mise en place issue 53 Keys to Café Success

ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA No. 53, September 2010

Keys toCaféSuccess

Keys to Café SuccessEssentials for creating a thriving café

6 China Road A pictorial look at the B.P.S. food, wine,

and agri(culture) trip

16

Investing in the MiddleSupporting your organization’s unsung heroes

2610 Years of Apple PieCelebrating the APBC’s anniversary

12

6

1612

Across the PlazaUnder the Toque | Following the Presidential Trail | It’s

Chowda-Time | A Tradition of Sustainability: St. Andrew’s

Café

18

Education for LifeWorlds of Flavor Conference | Book Shelf | Unique Program

Graduates First Class | “Friending” & “Fanning” Your Career

Kudos

21

Gifts at WorkThe Power of Paella | Why Give? | Giving’s Impact

27

Class NotesAlumni Council Corner | Class Notes | In Memoriam

30

4

No matter where in Europe or Latin America I have traveled, some of my most

vivid memories are of hours spent in small cafés nibbling on pastry and sipping

a latte, cappuccino, or hot chocolate. While sitting in those cafés I’d feel that,

for a change, time was a friend, not an adversary.

That feeling, so easily evoked in Paris and Venice or Oaxaca and Santiago,

has made its way to America. We all owe a debt to Alfred Peet, the son of a

Dutch coffee roaster, who came to the U.S. after WWII and found the state of

American coffee abysmal—after all, we were boiling our coffee in percolators!

Determined to bring good coffee to Americans, he opened Peet’s Coffee and

Tea in Berkeley, CA in 1966. His shop became Mecca for coffee devotees and

he was known for mercilessly browbeating his customers into appreciating the

art of fine brewing.

At that time, only a smattering of coffeehouses existed in the U.S., so it

was Peet’s that caught the eye of three guys who loved great coffee and just

happened to be looking for a way to make a living that didn’t include tiny

offices and a nine-to-five existence. Gordon Bowker, Zev Siegl, and Jerry

Baldwin went to learn at Peet’s knee. Once they were ready to launch their

own coffee company, they headed to Seattle and named it after the first mate in

Moby Dick—Starbuck. They pluralized it for aesthetic reasons and were satisfied.

The logo, designed by Heckler, represented a mermaid–like siren calling the

sailors to a cup of coffee. Dare I say the rest is history?

Whatever one thinks about the mega-corporation that is Starbucks, that single

storefront in Seattle was the precursor to what we now call the American-style

café. And though sipping my grande skim latte and nibbling on my madeleine

in Starbucks can’t compare with a similar snack on the Left Bank in Paris, I

can still open my paper, lean back in an upholstered chair, and take my time.

And, if I’m still there at noon, I might get a sandwich to go.

So grab your favorite beverage and café treat, take a seat, and enjoy this latest

edition of mise en place.

Nancy Cocola, Editor

mise en place® No. 53, September 2010

Nancy W. Cocola, Editor

Leslie Jennings, Designer

Contributing WritersRon Hayes ’02

Sue Sorenson Lee

Jenifer McEnery

Francisco Migoya

Tama Murphy

Brigid Ransome

Editorial BoardDr. Tim Ryan ’77 President

Nancy Harvin Vice President for Advancement

Mark Ainsworth ’86

Brad Barnes ’87

Sue Cussen

Ron DeSantis ’81

Heather Kolakowski ’02

Chet Koulik

Chris Loss ’93

Francisco Migoya

Douglass Miller ’89

Tama Murphy

Anthony Nogales ’88

Jen Stack ’03

MissionMise en place is the college magazine for alumni and friends of The Culinary Institute of America, and reflects its principles and core values. Its mission is to foster a mutually beneficial and enduring relationship between the CIA, its alumni, and friends by:

Providing information of interest about the college, its alumni, faculty, and students.

Presenting substantive, balanced, and accurate coverage of major issues and events concern-ing the college as well as highlighting alumni leadership and contributions to the foodser-vice industry. Creating a forum to help alumni network and build community.

©2010 The Culinary Institute of America All rights reserved.

Original Art: Anders Benson ’10

Photography: Laura Brantley, Shirley Cheng, Keith Ferris, Mike Gutowski, Anne Rettig

mise en place no.53, September 2010 5

CIA + AOL = Kitchen DailyWith AOL’s Kitchen Daily being the third

most frequented food site on the Internet,

and the CIA bursting at the seams with

food-related content, a marriage between

the two was almost inevitable. Since

separating from Time Warner, AOL has

been aggressively marketing itself as a

digital content provider. In fact, it has more

than 80 original content sites, including

Moviefone and Mapquest. AOL’s Kitchen

Daily was the perfect platform for the CIA

to continue to grow its awareness among

both prospective students and consumers

in general. Right now, the CIA has more

than 63 instructional videos featuring our

faculty available on Kitchen Daily, with

more to come. Check it out and see what

some of your old profs are up to at

www.kitchendaily.com/category/

kitchen-basics.

Ciaprochef.com—e-learningA virtual journey to learn all about

the cheese of France or to get

the inside scoop on almonds

is just a click away at

ciaprochef.com.

Cheeses of France offers

a comprehensive

program providing

up-to-date,

easy-to-access resources and recipes

to the professional chef. Healthy Baking

with Almonds explores the bakeshop

opportunities of one of America’s most

popular nuts. Video demos illustrate how

to use California almonds in every format—

from almond oil to almond flour to almond

milk—enhancing the nutritional profile of

pastries, breads, and desserts.

Aramark Makes Its MarkAramark is expanding its partnership

with the CIA, reaffirming its commitment

to honing the company’s culinary talent

through the college’s prestigious ProChef®

Certification program. The relationship

between the two organizations, which

began back in 2008 with chefs from

Aramark’s Sports & Entertainment

division, will now expand to include the

company’s Higher Education division.

“Aramark’s partnership with the CIA is

part of an ongoing commitment to provide

our culinary leaders with the training and

tools needed to excel in their careers, and

deliver outstanding outcomes for our clients

and customers,” explained Chris Hackem,

president, Aramark Higher Education.

Together, Aramark and the CIA have

created a customized, hands-on course that

provides chefs with a real-world experience

focusing on menu diversity and innovation

unique to large-quantity production.

The View from the TopDownload the brand-new podcast of CIA

President Dr. Tim Ryan ’77 as he talks

about the process of becoming a Certified

Master Chef, the value of a formal culinary

education, and the qualities that set the CIA

apart from other culinary colleges. Visit

ciachef.edu/podcasts where you’ll also

find conversations with such culinary

luminaries as Charlie Palmer

’79, Grant Achatz ’94, and

Dan Coudreaut ’95.

www.ciaalumninetwork.com6

By Francisco J. Migoya, with Nancy Cocola

To operate a thriving café, one must be a master of many trades

and have a profound understanding of quality, refinement, and

business. Customers have become more sophisticated, and in

order to meet their needs, there has been a mini-career explosion

in the past decade—producing better-trained bakers, pastry chefs,

and chefs. There is a lot of talent out there. It keeps getting harder

and harder to be financially successful and distinguish yourself

from the competition. The keys to a café’s financial success are

both the quality of the products and the way they are sold—from

display to take-away.

In my years in the industry I have seen, lived, and been part of

much of the recent evolution of food in the United States. I am not

referring to trends, which seem to come and go at an increasingly

fast rate, but to the growing appreciation that consumers have

developed for good, accessible, moderately inexpensive food. I

have also realized that even though consumers have very high

expectations, they would like their food promptly expedited

so they can get on with their lives. Enter the modern café.

For the chef/entrepreneur who wishes to start his or her own

café operation, this article will highlight some of the keys to a

successful café.

Café Success Keys to Essentials for creating a great café


A café can offer a variety of items such as breakfast pastries

(viennoiserie), artisan breads, pastry items (cakes and entremets),

savory items, confections and chocolates, packaged shelf-stable

foods, ice cream and other frozen desserts, and last but certainly

not least, beverages. Not all cafés will offer all of the above-

mentioned items, but in order to be financially healthy, there

should be at least a combination of two or three of them. And

always keep in mind that, first and foremost, people enter a café

for the coffee. Your investment in the proper equipment and

training to make a truly great cup of coffee is well worth the

expense. So let’s start at the beginning with…

…A Great Cup o’ JoeGo ahead and resign yourself to investing a large chunk of

change in your espresso machine. Try not to skimp on it or buy a

secondhand one. Look for an espresso machine with a dual boiler

or two separate water heaters. Remember, espresso is brewed

with water that is at a lower temperature than the water that is

needed to steam milk. If you have a single boiler, you will have

a good espresso with a poor steamer, or vice versa. The need for

two boilers is, in part, what can make the machine so expensive.

Keeping this in mind, the machine should have two separate

Chocolate XS Cake

$6.95

Blueberry Brioche

$2.95

Lemon Meringue Tart

$5.95


water sources and an accurate thermostat. Perform weekly tests on

the temperature of the water the machine is outputting and make

adjustments as needed. The brew heads, or where the brewing takes

place in the machine, need to be made of a heavy-gauge stainless

steel. This ensures that the water temperature can be held consis-

tently with minor fluctuations, and it will also result in a longer life

for the machine.

Try to anticipate the volume you will be making daily. If your

machine is too tiny, you won’t be able to keep up with orders. If you

have a huge machine with few customers, you’ve spent your money

unwisely. Finally, make sure the manufacturer offers training for

your staff and a preventive maintenance program. Maintaining your

machine is worth every penny. If you care for your machine and use it

properly, you will have a line going out the door of people wanting a

cup of your espresso.

Of course there are many other brewing methods, from automatic drip

brewers and cone filter drip to vacuum pot brewers and, my personal

favorite, the French press. The chart below will help you gauge some

critical factors in making a perfect cup of coffee depending on the

process you use.

Something to Go with Your CoffeeBreakfast pastries like the croissant, baguette, pain au chocolat, donut,

sweet muffin, and brioche hold a very important place in the café.

But savory breakfast pastries will be some of your top-selling items.

Sometimes as bakers or pastry chefs we lose sight of the savory world

and its possibilities in the bakeshop. Not every one of your customers

has a sweet tooth. A lot of people would much rather have scrambled

eggs for breakfast. The problem is that not everyone has the time to

sit down and wait for those eggs to be made. But they can order a

savory scone and a glass of orange juice and be on their way. In every

bakeshop I have worked, at least 10 to 15 percent of the products

sold have been savory, and they consistently rank among the

top-ten sellers.

It is a good idea to invest in a commercial toaster with a conveyor belt-

like system, since many people enjoy their pastries toasted—not only

savory items but sweet ones as well. One of the best things to eat, at

least in my opinion, is a warm croissant with butter and jam, or a hot

biscuit with some butter and marmalade. Always keep in mind that

whatever you put into the savory pastries

must be shelf-stable.

Beyond BreakfastIf you have decided to have a savory lunch/

dinner service, you must recognize one

important thing. Café food should not be

confused with cafeteria or diner food, which

Type of grind Type of brew Grind time Brew time Water temp

Coarse French press 10 seconds 4–6 minutes 195°F–205°F

Medium Automatic Drip 15 seconds 4–6 minutes 195°F–205°F

Fine Cone Filter 25 seconds 1–5 minutes 195°F–205°F

Very Fine Espresso Machine 30 seconds 20–30 seconds 195°F–205°F

*The grind time depends on the type of grinder, but this is a good range for most commercial burr grinders.

French Macarons

$6.95

Croissant $2.95

Red Velvet Cupcake

$3.95


has its place. The food served in a café falls somewhere between a

restaurant and a bistro, with an emphasis on speed and convenience. It

is high-quality food delivered in an expeditious way that can be eaten

in-house or taken to go. Preparation should be à la minute, unlike the

bakeshop, which features ready-to-serve items.

Purists will argue that there is nothing like cooking 100% to order.

However, there are certain foods that, once cooked, can be held in

adequate conditions for a few hours. Consider the Combi ovens (hot

air and steam cook ovens), Alto-Shaams (radiant heat and hold ovens),

and the CVap (steam and hold oven) as possible equipment worth

investing in. They each allow for a variety of items to be prepared

ahead of time, cooked properly, and held for extended periods of time,

within reason. Start small when adding new items to the menu so you

can test them out on your customers and get their feedback.

Being On DisplayYour customer has walked through the door. In addition to the

aroma of fresh breads, pastries, and freshly brewed coffee he or she is

immediately aware if your operation has an ease of setup and visual

appeal. What impression does a person get when coming in? Are

the bakery goods appealing and easy to see and access? Have

you set the flow so people can effortlessly figure out what to

do if they wish to grab and go or stay for a while? Never

underestimate the power of ambience.

The All-Important CasePeople will fall in love first with what they see, and then

with how it tastes. If it is visually appealing, symmetrical, and

clean, it makes people happy. Of course, taste and texture are the

ultimate determining factors, but how do you get someone to taste

what you make in the first place? In a café the menu is completely

on display and people will order what they see. That is why a lot of

thought needs to be put into how the display case is presented.

The case should always be functional and capable of a quick

temperature recuperation time, since the door will be opened and

closed many times during hours of operation. There are many

different kinds of display cases. There are front loading, rear loading,

and top loading. The front-loading case is the easiest to stock and

access. Always make sure that the case is clean. A good habit to

develop is taking the items out of the case once the café is closed

and performing a deep cleaning of the inside and outside. Nothing

turns people off more than a smudged, crumb-filled case. It is truly a

reflection of the café.

Try to put items in the same place every day. It is important for

your returning customers to know where to look in the case for their

favorites. Try to keep the chocolate items in the furthest bottom

corner. Chocolate desserts will usually be your best seller. If someone

wants chocolate they’ll find it, no matter where you place it! And you

want to ensure a good sales mix that takes some pressure and weight

off of the chocolate items.

Another important consideration is to try to have as many different

shapes and colors as possible in the display case—mix them up. For

example, don’t have two square brown desserts next to each other,

even if they are different flavors. Try to keep the colors in balance.

When you place items in the case, always make sure that the signs

are clear. They should say exactly what is in the dessert, its price,

and, in the case of cakes, how many people it serves. Make sure that

the desserts are symmetrical, straight, and perfectly lined up. The

customers will take notice of this because it favorably reflects care,

precision, cleanliness, and finesse.

Wrapping It UpDon’t forget that one of the reasons for going to a café is that it

provides convenience. Many customers want their food packaged

quickly so they can get going. This sounds much simpler than it is.

Packaging is one of those seemingly minor components of your café,

but it isn’t; it’s critical. Think of it as advertising. The actual package

can convey a lot of information about your establishment—like your

logo and your colors. Don’t forget that even though your packaging

needs to be visually appealing, the ultimate function of packaging is

that it must get the product safely from point A to point B.


Transporting the GoodsOne of the links in the chain between the café and the consumer is

the transportation of the product to wherever the customer is taking

it. That is why whenever a new item is introduced, you need to think

about packaging as part of the puzzle. How will it be packaged so

that it makes it safely to someone’s home? If it cannot be packaged at

all (either because it is too tall or it contains a liquid, for example), be

honest with your customers and suggest a different item.

Package sizes should be considered carefully. A cake box, for example,

should be about .5 cm/.2 in. bigger than the cake board, and it should

be front loading, not top loading. It is nearly impossible to take the

cake out without damaging it if it is in a top-loading box.

For petits plaisirs and other individual desserts, box each one

individually in same-size boxes, and then put them in a larger box to

keep them in place. It is good to have an all-purpose box for small

desserts, medium desserts, and cakes, and some others of varying

sizes. Try to stick to a general dessert dimension so that there is always

a box available. It is a good idea to anchor down the dessert if it is

assembled on a cake board, a small board, or a flat base of any sort.

Use a sticker with the establishment’s logo on it. This will keep it from

moving around in the box.

The quality of the containers is important. Food will usually come in

direct contact with the packaging. If it is cardboard- or paper-based,

it needs to a have a coating that will make it somewhat resistant to

moisture. If the package starts to show grease spots or wet spots, not

only is it unsightly, it also means that the package might be weakened

and could break. There’s always the option of using plastic containers.

I recommend using recyclable or biodegradable products.

Now that you have all the packaging determined for your items, be

sure you have enough room to store all of it. Ideally the containers will

be stackable or store flat, ready for assembly when needed. Of course,

if you have a particular item on your menu and no box in stock to

accommodate it, plan ahead and purchase the correct size boxes for

when the dessert or cake comes out on the menu. Oh, and one more

thing—whatever the cost of your packaging, make sure it is included in

the price of the bakery item.

Upscale Upsell Diversifying a café’s offerings is a smart way to increase sales. Your

average consumers are more food-savvy and sophisticated now than

they were 10 years ago. These customers also know people who share

similar interests. That makes food-related items just the right gift for

almost any occasion, so you should offer a variety of high-quality,

shelf-stable products on a retail shelf. Think also of converting your

Monday–Friday coffee and croissant customer into a weekend regular.

And always remember the power of the emotional special occasion

cake. All of these things, if executed well, will help boost profits by

ensuring that your customers view your café as their destination for

great food, specialty cakes, and small gifts.

Salting Away ProfitsAlways remember the power of the impulse buy. A retail shelf offers

flexibility and diversity like nothing else. And a quick and cost-

effective way to drive up sales is to offer salts, spices, and various

condiments on your retail shelf. Chances are, you won’t be harvesting

your own cinnamon from Vietnam or sea salt from the marshes of

the Blackwater River in England, but you can source them from a

high-quality spice monger. Though high-quality spices are not cheap,

they are worth the cost. Most of these items can be purchased in bulk,

which brings the price down. And there is very little labor involved

in selling spices and salts. All that has to be done is to put the spice,

salt, or condiment in a package and label it. Stylish, airtight jars with

attractive labels that reflect your brand are a great way of making the

items a must-have for your customer. As long as you store your spices,

salts, and other condiments properly—in a cool, dry place in airtight

containers—they will have a long shelf life. In some states, for legal

purposes, you have to mention somewhere on the label the item’s place

of origin.

One idea for the retail shelf is to sell themed, assorted boxes. For

example, put together a box with four different varieties of pepper, or

six different kinds of salt. To encourage a sale, you can charge a little

bit less than it would cost to purchase all of the items individually.

Situate your retail shelf so people waiting in line will have ample

time to see what you have and go for that lightning-fast impulse buy.

Another way to add value for your customer is to have an attractively

printed flyer or brochure on the retail shelf that offers information

explaining the nature and quality of the items as well as recipes for

using them at home.

Everybody’s Working for the WeekendMaybe your greatest challenge is converting your weekday regular

into a Saturday shopper. During the week, individual and small

pastries or breads will be the most requested items. But from Thursday

to Sunday, many people partake in social gatherings with friends

and family. This means that they will need something big enough to

serve a larger group of people. Weekend products can be extremely

profitable as they are often your regular products, just larger.

It’s always wise to remind your daily customers, when they pop in

on Friday morning, of any items you have available for a weekend

gathering like a large miche to share, a dozen breakfast pastries for the

next morning, a cake for a celebration, a box of chocolates, or a pound

of coffee as a hostess gift. Your job is to make sure you always have

these types of products available at the right time of the week.


Occasion-al BenefitsNot everybody thinks about ordering a cake weeks

in advance for a special occasion. That’s why it is

always good to have cakes on tap. You can become

known as the café that bails out a customer in need.

Typically we will tell patrons that we need at least

48 hours advance notice to make their cake. And

while some cakes do take that long to prepare from

beginning to end, the mise en place needed to be

able to produce a special-occasion cake or two can

be kept on hand for those last-minute emergencies.

After a few weeks, the cakes might begin to sell

every day, especially when regular customers

realize they can come to the café for their last-

minute needs.

It is important not to take advantage of your

customer’s dire situation by jacking up the price of

these last-minute items. Instead, be generous and

charge what you normally would. Your customers

will appreciate it and the gesture will build their

loyalty.

Some items are seasonal, such as the Bûche de Noël

cake for Christmas. In these cases, do try to insist

on advance ordering, but always have enough to

offer to those people who rush in at the last minute.

No matter how many you make, you will typically

sell them all, especially around closing time.

It’s in the DetailsIt’s always important to remember that, for better

or worse, the tiniest little detail will have an

impact on your business. Those businesses that

are struggling are often caught in a downward

spiral caused by an array of small, bad decisions.

Conversely, one big event is rarely what determines

a business’ success. It’s the day-to-day decisions

that can make or break an operation. That is why

thoughtful planning, perfect execution, creative

thinking, and constant re-assessment are keys to

your café’s success.

Chef Francisco J. Migoya is an assistant professor in baking

and pastry arts at the CIA. In addition to The Modern

Café (2010), he has authored Frozen Desserts (2008).

This article was excerpted and adapted from The

Modern Café by Francisco J. Migoya and The Culinary

Institute of America.

12

Sweet, satisfying, and successful are words

that can easily be ascribed to the Apple Pie

Bakery Café’s (APBC) first decade. What

began as an ambitious dream has turned into

a thriving educational and fiscal venture at

the CIA. Over the years, Café patrons have

poured through the doors in search of fast,

casual, high-quality food in an inviting

setting—and they certainly found what

they were looking for.

Ten years ago, the impetus to create

the APBC was threefold—the growing

enrollment in the CIA’s baking and

pastry program, an industry segment

poised on the verge of exploding,

and the fact that our baking and pastry

curriculum was moving from a certificate to

a degree program. The eventual success of the

APBC was a result of meticulous planning, creativity, and a very

generous seed gift from the Rich Products Corporation.

Everything from the name of the Café to the look and feel of it was

open for discussion, research, and testing. The name was decided

with the aid of a campus-wide contest that solicited suggestions

from faculty, staff, and students. The original menu was

developed through tastings by baking and pastry faculty

and culinary instructors.

Former CIA president Ferdinand Metz worked closely with

architects from Dinella and Schaeffer to maximize the use of the

space. Our facilities appearance and management team of Mike

Critchley, Bob Tracey, and George Smith chose the floor tile color

and design, and Lyde Buchtenkirch-Biscardi ’72 created all

the wrought iron decorative work on the walls and table holders.

Becky Oetjen, facilities project manager, worked with Evergreen

Painting Studio, Inc. to create the lovely mural in the back of the

dining area. And, the display window was designed to open to the

hallway so the aromas from the kitchen would entice patrons into

the Café.

The operation was a success. Everyone loved the opportunity

to get world-class food quickly and with minimal fuss. And the

surroundings were so welcoming that people lingered over their

coffee or tea.

Five years ago, Tom Vaccaro ’85 current senior director for

baking and pastry education, was given the oversight reins

for the Café. “I inherited a very successful operation,” Tom

explained, “and was mandated to ensure its continued growth and

prosperity.” For Tom, bringing success to an operation hinges on

having the right people for the right job and identifying the tools

they need in order to succeed.

10 Years of Apple PieCelebrating the APBC’s anniversary

13

In 2005, Assistant Professor in Baking and Pastry Arts Francisco

Migoya and Assistant Professor in Café Operations Denise

(Hall) Mazzei ’96 took over the back- and front-of-the house,

respectively. Their enormous creativity and drive, along with the

implementation of a management brigade system and staffing

structure, were the spurs needed to capitalize on the Café’s

previous success and take it to the next level.

As the popularity of the APBC grew, one of the happy problems

facing the team was controlling the flow of patrons through the

Café experience. The small, round retail tables situated at the front

of the café left people confused about where to go first—the counter

or a table. Tom and the staff tapped their collective experience

and research to determine what was needed to control flow. What

resulted was a gorgeous wrought iron and wood retail structure

that naturally directs the flow of patrons to the front of the Café to

order, gives them something to look at while they are waiting, and

increases overall sales.

Success

creates other

challenges. The

Café team wanted to be

sure that once an order was

placed, it was served within 12

minutes. To that end they instituted

a Kwik Deliver System (KDS) that tracks

an order to the appropriate station—be that

savory kitchen, pastry counter, or beverage

service—and alerts staff, through a system of yellow

and red flashing lights, where they stand on reaching that

goal. This system enables the APBC Managers-in-Training

to see problems as they arise and help expedite. The use of this

system continues to be a work-in-progress for all APBC staff.

To ensure that the Café continues to provide excellent service,

product, and profit, the team there decides on three initiatives a

year they feel will improve the Café and keep it fresh. In recent

years, projects have included creating a specialty cake catalog,

building new wine cabinets, the establishment of a wine steward

position, baking artisan breads right in the Café’s kitchen, and

the advent of exciting and flavorful ice creams. Use of the window

display in more creative and eye-catching ways has also been one of

the recent initiatives. Each of these new ideas goes from ideation to

development of product or process, from assessment of equipment

needs to a pilot program for test and review.

The retail section of the APBC is now focused on a single location—

the long wrought iron and wood piece as you walk in. Another

recent and attractive initiative was to choose boxes that would

highlight the quality of the retail products being sold. After a

search, the team chose new boxes that are sleek and sophisticated,

and entice one to open them!

When you enter the APBC you find yourself in the perfect

gathering place to linger over your coffee, nibble your perfectly

crafted chocolate croissant, or dig into a savory meal presented

with whimsy, flair, and exquisite flavors. Next time you’re back on

campus, be sure and make time to enjoy the pleasures of the Café.

14

Under the Toque

By Brigid Ransome, Illustration by Anders Benson ’10

Do you remember your wild-eyed wonder, thinking of CIA instructors

as larger-than-life beings—skilled chefs and walking culinary

encyclopedias with the power to make your life happy or miserable?

But in reality, under those perfect toques are some witty and wry

personalities that you may not have expected. I sat down with a

handful of our resident instructors to get a peek at who they are

beyond the kitchen and classroom. Turns out, they are just regular

people, who are still just as enamored of the CIA as you were when

you walked the halls.

Jerry Fischetti ’78Associate Professor in Business Management

Q What would you eat for your last meal?

A Since I only eat vegetables and fish now, I’d treat myself to a Fred

Flintstone-sized rib-eye steak, char-grilled rare with a huge pile of

French fries—the ultimate final nail in the coffin.

Q What is the one spice you can’t live without?

A Saffron, for its unmatched visual beauty.

Q What is your most memorable CIA moment?

A Being the speaker at graduation for my class.

Joe DiPerri ’78Associate Professor in Culinary Arts

Q What is the craziest thing you did when you were a CIA student?

A Oh, that’s the Eyeball Story. I stole a fish eye from the fish room

and went screaming into the nurse that I got my eyeball knocked out.

After giving this sweet, gentle, grandmotherly woman a heart attack, I

quickly took my hand away from my eye and showed her I was joking.

She calmed down quickly and then slapped me across my arm saying,

“Never do that again!”

Q What book is the last book you read?

A This Wheel’s on Fire: Levon Helm and the Story of The Band by

Levon Helm.

Q What was your most memorable CIA moment?

A The day I passed my cooking exam to become a member of

the faculty.

Rob Mullooly ’93Assistant Professor in Culinary Arts


A Bacon cheeseburger with disco fries and a tall chocolate shake.

Q What is the craziest thing you did while you were a CIA student?

A A bunch of us would go swim in the Hudson River. I honestly

don’t know if I would do that again!

Q What is your most memorable CIA moment?

A Having my second and fifth term practical exams judged by

President Metz—an honor.

Bruce Mattel ’80Associate Professor in Culinary Arts


A Peking duck.

Q What is the last book you read?

A Pecos Bill with my eight-year-old son. For

myself, I just started In Defense of Food by

Michael Pollan.

15


A Pimenton.


A Winning Faculty Member of the Year in 2005.

Brendan Walsh ’80Lecturing Instructor in Culinary Arts


A Well, on the way to heaven I would want a few laughs so…

maybe a meal from day one in K-16!


A I just started The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine—because

is sounded light and uplifting!


A Chilis of course.

Cynthia Keller ’83Lecturing Instructor in Culinary Arts


A I’d start with Champagne and Fisher’s Island oysters, roast

woodcock with sautéed foraged parasol or late fall oyster

mushrooms, Michel’s bread, and a glass of vintage Bordeaux—no

point in saving it if it’s my last meal ever. A simple apple tart for

dessert with a good washed-rind cheese would top it off.


A The opening ceremony of the American Bounty Restaurant,

with Craig Claiborne, Paul Prudhomme, and James Beard on the

dais. I was a first-year student and it was really moving to know

that American chefs were about to come into their own. It was a

really big deal.

Douglass Miller ’89 Lecturing Instructor in Hospitality and Service Management


A Besides my grandmother’s macaroni and cheese, potato salad,

and sweet potato pie, I would have to say a cheese steak,

cheese French fries, and birch soda from Ishkabibble’s

Eatery on South Street in Philadelphia.


A Domesticating Drink: Women, Men and Alcohol in

America 1870–1940 by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.

Q What is the craziest thing you did as a

CIA student?

A Snowboarded into Lake Velouté.

Gregory Zifchak ’80Associate Professor in Culinary Arts


A Lobster ragoût with asparagus, fresh pasta, and

morel mushroom cream sauce.

Q What is the craziest thing you did when you were a CIA

student?

A I clipped tulips from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Mansion

property for a special dinner my class prepared. I was a foolish

18-year-old with no money!


A On the Run: An Angler’s Journey Down the Striper Coast by David

DiBenedetto. It follows striped bass as they make their annual fall

migration south from Maine to the Outer Banks where they spend

the winter.

Brigid Ransome anticipates getting her A.O.S. degree in September 2011.

As part of the CIA/SHA collaborative degree program, Anders Benson ’10 is

currently at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration seeking his B.A. degree.


ChinaRoadWhen 26 bachelor’s degree students took off from Newark Airport

heading to Beijing, China on April 18, 2010, they had no idea what

awaited them. Theirs was the first B.P.S. Food, Wine, and Agri(culture)

trip to make its way to the Asian continent. There could have been

no better leader to guide the students than Professor in Culinary Arts

Shirley Cheng. She deftly led students through a 21-day adventure

tasting, experiencing, and breathing in the Chinese cultural traditions

and culinary pleasures. Here’s a small taste of what they experienced.

1–2–3DAY 4DAY 5DAY

DAY 10 DAY 13– 14DAY 1 1– 12

A 13-hour flight to Beijing and then a three-hour flight to Chengdu ended with check-in at the lovely Wen Jun Mansion Hotel.

DAY 3: The Chinese supermarket Ren Ren was an eye opener. And dim sum lunch at the Long Chaoshou Restaurant meant dramatics from a tea master who really knew how to pour!

Students visited the enormous Wu Liang Ye Rice Liquor Factory, which produces the largest volume of rice liquor in China. A trip to the Yibin Fermented vegetable factory, which produces this staple ingredient in Chinese cuisine, was an olfactory challenge for our students.

A visit to the Bamboo Sea National Forest included a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, a lunch of various bamboo shoot dishes, a hike through the woods, a bamboo raft trip to cross a river, and then a trek through the bamboo sea where terraced temples grow out of cliffs. Amazing!

DAY 12: Two salt museums were on tap, where students learned about salt wells and explored modern and ancient salt production methods.

A hands-on day at the Jiazhu Tea Farm had students wearing traditional hats and baskets while picking their own tea. A tea master evaluated their harvest and showed them how tea was cured by hand in bronze bowls heated to 350º–400ºF. As they left the farm, students received tea bags made from the tea they had picked.

Chef Cheng’s former student, Chef Chen Ju Min, demonstrated how to make chrysanthemum fish flowers, spicy pork, dumplings, and bao tze at the Sichuan Higher Institute of Cuisine. After lunch, students practiced creating these dishes. In the evening they saw Chinese opera performed on the street.

In Ping’Li old town, a woman buying fish shocked students by taking it right out of the barrel and beating it senseless on a rock. A tea tasting at the Wang Jia Courtyard Museum set students up for a day of shopping, shopping, and more shopping at the kitchen wholesale market.

day 4: jiazhu tea farm

day 11: bamboo sea national forest

day 11: bamboo sea national forest “raft race”

17

6DAY 7DAY 8– 9DAY

DAY 19 DAY 20

DAY 15– 16 17– 18DAY

A visit to the 2008 Olympic Bird Nest Stadium was the start of a day that found the students struggling up the steep Great Wall of China, where making it to the 8th tower—the White Cloud Tower—was a major achievement.

At the Dragon Seal Wine Museum, students tasted wines and then lunched on Beijing-style roast duck at the Quanjiude Roast Duck Restaurant.

A visit to the Pujiang Rice Liquor Factory revealed bare-chested, bare-footed men carrying out the fermentation process in relatively primitive conditions. At the Pixian Hot Bean Paste Factory, students saw outdoor fermentation tanks that produce 4,000 kilotons of paste a year.

The group spent Day 15 traveling to Xian.

DAY 16: The Terracotta Warrior Museum impressed the students with both the size and popularity of the venue. Soldiers had been buried in formation with archers, horses, and chariots.

The somewhat automated Quan Xin Rice Liquor factory still bottles its rice liquor by hand. A visit to the Sichuan Culinary Museum took students on a tour of China’s culinary history. Lunch was served at the teahouse and gardens in the museum.

Students learned about traditional Chinese medicine and then ate a dietarily balanced meal at Quin Shan Zai Restaurant. Students walked Jin Li Street, a major business center since 200 BC.

DAY 9: At the Chengdu Panda Research Center, students paid from $75–$150 to have their pictures taken with the docile pandas. Fees are used to support the Center and care for the remarkable mammals. “Best day ever,” said some of the students.

The 8½-mile-long Xian City wall, built in the Tang Dynasty, is still completely intact and comes with a moat. Some intrepid students rented bicycles to ride around the wall. Left for Beijing.

DAY 18: An emotional visit to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Imperial Palace Museum left students feeling they were standing in the presence of history.

DAY 21– 22At a farewell meal at the Dynasty Winery—a Sino-French, joint-venture winery—dancers entertained the students and got them up to dance!

DAY 22: Homeward bound with mixed emotions and memories that will last a lifetime!

day 9: chengdu panda research center

day 6: pujiang rice liquor factory

day 16: terracotta warrior museum

day 19: climbing the great wall


Following the Presidential TrailThe job of a college president means wearing many different hats.

In recent months, President Tim Ryan has served as a speaker, an

honoree, and a sage. He’s stood before student groups, professional

groups, and groups of his peers. And, he’s done all this while

traveling from coast to coast and abroad.

New Haven, CT As part of the 2010 Alvine Engineering Professional Effectiveness

and Enrichment Program, the University of New Haven (UNH)

invited Tim to participate in its distinguished lecture series and

give a presentation on “The Future of Food.” The visit to New

Haven was a nostalgic one for Tim. Not only is UNH Tim’s alma

mater (he received his B.S. in hotel & restaurant administration in

1993 and his M.B.A. in 1996), but New Haven is also the birthplace

of the CIA. Tim drove by our original campus and found that Yale

has beautifully restored the building, once called Angell Hall.

St. Helena, CAA couple of months ago, Tim traveled to the west coast where he

participated in the National Restaurant Association’s Educational

Foundation Leadership Classic. From there he headed to our

Greystone campus to spend time chatting and answering students’

questions at a reception. While at Greystone, he delivered the

annual State of the Institute presentation for all of the faculty and

staff there, and presented anniversary awards. Greystone celebrates

its fifteenth anniversary this summer and there are a number of

employees who have been with the college since the beginning.

Making the most of his trip west, Tim also met with alumni to

discuss ways to further the CIA’s mission.

SingaporeThis past spring, Tim joined fellow educators at Temasek

Polytechnic and the Singapore Institute of Technology to review

our current program there and to discuss the possible expansion of

our partnership with them.

New York, NYAt the James Beard Foundation’s annual awards gala at Lincoln

Center in New York City, Tim was inducted into the Who’s Who

in Food & Beverage in America. When asked why this particular

award is different from the other James Beard Awards, President

Ryan explained, “Many James Beard Awards are given for a

specific project—a book, a restaurant, or television show. The Who’s

Who is given in recognition of an individual’s career. Because I

have spent the majority of my career—28 years now—at the CIA, I

believe that this James Beard award is a tribute to the entire CIA

community and our collective accomplishments over the years,

more than it is about me. I am proud to represent the college and

proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

During another visit to the Big Apple, Tim and Mark Erickson

’77 met with key members of the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation—

Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Jerome Bocuse ’92—to review

the success of the most recent Bocuse d’Or USA competition on the

Hyde Park campus, and to iron out the organizational details for

the January 2011 International competition in Lyon, France. Mark

Erickson is slated to coach the U.S. team!

tim presenting at unh

james beard foundation who’s who inductees—(left to right) david rockwell, susan spicer, leah chase, jessica b. harris, and tim


It’s Chowda-TimeSeashells, sand, fishing nets, and oyster crackers were in

abundance. Add to that, large pots of piping-hot clam chowder,

oyster shucking and oyster eating competitions, a room full of

hungry spectators, and a panel of discerning judges. Voilà, you

have the CIA’s Ninth Annual Chowder Cook-off held on April 11,

2010. To complete the seaside carnival theme, a caricaturist was

present to entertain spectators while they waited for the judging,

a DJ played “beach music,” games were played, and draft beer

was imbibed.

With the CIA’s Student Recreation Center transformed and

ready, nine teams ceremoniously brought in their “winning”

pots of chowder for judging. Throngs of spectators anxiously

awaited their chance to taste and judge which chowder they would

select to win the People’s Choice award. A panel of judges that

included CIA instructors Corky Clark ’71, John DeShetler ’68,

Hubert Martini, Darryl Mosher, and John Reilly ’88, as well as

CIA ombudsman Wayne Almquist, retired CIA instructor Jim

Heywood ’67, and former instructor Craig Goldstein took their

jobs seriously as they started to scrutinize each entry.

To win the Judges’ Competition, teams were scored on two

different criteria. First, each team presented a fully garnished,

restaurant-quality bowl of chowder to be judged for aesthetic

appeal. Next, they presented a tasting bowl that was judged for

flavor and use of ingredients. Once the anxiety of presenting their

chowder to the discriminating judges was over, contestants offered

CIA students, staff, and friends samples in the hopes that their

chowder would be the Peoples’ Choice.

Adding to the day’s excitement were rapid-fire oyster shucking

and oyster eating competitions that had the crowd cheering and

urging on their favorite contestant. In the end, Cap’N Case ’n the

Beej’s Crawfish and Andouille Chowder with Jalapeño Cornbread

Crumble bubbled to the top of everyone’s scorecard. They came

away with both the Judges’ award and the People’s Choice award.

In second and third place in the Judges’ Competition were The

Corny Crabbers and The “A” Team, respectively.

What made it possible for Cap’N Case ’n the Beej to take home

two top awards, including a check for $800 in prize money and a

$100 gift certificate to Oceana? Bryan Casey, B.J. Lieberman, and

Phil Picard may have said it best when they explained, “We were

very careful to respect of each of our 31 chowder ingredients. We

layered the flavors and worked at making sure there was a balance

so heat didn’t overwhelm flavor.”

Also receiving accolades that day was “master shucker” Glen

Kobayashi, who made his way through several rounds of oysters

before winning the top prize in the oyster shucking competition.

Second place went to Alex Geller, with Hyeon Ju Lim finishing in

third place. Joe DiPerri ’77 judged this contest.

David Berquist single-handedly ate 12 of Glen Kobayashi’s spicy

oysters in the finals of the oyster easting competition. Kevin

McCann finishing second and Leonardo Reed took third.

Everyone agreed that the competition provided plenty of crowd-

pleasing chowda!

the shucking competition drew cheers from the crowd(left to right) winners b.j. lieberman, bryan casey, and phil picard


A Tradition of Sustainability: St. Andrew’s CaféThe land on which The Culinary

Institute of America now stands

in Hyde Park, NY has a long

history of sustaining those who

live and work upon it. Back in

1903, when the Jesuit novitiate

St. Andrew-on-Hudson was built

on this site, many of the 85 acres

were dedicated to agriculture—

meeting the daily needs of the

members of the order.

The novitiates were fairly

cloistered and therefore had

to be self-sustaining. They

maintained a herd of 45 dairy

cows, a piggery, and a chicken

farm on the north end of the

property. Acreage was planted

with corn, apples, and potatoes.

There was even a vineyard to

the east of Albany Post Road.

The Jesuits had to build a

stone lookout tower to ward off

hooligans who wished to pilfer

the grapes! For the most part,

they practiced many of the

same principles of sustainable

agriculture currently gaining

worldwide acceptance.

Today, the eponymous restaurant on campus—St. Andrew’s Café—has

been re-dedicated to the philosophy and practices started so many

years ago. These principles of using local, sustainable food sources

coupled with the art and science of food preservation are now

embedded in the curriculum and reflect the CIA’s commitment to

our students and our planet.

In that spirit, students at St. Andrew’s Café now learn using a 32-

page sustainable-cooking course guide and curriculum. Students are

breaking down and using the whole animal—what is popularly called

“snout to tail”—requiring not only new cooking skills and methods

but also perfect planning. They no longer just order what they want

from the CIA’s storeroom, so planning menu items takes on new

meaning. For example, a whole pig only comes with two racks of

ribs. If the team wants to put ribs on

the menu, they have to stockpile them

in the freezer to make sure they have

enough to offer as a menu item.

Students are not only learning new

culinary skills, they are learning the

art of preserving the harvest. Under

the guidance of their chef-instructor,

students have been testing recipes for

the St. Andrew’s Preservation Guide.

This testing includes measuring pH

levels in various fruit and vegetable

combinations and developing a system

of methods and procedures on how to

efficiently pack preserved goods into

jars. The recipes have been developed

for those items abundant in the

Hudson Valley’s fall harvest. So far,

students have created spicy corn relish;

smoked tomato chutney; pickled beets,

cauliflower, and squash in a variety

of spice blends and brines; and apple

butter and pear compote recipes. All of

these are preserved to bring brightness

and flavor to the gray days of winter.

Beyond the truly priceless hands-on

experience, students live the farm-to-

fork philosophy, read Michael Pollan’s

In Defense of Food, and familiarize themselves with such food policy

issues as the USDA Farm Bill. In addition, they will learn about the

real challenges facing local food economies.

A commitment to sustainability means going green in every way.

In December 2009, the Green Restaurant Association awarded St.

Andrew’s Café a two-star certification. To earn the certification, the

restaurant had to become environmentally conscious in all areas of

operation, including food sourcing and purchasing, energy usage,

waste disposal, and water usage.

Green Restaurant Association founder and executive director

Michael Oshman says, “The CIA is the nation’s preeminent

culinary institution. The fact that they’re integrating this into their

education process will have great impact.”

13 t h ANNUAL WORLDS OF F LAVOR INTE RNAT IONAL CONFE R ENCE & F E ST IVALT h e C u l i n a r y I n s t i t u t e o f A m e r i c a a t G r e y s t o n e | N a p a Va l l e y , C A

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Immerse yourself in one of the world’s greatest culinary traditions, from the Japanese heritage of preserved foods,

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noodles; a deep dive into umami, dashi, and other flavor strategies; an insider’s taste of the legendary dining of

Kyoto; sushi, sashimi, and the Japanese fish kitchen; the culture of green tea; techniques from aromatic

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The largest and most significant professional conference ever held in the U.S. dedicated to the flavors, culinary techniques, and food cultures of Japan.

More than 50 top chefs and experts from Japan—including an unprecedented delegation of Michelin-starred chefs—will be featured.

©2010 The Culinary Institute of America

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Book ShelfProduceBy Brad Matthews ’74

and Paul Wigsten

If you’re seeking a

comprehensive guide

to produce, then this

publication is for

you. Part of CIA’s

new Kitchen Pro

Series focusing

on kitchen

preparation skills, this

user-friendly resource provides practical and

detailed information on product identification, seasonality,

availability, storage, maturity and ripeness, taste, and utilization

tactics of produce. Within its pages you’ll find practical information

on fabrication as well as basic preparation methods and recipes.

The full-color photographs highlight the distinctive differences in

each food type, which is essential in cuisine identification.

Women Standing Tall: Food for the SoulEdited by Brandi N.

Stephens ’05

This book, edited

by CIA alumna

Brandi Stephens,

shares recipes

provided by the

mothers of professional basketball

players to help raise funds for the LIFELONG

AIDS Alliance. The mother of famed, former New York Knick

and current Boston Celtic Nate Robinson shares her steak and gravy recipe.

Mom of Dwight Howard, “Superman” of the Orlando Magic, lets us in on the

secret of her creamed spinach. Mary Anthony, mother of Carmelo Anthony

of the Denver Nuggets, gives up her avocado-orange spinach salad with

tangy tomato dressing recipe. And Sandra Willis, mother of WNBA player

Lisa Willis, shares the recipe for her incomparable seafood gumbo. Every

recipe in this book is a “slam dunk!”

The SoNo Baking Company CookbookBy John Barricelli ’80

Out of the ovens at SoNo

Baking Company &

Café in South Norwalk,

CT come fabulous and

foolproof recipes for

professionals and

home cooks alike. A

third generation

baker, John Barricelli brings

together his experiences at River Café, Le

Bernardin, the Four Seasons Restaurant, and his first bakery,

Cousin John’s Café and Bakery, to share 150 of his time-tested recipes.

From artisanal breads, specialty cakes, delicate pastries, trifles, and

pies to cobblers, breakfast cakes, and cookies, your mouth will water

the moment you open this book.

CheeseBy John W. Fischer ’88

In this book, part of

the CIA’s new Kitchen

Pro Series, John

Fischer provides

readers with an

inviting and

accessible look

into the world

of cheese. This

unique resource

explores the

basic history of

cheese, its manufacture, and its

incorporation into different cuisines. Each cheese

is carefully described and provides you with information to

aid identification. Also covered are flavor profile, the aging

process, and “terroir.” An entire recipe section is devoted to

cooking with cheese, while another focuses on pairing cheese

with the proper beverage. The full-color photographs make

the mouth-watering cheeses easy to identify and even easier to

want to sample!


Unique Program Graduates First ClassMemorable graduation ceremonies occur frequently on the campus

of The Culinary Institute of America. But a new tradition began this

past spring when the members of the inaugural class of the Culinary

Enrichment and Innovation Program (CEIP) celebrated the conclusion

of their 18-month

journey.

Created by the CIA

in partnership with

Hormel Foods,

and sponsored by

Hormel Foods, CEIP

is the first advanced

management training

program created

for chefs who

will be assuming

industry leadership

roles in the future.

This elite group

of 16 professional

commercial and

non-commercial chefs

first came together

in October of 2008,

subsequently meeting

every six months for

three days of intense

study at the CIA.

“Build it and they will come,” said Dennis Goettsch, vice president

of marketing for Hormel Foods and co-creator of CEIP, quoting the

famous line from Field of Dreams as he spoke to the class of 2010 at

graduation. But, as Goettsch explained, the founding partners had

no guarantee that aspiring chefs would experience what they had

envisioned as they created the program. (See mise en place #47, p. 22)

A blend of lectures and in-kitchen, hands-on learning, the CEIP

also includes site-specific tours of organic growers, conversations

on marketing theory with a local premium distiller, roundtable

discussions with industry leaders, late-night planning sessions with

CEIP team members, and role playing in case study assignments.

Sessions are led by CIA Certified Master Chefs.

“Our goal with the curriculum is to challenge these chefs to think

about their work in a new way—from the perspective of an industry

leader who recognizes the implications of all of his or her actions,”

said Victor Gielisse, associate vice president of business development

and co-founder of CEIP. “It’s demanding, but it provides the chefs

an opportunity to

disconnect from their

daily responsibilities

and reinvigorate their

passion for the craft.”

The class of 2010

experienced just that.

“Looking back over this

program, I realize that

it has been a catalyst for

my ‘job’ in foodservice

becoming a ‘career’

in foodservice,” said

Michael Edwards,

culinary specialist,

first class, U.S. Navy,

and award-winning

military chef.

“I didn’t realize how

much of an educational

experience this would

be for us—it’s very

focused on learning how

we can be better chefs, how we can be better executives, and what

we can do to grow,” said Tim Recher, executive chef and director of

outlets, Hilton Alexandria Hotel, Alexandria, VA.

Eric Cartwright, executive chef for the Campus Dining Service at the

University of Missouri, noted the strength of the formal components of

the program as well as the learning he brought back to share with his

team. He also highlighted the lasting camaraderie created through the

program.

In October 2010, the second CEIP class of talented and proven

chefs will gather to begin their journey of preparation for industry

leadership.

For more information on the program, please visit www.ceipinfo.com.

Sue Sorenson Lee, Hormel Foods

By Sue Sorenson Lee

chef rudy speckamp instructs chef tim recher


“Friending”&“Fanning” Your Career

By Ron Hayes ’02

Your potential employers are on it. Your

potential employees are on it. Most

important, your customers and your

potential customers are on it.

Facebook is no longer just a

time thief; it is a part of our

daily communications. If

you are not using Facebook

to push your employment

and your business, you

are missing the boat—

because your competition

is also on it.

Make Professional Connections• Search out those professionals

whom you admire. Connect

with them by including a

personalized introduction with your

friend request.

• “Like” pages of professionals and businesses you

admire.

• Once you have aligned yourself with these professionals and

businesses, stay active with them. Comment on their posts.

Reference them by using @ and their name in your posts.

This will result in your post appearing on their wall, keeping

you on their radar, and promoting your name and ideas to all

their friends and fans.

Consider this as prep. Know and be known now so when

you are actively seeking a new position you already have a

connection on the inside. No more cold calling or wondering if

your online application made it through.

Promote Yourself and Your Business• Facebook allows a customizable privacy setting for every

photo album. Make a quick, free, online portfolio by

creating an album of your work for public

view. Now when someone receives your

friend request or wonders who is

commenting on a post, he or

she can click on you and see

examples of your work.

Also include a link in your

electronic résumé.

• If you have a business,

create a fan page. If

your employer doesn’t

have one, ask if you can

create one. You’ve just

helped grow their business,

so make sure to remind

them of that at your next

performance review. Have

your friends “Like” the page.

Encourage your guests to “Like”

the page. Post often. Fan page postings

show up in other fans’ news feeds—free,

real-time advertising.

A Word About PrivacyCheck that your privacy settings read “Friends Only.” Of

course, everything you put online can be found if someone

is looking hard enough, but this setting will help keep you

looking professional to the casual viewer. The best practice is

to always assume “they” (potential employers, employees, co-

workers, mom) are looking for you.

For more information on how to use Facebook, contact Ron

Hayes ’02 in the Office of Career Services: 845-905-4610 or

[email protected], and “Like” our page at facebook.com/

CIACareerservices.

Ron Hayes is a CIA career development officer.


Honoring Jefferson Evans ’47 On Tuesday, April 27, Brad Barnes ’87 and seven CIA students

traveled to Johnson & Wales to celebrate the achievements of Chef

Jefferson Evans ’47, the CIA’s first black graduate and one of our

former instructors. Many thanks to the following CIA students whose

collaboration with their J & W counterparts resulted in a memorable

feast honoring a wonderful man: Seung Hyun Cho, Kristopher Edelen,

Yusra Hassan, Melia Kilbourn, Kenneth Lue, Kelly O’Neil, and Alex

Snell. Special thanks to Brad for his dedication and work with these

young culinarians.

Mastering WineThirty-seven candidates

arrived at the Meadowood

Resort in California’s

Napa Valley to attempt the

daunting three-day Master

Sommelier test that measures

a sommelier’s knowledge of

wine theory, beverage service,

and tasting ability. This year, only two candidates passed. As one

of the two, Melissa Monosoff ’00, sommelier at Savona Restaurant

in Philadelphia, joined a select group of only 103 other Americans

who have successfully completed the rigorous examination and are

members of the Court of Master Sommeliers.

BookwormsThe International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP)

Cookbook Award is considered one of the most prestigious honors

in culinary publishing. There were more than 500 entries submitted

for consideration in 2010. Winners were announced in late April

at the organization’s annual conference in Portland, OR. The

CIA’s publishing division won a coveted 2010 Cookbook Award

(Professional Kitchens category) for Baking and Pastry: Mastering the

Art and Craft, 2nd Ed. Two CIA graduates were also recognized for

their recent work. My New Orleans, by John Besh ’92 was selected as

Best American Cookbook, and Francis Lam ’03 won the Bert Greene

Award for Food Journalism for his article “The Last Chinese BBQ,”

published in Gourmet magazine.

At the 2009 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, Southeast Asian

Flavors, written by Robert Danhi ’91, won the Best Asian Cuisine

Book in the USA and 2nd Best Asian Cuisine Book in the World.

Students Show Their Skills For the fifth time in as many

years, CIA students placed first

and second in the New York

State Post-secondary SkillsUSA

Culinary Arts Competition held

in March. Alyssa Campos and

Yelena Del Mundo captured gold

and silver respectively. Alyssa

recently represented New York

State at the SkillsUSA Nationals

competition in Kansas City, MO,

and won GOLD!

25 Out of 86Before this year, the highest number of CIA graduates to earn James

Beard Award nominations in a single year topped out at 18. We

achieved that number twice and thought ourselves well represented.

This year, CIA alumni made up 25 of the 86 nominations. In a field

of increasingly talented chefs, writers, and wine experts our CIA

grads always shine. We took away seven awards—including President

Tim Ryan’s prestigious Who’s Who in Food & Beverage in America.

Congratulations to the nominees and these seven winners!

Grant Achatz ’94—Outstanding Service Award: Alinea

Todd English ’82—Television Special: Food Trip with Todd English

Koren Grieveson ’96—Best Chefs: Great Lakes

Jeff Michaud ’98—Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic

Rick Moonen ’78—Television Show: Chef’s A’ Field: King of AlaskaRon Suhanosky ’92 and Colleen Suhanosky ’94—Book: Single Subject, Pasta Sfoglia

And of course,

President Tim Ryan ’77—

Inductee, Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America

Best New ChefRoy Choi ’98, co-owner of the Los Angeles sensation Kogi Korean

BBQ-To-Go, was named a 2010 Best New Chef by Food & Wine

magazine.

KUDOS

chef rob mullooly ‘93 poses with skills usa gold medal winner alyssa campos

students flank honoree jefferson evans ‘47

court of sommelier masters with new master melissa monosoff

26

Investing in the MiddleSupporting Your Organization’s Unsung Heroes By Tama Murphy

To motivate employees in the middle, you must understand where

they’re coming from and what drives them. Unsung heroes typically

fall into three categories:

• Former superstars who have taken themselves off the fast track to

find balance in their lives

• Functional experts who fill a specific niche in the organization

• Consistent performers who thrive in structured environments that

have well-defined processes and procedures

Former superstars are highly skilled employees who still produce

exceptional results. Yet, they want to ensure a balance between their

job and their outside responsibilities. These employees need to be

valued for their intelligence and skills and receive assurance from

management that their desire for balance is okay.

Functional experts fill a vital role in the organization. Because they

have cultivated expertise in a specific area, they are very focused on

their assigned work and perform well on a daily basis. Functional

experts need to be recognized for their specialized skill set and

unique contributions.

Consistent performers put the needs of the organization ahead of

being in the limelight. They value a work culture where there is

limited risk, and are often perceived as viewing their work as a “job”

rather than a “career.” However, this is far from accurate. Consistent

performers take pride in their career choice and are motivated by

being recognized as a vital member of the team.

In today’s turbulent economy, good managers understand the

importance of managing the performance of every employee.

Those in the middle, while not as aggressive as their fast-track

counterparts, are definitely concerned with how they are perceived

by their managers. Often, they will not ask for the feedback

they desperately need to feel valued—the

same feedback that enables them to grow,

evolve, and make a positive impact on the

success of your organization. By supporting

your unsung heroes and singing their

praises, you will truly be investing in some

of your organization’s greatest assets.

Tama Murphy is director of certification and

training at The Culinary Institute of America and

is a certified culinary professional and certified

culinary sales professional.

“Our employees are our greatest asset.” Despite the truth behind the

sentiment, managers frequently fail to focus their attention on all of

their employees. In virtually every industry, it’s the top performers

and poor performers who get most of their manager’s time, often at

the expense of those in the middle. This middle group—the unsung

heroes who consistently meet the expectations established by the

organization—constitutes the majority of employees. So what can

managers do to make sure that every member of the team gets the

guidance and mentoring he or she needs and deserves?

First, let’s look at some of the reasons why managers typically spend

about 80% of their time on 20% of their employees. It’s easy to

understand why performance that is below expectations needs to

be addressed. By identifying the gap between actual and desired

performance, managers are able to provide guidance and tools to help

poor performers become solid contributors.

The organization’s fast-track “superstars” receive a great deal of

support and mentoring from their managers, who feel comfortable

providing positive feedback and rewarding exceptional performance.

But while the high achievers’ contributions are significant, fast trackers

often change positions as they rise through the ranks or leave the

organization altogether to fulfill their potential.

Let’s talk about the remaining 80% of employees. These “average”

employees provide stability, expertise, and consistency to your

organization, so focusing on their performance is vital. By nurturing

them, you can help increase their productivity, leverage their talents,

and ultimately make your organization more successful. On the flip

side, if you ignore your unsung heroes, they may tire of being taken for

granted and slide into providing a minimal level of performance.

27

The Power of PaellaThe strains of a Spanish guitar. The aroma of chorizo, peppers,

shellfish, and saffron bubbling away in gigantic paella pans. The

smiles on the faces of more than 800 hungry people. That’s what you

would have experienced at the inaugural Cocina de las Américas

Paella Cook-off. Held on March 14, 2010 on the grounds of the

Pearl Brewery in San Antonio, this flavor-filled event was the result

of the tireless efforts of Alumni Council member and San Antonio

native Johnny Hernandez ’89. It was his vision to bring together the

community and great chefs to celebrate Spanish culture. Indeed, 13

chefs from all over the country and Latin America came to compete in

the Iron Chef-style paella competition. Together, they celebrated the

food and wine of Spain and raised $20,000 for the CIA, San Antonio

Scholarship Fund.

The activities were kicked off on Saturday evening at a well-attended

alumni reception. Guests were welcomed by Alumni Council

Chairman Waldy Malouf and CIA, San Antonio Managing Director

David Kellaway, who provided an update on the progress of the

construction for the new campus building at Pearl.

As for the results of the fiercely contested cook-off; Ben Ford, son of

actor Harrison Ford and owner of Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City,

CA, won first place; Alumni Council member Peter Holt ’97 of Lupe

Tortilla in Houston took second place; and Jeffrey Balfour from the

San Antonio Valencia Hotel placed third. Among the CIA alumni who

participated were Trustee Lori Daniel ’79 ( judge), Waldy Malouf ’75,

Lisa Brefere ’78, Brooke Brantley ’97, Robert Kabakoff ’86, James

Sanchez ’94, Andrew Gutierrez ’00, and Charles Large ’06.

This is the first of what we hope will be many such events held at

the new CIA campus in San Antonio. Special thanks to Johnny

Hernandez, whose new restaurant, La Gloria, just opened to rave

reviews and is right across from the CIA, San Antonio campus!event organizer johnny hernandez ‘89 enjoying great paella

lisa brefere ‘78, robert kabakoff ‘86, and waldy malouf ‘75 bring their paella to be judged

brooke brantley ‘97 shows off his paella

28

Why Give?

Mindy RichVice Chairman, Rich Products Corporation; Sponsor of the Apple Pie Bakery Café; Member, Board of Trustees (2001–present); CIA Honorary Doctorate (2001)

What Motivates You to Give?It was ingrained in me while growing up that giving is not only

for those you help, but for yourself as well. When the CIA first

approached my husband, Bob Rich, Jr., and me about the Apple

Pie Bakery Café, it was just a concept. We were excited about

having the opportunity to support the initiative for a number

of reasons. We are dedicated to the foodservice industry, and

the Café not only serves its customers with outstanding bakery

products, it provides a learning venue for the students. The Café

also allowed us the opportunity to showcase our products. For

example, our pizza dough was incorporated into the menu and

received a favorable response from the chef-faculty and students

while solving an operational problem for the Café. Through our

sponsorship and products, we were able to help provide a good

experience at the Café for students, faculty, and customers.

What Makes Giving Meaningful?We see how the CIA is influencing our business through

educating students who will shape the future of the industry. It

feels good to be a part of that. That feeling is reinforced by the

great job President Ryan and the CIA faculty and staff have done

achieving the college’s mission. As a board member, I have a lot

of opportunities to be on campus. The students are driven and

passionate. It feels great to interact with them and it is gratifying

to help them reach their dreams. It is a privilege to be part of

the CIA.

How Do You Give?Giving is not just about money. Giving time and energy, and

contributing to what you believe in, like the CIA, is the full

package. I have been a board member since 2001 and we

(Rich Products) began supporting the CIA before that through

scholarships. I’ve chaired committees, been an ambassador for

the CIA in the industry, recommended prospective students,

and hired graduates. We have also been good customers. We

offer our own associates the opportunity to take continuing

education courses at the CIA, tap CIA Consulting for new product

development, and host roundtables for our customers at the CIA.

Rich Products Corporation is known around the world as a pioneer in

the frozen food industry and a leading supplier and solutions provider

to the foodservice, in-store bakery, and retail marketplaces. Since 1945,

the company’s history has been marked by innovative breakthroughs, an

unparalleled commitment to “Caring For Customers Like Only a Family

Can™,” and aggressive worldwide growth. www.rich.com

www.ciaalumninetwork.com

mindy rich receiving the trailblazer award at the 2010 women’s foodservice forum leadership conference


Aleasha RiceA.O.S. Baking and Pastry Arts ’07, A.O.S. in Culinary Arts ’09, B.P.S. in Culinary Arts Management ’10

High Impact Leadership Scholarship, Women’s Foodservice Forum Award (to attend its 2010 Conference) Student Employee and Beneficiary ofthe Apple Pie Bakery Café Experience

The BeginningI’ve been baking holiday butter horns, stollen, and spritz cookies—

among other traditional German breads and sweets—with my

dad and grandmother since I was four years old. We’d begin

baking for Christmas dinner and brunch the first weekend after

Thanksgiving. When I was little I would wake to the smell of

butter, sugar, and yeast and know—today we are baking! I love

the smell of yeast. My dad is the one who really got me hooked

on baking.

Hopes for the FutureI love history and hope to one day own a historic hotel with a

fine dining restaurant that serves modern, Americanized versions

of traditional French pastries and baked goods made fresh and

in-house. I believe to be successful in this industry you need to

be well-rounded, so I completed both associate degree programs

in baking and pastry and culinary arts and stayed on to complete

the B.P.S. program. Today, my dad calls me for both cooking

and baking tips. I anticipate beginning my career with Fairmont

Hotels.

The ImpactI worked at the Apple Pie Bakery Café since the second year of

my baking and pastry program. Being there helped me to get

to know the regular customers and feel like a part of their day. I

also learned firsthand the importance of retail merchandising—

designing packaging to attract customers is part of the experience.

Working in baking and pastry is very detailed and creative.

Decorating and designing a cake is like painting. The Café

provides a venue for baking and pastry students to showcase their

work and express themselves visually. Rich Products Corporation

gave us an excellent gift when they helped launch the Café. This

place allowed me to work with great people and continue learning

outside of class. It has made me feel connected to the college in

a meaningful way and brought a sense of truly belonging to all

baking and pastry students at the CIA.

Giving’s Impact

aleasha rice prepares for a busy day at the apple pie bakery café


a place where he spent so much of his

youth. Armen Sujohn is retired and

enjoying life more than ever.

’75 Rick Paul is owner of the

White Light Diner in Frank-

fort, KY, which was featured on Food

Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

’76 Genevieve Bardwell is

owner/baker of Rising Creek

Bakery in Mt. Morris, PA. Timothy

McGrath took over the professional

services at Westlake Culinary Institute in

Westlake Village, CA in March 2010. He

is also chef/owner of his own catering

business and teaches students involved in

’68 Donald P. Campbell is

retired. Randall Tilton has

retired from the Clearwater Country

Club in Clearwater, FL.

’71 Kenneth Benson is chef/

owner of Pete Fumo’s Italian

Restaurant in Manor, TX. After 10 years

away, he returned to the restaurant busi-

ness to open Pete Fumo’s.

’73 Vincent Colucci is executive

chef for Rome Memorial

Hospital in Rome NY. He also volunteers

at the Utica Boys and Girls Club with

baking and cooking. Vincent is happy

to have the opportunity to give back to

Many alumni give back to the CIA by hosting gatherings that bring alumni together to support each other

and their alma mater. These events always prove to be fun, lively, and, of course, delicious! Here are just a

few of the most recent events hosted by our generous alumni.

This past March, members of the Alumni Council headed down to San Antonio, TX to participate in the

inaugural Cocina de Las Américas Paella Cook-off. This wonderful event was the brainchild of Johnny

Hernandez ’89, who wanted to give back to his local community and his alma mater. As he does every

year, Michael Garbin ’76 hosted the alumni reception during the NRA meeting weekend in Chicago.

Susan Roth ’79 threw a “Party in PA,” prepared and presented by her culinary students at Northampton

Community College. In June, Dale Miller ’79 hosted the always-successful Cor/CIA Food, Wine, and

Golf Event in Albany, NY, to raise money for student scholarships. David Miguel ’78 hosted his seventh

annual Alumni Across America event at the Westerly Yacht Club in Westerly, RI to support the CIA Alumni

Scholarship Fund. And, we celebrated our first alumni gathering at the Greystone campus with an afternoon of

Coals, Cabs, and Confections—an interactive meal with wine tasting and chocolate delights. Come September 24–25 we

will be hosting Alumni Homecoming 2010 at the Hyde Park campus. We hope you to see you there.

As always, the Council is looking for ways to support and connect alumni to one another and the CIA. If you have an idea

for an event, whether it’s an after-work mixer, a networking opportunity, or a scholarship dinner, please let us know. We can

help transform your idea into a reality!

Want to get involved? Please contact the Alumni Relations office at 845-451-1401 or [email protected].

You Make Us Better!

Sincerely,

Waldy Malouf ’75 (Chair), [email protected]

P.S. Be sure to update your information! It’s easy; just visit www.ciaalumninetwork.com or

send us an e-mail at [email protected].

Alumni Council Corner

the Careers through Culinary Arts pro-

gram (C-CAP). Salvatore Parco owns

Dine with Sal in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

’77 Michael Garahan is

foodservice manager at the

Job Corps in Carville, LA. For years, he’s

been producing a healthy pecan granola

sold as a fund-raiser for the Ocean Medi-

cal Center, a hospital in New Jersey that

cared for his mother during her battle

with breast cancer. Check it out at www.

chefsformammograms.com. Benjamin

Sutton is pleased to announce that his

daughter graduated from the CIA in June

2010. He owns Chef Bens Catering in

Hiawassee, GA. Raymond Williams is

food director/chef at the Newark Senior

Center in Newark, DE.

’80 Steven Capodicasa is

senior techno chef at Fir-

menich, a global flavor and fragrance

company based in Switzerland with

an office in Princeton, NJ, where he is

responsible for developing flavors and

menu innovation. He was featured in the

Winter 2008/09 edition of Art Culinaire

magazine. Peter K. Huber is director of

dining services for Aramark at Houston

Baptist University. His son Peter is cur-

rently studying for his A.O.S. degree at

the CIA. John Smigielski works reno-

vating classic old hotels and inns along

the coast of Maine. Stephen Worsley is

cheffing “for the yachting crowd” in Split,

Croatia.


The Obama EffectWhen businesses in Asheville, NC heard that President and Mrs.

Obama were coming to town for a weekend, they all hoped to be able

to host them. Joe Scully ’87, co-owner of Corner Kitchen, felt the

same way. His partner’s wife even went to the lengths of repeatedly

e-mailing the White House with an invitation to dine. With no answer

from Washington, they thought all hope was lost.

On the Tuesday before the President’s scheduled visit, a group of eight

20-somethings eating in the upstairs dining room seemed inordinately

interested in the restaurant, the chef, and the building. The server

answered their questions and thought no more about it. On Thursday,

Corner Kitchen received a call from a fellow who wanted to rent the

upstairs dining room on Saturday night so he could propose to his

girlfriend. He said it would be a party of six. It seemed an odd idea to

propose in front of friends, but hey, a reservation was a reservation.

Come Saturday night, Joe and his family were across town having

dinner at another restaurant when they got the call—“the President

and Mrs. Obama are here with two other couples for dinner.” Joe and

his family raced back to Corner Kitchen, passed through the Secret

Service gauntlet, and made it inside. The restaurant was full, the

Obamas were upstairs, two Secret Service agents (one a chef/agent)

were in the kitchen carefully watching the President’s meal being

prepared, and other agents were peppered throughout the restaurant.

When the President’s party emerged after dinner, they took the time

for pictures; shook the hands of every server, busser, and cook; and

even joked around with some of the remaining patrons.

Turns out that those eight diners on Tuesday night were really the

President’s advance team checking to see if the restaurant passed

muster. It was a thrill of a lifetime for Joe, his family, and the

restaurant staff. And they are still feeling the Obama effect with

increased sales and much fame!

’81 John Cruse is director of cu-

linary and nutrition services of

Mason General Hospital in Shelton, WA.

He is the president of the Shelton Rotary

and father of two sons.

’82 Michael Baskette is a

full-time instructor at the

Art Institute of Jacksonville in Florida.

He is also an author and private food

service consultant. He recently received

the World Association of Chefs Societies

(WACS) Educator of the Year Award

during their 2010 World Congress in

Santiago, Chile. Michael serves as

special projects manager for the WACS

Education Committee and has helped

develop and administer several educa-

tional programs for WACS, including the

Train-the-Trainer Program and Culinary

School Recognition Program. Michelle

Elliott is chef-instructor at the Institute of

Culinary Education in New York. She was

nominated as one of the “Top Ten” pastry

chefs of 2010 by Dessert Professional online

magazine.

’83 Jesse Bartyzal is chef/owner

of B&B Chefs Endeavors, a

consulting firm in Medford, OR. He took

the first-place gold medal at the Oregon

state crab competition and a silver medal

at the Oregon Albacore Tuna competi-

tion. Dan Palsi is executive chef at the

Manasquan River Golf Club in Brielle,

NJ. In May 2010, he was an honorary

guest speaker at the Brookdale Commu-

nity College commencement ceremony in

Lincroft, NJ.

’84 Mark Fritchie is senior sales

associate for BakeMark, USA

in Reno, NV. He also enjoys running his

ice carving business, Ice on Occasion.

He lives with his two children, David and

Maxwell.

’86 David Coontz is director

of dining services/executive

chef for Rappahannock Westminster-

Canterbury, Inc. assisted living facility in

Irvington, VA. He received the Chef of

the Year award from his ACF Chapter.

Daniel Kubanet is vice president for

business development at Trusthouse

Services Group in Charlotte, NC.

’87 Dino Gatto is executive chef

for Rao’s Restaurant in New

York City.

’88 Keith John Wallace is an

investor and building owner

of South Pointe Country Club in Carson

City, PA.

’89 George Lamaze has retired.

’90 Nina Bowman-Sekscenski

is corporate compliance

officer of CBL Path, Inc. in Rye Brook,

NY. Her son Max was born in February

2010. Edward Bujarski is founder of the

Wharton High School Culinary Academy

in Tampa, FL. Ed won the 2009 National

Restaurant Association Education Foun-

dation’s Maynard Award for his outstand-

ing efforts to educate future members of

the foodservice industry.

’94 Joseph Bianchi is owner/

executive chef of Cucina

Bianchi Personal Chef Service in New

Jersey. Adolfo Veronese is chef/owner

of LaForchetta Catering in San Francisco,

CA. His son Nino is three years old.

’95 David Daniel is executive

chef at Tallahassee Memo-

rial HealthCare, which is operated by

Sodexo, in Tallahassee, FL. Christopher

Heywood is vice president for travel and

tourism public relations for NYC & Com-

pany. He was married in March 2010.

David Kaufman is chef/owner of the

newly opened Zombie Doughnut Café in

Albuquerque, NM.

’96 Jimmy Mohammed is

executive chef for CRAVE

restaurants in Orlando, FL. Christopher

Whitaker is chef/owner of Frenchman

Bay Restaurant Group in Maine. He

recently married and has an 11-year-old

daughter.

’97 Eric A. Frost is executive

sous chef for The Litchfield

Saltwater Grille in Litchfield, CT.

president and mrs. obama pose with joe scully ‘87 (second from right) and his family


CIA SymmetryThere’s a perfect CIA

symmetry to this story

about Jennifer Shen ’06

and Benjamin Seto ’06.

They met and started

dating in their junior year

at the Collins College for

Hospitality Management

at the California State

Polytechnic University

(Cal Poly) in Pomona, CA.

Their instructor at Cal

Poly, Scott Rudolph, is

a 1997 CIA graduate and

naturally a great supporter

of the college’s programs.

He encouraged the pair to continue their studies at the CIA. “Once we had

seen the facilities and curriculum, our biggest problem was figuring out which

CIA campus to enroll at,” said Ben. Deciding they loved the Napa Valley, they

enrolled at Greystone—Jen in the Baking and Pastry Arts Certificate Program

and Ben in the Accelerated Culinary Arts Certificate Program (ACAP).

After graduation, Jen took a job with Sherry Yard ’91 at Wolfgang Puck’s CUT

Beverly Hills. Ben landed a job at the Silverton/Batali/Bastianich, Pizzeria

Mozza in Los Angeles. When marriage plans were being made, it seemed right

that they return to the Collins campus and have Chef Rudolph, with the help of

19 eager students, create their nuptial meal. Of course, the couple designed their

menu and prepped for it!

Now they are about to embark on a whole new adventure as they head for

Singapore. Jen will continue working with Sherry Yard to open CUT Singapore,

and Ben will be helping to open Pizzeria Mozza Singapore.

Fully prepared after their experiences at the CIA and beyond, they are

looking forward to the change. “We anticipate that sourcing product, menu

development, and training will be great challenges in Singapore—not to mention

the culture shock,” explained Jen. “The big adjustment will be general lifestyle

and work environment. But we are excited, too! It’s really a once-in-a-lifetime

experience. We are honored and proud to be a part of two great projects

overseas.”

The kind of perfect symmetry we find in Jen and Ben’s story is one we’ve heard

many times from our alumni. Relationships forged at the CIA cast a web of

ever-broadening connections that make it possible for our alumni to have unique

experiences around the globe.

’98 Geoffrey Tracy is

owner of Chef Geoff’s,

which will be celebrating its 10th

anniversary this year. Chef Tracy

also co-owns the management com-

pany 2 tee, LLC operating Hank’s

Tavern & Eats.

’99 Marc Dunham is

chef de cuisine at The

Ranchers Club in the Atherton

Hotel at the School of Hotel and

Restaurant Administration, in the

College of Human Environmental

Sciences at Oklahoma State Uni-

versity in Stillwater, OK. He was

invited to cook at the James Beard

House in July 2010.

’01 Melvin (Mel) Carter

is co-owner of Blue Hill

Tavern, named one of the 50 Best

Restaurants in the March 2010 edi-

tion of Baltimore magazine.

’02 Mark Danziger is

chef/owner of Danziger

Catering in San Francisco, CA.

’03 Steven Ciccone taught

a class in Venetian

Carnivale sugarpaste at the Cake

Decorating with the Masters at

the Wyndham Oceanfront Hotel.

Matthew Hiebsch is sous chef

for Garces Restaurant Group in

Philadelphia, PA.

’04 Rachel Hollander is

manager at Hyde Park

Grill in Columbus, OH. She mar-

ried in February 2010 in Columbus.

Ian Purdy is sous chef at Carmen

Anthony Restaurant in Waterbury,

CT. He recently got married and

has two sons, Dean and Cole.

’05 Marisa Edelstein is

baker for the Aria Hotel

and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Eric

A. Schappert is general manager/

chef for Metz and Associates,

located at Johnson Technical

College in Scranton, PA. Brandi

Stevens is restaurant manager at

Cafe Nordstrom in the Westside Pa-

vilion in Los Angeles, CA. In 2008

Brandi was diagnosed with cancer.

Her recovery and current clean bill

of health have inspired her to begin

writing a book about her journey.

Chester Watson is sous chef for

Quince in San Francisco, CA.

’06 Beth Cosgrove was re-

cently promoted to sous

chef at The American Club Hong

Kong, in Hong Kong, SAR, China.

She is enjoying every minute of her

time in Asia. Stephen Forsyth has

accepted a position as development

chef in the U.S. Army’s Family and

Morale, Welfare and Recreation

Command. He’s training at the

Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu as a

civilian employee of the Depart-

ment of Defense.

’07 Michael Brown

is a master’s degree

candidate at Purdue University

studying under CIA alumni Dr.

Richard Ghiselli ’81 and Dr.

Carl Behnke ’85. He will graduate

with a degree in hospitality and

tourism management. One day,

Michael hopes to return to the CIA

to teach. Lynnsey M. Ramos is

pastry cook for The Ritz-Carlton in

Dana Point, CA.

’08 Doug Goettsch has

been promoted from

manager of culinary services to

national account executive with

Hawkeye Foodservice Inc, in

Coralville, IA. Nicholas Jones is

coordinator for culinary learning

at Northwest Arkansas Commu-

nity College in Bentonville, AR.

Daniella Vanoni is pastry chef for

Trattoria Aroma in Buffalo, NY. She

is a sponsor of the “Sweet Charity

Event” to benefit the food bank of

western New York. She was recently

featured in BuffaloRising.com.

’09 Nick Jones has opened

Ginnie’s Place at the

Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary’s

in Rogers, AK. He will supervise

students pursuing degrees in culi-

nary arts and hospitality.

jen shen ‘06 and ben seto ‘06 on their wedding day

33

Baker’s ChoiceHow does a candidate for a CIA culinary arts degree end up as baking

center manager at Lesaffre Yeast Corporation—makers of SAF and Red

Star brand yeast and dough conditioners? He takes his externship in the

bakeshop of the Bedford Village Inn in New Hampshire and falls in love

with baking. Then he returns to complete his degree and immediately

finds himself in Chef Rich Coppedge’s bread class for culinary students.

He couldn’t fight it—Mark Miller ’96 was sold, and chose baking as

his career.

After graduation, Mark went to work at the in-house bakery of the

American Club in Kohler, WI. While there he met CIA extern Kathy

Mueller ’00. A romance began that is still going on. Mark’s move to

Chicago to work pastry at the Ritz-Carlton and then at the Midwest

Commissary Bake House for Whole Foods helped him flesh out

his experience in front of the oven.

About seven years ago, Mark took the job he now has at Lesaffre/Red

Star in Milwaukee, WI. “I just love my job,” he explained. “I do a lot

of controlled and test baking, and I get to work with a lot of different

customers, products, and baking processes. Let’s say a customer wants to

expand their bakery line to include frozen dough. That requires ingredient

and formula modifications. We offer those ingredients and can help them

make those formula and process changes. We have yeast that is specifically

designed to perform better in frozen dough, something they may not have

been aware of. We can run tests for them on our own, or they can come to

our baking center to work with us.”

Mark works in a dream bakeshop. It’s fully equipped with different

kinds of mixers, proofers, and ovens, as well as lab equipment that

measures yeast fermentation, flour quality, and enzyme activity. With

all this he is able to

mimic each customer’s

baking environment and

processes.

Problem solving is at

the heart of Mark’s job,

and focusing on shifting

industry trends keeps

everything fresh and

interesting. For example,

the baking industry is

looking to “clean their

labels,” according to

Mark. They want more

natural ingredients,

including dough

conditioners, to use in

commercial baking. Mark

works with them to incorporate the newer, cleaner stabilizers into their

products. He also helps companies who are involved in reducing sodium

in their products to use other yeast-based alternatives to maintain the

flavor of salt.

Unless Mark is in the middle of a project that is time-sensitive—which

does happen when working with yeast products—he is grateful that he has

time for his other passions. He loves playing golf, working in his vegetable

garden, cooking at home, and, of course, spending time with Kathy—who

has left foodservice to work in the software arena. One doesn’t need more

proof to realize that this baker has made all the right choices!

B-Block Baby Paul Fucello and Erica (Halstead-Johnson)

Fucello ’03 are proud to announce the birth of

their first child, Caroline Jean, on July 28, 2009.

With two parents who met and fell in love at the

CIA during B Block, it’s only fitting that we see

Caroline sleeping peacefully atop some culinary

classics while “wearing” a toque and apron. As

for mom and dad…after seven years of working

as sous chef and executive chef in a number of

places, Paul recently returned to work at his CIA

externship site, The Seaware Country Club in

Hewlett Harbor, NY. Erica, no doubt, has her

hands full at home training a future CIA alumna!

mark and kathy at his bakeshop

a future chef, learning by osmosis!


Beijing BlissCrystal Edgar ’02 is cellar master at Aman at Summer Palace in Beijing,

China. More and more CIA grads are venturing to Asia to develop their

culinary skills and absorb a new culture. Here, Crystal answered some of

our questions about living and working in Beijing.

How do you find living in such a different culture?

The best thing about living in a different culture is the adventure. I love

foreign languages and my efforts to learn Chinese have not only aided

me in day-to-day tasks but also helped me build trust with the hotel staff

and local clientele. Of course, I love the food adventures. There are so

many different styles of cuisine in China—just not enough time to sample

everything! The only downside of living abroad is missing my family.

Describe your typical day.

On my way to work at the Summer Palace I grab my favorite Chinese

snack from a street vendor. Jianbing is fried egg with chili and garlic paste,

chopped cilantro, and scallions wrapped in a mung bean crêpe. Once at

the resort, I check in with the restaurants and assist the outlet managers.

In the afternoon there are meetings with internal management and

wine suppliers as well as visiting professionals. During slower months, I

conduct food and wine training sessions for staff. I’ll often show guests

around the Summer Palace or host a private wine tasting tailored to the

client’s tastes and interests. In the evening, I look after the restaurants and

bar, recommend beverages, assist with service, and occasionally entertain

special guests and media. At the end of the night, I either head downtown

with friends to enjoy Beijing’s nightlife or home to catch up on my sleep!

Every quarter I make a regional trip to other Aman properties in China,

Thailand, Indonesia, and India to conduct beverage training and support

with operations. It’s a great opportunity to travel.

How do the Chinese view wine?

Wine has never been part of daily life for the Chinese people. Even a

moderately priced bottle of imported wine may cost the average worker

an entire month’s salary. Many Chinese purchase wine based on the

label—wines from Bordeaux or with “Château” on the label are usually

the most popular. But for those who are not interested in wine or prefer

something fast and cheap, the local beer is inexpensive and available.

“Baijiu” or “white spirit”—generally 80 to 120 proof—is also popular among

the “sophisticated” social and business crowds. It is made of sorghum,

wheat, barley, glutinous rice, and millet. The flavor is strong and, to me,

offensive. It is served in shot glasses designed for toasting colleagues,

usually during business dinners. Of course, there are knowledgeable wine

drinkers; however, they are in the minority. That’s where I come in!

How would you describe yourself and your approach to your career?

I believe one of the keys to success in any industry is passion. If someone

were to ask me mine, I’d have to say that people, culture, travel, and food

and beverage would be at the top. I am so fortunate to have a job that

offers all of these joys; it brings out the best in me and allows me to share

my knowledge and experience with others.

In Memoriam

crystal edgar ‘02 loves meeting the people of beijing

Robert Holcomb ’56

Smith Forbes ’57

William Duffy ’60

Arthur Thayer ’63

Ronnie G. Mullins ’68

Charles L. Midura ’70

Robert J. Craig ’72

James F. Simmons ’84

Scott Reny ’88

Michael Dunn ’90

Mary Frances Goodman ’90

Karen Vera Strand ’93

David B. Sellers, Jr. ’96

Scott Jaffe ’97

Teejay Fountain ’03

James Handy ’05

35

AND THE WINNER IS…

HolIDAy mENumISHAp contest

Post your story online at www.ciaalumninetwork.com or send it to:The Culinary Institute of America, Alumni Relations Office, 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park, NY 12538

Wow! What a response. So many of you

sent in great captions for this picture. But

it was James L. Miller ’76 whose caption

won him free admission to this year’s

Alumni Homecoming on September 24–25,

2010. We look forward to seeing James

and the rest of you there!

Win a soft, cozy CIA fleece blanket

to keep you warm on cold winter nights.

It’s easy! Just share your favorite or zaniest

Holiday Menu Mishap story with us in

100 words or less.

DEADLINE: October 15, 2010!

“OK. Now tell me again, just what you were doing

before the explosion?”

The Culinary Institute of America Alumni Relations 1946 Campus Drive Hyde Park, NY 12538-1499

Alumni Relations Admissions Advancement CIA Web Sites Career Services Conrad N. Hilton Library Professional Development General Information 845-451-1401 1-800-285-4627 845-905-4275 ciachef.edu 845-451-1275 845-451-1270 1-800-888-7850 845-452-9600 ciaalumninetwork.com ciagiving.org ciaprochef.com

Friday & Saturday

T H E C U L I N A R Y I N S T I T U T E O F A ME R I C A

September 24–25

LAST CHANCE to register!

Register now at www.ciaalumninetwork.com or call us at 845-451-1401. Hope to see you there!

• Relish Friday’s Decades Dinner

• Enjoy a BBQ and Ice Cream Creation Station

• Take in Panels and Speakers

• Laugh, Learn, Dine, and Network

Documents

mise en place issue 53 Keys to Café Success