A Few Words on Culinary Technology

We caught up with Chef Herve Malivert, newly appointed director of culinary technology, to talk food, science, and tricks.

Q: Why should cooks learn about culinary technology?

Cooks need to learn the basics of culinary technology to have an idea of what is happening in restaurants now with the evolution in equipment and technique. I don’t think it’s a pillar of education, but I strongly believe that every cooking school needs to keep updating their curriculum and following the evolution in the real world. Here at the Culinary Center, we’ve been teaching sous-vide cooking for the past 6 years.

Q: Do you think there’s a stigma around culinary technology—like some chefs think it’s just a trend or not worth the time? Or is this a permanent movement that young chefs should latch onto? 

Anything that can improve quality, consistency, and cost in a kitchen, isn’t just a trend, but an improvement.  I remember as a young cook when the convection oven was introduced in the kitchen. A lot of chefs believed that it was just a trend. But some techniques like caviar and foam, which you see in so many plates, will slow down and chefs will move onto the new idea of plating. So yes, trend is part of our job, but some stay and some go.

Q: Are there any new developments within culinary technology? Can you give us any insight into what the future of culinary technology might look like?

I love sous vide, low-temperature cooking, and some hydrocolloids, but in the end, the flavor and the respect of the produce or protein are the priority. For me, the future chef should master technique before moving to experimental techniques. What I love to do is taking classic recipes and twisting them by introducing new techniques to shape and arrange all the ingredients on a plate to make an impact on your customer and have them enjoy and distinguish the classic flavor in another way. That is the future for me.

I see some new equipment like the sonicprep (ultrasonic homogenizer), which offers a wide range of techniques such as extraction, infusion, emulsification, and rapid barrel-aging. Imagine taking a port wine and being able to do 20 years of aging in two minutes by adding oak to your port and extracting the oak flavor.

Q: What are your future plans for the culinary tech program at the Culinary Center now that you’re the director?

My goal is to keep studying and researching all the new equipment and techniques, and figure out which ones will make an impact in the kitchen. Our goal is to continue to grow our technology program with the future chef in mind.

Q: What’s a feasible recipe that incorporates culinary technology for the home cook or culinary student?

Turn your favorite soup or puree into a foam with an ISI canister and a hydrocolloid called “foam magic” available at modernistpantry.com. Foam magic is a combination of two hydrocolloids: xanthan-gum and methylcellulose. Xanthan is a thickener, and methylcellulose is an emulsifier. Combine the foam magic (1%) with your pureed liquid and transfer to an ISI canister, screw in the cream charger, and shake well. Keep in mind the extraction nozzle of the canister is narrow so your soup or puree needs to be smooth and free of lumps.

An Intern's Life at Jean-Georges’ Nougatine

The many faces of Elizabeth Richards

Elizabeth Richards has the type of personality you question. Can you really be that happy all the time? She’s constantly smiling, always agreeable (at least for the week I’ve gotten to spend with her), and happy to help. And it gets even better. She throws around phrases like, “Splendid!” and “Brilliant!” because she’s British. British! She’s basically a saint of a person, and when I heard she spent the past three months as an intern at Nougatine, Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant in the Upper West Side, I was shocked she still maintains a bubbly personality. Not to say anything bad about Jean-Georges, but who can still be so sugary sweet after working 60-hour weeks, juggling school and an internship? Well, she can. And that’s why she’s the perfect person to interview for this blog. You can learn a lot from her experience and her attitude. Sometimes all you need in life is a positive spin on every situation. (Remember that the next time you’re having a crummy day, and think that you could be in your fourth hour chiffonading kale. How’s your day looking now?) And at the end of her internship she walked away with upgraded knife skills and a test kitchen internship at Saveur magazine. 

What was your first day at Nougatine like?

Terrifying! I arrived and I had never been in a professional kitchen

before. I felt completely out of place but I was directed to the sous

chef who told me to help out garde manger. My hands were literally

shaking while I was slicing Thai chillies and I think the cook thought

I was incredibly inept. I remember at one point he asked me what level

I was at the International Culinary Center and when I told him level
four he looked shocked. However, I was soon put with the other interns
where I met a recent Culinary Center graduate who helped me find things,
gave me advice and most importantly, cracked jokes. Although I had never met
him before, he felt like a friendly face and made me much more comfortable.
I did prep work—cleaning Brussel sprouts, chiffonading kale, peeling
garlic—for the rest of the trail, which started at 4 p.m. and ended at midnight.

How did you score a stage at JG?

I met with Gina Novak, one of the members of career services at the
Culinary Center, who put me in contact with one of the sous chefs at
Nougatine. I emailed the chef with my resume asking for a trail and
within a few days I had heard back that I could come by.
Two days later I did my trail and they offered me the internship.

Were you the only woman in the kitchen? What was the

environment like?

There were actually quite a few women, although the kitchen was mostly

male. Two of the chefs were women and several of the cooks were. I

would say there was a 65-35 split between men and women but maybe I am

overestimating the imbalance. I never had a problem with it, everyone

was very respectful, but there were a lot of phallic jokes.

However, while I wouldn't say you have to be tough to make it in the

kitchen, it definitely helps.

What were your responsibilities? Which was your least favorite?

My routine responsibilities were prep based and involved a lot of

chopping, peeling and placing out recipes, but I also got to do some

cooking and I made things like risotto, soup, granola, sauces,

different oils, bolognese etc. When I first started, my

responsibilities were almost exclusively peeling/chopping but as I

advanced and they came to trust me, I did more things that involved

cooking.

What was the hardest thing you had to do?

I wouldn't say anything I did at Nougatine was particularly hard, or

harder than anything else I did. The hours were long and I was pretty

tired but that was manageable after I got used to it. To be honest the

hardest thing was remaining focused on school while I was also

working. I was totally exhausted all the time and my body was pretty

sore and there were days when I felt I didn't want to wake up or

study for a test. Sometimes it was hard to remember why I was working

so hard but one day Chef Veronica spoke to my class and told us to

remind ourselves that the reason we were at school was because we

loved cooking and were passionate about our work. It was such a simple

thing to say but it really put things in perspective for me. I do love

cooking and I want to work hard and make sacrifices to achieve my

dreams.

What did working in a restaurant teach you? Any great tips?

There was way less space to work than at school and so I learned how

to work more cleanly and to be better organized. Most importantly

though I learned how to work fast (though I doubt my chef would agree

with that). Nougatine is great because it's a learning kitchen, every

time I had to do something knew the chef would first show me how to do

it even if it was something as basic as slicing radishes on a

mandoline. I was once told that I wasn't expected to know anything

just because I had graduated from culinary school. This was a relief

and took a lot of the pressure off because I was worried that people

were going to expect me to know what to do all the time. The reality

is that you will learn every day while you are cooking and even though

you may have learned cooking techniques and taillage at school, every

chef is different and wants things done a certain way. My advice to

cooks going to Nougatine or any other kitchen would be to be work

clean and organized, be polite and respectful, ask questions if you're

not sure of something, and most importantly keep your knife sharp!

Also eat before you go to work because you may not get an opportunity

until you leave.

What’s one dish you learned that you love?

The mushroom bolognese. It's totally meatless but tastes like a beef

Bolognese. It's honestly incredible. Also the granola. And the basil oil. And everything that I made there. The food is amazing.

Is there anything else you want to add?

It is incredibly hard work and

you will sacrifice time, sleep and your body but it's worth it. I have

never had so much fun (not that it was fun all the time) as I have had

at Nougatine. Everyone is talented and special and the food is great.

I learned a lot and by the end of my internship I felt like I was part

of a family. I highly recommend this kitchen to anyone who really

wants to improve their skills and have a future working in fine

dining. Talk to Chef Tom and Chef Camilla, they are the best.

Four Rules of Food Entrepreneurship

An all-star panel assembled at the International Culinary Center on a sunny Saturday afternoon to impart advice from their entrepreneurial experiences.  The lineup included social media star Allison Robicelli and her husband Matt Robicelli (Pastry '04) of the fast-growing Robicelli's.  They spoke alongside Liz Gutman (Pastry '08) and Jen King (Pastry '08) of Liddabit Sweets and Rob Liano (Culinary '12) of the hilariously named Baby Got Back Ribs.

Erik Murnighan moderated the animated panel, which covered a lot of ground.  Here are my takeaways -- the "rules" offered by these pros: 

1.  Respect the Food, pursue your passions

Allison and Matt said they began their business because they wanted to respect food, and make affordable items with the same care and respect the chefs at expensive restaurants gave to their rich customers.  Why do you have to be rich to eat well, they wondered?  So, starting with a Honda Civic and $30 from their son's piggy bank they began making cupcakes in a working class neighborhood.   As they began, they made an early commitment that they would only use French cream and would avoid food coloring.  This commitment to quality has remained at the core of their business.  Additionally, Jen build on this theme of having a purpose by encouraging food entrepreneurs to be your own story.  "Build your narrative and your own brand."  Allison discussed that if you are not yourself, you will burn out.  "It's just too exhausting to pretend!"

2.  Entrepreneurs don't seek out risk, they use planning to minimize it
Jen King noted that while there isn't a sure bet path to success, planning can help you improve your odds.  "There is no A + B gives you C.  What business plans, marketing strategies, and all of this does is gives you a better chance."  Rob agreed saying "there is no right or wrong way, but there is also no easy way."  By thinking through some of the key assumptions, you get comfortable thinking through what will actually make you money.  This type of exercise helped Rob walk away from a potential investment.  Sound crazy that he said no to a potential investor?  When he did the math he realized he would put in the work but not take home the returns.  By taking a pass he's now free to explore other opportunities that may be more lucrative.  

3.  Get comfortable with "No"

Each of the entrepreneurs talked about the failures they experienced along the way to success.  The winning entrepreneurs are the resilient ones, they just keep at it!  Early on Rob paced himself, avoiding investing too much in a physical space or other capital as he built up his brand.  Eventually, more and more people have reached out.  "Then, opportunities come to you.  You don't ask, they just come to you."  As you experience success, you have to be as disciplined about saying "no" as you once had to be about pushing through "no!"  Jen King said this was one of the hardest things for her.  "You think, because you are so young, that you must say 'yes' to everything."  But really, you have to learn to prioritize.

4.  Start selling now, and keep a bias to action!

Liz Gutman and Jen King met at International Culinary Center.  While still in school, they both assumed they would need more experience to launch their business.  "We initially thought we needed to go train under people... and learn more," Liz said.  But actually getting out there and selling gave them the best feedback.  While Jen said that oftentimes she feels like she doesn't know what she is doing, the two have been remarkably successful already.  The experience behind that success?  Getting out there and trying things.  Early on, they passed out candy as guerrilla marketing.  Liz: "Start selling now."  

If you are interested in learning more about entrepreneurship at International CulinaryCenter, leave a comment below or email Chris Tolbert at CTolbert@culinarycenter.com.

The Top Five Most Delicious Moments at The New York Culinary Experience

New York Magazine and The International Culinary Center band together every year to recruit some of the most talented chefs to give New Yorkers a weekend-long culinary education. We’re lucky enough to host and shadow chefs like Masaharu Morimoto, Marc Murphy,  and Dan Kluger—to name a few. And we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable moments that are still lingering on our tongues. 

1. Digging into Christina Tosi’s crack pie. This salty-sweet pie equipped with an oat cookie crust is one of many stellar creations Chef Tosi, chef, owner, and founder of Momofuku Milk Bar, serves at her dessert bar in NYC.

2. Marc Murphy’s perfectly rendered duck breast only to be rivaled by his light, goat-cheese stuffed profiteroles. Is there a better way to spend a weekend?

3. Watching Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto filet a 30-plus pound tuna.

4. Realizing that mint is a surprisingly delicious addition to the classic pea soup with smoked ham hock. Thanks Chef April Bloomfield.

5. Building a croquembouche , or a tower of profiteroles, with Chef Dominique Ansel, chef and owner of Dominique Ansel Bakery in NYC.

Hungry yet? Check out what New York Magazine had to say about the weekend. 

Chef Thomas Keller Gives Grads a Few Words of Advice

This post is written by recent Classic Culinary Arts grad, Sara Cann, who is currently a test kitchen intern at Saveur magazine. 

Graduation Day

Before we walked across the stage at Carnegie Hall to formally graduate from The International Culinary Center, my classmates and I were reunited backstage. We all had the jitters. We were excited to be recognized for our hard work especially since in our line of work it’s rare someone stops to tell you a compliment.

It had been a few months since we had seen each other and I could see the physical evidence of the industry’s effect on a few. Some had lost weight, others looked tired. We asked each other how work is going, and we all had the same types of answers:

“It sucks.”

“I convince myself not to quit most days.”

“I’m getting my ass kicked.”

And then I think back to the six months we were in school. We complained about our “aching” feet. But those seven hours we spent in school every day don’t compare to the 10 to 13 hour days I work in the kitchen now…unpaid. The six months I spent on my feet in school were just an hor d’oeuvre to what reality really has to offer.

Group picture with Founder Dorothy Hamilton

But we wake up every day and we show up–partly because we’re crazy and partly because we love food. And a lot of us showed up to graduation today because Chef Thomas Keller, owner of Per Se, French Laundry, and Bouchon, was our keynote speaker. The founder of the school, Dorothy Cann Hamilton, introduced Chef Keller and went off-script a little to tell an anecdote.

“After work, I used to stop in to Thomas Keller’s restaurant around 11 p.m., and I’d see him on his knees scrubbing the ovens because he said there were some jobs too important to leave to the cooks.”

It was humbling to see this culinary legend speak to us, and even more humbling to see how real he was. There wasn’t any ego laced into his speech. He really wanted to encourage us to stay in this field. And he told us three things to remember as we start our careers:

“Be patient.” Take time to learn your skills, don’t rush.

“Be Prepared.” Be ready to learn what you need to know for tomorrow’s opportunity.

“Be Persistent.” Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something.

I felt empowered after listening to him. He’s a man who’s built a world-famous, Michelin-starred empire, and he took time to give us words of wisdom.

“When people talk about success, they usually talk about the past. I tend to focus on what we’re doing today and tomorrow,” Chef Keller said. “Success isn’t about fortune or fame, it’s about giving family, friends, and guests a wonderful memory.”

Casey Evans and Sara Cann

In less than a month, my internship will be over and my next adventure—whatever that’ll be (hopefully not unemployment)—will begin. Perhaps I’ll jump on the line at a restaurant, start another blog, or find a full-time position at a magazine, but this experience has showed me what I’m made of. This is a boys club, no doubt, but there’s definitely room for lipstick-wearing women. I’m truly blessed to have been able to attend culinary school, met the most amazing people, and walk away with a Grand Diplome (and valedictorian of my class). I look forward to writing about all my talented classmates as they build their impressive careers.

Cheers class of 2013. I’m proud of you.

How the Spanish do Pizza

One line kept running through my head today when I visited my alma mater: I should've taken the Classic Spanish Arts Program. Being immersed in their small class taught me that Spanish food is really centered around simple, but top-grade ingredients. So spending my afternoon eating Iberico jamon and imported Spanish olive oil was a nice way to spend a snowy Monday afternoon.

Not to gip the Classic Culinary Arts Program, which taught me how to hold a knife, make a solid stock (and sauce), and how to buzz through a task list quickly and efficiently, but the Spanish culinary students had a different vibe about them. A lot of them brought their own culture to the table, and with it, a sense of their own flavor. And visiting during "coca dough" day--basically Spain's version of pizza dough--showed what a few talented kids can do with a blank canvas, like pizza dough.

Coca dough is the perfect vessel for sweet or savory toppings, and these students used it for both. The dough was denser than focaccia, but had an addictive salty kick with the flavor of Spanish olive oil singing through the dough. They made it with fresh yeast and let it rise for 2-3 hours. When they retrieved the dough, it looked like a scene from The Blob. Spilling over the bowl, they used their fists to punch down the dough and roll it into rectangular flatbreads.

The first experiment was savory--topping with sauteed bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms. My first bite was symphonic: Warm dough cushioning olive-oil soaked vegetables. Only four components to this pizza, but it tasted like a Michelin chef whipped it up.

The rest of the afternoon was a combination of pulling out loads of pizza topped with anisette and caramelized sugar and pine nuts with dried fruits.

Coca topped with sugar and torched to look like glass

After doing a little digging about this quick-rise dough, I found out that Spaniards usually don't make it at home. They'll visit their local bakery and buy it. And because we don't have the luxury of a Spanish bakery on every corner, here's a basic coca recipe for you to try at home, courtesy of The International Culinary Center.

Basic Coca Dough

What you'll need:
510 g all-purpose flour
43 g baker's yeast in 45 ml lukewarm water
207 ml lukewarm water
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
35 g salt

How to make it:
1. Knead the yeast, flour, salt, water, and olive oil by hand or mixer. Mix until the finished dough is smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a bowl, brush with olive oil, and set it in a warm place to rise for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450F. Once the dough has risen, remove from resting spot, and punch down the dough to slightly deflate it. Divide the dough into two equal parts and pat the dough into a 3x9-inch rectangle. Place on an oiled baking sheet. Brush the top with oil and pinch the sides into a rolled crust. Top with sautéed vegetables and sausage.
3. Bake coca until crust browns, about 10 minutes.

Five Things To Know Before Your Next Trail

It was every culinary student's dream: Five floors brimming with potential employers like Momofuku, ABC Kitchen, The Breslin, Club Med, Food Arts magazine, and over 50 other employers excited to talk to ICC grads. No really. I asked the employers why they show up to The International Culinary Center's career fair, and they told me it was because the graduates make good employees. When I swung by Blue Hill's table, human resources coordinator John Jennings told me that "the overall quality of applicants here is higher than any where else." And the chefs from Marlow and Sons come every year to The International Culinary Center's career fair because it's their main source of recruits. Why? Because they know what they're getting, they said.

But to flesh out the definition of "qualified applicant," I asked each chef, HR manager, and boss what they have loved and hated about the trails they've witnessed. And these are the five best tips I heard all day:

1. Make the commitment. If you want to get your feet wet in this industry, you need to commit to it, said Executive Chef Sean Rembold at Marlow and Sons. At his restaurant, he wants interns to commit to at least three shifts a week because you'll be working on the line (read: not demoted to prep work) and need to learn the ever-changing menu. But if you buck up and put in the hard work, you'll become part of the 70 percent success rate they have of hiring interns to work full-time.

2. Be fast, but accurate. David Burke Kitchen's pastry chef, Zac Young, said it best, "We don't want you to butcher something, but we also don't want you to pick mint for a half hour. I appreciate perfection, but there has to be some sense of reality." Bottom line? Practice your knife skills while you're in school and at home.

3. Be humble. "You're not an expert until you've seared 700 bass," was what Chef Rembold explained about cooking. Cooking is a trade, and it takes practice. Don't walk into your first day on the job with the mentality that you're going to teach the executive chef how to cook something because it'll take years of practice to perfect it. Watch and listen.

4. Come prepared. Shockingly, a lot of chefs said the biggest mistake students make is they forget to bring the essentials: a knife, kitchen shoes, and a hat. If you don't show up prepared, they won't take you seriously. And that also means showing up with a sharp knife.

5. Ask questions. Carry a small notebook with you and don't be afraid to ask thoughtful questions, said Chef Charles Imbelli at the Marcus Samuelsson Group. Chefs want to see proactive line cooks who don't need to be told to do things--they want cooks who can sense when to hop on a new task before being asked.