Milestone report features top 10 flavor pairings and leading trends that will define 2010.
The flavor experts at Hunt Valley, Md.-based McCormick have teamed up with leading chefs, food bloggers and other culinary authorities to identify the top 10 flavor pairings and key trends that are poised to shape the way we eat in the year ahead. The McCormick® Flavor Forecast™ 2010 marks a milestone: It’s the 10th anniversary of prolific flavor reports from the industry leader.
By Colin Roche, CEC, CCE
Though easy to make, infusing oils adds much to the classroom and curriculum.
Infused oils are a great product to make with your students. It not only introduces them to the various herbs and spices available today, but also teaches them how to infuse the flavor into the neutral medium of oil.
Why is oil a great medium for infusing flavors into? Herbs and spices get their flavors from the essential oils in them. Most of these oils are aromatic compounds that we smell when we eat them, and it is these aromas that create much of the flavor we experience. Also, because these aromatic compounds are oils, they're soluble in oils. Simple, right? Now, with an understanding of the method, you can see that infused oils are theoretically very easy to make.
By Mitch Stamm, CEPC
By hiding the science in the pure joy of handling dough that has baked into pastries, you can increase students’ understanding and awareness of the baking process.
Taking a lesson from parents who hide vegetables in other foods and desserts in order to train their children to appreciate them, instructors can do the same by hiding science in food. Many students find the science of baking dry and dull, yet they thrive when producing pastries. Rather than teaching science, why not teach food?
By Eric Stein, M.S., R.D.
Can the words “light,” “healthy” and “desserts” even be used in the same sentence? More than ever, chefs are proving that they can.
Most basic dessert recipes rely on just a few key ingredients, such as butter, granulated sugar, eggs, heavy cream, chocolate and flour. Although the outcome is usually tasty, these ingredients often result in desserts full of empty calories and few nutrients. In a time of calorie-conscious consumers, chefs are beginning to take basic dessert preparations and make them healthier through the use of ingredient alternatives and by adding nutrient-rich foods.
Courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Deadline for a new CAFÉ recipe contest featuring Wisconsin cheeses in healthful applications is April 1.
In our world of an overwhelming amount of information, some of us still don't have the right information! Such is the case among some culinary professionals and consumers when it comes to cheese and its healthfulness. Current food-trend information points to a high interest in healthfulness and well-being, a trend that many chefs are anxious to heed, so it's important to know the facts.
To put a misinformed rumor to rest, cheese is not a no-no in healthy diets—it absolutely can be part of a healthy diet, and not just reduced-fat styles, but the types of cheese restaurant patrons love—mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan, blue and fontina, for example. Using cheese in moderation and choosing appropriate applications are the keys to keeping the succulent flavor of cheese on the menu while offering choices that fit with today's health-conscious diner.
By Edward Korry, CWE, CSS
Here’s what every wine server should know.
Service involves more than the step-by-step procedures of opening and pouring wine correctly. It includes suggesting wines that not only pair with the food being ordered, but also that guests will enjoy. That requires knowledge of how food and wines interact with each other so that both either taste the way their creators intended or are enhanced, and includes being able to help quests with their selection.
Latest accrediting brings total postsecondary programs to 377 globally
Postsecondary culinary programs at 13 schools across the United States received initial and renewal programmatic accreditation by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) at the Accrediting Commission meeting in early January in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Sullivan University’s Derek Spendlove succeeds Guggenmos as chair; rest of commission named.
Derek Spendlove, CEPC, CCE, AAC, baking-and-pastry-arts chair for the National Center for Hospitality Studies (NCHS) at Sullivan University, Louisville, Ky., has been named chair of the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) Certification Commission and will assume the position’s responsibilities on Jan. 15, 2010. Spendlove will replace current chair Karl J. Guggenmos, AAC, University Dean of Culinary Education, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I., who will remain on the commission as past chair.
By Douglas L. Alley
When we work together, the foodservice workplace provides many opportunities to do well by doing good.
The ancient fable of stone soup recounts the story of three hungry travelers who come upon a small town, plagued by years of war and meager harvest. Having not even enough for themselves, the villagers urge the travelers to move on without ceasing. "We have nothing for you,” they say.
By Edward Korry, CWE, CSS
Here’s what every wine server should know.
When making suggestions to guests, get a sense of the kinds of wines they enjoy to avoid making needless suggestions. The server should be very familiar with the establishment’s wine list. If a wine is unavailable, the guest should be informed prior to making a selection. The server should observe the following procedures:
Save the Date
Cafe Leadership Conference,
June 25-27, 2010
Hosted By:
Create a Photo Story presentation explaining the syllabus, dress code, grading policies and safety rules. Review it on the first day of class.
