By Lisa Shames

Private chef to an NFL running back, Gason Nelson of New Orleans provides a winning combination of professional culinary skills and hard work with a down-to-earth attitude.

Gason Nelson has a pretty cool job. But chances are you won’t hear him bragging about it. Ditto for the helping hand he lent to friends and family after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or the time he takes to mentor those hoping to follow in his footsteps. For the last four years, Nelson has been the private chef to New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush. For the record, Nelson wasn’t in Miami in February this year when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV; he preferred to watch his team win from their and his hometown.

By Adam Weiner

Chef Weiner continues his advice for students on knife selection and maintenance. This month: properly using knives.

Over the last two months, these articles were written in handout format for your students regarding how to buy knives/how knives are made, and how to hone and sharpen knives. Again, as a handout, this month’s article is about using knives. Next month, the last part of this series, will be on how to care for knives.

Using Knives
Here’s the bad news: You can’t learn how to use a knife from reading a handout, any more than you can learn how to drive a car by playing a computer game. With that said, there are a number of good Web sites on the subject, such as www.hertzmann.com, particularly, “The Three Aspects of Knife Skills.”

Courtesy of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Inc.

Lessons, quizzes and more on disposable foodservice packaging and how such products impact our natural resources and daily lives.

The Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI) continues to offers its popular teachers kit, “Single-Use Foodservice Packaging Facts and Fun,” available online at www.fpi.org/dms/dm_browse.asp?pid=96. This kit provides a comprehensive look at single-use foodservice packaging and its history and benefits.

Educators, chefs and farmers gathered in Chicago to learn how to increase, Improve, market and teach sustainable meat production.

Meat was on the menu on November 17 as hundreds of farmers, distributors, restaurant professionals and culinary students gathered at the Harold Washington Library Center and Robert Morris University in Chicago to discuss sustainable meat and find out exactly what it is, what it tastes like and why to buy it.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Less easy than it might seem, there’s a strategy to forming small groups that makes group activities in class more effective and enhances student learning.

Last month, we discussed ways of expanding the range of activities in a classroom by using pairs. This month, we discuss small groups and small-group work. Most of us have developed a series of individual, small-group and large-group activities that work for the courses we teach, and we are always looking for more ideas. This Mayo’s Clinic may help you think of some new ideas.

To make small groups successful, we must consider how we create the small groups, what we ask them to do, and what resources they need.

On October 12, a reception with Michel Escoffier, great grandson of culinary icon Auguste Escoffier and president of the Auguste Escoffier Foundation and Museum in France, offered history and little‐known family anecdotes about his great grandfather, as Chicago chefs, dignitaries and other guests were treated to champagne and hors d’oeuvres in celebration of the historic affiliation of Escoffier and Triumph Higher Education (Triumph HEG) to launch the Auguste Escoffier Schools of Culinary Arts.

Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN) today announced October 20 that it will donate more than 10,000 pounds of chicken to three metro Atlanta organizations. The donation supports two principles important to Tyson: hunger relief and the advancement of foodservice. Beneficiaries of the donation include the Atlanta Community Food Bank, the Redan High School Culinary Program and Teens at Work.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has awarded its Cream of the Crop Scholarships for winter 2011 to four aspiring culinary leaders who begin their CIA studies early next year. The students, who will all be pursuing bachelor's degrees at the CIA, earned merit scholarships to the college based on their leadership skills and academic record.

Three culinary graduates of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Colorado were honored for their exemplary 4.0 grade-point averages at the Summer Quarter 2010 graduation, held at the Colorado Convention Center on Friday, September 24.

Ann Holland, Oonagh Dwyer and Christopher Adornetto were each presented with a medal for their achievement by Art Institute of Colorado President David Zorn during the graduation ceremony.

Kendall College in Chicago has named Dr. Karen Gersten as its president. Gersten has been serving as the interim president of Kendall since March. Gersten has been with Kendall for three years, and formerly served as the college’s provost. Prior to joining Kendall, she spent more than 20 years at Roosevelt University, most recently as associate provost for academic programs and distance learning. “Students, faculty and staff at Kendall have come to know Karen through her leadership of academic functions at the college, including academic programming, student affairs, and program assessment,” said Paula Singer, chairman of the Kendall College board of directors. “She is widely known for her achievements in making the educational experience at Kendall rewarding for students, faculty and the community. We are fortunate to have her leading Kendall College.” Gersten earned her Ed.D. in education from Northern Illinois University and her Master of Education and B.A. degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana. She is an active member of SLATE—a Blackboard Users Group, and the International Reading Association. Gersten is also a member of the peer evaluation corps of the Higher Learning Commission Assessment Academy.