Peter “Pete” Mondavi, Jr., scion of one of Napa Valley’s leading winemaking families, was keynote speaker at the March 27, 2015, graduation ceremony for the Accelerated Wine and Beverage and Accelerated Culinary Arts certificate programs at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif. Mondavi advised graduates to use their newly honed skills to help people’s dining experiences become a break from the fast-paced cell-phone world.

“We can’t alter the pace of life here, but we can dedicate ourselves to making sure that fine food, wine and beverages are not the casualties of that pace, but a way to escape from it,” Mondavi told 45 certificate recipients. “Your challenge is to find a way to bring America back to the dining table, to show Americans how to remove their electronic tethers and enjoy the remarkable cuisine and beverages that you and your fellow graduates have learned to prepare and serve.”

Idaho^® potatoes­—the term refers to their source of origin—are renowned for quality and reliability in all 50 states. While most consumers and foodservice operators associate the Idaho trademark with russet potatoes, Idaho growers are seeding fields with new varieties to meet a burgeoning demand for reds, yellows and other niche varietal potatoes.

To help all Idaho potato customers find the variety that best fits their menu needs, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) has created “Bringing Variety to the Plate,” a full-color brochure that details the qualities, characteristics and applications for almost 30 potato varieties. For example, the commercially successful Russet Burbank is a late-maturing variety, oval shaped and thin skinned with a distinctive, earthy potato flavor. It bakes fluffy, fries crispy and is well suited to all applications.

To order a complimentary copy of “Bringing Variety to the Plate,” contact the IPC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To research menu concepts using all the Idaho potato varieties, visit the IPC recipe database at foodservice.idahopotato.com/recipes. While on the site, check out the helpful size guideand Idahopotato preparation tips, and find answers and solutions to operational and culinary FAQs. 

Washington, D.C.-based Green America, a national nonprofit organization working to create a green economy, issued the following statement on April 27 in response to Denver-based ChipotleMexican Grill’sannouncement of removing GMOs from its foods:

“Chipotle’sannouncement that they are removing genetically engineered ingredients is [a] majorstep forward for the company and an important milestone in creating a safer andhealthier food system for all Americans. Increasingly, it is clear thatconsumers want food without genetically engineered ingredients, and have alreadyrewarded Chipotle with increased sales for its growing non-GMO commitments.

“Evidence shows that GMOs are increasing the use of toxic herbicide use due to the development of herbicide-resistant weeds. Most recently, Glyphosate, which is commonly used on GMO crops, was deemed a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the impacts of GMOs on the environment and human health and it is time for the restaurant industry and other food companies to make a change. Chipotle has shown that it is possible for a large fast foodchain [to] adopt a more sustainable food supply.

Maple Leaf Farms challenges professional chefs and culinary students to think outside the box when it comes to duck preparation. And to spark their creative juices, Maple Leaf is offering more than $19,000 in prize money in the 2015 Discover Duck Recipe Contest.

This year’s focus is “Duck Redefined,” which encourages participants to create a dish featuring duck as the main ingredient in a non-traditional way. “Our contest encourages chefs to think outside the box beyond just roasted whole duck or a sautéed duck breast,” said Maple Leaf Farms’ director of duck marketing, Cindy Turk. “Duck is such a versatile protein, the possibilities are endless.”

The Culinary Institute of America has appointed Rose S. Wang as the college’s vice president of strategy. Wang joined the college on Feb. 3, 2015, after serving as the chief financial officer of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Center to Advance Palliative Care in New York City since 2013.

Before taking her position at Mount Sinai, she was managing director of Carat Companies, a Princeton, N.J.-based consulting firm to nonprofit organizations, and division CFO of beverages for the Campbell Soup Company in Camden, N.J. Prior to that she held several financial and strategic planning positions with Avon Products, Inc., and Citibank N.A., including executive director of business planning, director of international finance and operations, and director of finance and corporate development.

The National Honey Board (NHB) has introduced a colorful, eye-catching, new, information-rich resource, A Guide to Honey Beverages. Serving as a complement to the Sweet Stirrings cocktail guide (2012), the honey beverage handbook features nearly 40 spiral-bound, laminated pages replete with honey tips, tricks and on-trend recipes to help operators enhance their non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverage menus and programs.

The new honey beverage guide includes the following highlighted, tabbed sections: