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IOT Citrus Heights Culinary Students, Rob Porter and Claudia Williams of Drizzle Cupcakes - "Sacramento's Premier Online Cupcakery" have auditioned and are still in the running to compete on Food Network's
Cupcake Wars.
Check out thier audition video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBMXF08hLLU&context=C385a0a3ADOEgsToPDskLO6dz0E8xTXendCKcanBHv
Good Luck Rob and Claudia!
For more information about Drizzle Cupcakes, please visit:
http://www.drizzlecupcakes.com/Home_Page.html
Posted: 1/30/2012 12:32:15 PM by Chad Egelhoff | with 0 comments
Congratulations to IOT Citrus Heights' CAP student Alessandra Pichado, on coming in second in the student division and winning the people's choice award in Tuesday's Taste of Elegance competition!
The competition included 10 professional chefs and four students from different schools. Alessandra came in second in the student division, chosen by the professional judges. They also had a People’s choice award in which the general public who got to sample every chef's dish. Alessandra came in first, beating students and professionals alike.
Congratulations Alessandra!
Alessandra Pichado and Chef Don Dickinson
Posted: 12/8/2011 5:30:18 PM by Chad Egelhoff | with 0 comments
Desserts have always had a place in cook books, on TV shows, and after dinner served with tea and coffee, but it seems that one dessert in particular has become increasingly popular: cake. Not your average birthday cake however; bite-sized treats in the form of cake pops.
This new craze can be done in one of two ways. One way is to bake a cake, crumble it up, mix it with frosting, cover it in melting candy or chocolate, put it on a stick, and decorate it. The second, faster way is to buy a cake-pop maker. These are similar to electric aebleskiver (Danish pancakes puffs) makers. Basically, they work like waffle makers only they make individual balls. After only a few minutes, you take the cake bites out of the machine, put them on a stick, and decorate.
Parents seem to be infiltrating the culinary blogosphere with posts about their latest birthday party successes including plenty of pictures of cake pops decorated as farm animals, Shrek, sports equipment, or whatever the party's theme may have been. Brides and wedding planners are now serving cake pops whimsically monogrammed with the newlyweds’ initials or dressed in tuxedos and gowns. These mini-treats are even making an appearance at holiday parties as reindeer, Easter eggs, and turkeys!So, what’s the appeal? Since they’re on a stick, they can be displayed in more creative ways, carried around at any type of party, or eaten on-the-go. Also, since they are small, you can sample different flavors of cake in one sitting without having to make or order several huge plates of dessert. The most important reason though: they’re adorable.
Here’s a season appropriate cake-pop recipe from "101 Gourmet Cake Bites," by Wendy Paul:
CARAMEL APPLE CAKE BITES
1 box spice cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Add-ins:
1/2 cup Caramel Cream Frosting (see recipe below)
1/2 cup caramel sauce (Mrs. Richardson's)
Mix cake mix, eggs, oil, applesauce, half-and-half, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Batter will be thick. Pour into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely. Crumble cake into small, even pieces, placing crumbs in a large bowl.
With the back of a spoon, mix cake crumbles with frosting and caramel sauce until a thick dough consistency forms. Shape into evenly sized balls and cool 1-2 hours in the refrigerator or 20 minutes in the freezer. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce. Then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, chopped nuts or white chocolate. To make cake pops, insert a candy stick while bites are chilling, before dipping.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700185006/Bite-size-In-treat-trends-its-a-small--world.html?pg=3
Posted: 10/17/2011 3:45:40 PM by Chad Egelhoff | with 0 comments
I know we’ve already discussed the sudden surge of cooking channels and shows on TV, but is food starting to take over mobile devices too? Famous celebrity chefs like culinary mentor Dorie Greenspan, are starting to launch their own apps, and according to AdWeek, Martha Stewart’s Smoothies and Cookies App hit the Number 1 spot in paid iPad lifestyle apps this summer.
Why are slicing and dicing how-to’s taking the place of Angry Birds? In ABCNews’ article “Food Apps Get Their Place in the Kitchen,” Lauren Torrisi describes how food apps are becoming more and more popular on smart-phones and tablets. One main factor is because of the millions of recipes at users’ fingertips at any time. Not only can these recipes be accessed at the drop of a hat, but they are also a resource for beginner cooks and bakers that need guidance and tips from fellow recipe viewers. Food apps create a live cooking community where users can help and be helped anytime, anywhere. In addition, celebrity chef apps, like Greenspan’s new Baking with Dorie iPad app, have videos and photos posted alongside their recipes.
My favorite benefit of this trend is that your recipe collection is ever-changing. When you buy one of these apps, you’re not married to the same recipes forever. Although you can tag your favorites, each day new recipes and ideas are posted that can inspire creativity and diversity in the kitchen. Food app users have access to recipes from around the world that they wouldn’t have exposure to otherwise.
So far, so good. The only downside? Your new iPad may get a little too close to that extra virgin olive oil so make sure to pour with caution!
Are you a fan? Will you be donating all of your hard cover cookbooks in favor of this digital recipe movement? As a culinary student – do you have any favorite foodie apps on your phone or tablet?
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/09/food-apps-get-their-place-in-the-kitchen/
Posted: 9/23/2011 7:51:54 AM by Global Administrator | with 0 comments
St. Augustine, Fla., July 18, 2011—Donald Dickinson, CEC®, CCA™, AAC, of Roseville, Calif., culinary division director, Institute of Technology, Citrus Heights, Calif., was named chair-elect of the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) Certification Commission, at the Certification Commission’s biannual meeting in Atlanta, Ga., June 10–11. Dickinson will serve as chair-elect for two years beginning January 2012. He will become chair in January 2014.
“The Certification Commission is a hard working, fast moving group that is focused on the mission of increasing the value and visibility of our programs,” said Dickinson, who has served as a committee member since its conception in 2007. “I am honored to have been selected to follow in the footsteps of the great leaders that the commission has had to this point.”
In his role as ACF Certification Commission chair-elect, Dickinson is responsible for upholding the standards of the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. In addition, he will fulfill the duties of the chair when he is unable to do so. Certification through ACF is based on education, experience and completion of official coursework and exams. ACF certification credentials distinguish culinary professionals as leaders in the culinary field, and demonstrate skill and expertise to peers and potential employers.
Since its inception in 2007, the ACF Certification Commission has been developing, implementing and monitoring a validated process of globally recognized certifications based on skills, knowledge, integrity and equality through an achievable process for all culinary professionals. The Commission was formed in order to meet the National Commission for Certifying Agencies accreditation standards to obtain accreditation from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.
The Certification Commission currently comprises 18 professionals with experience in culinary, media, marketing, management, education and government. Commission members represent many different levels of ACF certificants, including Certified Culinarian® (CC®), CSC™, Certified Chef de Cuisine® (CCC®), Certified Executive Chef® (CEC®), Certified Executive Pastry Chef® (CEPC®), Certified Culinary Educator® (CCE®), Certified Culinary Administrator™ (CCA™) and Certified Master Chef® (CMC®).
(Article from the ACF Website)
Posted: 8/9/2011 1:51:26 PM by Global Administrator | with 0 comments