CIA Newswire

CIA Recipe: A Healthier Muffin for Your Valentine

2012-02-07T10:40:00-05:00

Muffin Makeovers Dispel the Low-Fat-is-Healthy Myth

One of the most romantic things you can do for your loved ones on Valentine's Day is to bring them breakfast in bed. But if you're thinking it's not healthy to indulge in any sweets for a Valentine's Day meal this year, think again. The chefs at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) have teamed up with researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) to dispel the low-fat-is-healthy myth and give you five delicious muffin-makeover recipes to serve to those you love.

HSPH research showed that low-fat diets are no better for health than moderate or high-fat diets—and for many people, may be worse. To support these findings, nutrition experts as HSPH and chefs at the CIA developed five new muffin recipes that incorporate healthy fats and whole grains, and use a lighter hand on the salt and sugar. Their goal? To "make over" the ever-present low-fat muffin, touted as a "better-for-you" choice when in fact it often has reduced amounts of heart-healthy fats, such as liquid plant oils, but boasts plenty of harmful carbohydrates in the form of white flour and sugar.

Take a regular blueberry muffin from a national coffee shop, for example. It has 450 calories on average and most of those calories come from carbohydrates from white flour and sugar. However, now that national chains have eliminated trans fats, a regular muffin does have heart-healthy fat, usually from soybean or canola oil. A low-fat muffin still has about the same amount of calories, but contains more carbohydrates and sugar and about 60% more sodium than a regular muffin.

The new made-over Blueberry Muffin recipe below is less than half the size of a coffee shop muffin and contains just 130 calories. It is made with a mixture of whole wheat and white and almond flour, and uses canola oil, a healthy fat.

"There are so many ingredients available to home bakers who want to offer their families healthful, flavorful baked goods," says CIA Chef Richard Coppedge, Jr. "The five recipes not only include a wide variety of whole grain and nut flours; they also demonstrate how more unusual ingredients like canned chickpeas and extra virgin olive oil can be used in baking."

Show the ones you love how much you care. Bake up a batch of delicious "made-over" muffins, sure to become favorites, and let them indulge in a more healthful way.

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Blueberry Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 eggs, large
1 1/4 cups low-fat (1%) buttermilk
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place the rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and orange zest. Add the fresh blueberries and toss gently to coat the blueberries in flour. This will help keep the blueberries suspended in the batter instead of falling to the bottom.
In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then whisk in the buttermilk, brown sugar, canola oil, orange juice, and vanilla. Don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled or lumpy.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until most of the flour is incorporated. The mixture can be slightly lumpy; don't over-mix. Divide the batter among the 18 prepared muffin cups.
Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown around the edges.

Nutrition analysis per muffin: 130 calories, 3g protein, 16g carbohydrate, 1g saturated fat, 2g polyunsaturated fat, 3g monounsaturated fat, 140mg sodium, 21mg cholesterol, 1.5g fiber.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Whole wheat pastry flour and low-fat buttermilk are among the ingredients that make CIA's Blueberry Muffins healthier. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: CIA's Healthier Muffins: Cranberry Orange, Jalapeño Cheddar Corn, Whole Wheat Banana Nut, Lemon Chickpea Breakfast, and Blueberry. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Virginia Muré
Communications Manager
845-451-1555
v_mure@culinary.edu

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Wine Legends to be Honored During Vintners Hall of Fame Ceremony at the CIA

2012-02-03T11:15:32-05:00

Ticket Sales Raise Funds for the College's Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies Scholarship Programs

St. Helena, CA, February 3, 2012 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone invites food and wine enthusiasts to a rare opportunity to mingle with noted winemakers, famous chefs, and wine-loving celebrities, while supporting the future of wine education in America. The Sixth Annual Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will honor seven people who have helped shape the California wine industry. The celebration will be held on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 20, 2012 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $175 ($100 of which is tax-deductible), and can be purchased online.

In celebration of Presidents' Day, selected California wineries will host a reception featuring wine and food pairings from White House menus. The members of the Class of 2012 will be inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame in the Barrel Room after the unveiling of sculpted bronze plaques honoring those inducted in 2011. The induction ceremony will be followed by a Walk-Around Dinner in the CIA's teaching kitchen with wines from members of the Vintners Hall of Fame. Mingle with former White House Chef and CIA graduate Walter Scheib; guest chef and congressman Mike Thompson; Almir DaFonseca, executive chef of the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant; and other CIA chefs.

The Culinary Institute of America has dedicated the historic Barrel Room to celebrate the men and women who have been responsible for the growth and world-wide prestige of the California wine industry. Each year, inductees are selected by a panel of more than 75 national wine writers, critics, and historians. This year's inductees include:

Joe Heitz (1919–2000) of Heitz Cellars in St. Helena was a gifted winemaker, and his unwavering commitment to quality contributed to the renaissance of California winemaking. He was a firm believer in education, so when he was called upon to set up the first enology department at Fresno State, he accepted.
Eugene Hilgard (1833–1916) was one of the pioneers of soil science. At UC Berkeley, he created the nation's first unit devoted to viticulture and enology. Hilgard's ideals and the program he founded are still evident today in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.
Peter Mondavi, Sr. of Charles Krug Winery has established new standards for the wine trade. Few vintners have been as instructive as Mondavi, who showed just how fresh and fruity California wine can be.
Myron Nightingale (1915–1988) was winemaker and director of operations at Beringer. He brought the winery back to life and gradually turned it into a large-scale producer of world-class varietal wines.
John Parducci took over winemaking at his family's Mendocino County winery in 1940. He strove to improve the quality of wine and to make it more accessible. Parducci helped build his family's winery and the Mendocino region into a noted wine presence.
Richard Sanford is the first winemaker to prove the potential for Pinot Noir in the chilly Santa Rita Hills. In 1981, he started Sanford Winery and spent the next 20 years making some of the best-regarded Pinot Noirs, helping to put Santa Barbara wines on the map.
Albert Winkler (1894–1989) helped build UC Davis' enology and viticulture program into one of the world's finest. His classic textbook General Viticulture, published in 1962, has been used by thousands of winemakers and grape growers and translated into several languages.

Proceeds from the event help to support the Vintners Hall of Fame and contribute to scholarships for the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA at Greystone.

For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit www.vintnershalloffame.com.

Photo Caption:

U.S. Congressman, Mike Thompson, serves his mushroom risotto at the Walk-Around-Dinner in the CIA's teaching kitchen. (Photo credit: CIA/Faith Echtermeyer)

Media Contact:

Tyffani Peters
Media Relations Specialist
707-967-2322
t_peters@culinary.edu

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CIA Chef-Instructor Wins Napa's Cochon 555

2012-02-02T11:46:59-05:00

St. Helena, CA, February 2, 2012 – Lars Kronmark, chef-instructor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, was crowned the winner of Sunday's Cochon 555 cooking competition. This mobile food event stops in 10 cities, where five local chefs are each given a local heritage breed pig to create dishes from every part of the animal. With the help of seven CIA culinary arts students, Kronmark and his team created six entrees that put them ahead of the Napa competition.

"Our dishes showed fine craftsmanship," says Kronmark. "The students and I worked all week on these dishes, putting real cooking techniques into every dish, and it showed."

One of the missions of the Cochon 555 tour is to promote slow food that is prepared with respect for the animal. It is a philosophy that is shared by the CIA and taught to students on all four of its campuses, including the CIA at Greystone. The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant also practices whole animal utilization, ordering beef and pork and using the entire animal in featured dishes on the menu.

"It shows more respect when you use the entire animal in a professional kitchen. Using all of its parts to create fantastic dishes is much more ethical than using just the loin, or other cuts that we are used to cooking," says Kronmark.

Kronmark was given a mulefoot heritage breed pig from Grabish Farms in Napa Valley. The winning plate included "Burning Love," a childhood comfort food from Kronmark's native Denmark made with onion bacon sauce; and an Offal and All-Spice Sauce, both served over mashed potatoes. The team also made a house-cured mortadella smorrebrood, roasted and stuffed trotters, hard-cider cured mule foot ham cooked in straw, and St. Croix pork fritters with beet jam.

Kronmark and the winning chefs from each of the tour's 10 stops will compete again at the Grand Cochon event at Aspen's Food and Wine Festival on June 17.

Photo Caption:

Photo 1: Chef Lars Kronmark working with a team of culinary arts students at Cochon 555 at the CIA at Greystone. (Photo credit: CIA/Soren Bloch)

Photo 2: The winning team at Cochon 555 Napa. Chef-Instructor Lars Kronmark and his team of culinary students took first place in the friendly competition that promotes using local, heritage breed pork. (Photo credit: CIA/Soren Bloch)

Media Contact:

Tyffani Peters
Media Relations Specialist
707-967-2322
t_peters@culinary.edu

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CIA Survey: Foodservice Companies Creating More Jobs in 2012

2012-02-02T10:27:06-05:00

Largest CIA Career Fair in Four Years Shows Optimism that Food World is Leading Economic Recovery

Hyde Park, NY, February 2, 2012 – More than 250 job recruiters and human resources professionals from all facets of the foodservice and hospitality industry will be at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY on February 7, looking to hire recent and soon-to-be CIA graduates. In a sign that the food industry is leading the economic recovery, this is the largest career fair at the college in four years and one of the largest ever.

Recruiters were surveyed prior to attending, and the results showed:

75% of those responding will be adding even more jobs this year than in 2011.
Companies are hiring for a wide range of positions in kitchen operations, dining room operations, management, and beverage operations.
What they are looking for most when interviewing potential employees is previous work experience, communications skills, and problem-solving skills.

"The diversity and sheer number of job opportunities available to our students and graduates shows that a CIA education opens doors," said CIA Director of Career Services Wendy Higgins. "The organizations at this career fair represent every facet of the food world. And with another 1.3 million jobs being added this decade to an industry that's already 13 million strong, this is a great time to go into a career in foodservice and hospitality."

The CIA holds four career fairs a year on its Hyde Park campus, where recruiters actively seek CIA students for externship field experience and graduates for a wide range of jobs in kitchens and dining rooms and on management tracks. In another sign that the economy is on the upswing, each of the last eight fairs have seen a growth in companies and job interviews from the same season the year before. At the most recent fair, in November, almost 600 students and alumni were interviewed for job openings. This month's fair is expected to far surpass that figure.

Media are invited to attend the career fair at the Hyde Park campus to speak with recruiters, students, and the college's Career Services Office. To arrange a visit or conduct interviews by telephone, please contact Jeff Levine at j_levine@culinary.edu or 845-451-1372.

Photo Caption:

A career fair at The Culinary Institute of America's Hyde Park campus in 2007. The February 2012 fair will be one of the largest ever at the college, with more than 250 job recruiters. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

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New Chef Brings Fresh Ideas to CIA Restaurant

2012-01-27T09:49:54-05:00

St. Helena, CA, January 27, 2012 – The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant starts out the new year with a new executive chef and general manager, as well as new menu items. In addition, the restaurant on the California campus of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) was recently awarded a 2012 Great Wine Capitals Best of Tourism Award, citing the many delicious educational opportunities the restaurant offers to guests, whether they are tourists or locals. Guests at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant get a chance to take home new culinary and wine lessons, while interacting with the up-and-coming chefs of the future.

New Executive Chef
Chef Almir Da Fonseca has been a culinary instructor at the CIA at Greystone for five years. He now steps into the role of executive chef at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, in addition to his chef-instructor duties. This makes the restaurant not only a great place to experience world-class food and wine, but an excellent hands-on classroom for CIA students.

A native of Brazil, Da Fonseca studied culinary arts at the Senace Trade School in Rio de Janeiro. He went on to a 25-year career in the food industry—which included culinary training and apprenticeships in southern France and Italy—before coming to the CIA at Greystone. After moving to Northern California, he gained experience as executive chef at Lucas Wharf Restaurant in Bodega Bay. Chef Da Fonseca has also owned his own restaurant, ran a catering company, and developed a line of sauces. A member of the CIA at Greystone faculty since 2007, he teaches classes, participates in consulting projects, presents at CIA conferences, and regularly speaks at graduation ceremonies.

Students enrolled in the CIA's Associate in Occupational Studies degree program spend the final 12 weeks of the 21-month curriculum working in the restaurant. It's the perfect culmination of their CIA education, working under the direction of Chef Da Fonseca and learning in this hands-on classroom.

"I am really excited to show our students and customers that all of the ideals we teach are not just words and ideas," says Da Fonseca. "We are actually putting the ideals to work in our restaurant kitchen. The students are learning that sustainable cookery and using local ingredients can be done in a restaurant, and that solid culinary skills can turn those ingredients into beautiful food."

New General Manager
Pat Jeffries is a Napa native who comes to the CIA with 25 years of experience in the food and wine industries. Most recently he was the general manager at the successful Norman Rose Tavern in Napa, and has managed Cole's Chop House and BarbersQ. He has also been a consultant for Luna Vineyards.

"I've always wanted to teach," says Jeffries. "I get to work directly with CIA faculty to make sure the lessons in the classroom are consistent with 'real world' experience. We focus on the skills needed to provide the best guest experience day in and day out."

New Menu Items
The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant features new, fresh menu items, such as a brand-new raw bar featuring fresh oysters, crab, and other shellfish. Da Fonseca works closely with advisors of the student garden club members, who have planted specific produce requested by the chef. Beginning in February, about 80 percent of the produce served in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant will be harvested from the organic student garden, located just a 1/4 mile away. Look for creamy Mushroom Risotto made with various mushrooms, or homey Ragout made with Rancho Gordo beans and braising greens from the garden.

Da Fonseca works closely with advisors of the student garden club members, who have planted specific produce requested by the chef. Beginning in February, about 80 percent of the produce served in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant will be harvested from the organic student garden, located just a 1/4 mile away. Look for creamy Mushroom Risotto made with various mushrooms, or homey Ragout made with Rancho Gordo beans and braising greens from the garden.

The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant has adopted the sustainable practice of ordering whole cattle from neighboring Five Dot Ranch and using the entire animal in dishes on the menu. Chef Da Fonseca has taken this practice one step further and is now dry-aging cuts of beef in house, giving the grass-fed beef more flavor and tenderness. Featured cuts rotate daily based on what is available, and include a New York strip steak, aged for 28 days, or a Butcher's Cut special of flat iron, hangar, or skirt steak, that has been aged 5 to 7 days. The Better Burger is really that—Five Dot Beef sirloin that has been aged for 28 days, hand ground, and served with house-made Kennebec potato chips and house-made catsup.

Chef Da Fonseca continues the practice of using the whole animal by ordering sustainably raised whole hogs from Gleason Ranch in neighboring Sonoma County. Da Fonseca breaks down the whole hog in the restaurant kitchen, instructing students and giving them valuable, eco-friendly skills to use in their culinary careers.

Da Fonseca uses his own Mediterranean curing mix to make bacon, which is smoked on the CIA property and used throughout the menu. Larger cuts are braised and served as specials, while other parts are made into a Spanish-style chorizo sausage and served with mussels and other dishes. Da Fonseca is also making charcuterie in-house, and instructing students in the practice.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Almir Da Fonseca is the new executive chef at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. He is also a chef-instructor at the culinary school and will continue to work with students in the restaurant. (Photo Credit: CIA/Charlie Gesell)

Photo 2: A look inside The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant on the California campus of The Culinary Institute of America. (Photo Credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Tyffani Peters
Media Relations Specialist
707-967-2322
t_peters@culinary.edu

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The Culinary Institute of America Launches Cutting-Edge Series of Culinary Science Courses for Professional Chefs

2012-01-26T09:56:01-05:00

Four Exciting New Continuing Education Classes are Now Offered at CIA Campuses in Hyde Park, NY and St. Helena, CA

Hyde Park, NY, January 26, 2012 – As part of the college's mission to provide cutting-edge education and to advance new understanding of food and flavor, The Culinary Institute of America has launched a series of four new courses. These additions to the CIA Continuing Education curriculum, designed for the professional chef, will explore the science underlying new techniques, culinary traditions, and food safety.

Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and extensive hands-on kitchen—and guided by award-winning members of the CIA faculty and guest faculty from industry and academia—professional chefs will gain a better understanding of culinary science principles that can foster efficiency and innovation in the modern food service industry. These classes are now offered at the CIA's main campus in Hyde Park, NY, and at the Greystone campus in St. Helena, CA. All programs are designed for professional chefs with advanced culinary skills.

"A sound foundation in the principles of science underlying our techniques and traditions is 'Mise En Place 2.0' for the modern chef," said Dr. Chris Loss, PhD, director of the Department of Menu R&D. "The culinary industry is becoming increasingly technical and cross-disciplinary. Chefs eager to keep pace in the competitive food industry should be familiar with the fundamentals of culinary science that have already captured the attention of the culinary world."

The CIA Culinary Science courses have been designed by chefs, a microbiologist, a sensory scientist, and a food chemist, as well as consulting experts from the recent book by Nathan Myhrvold, Modernist Cuisine. This cross-disciplinary faculty team reflects the fascinating integration of the art and science of cooking that drives major food industry trends.

To find out more about the faculty designing and teaching this course, please visit us online.

The four Continuing Education classes that open this new series include: Culinary Science: Principles and Applications in Modern Cuisine; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Writing; Introduction to Precision Temperature Cooking Techniques and Processes; and Menu Development—Commissary/Contract Feeders.

Culinary Science: Principles and Applications in Modern Cuisine allows students to review the principles of culinary science and their applications in modern foodservice industry careers through lectures, discussions, and extensive hands-on kitchen work. By comparing traditional and "modernist" techniques, this course introduces chefs to the mechanisms underlying the physical and chemical changes that occur during food preparation and cooking—and how to control them. The five-day class will be offered August 13–17 at Hyde Park. Tuition is $1,795 per person.

HACCP Writing offers an overview of how the education, health care, military, contract foodservice, commissary, and restaurant segments of the industry must be brought into compliance with current Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulations, according to state codes. In this non-cooking class, students apply the process of creating a HACCP program specific to their foodservice establishments, and study the science, microbiology, and safety elements of precision temperature cooking. The four-day class will be taught at St. Helena, February 21–24, 2012. Tuition is $1,300 per person.

Introduction to Precision Temperature Cooking Techniques and Processes offers a foundation for foodservice managers, chefs, decision makers, and researchers seeking to understand the techniques and benefits of precision temperature cooking processes. The course is designed to demonstrate the interconnectivity, techniques, and benefits of complete end-to-end systems centered on precision temperature cooking systems. The four-day class will be taught at St. Helena, April 9–12, 2012. Tuition is $1,300 per person.

Menu Development—Commissary/Contract Feeders allows food production facilities to improve menu items and products for receiver kitchens, in segments such as health care, education, military, institutions, and business and industry properties. Students analyze their site facilities and create operational changes that promote economic savings, through efficient food production techniques, green initiatives, and carbon savings and operational cost reductions. The four-day class will be taught at St. Helena, March 19–22 and May 14–17, 2012. Tuition is $1,300 per person.

To enroll in any of the classes in the CIA's new 2012 Culinary Science curriculum, visit www.ciaprochef.com or contact the CIA's customer service department at 1-800-888-7850.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: The future of the culinary arts has arrived. The Culinary Institute of America, the world's premier culinary college, has launched a culinary science curriculum in 2012, featuring four exciting courses, designed for the professional chef. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: "A sound foundation in the principles of science underlying our techniques and traditions is 'Mise En Place 2.0' for the modern chef" said Dr. Chris Loss, '94, who helped design the CIA Culinary Science: Principles and Applications course. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Jay Blotcher
Media Relations Specialist
845-905-4419
j_blotch@culinary.edu

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Rising Star New York Chef George Mendes is Commencement Speaker at his Alma Mater

2012-01-24T13:10:00-05:00

Hyde Park, NY, January 24, 2012 – George Mendes, chef/owner of the acclaimed Aldea restaurant in New York City and one of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs for 2011, returned to his alma mater on Friday, January 20, 2012 with words of inspiration for the newest class of fellow graduates of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

"Take a moment on a daily basis to appreciate your craft, your métier. Respect it. Love it," Mendes advised 52 recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. "Take the time to wake up early in the morning and breathe in the fresh vegetables at the farmers' markets. That should be inspiration enough."

After graduating from the CIA in 1992, Chef Mendes continued to hone his craft, doing stages with European Michelin-star chefs Roger Vergé, Alain Ducasse, Alain Passard, Martin Berasategui, and finally with Ferran Adrià at elBulli in Spain. At Aldea, a restaurant celebrating his Portuguese heritage, he has earned his own stars in the New York Michelin Guide for the past two years.

"Sometimes opportunities don't present themselves to you. You have to go out and discover them," said Mendes, who didn't even consider a career in the food world until a high school field trip brought him to the CIA's Hyde Park, NY campus in 1990. "Be the first one in your kitchen and the last one out. You'll be surprised at how many more opportunities will arise from it."

Chef Mendes returns to Hyde Park on January 28 and 29 as a judge for the Bocuse d'Or USA competition at the CIA.

Photo Caption:

CIA graduate George Mendes '92 delivers the commencement address at his alma mater on January 20, 2012. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

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Certified Master Chef Brad Barnes Named New Head of Continuing Education at The Culinary Institute of America

2012-01-20T14:39:04-05:00

Culinary Industry Veteran Promises Innovations Across All Three CE Departments: Food Enthusiast Classes, ProChef Program, and CIA Consulting

Hyde Park, NY, January 20, 2012 – Certified Master Chef and culinary industry veteran Brad Barnes '87, CMC, CCA, AAC, has been named senior director of continuing education at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Barnes previously served as senior director of culinary education at the CIA, where he helped restructure the associate degree programs and played an integral part in the development and implementation of the new CIA Academic Delivery System.

Working from the school's Hyde Park, NY campus, Barnes will introduce innovations to the existing three-part curriculum in the department: Food Enthusiast classes, including Culinary Boot Camps and weekend classes; the ProChef® Certification program; and CIA Consulting, which offers creative marketing and menu solutions to the industry.

"We are very excited and gratified to have an esteemed alumnus such as Chef Barnes to lead our Continuing Education initiatives," said CIA Provost Mark Erickson '77, CMC. "His vision, enhanced by his high-profile culinary accomplishments, will be very effective in guiding the department into the next decade."

"The Continuing Education Department is the public face of the CIA," Chef Barnes said. "My objective is to keep its offerings fresh and in line with advancements in the culinary industry. My strength is my professional culinary background; I speak the language of this field and will bring those skills to bear in course development and industry connectivity."

CIA alumnus Brad Barnes is the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers professor at the CIA. Before returning to his alma mater in 2009, Chef Barnes was president of GigaChef, LLC, a consulting company for hotels and high-volume foodservice. He previously held executive chef positions for a variety of establishments, including 64 Greenwich Avenue and Nancy Allen Rose Catering in Greenwich, CT. Active in the American Culinary Federation, Chef Barnes is chair of its Certified Master Chef Committee, a certified competition judge, and the recipient of several honors, including the ACF President's Award. The co-author of three books, he served as coach for Team USA at the Culinary Olympics in 2000, 2004, and 2008.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Certified Master Chef Brad Barnes '87, CMC, CCA, AAC, has been named senior director of continuing education at The Culinary Institute of America. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: An industry veteran, Chef Barnes previously held executive chef positions for renowned culinary establishments and currently serves as chair of the Certified Master Chef Committee of the American Culinary Federation. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Jay Blotcher
Media Relations Specialist
845-905-4419
j_blotch@culinary.edu

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HMSHost Awards Scholarships to Culinary Institute of America Students

2012-01-16T12:27:09-05:00

HMSHost to Feature Winning Contestants' Recipes at its Airport Restaurants Across North America

Hyde Park, NY, January 16, 2012 – As part of its five-year strategic partnership, HMSHost, a world leader in travel shopping and dining, today announces the winners of a recipe contest featuring students from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the world's premier culinary college. The winning recipes will be featured over the next year in more than 100 of HMSHost's proprietary restaurants at airports around the country.

"Our students are thrilled to have the opportunity to show off their creativity and earn scholarships at the same time," said David Kamen, project manager, CIA Consulting. "The college is grateful to HMSHost for its support in helping CIA students pursue dreams of successful careers in the diverse and vibrant foodservice and hospitality industry."

Jessica Hargrove, from Lake Jackson, TX, won the first place honor in the appetizer category with a Macaroni & Cheese Flatbread topped with Candied Bacon and Shredded Brussels sprouts. Lauren Fury, who is from Brooksville, FL, took first place in the entrée category with her recipe of Fried Chicken and Waffles with Country Gravy and Grade A maple syrup.

The month-long submission period in November generated more than 35 recipe submissions from students of all levels at the CIA. The theme of the recipe contest was "All-American Comfort Food," and students could enter a recipe in both categories of appetizer and entrée.

Once the finalists were selected, four judges chose three finalists in each of the two categories. In the kitchen preparation and in the meal's presentation, finalists were evaluated on several points:

Food preparation
Safety
Adherence to the exact recipe
Cleanliness
Dish plating
Taste

"HMSHost's commitment to the CIA, its students and the culinary arts overall is why we're excited to continue this partnership with one of the world's best culinary colleges," said Bill Casey, vice president of HMSHost's Restaurant Portfolio.

Winners Jessica Hargrove and Lauren Fury each received $5,000 in scholarship funds, provided by HMSHost. In addition, HMSHost also donated $15,000 to the CIA's general scholarship fund, as part of its five-year strategic partnership with the culinary college.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Robert Bratton (right) of HMSHost and a CIA alumnus presents scholarship awards to top winners Jessica Hargrove (left) and Lauren Fury (center). Hargrove placed first in the Appetizer category and Fury was the winner in the Entrée category. (Photo credit: Lee Ferris)

Photo 2: Lauren Fury's Fried Chicken & Waffles with Country Gravy and Grade A Maple Syrup. (Photo credit: Lee Ferris)

Photo 3: Jessica Hargrove's Macaroni & Cheese Flatbread. (Photo credit: Lee Ferris)

Media Contact:

Anne Duffy
240-694-4330
anne.duffy@hmshost.com

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About HMSHost
HMSHost is a world leader in creating dining and shopping for travel venues. HMSHost operates in more than 100 airports around the globe, including the 20 busiest airports in North America. The Company has annual sales in excess of $2.5 billion and employs more than 34,000 sales associates worldwide. HMSHost is a part of Autogrill Group, the world's leading provider of food & beverage and retail services for people on the move. With sales of over €5.7 billion in 2010, the Group operates in 37 countries and employs some 62,000 people. It manages over 5,300 stores in more than 1,200 locations worldwide.

Visit www.HMSHost.com for more information and find us on Facebook at HMSHost Making the Traveler's Day Better.

A Muffin Makeover: Dispelling the Low-Fat-Is-Healthy Myth

2012-01-12T16:41:56-05:00

Low-Fat Approach to Eating Hasn't Reduced Obesity or Made People Healthier; New Recipes for Healthier Muffins Using Whole Grains, Healthy Fats

Boston, MA, January 12, 2012 – Dozens of studies, many from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers, have shown that low-fat diets are no better for health than moderate- or high-fat diets—and for many people, may be worse.

To combat this "low fat is best" myth, nutrition experts at HSPH and chefs and registered dietitians at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) have developed five new muffin recipes that incorporate healthy fats and whole grains, and use a lighter hand on the salt and sugar. Their goal? To "make over" the ubiquitous low-fat muffin, touted as a "better-for-you" choice when in fact low-fat muffins often have reduced amounts of heart-healthy fats, such as liquid plant oils, but boast plenty of harmful carbohydrates in the form of white flour and sugar.

Other low-fat processed foods are not much better, and are often higher in sugar, carbohydrates, or salt than their full-fat counterparts. For good health, type of fat matters more than amount. Diets high in heavily processed carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"It's time to end the low-fat myth," said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. "Unfortunately, many well-motivated people have been led to believe that all fats are bad and that foods loaded with white flour and sugar are healthy choices. This has clearly contributed to the epidemic of diabetes we are experiencing and premature death for many. The lesson contained in these healthy muffins—that foods can be both tasty and good for you—can literally be life-saving."

A regular blueberry muffin from a national coffee shop chain has 450 calories on average and most of those calories come from carbohydrates, primarily white flour and sugar. However, now that national chains have eliminated trans fats, a regular muffin does have heart-healthy fat, usually from soybean or canola oil. A low-fat muffin has about the same amount of calories, but contains more carbohydrates and sugar—and about 60% more sodium (700 milligrams)—than a regular muffin.

The new Blueberry Muffin recipe offered by HSPH and the CIA is less than half the size of a coffee shop muffin and contains just 130 calories. It is made with a mixture of whole wheat, white, and almond flour and uses canola oil, a healthy fat. See "Blueberry Muffin Battle" for a nutritional comparison of the three types of blueberry muffins.

See recipes for Blueberry Muffins, Cranberry Orange Muffins, Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins, Lemon Chickpea Breakfast Muffins, and Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins.

"There are so many ingredients available to home bakers who want to offer their families healthful, flavorful baked goods," says Richard Coppedge, Jr., chef-instructor at the CIA and a Certified Master Baker. "These five recipes not only include a wide variety of whole grain and nut flours; they also demonstrate how more unusual ingredients like canned chickpeas and extra virgin olive oil can be used in baking."

The CIA and HSPH offer a dozen healthy baking tips that professional chefs and home cooks can use to build a healthier muffin. Here are a few of their tips:

Downsize the portions. The mega-muffins popular in bake shops are two to three times the size of the muffins your grandmother might have baked.
Go whole on the grains. It's easy to substitute whole wheat flour for 50% of the white flour in recipes without harming taste or texture. And with a few recipe alterations, delicious muffins can be made with 100% whole grains. See the Lemon Chickpea Breakfast Muffin and the Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffin recipes as examples.
Slash the sugar. You can cut 25% of the sugar from most standard muffin recipes without any negative impact on flavor or texture, and in some recipes, cut back even more.
Pour on the oil. Liquid plant oils—canola, extra virgin olive oil, corn, sunflower, and others—help keep whole-grain muffins moist and are a healthier choice than melted butter or shortening.
Bring out the nuts. For extra protein and an additional source of healthy fats, add chopped nuts.
Scale back the salt. The best way to reduce salt is to make a smaller muffin and to pair muffins with foods, such as vegetables and fruits, that are sodium-free.
Pump up the produce—and flavor! Fresh whole fruit and unsweetened dried fruit naturally contain sugar, but unlike other sweeteners, they also contain fiber and important nutrients. Using fruit in your muffins means you can have a lighter hand on the added sugar. Cooked or raw vegetables, such as caramelized onions, sliced jalapeños, and chives and other fresh herbs—together with a whole range of spices—can add interesting textures and savory flavors to muffins.

The muffin recipes and photos, baking tips, a Q&A on why it's time to end the low-fat myth, and a handy chart showing how to find foods with healthy fats are all available on The Nutrition Source, a nutrition website from the Harvard School of Public Health.

"We need to make healthy fats and whole grains the new baking norm, at home and in the professional kitchen," says Greg Drescher, vice president of industry leadership and strategic initiatives for the CIA. "We call on restaurants and other food service providers to be leaders in promoting healthy fats—and in doing away with the low-fat myth."

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Chef Rich Coppedge, Jr., and his colleagues at the CIA, used a variety of non-traditional ingredients like pureed garbanzo beans to help reduce the amount of fat found in the typical muffin. (Photo credit: CIA/Nicola Shayer)

Photo 2: The inclusion of beans in the Lemon Chickpea Muffin recipe from the CIA and the Harvard School of Public Health not only add protein and fiber, but they also help to keep it moist and tender. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 3: Recognizing that the low-fat approach to eating hasn't reduced obesity or made people healthier, The Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard School of Public Health worked together to create new recipes for healthier muffins using whole grains and healthy fats. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Stephan Hengst
Marketing Director, Communications & PR
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu

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