasures. I’m more interested in the ways in which people in the past interacted with their food, and how their reliance on those foods shaped the long-term trajectory of their cultures. Some of the Maya, for example, became so reliant on corn agriculture that they deforested their hillsides, increasing soil erosion and eventually causing malnutrition, violent unrest, and, some believe, social collapse. Food and food choices matter both on an individual and a cultural level. The students sitting in front of me—who were still mumbling about aliens—are going to shape the food choices of this culture and our society. They are the gardeners, educators, purchasing directors,
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and chefs of the future. And as the role of the chef increases in social prominence, they will be influential voices shaping the way we eat and interact with the natural world in years to come. Anthropology as a whole is the study of human societies. Archaeology is specifically concerned with a deep dive into past human societies—the longue durée—of concepts and mediated choices that give a particular culture its shape and values. That we archaeologists try to reconstruct these cultures from the ruins and garbage they left behind is part of the allure of the discipline, and my students react well to it. Conversations usually range widely, touching on topics like whether homo floresiensis, (the small brained, small bodied hominin last present in Indonesia 12,000 years ago) used fire to cook and what it means if he/she did. Current theories argue that large human brains are in part the result of the easy calories from cooked food. We discuss the past, as it informs the present. The students in my class will most likely never take an anthropology class again. For most, their path will lie elsewhere. But I try to teach them to question the idea that what they experience is normal, that their ways are right or correct simply because they are their ways. I try to give them a glimpse into the startling diversity of human experience, and food, throughout the lifespan of our species. Dr. Maureen Costura is a CIA professor of liberal arts.
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History Through the Lens of Food
By Dr. Beth Forrest
In June, at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS), I sat on a panel with other historians who teach food history at the University of the Pacific, The New School, the University of Toronto, and Boston University. Two questions dominated the conversation. How does food history differ from other history classes? And what skills are transferable?
Food History class at the CIA is a project-based seminar course. It is a core class in the Applied Food Studies major but can be taken as an elective by any bachelor’s degree student. Throughout the semester, students explore numerous topics through the lens of food—including politics, economics, class, gender, and technology. Because of the tangible reality of food, students can physically engage more readily. That is when we enter the kitchen and cook historical recipes.
One class is usually used to prepare food that was common before the Great Exchange (1492). Cooking from 14th century cookbooks Sent Soví and Le Ménagier de Paris allows us to consider concrete topics of labor, technology, and food access. We touch on the emotional and social aspect when students, chosen by lots, find out that
politics economics technology
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they are “peasants” and won’t get to enjoy eating any of the food they have just prepared. We also explore the more theoretical ideas of embodied knowledge, taste, and aesthetics, as well as issues of understanding older recipes—which serve as a microcosm for understanding the past—the very definition of practicing history. Over the course of the semester, through selected readings and research, the students also curate a museum exhibit that remains on display in the Donald and Barbara Tober Exhibit Room, located in the Conrad N. Hilton Library. The students are responsible for deciding on the overall narrative of the exhibit, researching and interpreting primary source materials and artifacts, and working with CIA Archivist Nicole Semenchuk and our 30,000-strong menu collection. Past exhibits have included: “Dutch Foodways in the Old and New World;” “H2O: Water2Food;” “Food on the Move: Travel and Transportation;” “Fire in the Belly: Cultural Moments around the Hearth and Table;” “Sweet & Salty: Tastes of Cultural History;” and our current iteration—“You are What You [M]eat: The Culture of Meat in 19th–20th Century America.”
mation when artifacts are not available. Students gain empathy as they go about telling someone’s else’s story, which is particularly true with our last exhibit. There, they presented the stories of refugees, Americans placed in internment camps, and those who faced continued institutionalized racism when arriving in the United States. Students must work both independently and collaboratively if the exhibit is to be successful. And finally, the students in Food History, who have become public historians for the semester, understand the intrinsic power in creating narratives. Through all of these hands-on experiences, our students leave as better citizens. Dr. Beth Forrest is a CIA professor of liberal arts and board secretary of the Association for the Study of Food and Society.
In preparing for the exhibit, students must think critically and creatively about what to include. They have to problem-solve about how to present inforIf you have historical cooking artifacts or menus that you would like to contribute for future exhibits, contact Beth Forrest or Nicole Semenchuk at Beth. Forrest@culinary.edu and Nicole.Semenchuk@ culinary.edu
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Food Policy at the CIA By David Flynn Students at the CIA can now delve deeply into the realm of policies affecting the food industry. Food Policy, one of the core course requirements for Applied Food Studies (AFS) majors, is a seminar-practicum that takes a cross-disciplinary approach to the study of policy and food. The course integrates the disciplines of economics, political science, psychology, anthropology, and law. It is designed for AFS students interested in careers in the fields of food policy and advocacy, but is available as an elective for students in other majors who have a particular interest in the topic. Students in the class have the opportunity to immerse themselves in both the study and application of public policy theory. The emphasis is on experiential learning, where students apply both the theoretical and empirical knowledge gained from readings and discussion, to developing food policy on campus. The focus is sustainability, and the practicum culminates with the delivery to the campus community of a white paper containing indepth analysis and policy recommendations regarding the sustainability of a component of campus food operations.
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A Living Social Science Laboratory The unique nature of the Hyde Park campus, with its full-service restaurants, bakery café, production kitchens, bakeshops, and Restaurant Associates-operated dining options, provides a fascinating, and arguably one-of-a-kind, social science laboratory. Very few colleges have the capacity to offer students the opportunity to investigate and conduct real-world experiments with foodservice operations. The course takes full advantage of this exceptional environment to facilitate student engagement in primary research. The unique challenges of research provide the perfect milieu for students to hone their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students grapple with the complexities of integrating sustainability criteria into real-world food policies. They use primary research methodologies—surveys, interviews, and observation—which provide opportunities to drill down deeply on a problem and develop actionable policy solutions to solve it. The course uses case studies to highlight the challenges inherent in pubic policy approaches to solving societal problems. Case studies include food and public health (food taxes, serving size limits, marketing to children), labor in the food system (tipped minimum wage, paid sick days, fair scheduling), and animal welfare (gestation crates in the pork industry, gavage in foie gras production). Over the last few semesters, students have developed policies to increase transparency in meat purchasing at the CIA, accommodate food allergies in campus dining, and improve the sustainability of how the campus handles waste. One of our most recent classes worked on the sustainability of “togo” packaging at the Apple Pie Bakery Café. They analyzed the life cycle of the current packaging, investigating possible alternatives, developing behavioral nudges to create more sustainable default options, and tackling the challenges of integrating sustainable practices into a foodservice operation while maintaining profitability and customer satisfaction. The challenges facing the food system today are precisely what the students confront in their research. This experiential approach to problem solving, coupled with the opportunity to present their analysis and recommendations to campus leaders, excites and engages the students. It is this rich interdisciplinary and experiential approach in the Applied Food Studies program that nurtures the students’ creativity and empowers them to develop the innovative thinking necessary to create a more sustainable system. David Flynn is a CIA associate professor of liberal arts.
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ECOLOGY OF FOOD By Dr. Deirdre Murphy
“Tell me a story,” noted ecologist and Hudson Valley local Thomas Berry demanded in his environmental studies classic, The Dream of the Earth. It’s a tale of where we are and how we got here. What he was asking for was an inclusive story of the Hudson Valley. Nearly 40 years later, students in the Ecology of Food class are reading, living, and thinking through Berry’s call to ecological engagement. While classrooms are wonderful places of learning, we cannot fully understand the ecosystem of which we are a part until we are out in it. That is why, at the tail end of winter and just as we are starting to tip into the earliest moments of spring, students in the Ecology of Food class can be found out on campus beneath the maple trees—drilling holes into trunks, fitting spiles, and mounting buckets. For two weeks after that, students stomp through drifts of snow, skid across ice slicks, or squish through mud to collect the sap that is then boiled down 14 ciaalumninetwork.com
into syrup. And soon after that project ends a new one begins. Seeds for the campus Teaching Garden must be chosen and then germinated under grow lights. As spring wears on, students clean up the beds in the garden as well as the berry and fig bushes on the hill behind it. They check on our perennials—herbs that students will soon use to cook with at home and in their classes—and plant the new vegetable and herb starts that we’d raised. They make sure our composting system is in order and ready to continue the job of turning waste into soil nutrients. And soon, harvesting is upon us! First, they harvest the early greens and herbs, and then the berries, radishes, carrots, and beets. After that comes tomatoes, corn, and potatoes, and finally, the fall crops. Before we know it, winter will be here and the whole cycle will slow for a short time before it all starts up again. And while all of these activities might sound like a bit of an agrarian fantasy, they reveal only some
of the ways students are working to evolve their thinking. Perhaps unsurprisingly, CIA students in the Applied Food Studies program are positioning themselves not only to be great chefs, but also to be excellent stewards of the environment. As it turns out, the two goals go hand in hand. Students’ dedication to food and hospitable service drives their interest to learn more about our food systems—where our seeds come from, how our access to water and varieties of food are impacted by our changing climate, how people access and use the food they purchase or grow, and how they deal with or are challenged by food security during times of economic upheaval and environmental stress. Even as students in the course are reading classic and cutting-edge texts in ecological studies and food studies, they are also undertaking research as participants with a local seed library in trials for
newly rediscovered heirloom vegetables. They are growing a very rare variety of corn valued for making polenta, and nurturing a range of Syrian vegetables for seed harvest. They will contribute the seeds to a bank for Syrian refugees displaced from their homelands. As students in the Ecology of Food class demonstrate, knowing and doing are two essential parts of dedicated learning. Reading and studying about the point where ecological and food studies meet, while learning to maintain the healthy soil that produces the food they grow in our garden, is an intense experience. It’s also an experience that matters because it allows them to see the story “of where we are and how we got here.” Pretty soon, we’ll be asking these students to “Tell me a story,” about the complex world in which we live and feed ourselves. I can’t wait to hear their answers. Dr. Deirdre Murphy is a CIA professor of liberal arts.
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Sustainable Food Systems We did not inherit this earth from our ancestors, but have borrowed it from the children. Native American saying
By Darryl Mosher There couldn’t be a more appropriate saying to introduce the Sustainable Food Systems course that I developed and teach in the Applied Food Studies (AFS) bachelor’s program than the quote above. The objective of the course is to understand and evaluate the resource-intensive nature of our food system. Students can then use this knowledge to make more informed choices that lessen our utilization of water and energy resources and minimize external forces that can impact our water, soil, and air. It should not be surprising, when evaluating the food system in its entirety, that we find the hyper-consumptive nature of the current model is negatively impacting our environment. Most would agree that as resources become scarce and ecosystems become more degraded, productivity and choice would diminish.
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These threats to our food system have challenged us to think more deeply about what actions and best practices we can employ to ensure a longterm resilient food system. The focus on sustainable food systems is quickly emerging as one of the more pressing themes in our food world. New disciplines such as enviro-nutrition and agroecology are helping us to understand a new food system model. And catchphrases like “cooking for the environment” and “soil to soil” provide a focused mindset within the kitchen. Best practices such as plant-forward diets, reducing food waste, and utilizing local, seasonal fresh ingredients not only improve the health of our environment but can improve our personal and economic heath as well. Students who take this class, both our AFS students and those who chose to take this as an elective, become aware and committed to reducing the impact of their food choices.
How many of you know the amount of water required to produce an eight-ounce cup of coffee? 1 How about how much water is needed to result in a quarter pound of ground beef? 2 Better yet, do you know the energy required to produce a 16-ounce can of corn 3 or the percentage of food wasted in an average U.S. home? 4 (Answers below). The question of how and why these statistics matter is discussed and studied in this course. In a final project, paper, and presentation, students have the opportunity to advance the sustainability of some element of our food system. Students have done projects on a diverse number of topics
ranging from entomophagy—promoting the eating of insects as an alternative protein source—to community level anaerobic digestion of food waste for energy production. This project allows them to delve deeply into any area of their personal interest. As graduates, these individuals will not only positively impact our food system in those areas of their direct involvement but also, as they progress through their careers, instill these concepts in others. Darryl Mosher is a CIA associate professor of culinary arts.
Answers: 1. 8 ounces of coffee = 37 gallons of water for growing, processing, and brewing 2. Q uarter pound of beef = 450+ gallons of water to produce 3. 1 6-ounce can of corn = energy input of 3,065 calories from farm to table versus 375 calories in consumption 4. Fully 25% of all food purchased is discarded Answers are based on life cycle analysis and are available from a number of sources.
Medieval & Early Modern Experiential Cooking By Dan Salisbury ’17 Food History, taught by Dr. Beth Forrest, focuses on breaking down the many broad topics related to the political, economic, and cultural shifts that have influenced food throughout the centuries. In each class, we focused on a few scholarly readings. We would start with a student-led class discussion related to the readings of the day and end with an informative and thoughtful lecture led by Dr. Forrest on the larger abstract concepts of food history itself. For example, when learning about the importance and role of food during medieval times, our classroom discussions revolved around the influence of grain as a critical element of social structure and the importance of food in medieval religion. After
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discussing these concepts, it was only a matter of time before we ended up integrating our serious love of food into the lessons we learned in class in a way that made the most sense to us as trained cooks—by recreating medieval recipes in one of the kitchens here on campus. Cooking Medieval We divided into teams, and Dr. Forrest handed us sheets with different recipes on them. On first glance, it seemed that each recipe had significant typos. However, we soon understood that these recipes were copies of the original texts written using original spelling. Most dated back many centuries.
We were told to interpret recipes to the best of our ability. It really made us think about the challenges that these kitchens must have faced! We soon realized that a lot of manual labor was certainly involved! One student spent an hour and a half chopping hazelnuts by hand and grinding them in a mortar and pestle to a fine consistency.
We are constantly encouraged to discuss, criticize, and research outside sources to challenge the theories and hypotheses presented in class. Personally, it helped me understand the complexity involved in food history. This activity, while tasty, was an excellent bridge way to our classroom discussions about real-world application.
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TIDBITS Waaaaay Ab ove Par! The weather was perfect. The excited and eager participants were gathered for the First Annual Thomas Keller Golf Classic in Napa, CA. This first-ever CIA West Coast fundraiser was planned in partnership with world-renowned chef and CIA Trustee Thomas Keller. And from it we learned that sometimes being above par is a good thing! The evening before the golf classic, a reception, dinner, and spirited live auction held at the CIA at Copia were accompanied by the folk and blues singer Maria Muldaur. The golf tour-
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nament the following day featured a clinic with PGA pro Andy Miller. Then, 25 teams played for trophies in a four-person scramble. “Through the camaraderie
of golf, we are raising funds for scholarships so students can learn from the world-class teachers and chefs of the CIA,” explained Chef Keller. The event raised a smashing $500,000 for student scholarships. Yup, waaaaay above par.
TIM RYAN AND THOMAS KELLER WITH TROPHY
J U N E 3 – 4 , 2018 N A PA , CA
Making Chocolate
The Re cip e
From Bean to Bar to S’more
By Charles Carroll ’85 and John David Mann
By Todd Masonis, Greg D’Alesandre, Lisa Vega ’03, and Molly Gore Written by the Dandelion Chocolate team, this book unravels the secrets to making delicious, luxurious chocolate in your own kitchen. From roasting beans on a sheet pan and winnowing away the shells with a hair dryer to the science and mechanics of making chocolate and ethics of sourcing beans directly, this book follows the cocoa bean from the farm to the factory to your kitchen.
Eight-time Olympian Chef Charles Carroll and New York Times bestselling author John David Mann bring you a poignant story of heartbreak and redemption. A young boy learns to overcome tragedy and carve out a life of excellence and honor through cooking lessons taught to him by a crusty old diner chef. The book includes a complete set of recipes for dishes cooked during the story.
Coconut . G inger. Shrimp. Rum . Caribbean Flavors for Every Season By Brigid Washington ’12 With only four ingredients as the centerpiece of each recipe, this book offers up a basketful of healthy and original recipes that celebrate the playful and bold foods of the Caribbean. Organized by season, it includes such recipes as Cajun shrimp and Greek yogurt cornbread, spring pea and ginger risotto, coconut Brussels sprout gratin with red pepper relish, triple ginger snaps, and coconut layer cake.
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Waste Not , Want Not …With a Twist Joel Gamoran ’08 is host of Scraps, a new cooking show on the FYI cable network produced by Katie Couric Media. The 10 half-hour episodes follow Chef Gamoran to different cities where he connects with foodwaste champions to develop and create a delicious meal made with food most would consider to be waste—shrimp shells, carrot stems, potato peels. In less than a day, he sources his
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ingredients, creates a menu, and prepares a meal for an outdoor dinner party—all from the kitchen in his refurbished 1963 Volkswagen bus. “Food waste is such a huge problem in this country and more and more people want to do something about it,” Couric told Variety in announcing the new series. When not working on the episodes, Chef Gamoran is
the national chef for Sur La Table—a nationwide company that provides products and classes for serious cooks. “The beauty of cooking is there are thousands of ways you can take your education,” says Chef Gamoran of his nontraditional food career. “The CIA has always supported that, which is key to my confidence.”
G if t-in-Kind
Cooper-Atkins Corporation
Ōra King Salmon
Thanks to these companies who have either started or renewed their Gift-in-Kind relationship with the CIA between December 23, 2016 and September 1, 2017.
D’Arrigo Brothers Co.
The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley, LLC
Barry Callebaut U.S.A. LLC
Goya Foods, Inc.
Blue Diamond Almond Growers
Harney & Sons Fine Teas
Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. RATIONAL Cooking Systems, Inc. Fresh Origins, LLC Roland Foods, LLC Saputo Cheese USA Inc. Star Kay White
Boggiatto Produce, Inc.
Hestan Commercial Corporation
Sterno Products
Boiron Frères SAS
Hudson Valley Fresh
Taylor Shellfish Farms
Bush Brothers & Company
Joe Jurgielewicz & Son Ltd.
Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc.
Cento Fine Foods, Inc.
McCormick & Company
M AY-ME I Italian Culinar y Academy This five-day intensive course held in Italy is a great opportunity for working chefs who wish to reignite their passion for truly authentic Italian cuisine and Italian products. And, it’s the perfect opportunity for you to reward your culinary employees with a total immersion in the most genuine form of this popular cuisine. The MAY-MEI Italian Culinary Academy will help you identify, work with, and respect products made in Italy through field visits
to wine producers, grape and olive groves, and rice paddies, as well as through hands-on experiences at truffle hunts and grape or olive harvests. Kitchen instruction will take place every morning to reinforce all you have learned. Because of his deep ties to the CIA, restaurateur Tony May is offering alumni a special introductory offer of 25% off the online published rate. Valid for all courses through early 2018.
Visit may-mei.org to learn more about this exciting program and the impressive credentials of restaurateur and former member of the CIA board of trustees Tony May and renowned chef Sergio Mei.
KUDOS Singap ore C ampus Honore d at World G ourmet Summit The CIA Singapore was named the 2017 Hospitality Institution of the Year at The World Gourmet Summit Awards of Excellence held in Singapore in March. This award recognizes an educational organization that provides courses that enrich students with expert knowledge within the hospitality field. The CIA Singapore previously won the Culinary Institution of the Year Award at The World Gourmet Summit in 2015. The Awards of Excellence honor the efforts of key players in the food and beverage industry throughout Southeast Asia who
demonstrate exceptional service and utmost dedication to their craft. “We are honored to be recognized by the World Gourmet Summit with the prestigious Award of Excellence as Hospitality Institution of the Year,” says CIA Singapore Managing Director Eve Felder ‘88. “As alumni of our Singapore campus continue to distinguish themselves in the world of hospitality, we are thrilled to pave the way for professionalism and excellence in this robust segment of the economy.”
MANAGING DIRECTOR EVE FELDER ‘88 ACCEPTS THE AWARD 24 ciaalumninetwork.com
A Toast to The B rewer y at the CIA! The TasteNY Governor’s Cup Craft Beer Competition is the second-largest state competition in the country, just behind California. It’s designed to promote New York’s growing craft beverage industry. This year’s inaugural competition featured a staggering 707 beers from 143 breweries. Fifty expert judges reviewed the beer, and when the results were in, The Brewery at the CIA won silver in the Belgian Farmhouse category for its Class Project Stay Sharp Saison created by bachelor’s students in the CIA’s Art and Science
of Brewing course. The beer competed against 15 others in its category. “It was fun to have a beer created with so much student input win a medal at the competition,” said Hutch Kugeman, CIA head brewer.
CIA’s Own G arners Chef of the Year Award Drew Garms ’03 (at right), executive chef of The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, FL, earned the title of USA Chef of the Year at the recent ACF National Convention. Drew became a finalist for the national Chef of the Year award after being honored as the Southeast Regional Chef of the Year in January. He then won a cook-off against his fellow regional winners to earn the highest honor bestowed by the ACF. “Winning the title of USA Chef of the Year is an unbelievable honor, but the knowledge and experience gained through countless hours of research and practice is the true reward,” Drew said. Another alumnus, Michael Beriau ’76, was honored with the Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award for his commitment to the ACF and advancing
the culinary profession. He followed in the footsteps of his brother and CIA alumnus Wilfred Beriau ’71, who won the award in 2012.
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Women in Foodservice Not Only What…But Why
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From her days as a CIA student sitting out on the grass quad practicing her tourné cut to
were putting together a team of chefs for Chili’s test kitchen. “I learned about what went into putting food out at a national chain,” Cammie says. “And I
her current role as vice president of culinary
admit, the first time I saw an item I’d helped create
development and menu strategy at Cracker
in a national ad campaign, I was pretty excited.”
Barrel, Cammie Spillyards-Schaefer ’96
Since then, Cammie’s career had taken her to
has never lost one drop of her passion and enthusiasm for food and the art of sharing it with people.
Bloomin’ Brands, Applebee’s, and now to Cracker Barrel. Over the years, serving as vice president of research and development, and culinary and menu strategy, she has thoughtfully been influencing how we eat. Heading teams of development chefs
Cammie has very fond memories of her time at the CIA, a place she wanted to attend from a very early age. “I was 11 when my parents enrolled me in a cooking class at a fine-dining French restaurant in Dallas,” she explains. “I was completely in love with it.” The chef (he must have spotted her talent) let her return whenever she could and gave her work on the line. In her spare time, she started her own catering business. Cammie was deeply motivated, even then.
doesn’t mean they get to just go off and create.
Chomping at the bit to graduate high school and come to the CIA, Cammie was just 17 when she first set foot on campus. She loved it, but even more, she loved being surrounded by people who had every bit as much passion for food as she did. Cammie says, “I came to the CIA to learn not just what to do in the kitchen but also why you do it.” She was deeply influenced by then-chef-instructor Eve Felder ’88, who shared her views on the sanctity of ingredients and inspired with her love of educating the next generation.
products and procedures that will be completely
“We innovate within a framework of financial targets and brand goals,” Cammie explains. “For instance, some products are designed to drive margin, some to incent a trial by consumers, and still others to induce frequency among our core guests.” At Cracker Barrel, where everything is cooked from scratch, Cammie has the challenge of developing consistent and meet the expectation of customers in each restaurant across the country. Cracker Barrel recognizes that its customer base is heavily populated with aging Baby Boomers and the time has come to address the emergence of Millennials. Reaching the needs of both groups is a challenge that Cammie is excited to tackle with her customary passion, skill, and resolve. Happily, Cammie has found time to engage with her alma mater through The Society of Fellows
The ability to step back from the line and think about the details of what really goes into making a dish—the science of food, the reasons for different actions, and the ability to question—were highlights for Cammie and informed her entire career.
and participation in our industry leadership con-
After graduation, Cammie returned to Dallas and worked as a sous chef at The Riviera. From there she became a private chef for a family, doing lots of entertaining at their home and business. And then one day, Brinker International called. They
gaged as a Fellow,” Cammie shares. “I’m especially
ferences. Most recently, she has been working to make Cracker Barrel an official externship site, where our students can be exposed to the world of food innovation. “I am so excited to be back eninterested in any way I can help educate students about the world of career opportunities open to them today.” No doubt, she’ll bring her usual energy and love for food to each encounter. 27
Celebrating a Trio of Titans At the 2017 Leadership Awards At the American Museum of Natural History, more than 600 friends of the CIA gathered to honor a Trio of Titans and help support the educational mission of The Culinary Institute of America. The reception, held under the watchful eye of the museum’s dinosaurs, was a wonderful time to chat with old friends and new, and sample exquisite food prepared by guest chefs. The dinner was hosted by CIA alumnus Geoffrey Zakarian ’83, and the excitement was palpable as the honorees—Shep Gordon, Jacques Pépin, and Martha Stewart—took the stage to receive their Augie® Awards. Shep, who was introduced by his friend and filmmaker, comedian Mike Myers, ex-
pressed his excitement at being honored. Jacques, who was introduced by friend and renowned chef Thomas Keller, joked that he was “glad not to be cooking tonight,” as he scanned the large crowd. Martha was introduced by longtime friend and chronicler of modernist cuisine Nathan Myhrvold, and shared how pleased she was to be honored by the CIA for a career that has filled her with such pride, joy, and satisfaction. Thirty-five CIA students assisted throughout the evening and spent time speaking with guests. They were easy to find in their spotless chef whites. A silent auction to raise additional funds was a huge success. The evening raised a record one million dollars for the CIA Student Scholarship Fund!
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Externship Opens Doors By Eunice Ng ’16
I came all the way to the CIA in Hyde Park from Singapore. It was a dream come true for me. I have always shown great interest in cooking, and the CIA has turned me into a cook with professional ethics and the skills to excel in any kitchen. In addition, the college is a great way to connect with prominent chefs in the culinary field. When I was searching for the perfect location for my externship, I did kitchen trials at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, ABC Kitchen, Gramercy Tavern, Untitled at the Whitney, and Jean-Georges restaurant. I was offered externships at all of them, but I chose Jean-Georges. The approach to cooking at JG showcases the freshest, seasonal ingredients in simple yet bold dishes packed full of flavor. Chef Jean-Georges’ passion for creating French cuisine with Asian influences has been very successful. His use of Asian ingredients warms my heart as I grew up around them, and he definitely knows what is meant by the phrase, “East Meets West.” During my externship, Executive Chef Mark Lapico assigned me to the garde manger station in Nougatine at Jean-Georges. It is the casual yet upscale restaurant adjoining the renowned three Michelin-starred Jean-Georges in New York City. One of the highlights was working through the busy season (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Day, and New Year’s Eve and Day) and experiencing what it felt like to feed more than 300 guests in a single service. I proved that I was capable of working alone on garde manger, and was trained on all three meal shifts. The sous chefs set very high standards and definitely taught me plenty about organizational skills, teamwork, communication, 30 ciaalumninetwork.com
and personal hygiene. The most challenging part of this station was being in charge of making all the sauces needed for the day while running breakfast service at the same time. When I was on the dinner service, I ran the garde manger station alone and served 200 covers a night. Toward the end of my externship, I was offered a job for after graduation. While I was an extern, and now that I am working there, one of my favorite Jean-Georges traditions is having a photo taken of the entire staff for the Christmas card. We receive a bottle of Champagne at Christmas along with a copy of the photo. On New Year’s Day, we walk through the dining room banging copper pots and pans—a French tradition that is supposed to bring good luck. As I continue my journey of learning at Jean-Georges, I see how my opportunities there emerged from the CIA’s many extraordinary connections to people of excellence in the food world. I am filled with gratitude, and would like to thank the CIA for giving me a wonderful experience. I intend to stay forever connected to my alma mater.
! Th a t’s m e
Menus of Change,
Changing Menus! One of the key goals of Menus of Change®, co-presented by the CIA and Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, is to encourage the foodservice industry to provide healthy, sustainable, and delicious food that reconsiders the role of protein in favor of plant-forward culinary strategies. The initiative paid dividends at the 5th Annual Menus of Change Leadership Summit in June 2017 when Sonic Drive-In—with the help of Scott Uehlein ‘85, vice president of product innovation and development—became the first major quickserve chain to unveil a beef and mushroom “blended” burger. The burger offers the benefits of less fat, more moisture, and umami mouthfeel provided by mushrooms. And, mushrooms take much less water and space to grow…saving natural resources.
Sonic isn’t the only food business adopting the Menus of Change principles. More than 80 percent of operators who have attended the summit introduced new recipes or revised existing ones after embracing the Menus of Change principles as part of their strategic planning. In addition, nearly 50 college and university foodservice operations are members of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative. They conduct and share research into healthy food innovation within and beyond their walls. The 400 attendees at this year’s Menus of Change summit, held at the CIA’s New York campus, addressed issues such as food transparency, increasing the acceptance of plant-based proteins, and shifting consumer attitudes and behaviors towards more plant-forward options.
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William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Turns Out Entrepreneurs By Elly Erickson Portia Fergus ’17 recently completed a cross-country road trip to scope out locations for her dream restaurant and bakery. For the restaurant, she envisions a luxurious, fine-dining experience with burgundy furnishings, soft lighting, and hydroponic vertical wall gardens. In contrast, her bakery will have a bubbly air, adorned with fluffy pastel cushions to mirror her frosted pastries and gâteaux.
learning about proper business infrastructure, training staff, menu planning, encouraging creativity while maintaining productivity, and understanding the ‘why’ behind obstacles,” Lynnardo says. “From this, I am developing my own concept—a fast casual, healthy ‘Southern love’ restaurant and catering business.”
Though everything is still evolving, Portia is okay with that. She explains, “Thanks to the CIA’s bachelor’s degree Intrapreneurship concentration, I have the key skills I need to research and create a business plan, acquire investment funding, and execute my concept with accuracy and efficiency.”
Portia, Ethan, Drew, and Lynnardo are each recipients of a $10,000 scholarship from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Portia was the first student to receive this award and affirms, “My bachelor’s degree, including winning the pitch-off, would have been out of reach without this incredibly generous scholarship. I am so grateful.”
As part of the concentration, students pitch original concepts to a panel of industry judges, competing for a chance to run a pop-up restaurant in the Innovation Kitchen of The Egg—the CIA’s student dining facility. Portia won the pitch-off last December with her idea for Pincho: The World on a Stick. Then, together with her Intrapreneurship classmates, she took that idea and made it a reality. The skewer-based concept ran for four months. Her classmates included Ethan Saeedian ’17 as Pincho’s purchasing manager and Drew Hudman ’17 as its executive chef. They each now see themselves as entrepreneurs, with one launching a high-end catering company and the other a multicity restaurant group featuring Southern soul food with an Asian twist, respectively.
The scholarship, created through a 1:1 matching grant of $75,000 from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation, promotes academic achievement and supports cross-disciplinary workforce development opportunities for CIA students in the Intrapreneurship concentration. A national philanthropic resource that funds organizations working in the fields of education, culture, health, and social services, the Foundation aims to ensure people of all backgrounds, especially low-income populations, have access to opportunities to build healthy, productive, and inspiring lives. The Foundation was established in the 1940s by William Randolph Hearst, a consummate entrepreneur whose enterprising spirit influenced publishing, politics, motion pictures, art, and daily American life.
Lynnardo Holland ’17, a veteran, is also in the Intrapreneurship concentration. He is serving as general manager of Backyard Birds, a Southern cuisine concept sourced with local ingredients from the Hudson Valley. “Through this experience, I am 32 ciaalumninetwork.com
Donate toward an Intrapreneurship Scholarship, and the William Randolph Hearst Foundation will match your gift 1:1, up to a total of $75,000. Elly Erickson is a CIA senior advancement officer.
From Tide to Table: A Family Affair By Gail Jones Brothers Bill and Paul Taylor and their brother-inlaw Jeff Pearson lead the country’s largest shellfish producer, Taylor Shellfish Farms (TSF). That takes a tremendous commitment to both family and the environment, and they’ve being doing it for 30 years. Five generations of the Taylor family have grown up in the close-knit communities and rugged landscapes of the Puget Sound region of Washington State, and all of them had a passion for shellfish. Founded in 1890, the company not only fosters multi-generational leadership, but also provides multi-generational opportunities to those they employ. Entire families work the tideland farms, man the processing plants and offices, and manage the company’s retail stores and oyster bars.
a conscientious neighbor and a good corporate citizen. Neighbors who live on the uplands of farmed parcels are welcome to harvest shellfish for personal consumption, and TSF makes shellfish seed available to hobbyist growers. The company encourages volunteerism among its employees and the Taylor family donates to nearly 100 charitable groups, primarily small non profit organizations in the communities where they farm. Over the past three years, TSF has been engaged with the CIA through a variety of initiatives. They now sponsor or speak at leadership conferences, summits, alumni receptions, and fundraising events; host oyster tasting bars at CIA functions; and donate product for the curriculum, student competitions, and the college’s annual Leadership Awards in New York City. CEO Bill Taylor is involved with the CIA’s Society of Fellows, and in 2015 the company established the Taylor Shellfish Farms Scholarship for culinary arts majors. “We’ve found working with the CIA to be a key component in our relationships with chefs. At each event we attend, we come away with valuable contacts as well as insights into emerging food trends. Time and dollars well spent!”
Aquaculture requires a stringent focus on environmental stewardship, and Taylor Shellfish actively works to make sustainability a daily commitment from each of its 600 employees. This focus has paid off. Taylor is the only shellfish producer in North America to have achieved certification by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Ocean acidification has been a major threat to shellfish in the Northwest for several years. The company’s successful management of this threat attracted international attention. Bill Dewey, senior director of public affairs for TSF, was invited to speak on the issue at the United Nations last year.
Bill Dewey says, “The CIA’s future chefs will demand quality and commitment to excellence in their purveyors and producers. In everything we do we look for long-term strategies. Our partnership with the CIA fits perfectly into this philosophy.”
Bill, Paul, and Jeff ensure the company remains
Gail Jones is a CIA advancement officer.
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Why Give? MillerCoors MillerCoors Thirst for Knowledge Scholarship
What motivates you to give?
What makes giving meaningful?
MillerCoors is committed to brewing great beer and giving back to the communities where we live and do business. We do this because we believe with great beer comes great responsibility, and quite simply, it is the right thing to do.
As scholarship recipient Hyun Kang told us: “Five years from now I see myself employed at a Korean and French fusion restaurant, frying, searing, and working faster and more accurately than anybody in the kitchen. I truly feel blessed that I am given the opportunity to be awarded the MillerCoors scholarship to help fulfill my dream. I guarantee I will show that I do have what it takes to not only be a successful student, but an outstanding chef.”
How do you give? MillerCoors has a long tradition of supporting community-based initiatives. Our community investments with charitable organizations are focused on the CREW model: civic leadership, responsibility, economic empowerment, and water stewardship. We proudly get behind organizations driving economic empowerment through higher learning. With that in mind, MillerCoors believes that the best way to prepare leaders for tomorrow is to support them today through education. By giving to The Culinary Institute of America and establishing the Thirst for Knowledge Scholarship, we are investing in the next generation of chefs and their unique approaches to beer and food pairing. It’s exciting to get behind students who, like us, are interested in the art and science of beer and the “how” of incorporating beer into the culinary experience.
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Another recipient, Sarah Soto ‘17, told us: “This scholarship has allowed me to focus on my studies and make them my priority. Because of your generosity I can be the first in my family to not only graduate from college, but from a very prestigious school.” It’s gratifying to hear firsthand how these scholarships are making a difference with our country’s next top chefs, and empowering them for economic success.
Giving’s Impact Travis McGovern ’17
Associate Degree in Culinary Arts
J.M. Smucker Company Endowed Scholarship MillerCoors Thirst for Knowledge Scholarship How did you discover your love of cooking? It’s just always been something in my blood, something that I believe is my calling. I think my love of cooking dates to when my mother and I would make Irish soda bread. I would measure and add each component into the blue mixing bowl we always used, as she mixed. When it got too hard for her to mix, she would call my father into the room to finish the heavy labor and get it into the pans. Cooking isn’t just about food. It’s sharing happiness with family members, bringing people together for each step so everyone has a part in the final, delicious product. That is the reason I am pursuing culinary today.
What motivated you to come to the CIA? I attended a culinary vocational high school in Brick, NJ, where I discovered my desire to learn in a kitchen rather than a classroom. Several of my chefs were CIA alumni. There was a presentation about the CIA on one of our academic days, and I just fell in love with the school. Everyone has one common interest: the desire to learn, cook, and love food. It felt like I was in a dream the day I was accepted. I came to the CIA wanting nothing more than to develop myself—and I have gotten that opportunity.
What has been the best part about being at the CIA? At the CIA, I have taken on many roles that I never thought I could. I was nominated group leader—help-
ing guide my class throughout the program. It gave me the opportunity to work more closely with the chefs and experience the diversity in cultures and cuisines the college offers. I was also a resident assistant. I held programs to bring students together and create a friendly community in the hall, and made myself accessible to help as many students as possible.
What do you do outside of class? When I’m free, I like to spend time with friends or take nature walks in the amazing scenic areas throughout the Hudson Valley.
What are your plans for the future? I would like to move to Manhattan and experience working in the intense kitchens throughout the city. After gaining experience in New York City, a chef can go anywhere else in the world.
How has the CIA scholarship program helped you? CIA scholarships have taken the heaviest weight off my shoulders. Being able to attend the best culinary college in the world was very important to my family and me. I was worried I would not be able to continue because of my family’s difficult financial situation. But my mother pushed me to never stop trying and she encouraged me to apply for every scholarship possible. It all paid off in the end. I can never repay the overwhelmingly thoughtful donations that are given to the school for not only me, but for many other students studying here to fulfill their dreams. 35
THEN: APPLE PIE BAKERY CAFÉ
Class Notes
’49
Matthew Guasta has many fond memories of his years spent attending the CIA and says he benefited greatly from what he learned.
’65
Henry (Mike) Salmon retired in October 2017 and is moving to The Villages, FL.
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’66
Len Buonincontro is retired but still active. He is assisting a group of monastic monks to establish a trufflerie, with spores from France. Len anticipates the first harvest of the French black truffle in a couple of years. He also keeps active working with the national program Coats for
Kids, which supplies winter coats for children in need. Last year, Len helped them distribute 3,000 coats in the greater Chicago area through the Knights of Columbus. He has been married for 50 years and has 12 children and 25 grandchildren. “There are 47 of us for family dinners!”
’68
Michael Pietka is back in Texas after creating specialty bread products for almost a dozen restaurant and supermarket chains. He enjoys having the time to be with his grandkids and to go fishing.
’69
Christopher Allen is retired from foodservice and working part-time at Walgreens.
’71
Michael Minden has owned Michael Vs Restaurant in Tulsa, OK for more than 20 years. He recently entered Neighborhood to Nation, a General Mills contest, where his Butterfinger cream cheese brownie pie took first place in the dessert category. Michael received a $15,000 award! He was then flown to General Mills headquarters in Minneapolis to dine with the executives and Food Network star and CIA alumna Amanda Freitag ’89. “It was an amazing experience and an honor for me and the restaurant.”
’72
Robert Anzovino attended a cafe academy meeting of the Palm Springs Unified School District with the goal of promoting the CIA as an educational opportunity for Rancho Mirage High School graduates. There, he met David Locke ’69, who was doing a demonstration at the Palm Desert Wine and Food event, and asked Robert to help him. Robert says his CIA education prepared him to take on all sorts of positions in his long career—from preparing 15,000 meals in a week at the Kapok Tree restaurant in Tampa, FL to serving as hospitality representative and tasting room attendant at Mirassou Winery in San Jose, CA. He acted as dining room manager serving presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush at the Club at Morningside in Rancho Mirage, CA. Mark Dowling was in the last class to graduate from New Haven and he’s proud of it!
’74
Alfred Ghene is working at the Country Club of Rochester in Rochester, NY with Executive Chef Kevin Ford ’04. “I am doing prep work, helping with plating of salads and desserts, as well as working the carving station for parties. I’m happy to do whatever Kevin needs.”
’75
Alan Attridge has a strong drive to make the world a healthier and safer place, and formed the nonprofit Quantum Health Human Research Institute.
’76
Larry Greenwich received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bolingbrook Chamber of Commerce at their 12th Annual Best of Bolingbrook event. Larry owns DuAll Heating and Cooling company in Bolingbrook, IL. Barbara Pacchioli has not worked since 2013 because of a neurological condition. She does, however, spend time with her three wonderful grandchildren.
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’79
Harold Haff had his second book published by McFarland this spring. It’s entitled: Food and Wine—Secrets of Successful Pairing. The book focuses on more than 40 of the most popular grape varieties, as well as historical and modern growing areas. Each varietal has an original recipe and variations. The reader learns how he or she actually tastes wine and what the best matches are for them individually.
’80
Joseph Calodich has been retired since 2012. Prior to that, he worked at the New York Grand Hyatt as well as a four-star restaurant in Killington, VT. After moving to Seattle, he made a career switch and spent the next 25 years as foodservice director/ executive chef in the health care sector. Joe is enjoying retirement with his wife and son in Port Townsend, WA. Linda Young-Hierholzer is a former culinary educator and has just released her first cookbook, Sharing the Table, A Northwest Chef Instructor’s Quest to Recreate Memorable Meals. For more information, visit her blog at chefsharing thetable.com
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’81
Henry Piotrowski is corporate chef/research and development for B&G Foods Inc./ Green Giant. He is part of a brand-new R&D team that in only one year launched 15 innovative products to the Green Giant line. They won the Food Processing 2017 R&D Team of the Year award in the medium category.
’84
David “Deke” Haylon recently moved to Connecticut to open Deke’s Bagels. Prior to that, he spent 30 years in New York City as a private chef for the “rich and famous.” William “Bill” Norman has opened a distillery with his son in North Carolina. Fainting Goat Spirits makes bourbon, rye whiskey, single malt whiskey, vodka, and gin. The distillery was named the 2017 North Carolina Distillery of the Year at the New York International Spirits Competition. The distillery’s vodka, Tiny Cat, took home the Gold Medal at the Denver International Spirits Competition.
’86
Mark Fortino is vice president of culinary development for Elior North America in Charlotte, NC. Mark Suszczynski is chef/ owner of Harvest Real Food Catering in Stone Ridge, NY.
’88
Julie Clarkson is production chef for Red Gold LLC in Elwood, IN. Laura Dunn is owner of Arturo’s in Ottawa, Canada. She recently moved Arturo’s into a larger space that can accommodate banquets and is using the original location as a burger and milkshake operation for simple, great food. Christine FitzPatrick of FitzPatrick Design, Inc., a Westchester County, NY-based firm, has received The Best of Houzz Award 2017 for Kitchen Design for the fifth year in a row.
’89
Beto Rodarte and his son Julian Rodarte ’15 recently opened Beto & Son in the Trinity Groves neighborhood of Dallas, TX. It is a familystyle skillet and taco board restaurant where everything is locally sourced. They
were joined in Dallas by Seong (Sean) Hwan Kim ’15, who is excited to be in on the ground floor of a new concept. He was part of the Intrapreneurship concentration helping to create the concept Ra.Me at the CIA. Working with Beto and Julian means getting to see how a restaurant is brought to life in real-world time. Beto was a former corporate chef at Chili’s and a research and development chef at Denny’s. Julian was named to the 2017 Zagat 30 Under 30 list. Catherine Yaden has an online business, Apiary Arts LLC, which puts her original art on printables such as cards and textiles.
’91
Claire Stewart has written As Long as We Both Shall Eat: A History of Wedding Food and Feasts, published this year by Rowman and Littlefield.
’92
Matthew Lofgren is business development manager— Southeast for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg at Moët Hennessy USA. Laura Owen is general manager at CJ’s on the Bay in Marco Island, FL. She took fourth place in the 2017 Palm Beach County Lionfish Derby
and Festival Cooking Competition. Greg Thompson is executive chef of Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House in Orlando, FL.
’93
Michael Miller owns M-sqd, a company that sells functional and fabulous chef knife bags.
’94
Laura Colletti is a fulltime culinary instructor at Kearny High School in New Jersey as well as a parttime adjunct professor at Mercer County Community College, where she teaches baking and pastry as well as menu planning. Maureen King is recruiter/training specialist for Harris Teeter Supermarkets in Charleston, SC, where she has worked for 24 years, holding such titles as fresh foods manager and store manager. In addition to her everyday recruiting and training responsibilities, her job includes hiring J-1 visa students from all over the world. Maureen has had the opportunity to travel to job fairs in many different countries—including Ukraine, Turkey, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Philippines.
Ricky Moore is opening a second location of his current sustainable seafood concept— SALTBOX Seafood Joint, a small chef-crafted seafood stand in the historic Little Five Points neighborhood in Durham, NC.
’95
William Apodaca and Cheryl Ann “Shanny” Zgol-Keller ’96 met at a CIA Gourmet Society meeting. They were married in Portland, OR in 2000, and have enjoyed success with their business, Simply Good Kitchen, for the last 16 years. Both taught cooking classes for 14 years. They have written two cookbooks: Simply Good Kitchen and More Tips and Recipes from Simply Good Kitchen. Both books are available at SimplyGoodKitchen.com.
’96
Nancy Perlot is a professor at Bastyr University in the Nutrition and Exercise Science Department within the School of Natural Health Arts and Sciences. She teaches food systems, food service management, business and leadership, and food production. Her research on how gender diversity in 39
culinary education impacts inclusion in the hospitality industry was presented at the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society conference in Toronto, Canada in June 2016.
’97
Bradley LaBel is owner of LaBel FS Equipment & Design Inc, in Islandia, NY. April (Bocker) Stearns and Michael Stearns ’97 will celebrate their 20-year graduation anniversary and 19-year wedding anniversary this fall. April works as teacher of culinary arts at Morris County School of Technology in Denville, NJ, and Michael is executive chef at Arden Court in Wayne, NJ.
’98
Gregory Margolis is culinary director of Nantucket Culinary/The Corner Table Café in Nantucket, MA. Brian Setlock celebrated the grand opening of Bake Shop VI in Pottsville, PA. This premier artisan bread bakery is named in honor of CIA chef Noble Masi. Chef Masi was Brian’s first instructor, and Bake Shop VI was Chef Masi’s kitchen at the CIA.
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’99
Michael Stiglitz opened his fourth and fifth restaurants in 2016. He has operations in Delaware and Pennsylvania. He also opened 2SP Brewing Company—a regional craft brewery—and won gold and bronze medals at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival.
’00
Tara (Bennett) Anderson owns Half Pint Palates, a toddler and family meal business in Dallas, TX. She is also the creator of Chef Tara’s Meal Makers in partnership with Pederson’s Natural Farms. Tara lives in Dallas, TX with her husband and two young daughters. Scott Pendell and his wife Stephanie are extremely busy. They’ve opened a fast-casual ethnic noodle restaurant on Whidbey Island in Clinton, WA called Island Nosh. They also have a successful catering business, The Midnight Kitchen, and a cracker company, Turner & Bea’s Crackers. See what they’re up to at islandnosh. com or reconnect through Facebook. Daniel Riley got married in June 2017 and honeymooned in France for a month!
’01
Eric Krohn is excited that his patent was just published! He’s created a gas burner that rotates and thus eliminates hot spots. The burner also creates electricity from waste heat. So it can charge your phone too! “I thank the inspiration of my amazing alma mater.” Blake Shellabarger is chef/kitchen manager for The Coho Cafe & Bakery at The Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts in Tofte, MN.
’02
Dean Couchey is finishing up a seven-month aroundthe-world journey with his wife. They have created a blog about their trip at TwoFatAmericans.com. Ronald Hayes published Frightknobs Presents: The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas in June, 2017. This is his fourth book. In June 2015, Ronald earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Full Sail University, graduating as class valedictorian. Heather Soto recently left a highly confidential position. For more than 10 years, she was a senior Michelin Guide inspector. Heather is now consulting for restaurants and food startups in and around Silicon Valley.
’03
Lisa Vega is the executive pastry chef at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, CA. She is one of the authors of the book Making Chocolate From Bean to Bar to S’more. David Piacente and his wife welcomed their first child, James David, this past April. David just finished his sixth season as the executive chef at Gosman’s Restaurant in Montauk, NY.
’04
Jenna (VanGrowski) Giannini relocated from San Francisco to Atlanta in April with her husband and two toddlers.
’05
Joseph Pedante is store leader for Royal Farms convenience stores, famous for their fried chicken and fresh foods.
’06
Lauren Hope was recently awarded the title United States Military Academy Post Spouse of the Year (SOY). Daniel Smith successfully passed the Certified Executive
Chef (CEC) exam through the ACF. For the past four years, he has been executive chef at The Golf Club at Black Rock, in Coeur d’Alene, ID.
’07
Thomas Pastor is nutrition services manager of St. Charles Healthcare of Madras and Prineville, OR. He is happy to announce that he has been elected to the board of directors for the Association for Healthcare Foodservice. It’s an organization with the mission to support and promote self-op food service in healthcare. Jeffery Russell is executive chef at Charlie Palmer Steak, Napa at the Archer Hotel in Napa, CA. Ashlee Thurlow and her husband welcomed their second son, Kolton! Big brother is almost eight.
’08
John Densham, Jr. works for the Office of the Secretary of Defense Executive Dining Mess at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. He competed at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (the Culinary Olympics) in Erfurt, Germany in October 2016 as a member of the United States Army Culinary Arts Team. The team
earned a gold medal for their cold table and a bronze medal for their hot kitchen showing. He also competed with Team Pentagon at the ACF-sanctioned 42nd Annual Culinary Arts Competitive Training Event in Fort Lee, VA. There, he received gold and best in show in the hot kitchen event. He and his USACAT teammates were the International Team Champions, winning gold and beating military teams from England, Germany, and France. At the event, he spent some time with CIA Faculty Liaison for Admissions Freddy Brash ‘76, who was one of the event’s demo chefs. Bryan Graham and his wife welcomed with joy Zoey Raya Graham in January 2017. Bryan owns Fruition Chocolate, a small batch bean-to-bar chocolate workshop located in the Catskill Mountains of New York. William Price is vice president of investments at David Lerner Associates in Syosset, NY.
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’10
’11
Eric White is American Airlines food and beverage market manager for Asia and Oceania. He is responsible for menu design and creation for flights servicing Japan, Australia, Korea, and various other destinations. When not traveling in Asia, he can be found at home with his wife and his dog Comet in Dallas, TX. Hilda Ysusi-Salgado is executive chef/owner of Broken Barrel in The Woodlands, TX. At Houstonia magazine’s first-annual Taco Loco event in June 2017, Hilda took home the People’s Choice trophy for Best Taco! Her winning recipe showcased cumin-scented pork in pineapple-flavored tortillas.
Abbey McQuilkin got married in October 2016 in Maine. She is bakery manager for Bow Street Market in Freeport, ME.
’12
Laura Gilbert is pastry chef at Skyline Country Club in Tucson, AZ.
’14
Brittania (Klinker) Davidson and Paul E. Davidson ’13 got married in December 2015 and are expecting their first child. They will name him Hudson Walter Davidson after Hudson Hall—the CIA residence where they met! Paul is executive chef at Veale Street Blues Company in Orlando, FL. Cheyenne Langis was a semi-finalist for Zagat’s firstever 30 Under 30 in 2017. Austin Waiter is chef de cuisine at the Houston, TX landmark, Tony’s.
’17
Hisham Diab is sous chef at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
We Love Hearing From You! Visit ciaalumninetwork.com to keep us in the loop on your latest news and contact information.
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NOW: THE SEATING AREA AT THE NEW APBC!
In Memoriam Kenneth E. Bushey ’50 Frank J. Mortensen ’54 Robert C. Weightman ’54 James H. Ellis ’56 Fowler L. Meek ’56 John Peter Kouvaros ’58 John A. McGuire ’59 H. Clark Dexter, Jr. ’60 Robert R. Dragonette, Sr. ’60 Myron L. Rhoads ’60 Jack D. Vandermark ’62 Donald W. Lopes ’64 Donald G. Mallory ’64 Richard L. Albaum ’65 Fred M. Martin, Jr. ’65 Roger W. Boyd, Jr. ’66 Dale C. Hisler ’66 Paul Mertel ’67 Kenneth B. Pitts ’67 David L. Chester ’68 Karl A. Krause ’68 Alan R. Klenner ’69 Salvatore N. Maglio ’70 Gary L. Sawyer ’70 Wayne A. Hyatt ’71 George A. Najam ’71
B. Timothy Haus ’72 Lendell James Higley ’72 John Karl Kartje ’72 James Body, Jr. ’73 Daryl Bruce Evans ’73 John Philip Mack ’73 Geoffrey A. Barnett ’74 James Keadey ’74 James J. Freudenberger ’75 Charles A. Cicero ’77 David B. Goggin ’77 Patrick Joseph Sharkey ’79 Adam W. Brooks ’80 Randy M. Burt ’80 Gregg Martin Corradi ’80 William D. Nass ’80 Scott Eric Ruhl ’80 Robert Alan Zitto ’80 Arthur Henry Douville, Jr. ’81 David A. Grywalski ’81 William Ernest Campbell, Jr. ’82 Stephen F. Abel ’83 Megan Balph-Magee ’83 Gary A. Parlman ’83 David W. Dayton ’85 David C. Ritchey ’85
Carmine John Castaldo ’87 Karen L. Boyd ’88 Erica Lynne Duda ’88 Howard S. Chapman ’89 Timothy Gordon Davis ’89 Daniel Joseph DiPaola ’89 Douglas Boone Sherbacow ’91 Thomas John Trybulec ’92 Jeffrey Raymond Jenkins ’93 Daniel Joseph Mullen ’94 John F. Tapp ’94 Richard Joseph Fernandez ’95 Kevin John Sykes ’95 Thomas Guy Gallo ’97 David Bradley Smith ’97 Darren K. Svee ’97 John E. Golecki II ’01 Will Creighton ’02 Michael L. Ference ’02 Julian Bondurant Phillips, Jr. ’03 Benjamin Joel Jeanson ’04 Peter J. Binkiewicz ’06 John Oliver Howze ’10 Jacob Joseph-Anthony Dinoto ’12 David Anthony Sattanino ’14
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It Bears Repeating! A s CIA alumni, you are e ntitle d to ce r tain b e nefit s an d discount s . We just wante d to m ake sure you knew ab out them . He re’s a refre she r!
Benefits • mise en place magazine—The alumni magazine is free to you and designed to keep you in the know about what goes on at your alma mater and in the industry. We’ve gone to a digital format, so watch your e-mail for notification of when the newest edition is available. You can always find it at ciaalumninetwork.com • Lifelong Career Services—No matter how long it’s been since you graduated, our Career Services team is here for you. Services include access to job listings on Culinary Connect, a career guide created by the CIA filled with tips for job seekers, and access to on-campus, three-timesyearly Career Fairs. • The Conrad N. Hilton Library—Alumni are welcome to visit, borrow books directly or through interlibrary loan, or seek information by calling the library reference desk. • Campus Visits—Let us know when you’ll be here and we’ll make arrangements for a tour. Give us two week’s notice so we can make it special for you. Call 845-451-1401. • Official Documents—The Registrar’s Office accepts requests for transcripts, verification of graduation, and diplomas, as well as grade inquiries. Write us at SFRS@culinary.edu. • Greystone Cellar Wines—Support the CIA by offering Greystone Cellar Wines in your establishment. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will benefit the CIA. Contact greystonecellars@terlatowines.com 44 ciaalumninetwork.com
D iscounts • All-Clad—All-Clad’s Commercial Chef program allows CIA alumni to purchase products direct from All-Clad at a discounted price. Purchases are delivered to your home address. Log in at ciaalumninetwork.com, click on Alumni Benefits. • The Food Business School—CIA alumni receive 10% off program registrations. Visit foodbusinessschool.org • Dining—Receive a 10% discount in the college’s public restaurants for up to four people, including yourself. Excludes tax, gratuities, and alcoholic beverages. Make reservations at ciarestaurantgroup.com • Continuing Education—Get a 10% discount on continuing education classes at enthusiasts.ciachef.edu • The Spice Islands Marketplace® at Greystone and The Store at CIA Copia offer a 20% discount to alumni. Visit the stores or shop online at ciastore.com • RATIONAL invites CIA alumni to register for a free lunchand-learn demonstration of their high-performance SelfCookingCenter®. Alumni who purchase a SelfCookingCenter® or CombiMaster® Plus in 2018 are entitled to a free RATIONAL VarioSmoker accessory. Log in at ciaalumninetwork.com • Vitamix is excited to offer CIA alumni a discount on their household machines. Vitamix allows you to purchase items using three affordable payments. Log in at ciaalumninetwork.com • Zwilling J.A. Henckels offers alumni 25% off everything (excluding sale items). Zwilling is recognized worldwide as a symbol of quality, innovation, and design. Log in at ciaalumninetwork.com 45
SAVE THE DATE 2018 Leadership Awards Wednesday, April 25, 2018 Ziegfeld Ballroom New York City