By Laura Vaughn, MCFE

Encouraging students to participate in professional organizations can help them excel in their careers.

As president of the Northern Illinois branch of the International Food Service Executives Association (IFSEA) and a culinary educator, I recognize the value of participating in a professional organization. Students and recent graduates, however, can also benefit from belonging to IFSEA, even if their careers in the culinary industry have yet to begin.

Finding jobs in today's market is difficult, and making professional connections is often instrumental to getting one’s foot in the door and advancing in the industry. IFSEA supports students in networking and mentorship, and the more they participate, the greater the benefits to their careers.

My role as a culinary educator is to train students to master the foundations of their craft so they can get a job. But technical skills are only a portion of the tools needed for successful career growth in the hospitality or culinary industry. I'm often asked, “What are some skills that I need to climb the ladder” in order to rise to the top of the field? My reply is this: Mastering the basics of the culinary arts is important, but equally important is making contacts within your chosen field, and learning how to interact professionally with those contacts.

By Brent T. Frei

The fourth-annual Student Culinology® Competition at RCA’s 2010 conference exemplified the blending of culinary art and food science.

An enthusiastic student team from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., took first-place honors, along with a $5,000 cash award and industry-wide recognition as rising stars in food-product development, at the fourth-annual Student Culinology® Competition, March 18 during the Research Chefs Association (RCA) 2010 conference & Culinology® Expo at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix. The award was presented at the 2010 RCA Annual Luncheon on March 20.

By Brent T. Frei

The keynoter at the recent RCA Conference & Culinology Expo also said lowering sodium will be the next big health issue among Americans, mushrooms are a vitamin D “powerhouse,” and not every olive oil offers equal benefits.

More than 1,200 attendees at this year’s Research Chefs Association Conference & Culinology Expo in Phoenix, March 17-20, heard keynoter Clare M. Hasler, Ph.D., executive director of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Environmental Services at the University of California-Davis, speak to prevailing food trends as they pertain to health and wellness.

Hasler launched her presentation by looking back at past decades and Americans’ attitudes toward nutrition and health. The 1950s approach was prayer; the 1960s were marked by support groups and cabbage soup to aid weight loss. Diet pills reigned in the 1970s, and the Scarsdale Diet in the 1980s. We watched our fat consumption in the 1990s, and switched to counting carbs in the early-2000s. Americans today, Hasler said, are interested in whole-health eating: moving away from highly processed foods in lieu of whole foods.

By Brent T. Frei

Successful operations today communicate flavor, attitude and spirit, and are using less-expensive ingredients far more than before. Say hello to serving lunch on the loading dock, and goodbye to the toque.

At ACF’s Central Regional Conference in Indianapolis, March 26, Chef Gerry Ludwig of Gordon Food Service based in Grand Rapids, Mich., presented on the “megatrend” of casualization, particularly “upscaled flavor with humble ingredients,” to a packed room.

Ludwig’s chief job is to analyze consumer dining trends. “It’s a huge misconception that half of all meals are in foodservice,” he said. “Nearly three-quarters of all meals are prepared at home.” In 2009, only 19% of meals were served in foodservice outlets, according to NPD Group. “If you’re a full-service restaurant, the number of times a diner chooses places like yours is very infrequent.”

By Jackie Schulz

Create protein combinations that are low in saturated fat, high in fiber and from a mix of sources to get a “complete” protein.

According to a 2008 “Vegetarianism in America” study collected by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau and published by the Vegetarian Times, 3.2% of U.S. adults, or 7.3 million people, follow a vegetarian-based diet. Another 10% described their diet as “mostly vegetarian,” making them, in today’s lexicon, a “flexitarian”—those who follow a vegetarian diet some of the time. That prevalence makes having vegetarian options a necessity in any foodservice venue.