THE HOT PLATE

The International Culinary Center presents a Pop-Up Restaurant Challenge!

2012-01-25T10:15:00.002-05:00

By Alexa Magarian

Students at the International Culinary Center have an exclusive opportunity to design a menu and potentially have it featured in their own pop-up restaurant at L’Ecole.

The objective is to create and execute an original restaurant concept. Students participating in the contest will compete in groups. Each group will create a four-course menu which can reflect any cuisine. If they pass this first round, they then have to create a tasting from their menu and present it to a panel of judges. One team will be selected to open a pop-up restaurant where their original menu will be served for two consecutive Sundays, February 12 and 19.

How exciting would it be to see a menu come to life that you designed? One lucky group will get the chance to transform L’Ecole into their very own restaurant.

Check back soon to see who makes it to the final round, what the judges say, and which menu gets a spot at L’Ecole!

Alexa Magarian is a student in the Classic Pastry Arts program. Originally from Boston, she hopes to combine her background in public relations and writing with her love for cooking and baking. Her greatest joy in life is spending time with her family around the kitchen table, eating dinner together. When she is not tempering chocolate and creating desserts in class, she enjoys traveling for inspiration, and meeting people who are just as passionate about food as she is.

A Demo with Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo

2012-01-20T15:31:00.002-05:00

By Jonathan Espitia

“Passion is what gets us into the kitchen, desire is what keeps us there” is what Chef Francois Kwaku-Dongo said as he sweated his aromatics for a sauce to go with his short ribs. This past Wednesday we had the honor of having Chef Francois, executive chef of The Wharf restaurant at the Madison Beach Hotel in Madison, Connecticut; join us for a demonstration on combining sweet and savory flavors in dishes.

Chef Francois is the culmination of hard work and determination. To those who think they’re already too old to be great chefs, that they didn’t start cooking at the age of 15, take solace in the fact that Chef Francois came to New York City from Côte d’Ivoire at the age of 24 and started out delivering pizzas. He worked his way up from dishwasher to executive chef of one of Wolfgang Puck’s restaurants. But he did not stop there; he is also partner of the Omanhene cocoa bean company in Ghana and sells his chocolate to chefs and restaurants worldwide.

I had the pleasure of helping Chef Francois with his demonstration. I was in charge of setting up his mise en place: cutting carrots, celery, and onions into macedoine; measuring out his flour, butter, and panko. The real work didn’t start until he asked me and my friend Ryhan to roll out his sweet potato gnocchi. Chef told us, “It is a chef’s goal to teach their cooks how to do something better than they can. That way, when we are not there, we know they will do it perfectly each time.” Well, I can say I learned how to roll gnocchi (decently), but I’m thousands of gnocchi away from being anywhere in Chef Francois’s skill range.

For the demo Chef Francois made Mustard and Chocolate Braised Short Ribs served over Sweet Potato Gnocchi. As Chef braised the short ribs, the aroma lured in passersby to poke their heads into the kitchen and find out what was that delicious smell could be. But Chef Francois did more than cook for us, he painted us the story of his journey through the many kitchens that fostered his growth and fueled his passion to cook. The gnocchi represented the beginning of his career in the Italian kitchen that would spur his desire to cook. The braising represented his desire to master a myriad of cooking techniques in the kitchen. And the use of chocolate as a crust for the ribs represented his humble beginnings picking cocoa beans on his family farm in Côte d’Ivoire.

The ribs were cooked perfectly and were very tender. The gnocchi were soft and delicious. There was just the right amount of chocolate and mustard on the ribs; neither of them overpowered the dish, but instead brushed your taste buds lightly, so ephemerally that they were there and then gone.

Chef stayed after the presentation for a bit to talk to students and I retreated into the kitchen to help clean up. Afterwards I looked back into the amphitheater and Chef was gone. So I gathered my belongings and was ready to head out when I saw Chef Francois going down the stairs, about to exit the school. I called his name, thanked him for letting me help him, and asked him one last question. I asked him what a culinary student should look for when looking for a restaurant to work in. He told me, “Work somewhere where they do everything in house. Look for a restaurant that makes its pasta, bakes its bread, and makes everything from scratch. And when you have to work prep, do the best prep you can do. Go to work every day and prep better than you did the day before. Everything is built from the basics, so learn them well.”

Jonathan was born and raised on Long Island and grew up eating and loving great seafood. His mother is a great cook and his grandfather was an Italian chef; both instilled in him a love for food. He is passionate about using fresh, local ingredients in his cooking and is currently enrolled in the Classic Culinary Arts Honors Program.

Pumped with Excitement

2012-01-13T15:16:00.000-05:00

By Ron Yan

I’ve been meaning to blog but things just got crazier and I got busier and then procrastination kicked in. But I’m glad I finally have time to write. I have so much excitement right now. I finished Level 2 of the culinary program on Tuesday, December 27 and I am psyched about starting Level 3. For levels 1 and 2, we are taught the French techniques and we cook a variety of meats. In level 3, we will be cooking under time pressure and we will be working in a simulated restaurant kitchen setting.

I wanted to focus this post on how much I look forward to watching Top Chef Season 9 every Wednesday. Now, I actually understand everything that the competing chefs talk about and all the descriptions under the dishes that they make. Before coming to The International Culinary Center, I was a home amateur cook and during that time, I felt I was on the opposite side of where the competing industry chefs were on the show. Now that I’m about to start Level 3 and I’ve been in school for three months, whenever I watch Top Chef this season, I feel I am a part of them. I understand their jargon, and their concerns about not sending their best dish forward. I also have a better understanding of some of the dishes that they’ve cooked because I cooked them myself in class!

Just as an example of jargon, at home, I used to say, “green beans,” but in school, we say, “haricot vert.”

And how cool is that this season of Top Chef, it’s in my home state of Texas! ATX pride! It’s obvious whom I’m rooting for to win this season.

In the first episode of Season 9, the first group of chefs had to butcher a pig. The terms “primal” and “sub-primal” were tossed around and take a look,

It looks exactly like the picture in our textbooks except it’s cuter!

I heard that we would be breaking down a pig in Level 4 during our charcuterie unit. It’s a good thing that Chef Janet was our Level 1 sous chef so we got a feel of what is expected for butchering. One of the contestants got sent home because he incorrectly broke down part of the pork chops that also had the tenderloin attached with it. He wasn’t even allowed to cook.

In the sixth episode of Season 9, three minutes in, I shouted out with glee! Mother sauces! A mother sauce is a base for other sauces: béchamel, velouté, espagnol, hollandaise, and tomate. Their challenge was to make a new sauce that stems from their mother sauce. Whenever I watch this season of Top Chef, I feel like it is an interesting review session for me. It was surprising that none of the chefs used a roux. A roux is a thickening agent and in school, we always mix equal amounts of butter and flour together. In the third and sixth episodes, one of the chefs made a génoise cake. We made that in Level 2!

I feel so inspired that I'm going to start my menu project (culinary students create a unique menu with beverage pairings, recipes, illustrations, and food costing) now. I have my eye on the award that will be given during graduation for the best and most creative menu project!

Ron has lived in Beijing, Toronto, Hong Kong, and the state of Texas (Plano and Austin) before coming to The International Culinary Center to study in The French Culinary Institute's Classic Culinary Arts program. He is inspired by the cuisines from different cultures and loves to travel. When Ron is not Yelping or passionately learning new skills and techniques in class, he is updating his food blog, Cooking with Strawberry Tsunami.

A Christmas Conscience: One Student's Take on Ethical Eating

2012-01-04T19:01:00.000-05:00

By Emma DeSantis

Another Christmas has come. Feeling very accomplished by completing your last minute Christmas shopping you are rushing towards your local supermarket to purchase a leg of ham. You make a beeline for the meat aisle and look for the biggest leg that will feed the most people. But have you ever considered checking where this leg of ham (or at least the pig that it once belonged to) came from before it became this oh so tasty Christmas meal? Amongst the chaos and commotion of Christmas, it is often easy to forget these festive details. There use to be no such terms as “sustainable” and “organic” and food was exactly that – food. Gone are the days when the milkman delivered the crates of glass bottles fresh to peoples’ doorsteps and they knew the farmer that it came from. But in this ever-changing world, it is still very possible to know your suppliers well.

There are many reasons why we should become more conscious of what we are purchasing and choose organic and local foods, over mass-produced animal products and produce. When you purchase local organic foods you know it’s fresh without the use of mass amounts of insecticides and pesticides. Produce has not been genetically modified in any way and meat is not injected with antibiotics or hormones. Purchasing local food supports your community which in turn helps the local economy and the carbon footprint is much less, as the food doesn’t travel as far. If that isn’t enough reason for you, well locally grown, organic food just tastes better!

Much of the beef on the supermarket shelves these days have been grain fed, as opposed to eating what really makes them thrive – good old grass. It’s cheaper for the manufacturer and, admittedly, it makes for a cheaper piece of meat on the shelf for consumer. But is it really worth sacrificing the flavor and nutrients we would otherwise get for paying a few extra bucks?

Most of us know what happens on those factory farms and what the battery cage hens go through, yet many people still choose to eat this chicken and the eggs they produce because it’s cheaper. It isn’t simply for ethical reasons that I choose organic meats over the cheaper variety—I’m a big believer that the better a life an animal had and the more it was treated with respect while it was alive (and even during the slaughter process for that matter), the more wonderful the meat will taste.

There are loads of local farmers markets around New York City that are open on various days during the week and weekend. You can find one in your neighborhood at www.grownyc.org. These markets not only include produce, but also meats, seafood, breads, grains, dairy, and much more. There are also many butchers appearing around the city that sell only organic and grass-fed beef. Every time I walk past my local organic butcher they are jam-packed with customers. This is a sign that consumers are indeed becoming more aware of the importance of what they are eating.

So on Christmas day, if you’re lucky enough to eat a leg of ham, hopefully it once belonged to a pig that got to roll around in the mud and ate well itself. And while you’re at it, slather on some cranberry sauce made from locally grown cranberries. You may just enjoy it that much more.

Emma is originally from New Zealand and is a Classic Culinary Arts student at The French Culinary Institute. She is inspired by cuisines of different cultures and loves to cook for anyone willing to eat her food.

First Prize Pies

2011-12-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

By Alexa Magarian

With the holidays just around the corner, anyone hosting a party stresses over that familiar dilemma: What should I make for dessert? You want to make something different and impress everyone at the end of the meal. But keeping the guests in mind and making something that appeals to everyone is key to successful entertaining. Tell your aunt to forget about bringing the same old trifle to your holiday gathering and opt for something you know friends and family will be raving about till next year: a perfect homemade pie.

I joined Allison Kave, founder of First Prize Pies, at an afternoon demo, where she shared helpful tips and techniques for baking pies. She featured three of her specialties: apple cranberry, Shaker lemon, and spicy hot chocolate. The concept is updating a classic comfort treat with modern flair and whimsical combinations of flavors. As soon as she mentioned her Root Beer Float Pie, I practically had one foot out the door, ready to place my order.

The spicy hot chocolate was incredible! The chocolate filling had just the right amount of heat and was topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, and held together by a gingersnap cookie crust.

Allison demonstrated her secrets to the perfect pie crust (she always makes her dough on a flat surface in order to have room to spread everything out and mix evenly). She made lattice-cuts and crimped edges look like a breeze.

She finds that using European-style butter, which is higher in butterfat, results in a richer flavor. And instead of buying buttermilk, she makes her own simply by adding apple cider vinegar to some whole milk. Those who use buttermilk in any recipe know how annoying it is to buy a whole container and have so much leftover after using just a small amount.

Allison won the Best Overall Prize in 2009 at the Brooklyn Pie Bake-Off. Encouraged by her boyfriend to enter the contest, Allison stuck with a personal favorite, her Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie, something she has been baking since she was fifteen. Though she admitted to a bit of hesitancy about entering and feeling as though she had no chance of winning, she surprised herself and certainly delighted others with her delicious contest entry.

I always enjoy hearing personal stories about how one starts a small business, often from turning a hobby into a new career. Allison’s story was one I could especially relate to, as she told her personal journey of re-thinking what she really wanted to do during the economic crisis. The day of the contest was meaningful, as she shared her success with family and friends who came out to support her. What makes her work so enjoyable, Allison said, is that there is something about pie that always fosters a sense of community.

First Prize Pies are a great solution to a holiday party, or any event, when you want an actual homemade dessert and don’t have the time to make one. All you have to do is decide which one (or two) you want, and order!

Alexa Magarian is a student in the Classic Pastry Arts program. Originally from Boston, she hopes to combine her background in public relations and writing with her love for cooking and baking. Her greatest joy in life is spending time with her family around the kitchen table, eating dinner together. When she is not tempering chocolate and creating desserts in class, she enjoys traveling for inspiration, and meeting people who are just as passionate about food as she is.

A Pastry Student Lives Here

2011-12-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

By Alicia Valverde

I'm officially on my 4th week here at The International Culinary Center. We've gone through almost 2 units already we just finished tarts, time is seriously flying! I already feel like I've learned so much and I'm still only in my first level. My habits have also slowly started changing as well. I thought that I would never call myself an early riser but here I am, up at 7 in the morning almost every day. I've also never been too much of a neat freak, however, you can catch me every day organizing my desk/tables/etc. as if they're being set up as mise en place.

Some would call that OCD but I'd like to think it's just part of being in this industry. Even my roommate has gotten used to my newly found eccentricities like pounding Play-doh with a rolling pin on the kitchen table the night before a practical to practice my rolling technique or perhaps the trail of flour I leave behind on almost everything. Even though all of this is new, I can genuinely say that my life has easily transitioned to my new position as a student. I think I really did luck out with a patient roommate (and neighbors, sorry for the loud clanking of my KitchenAid), a supporting group of fellow students that never fail to make me laugh, as well as amazing chef-instructors that tolerate (as well as celebrate) my new ways of thinking. To say that I am happy would be an understatement. Catch me in the kitchen smiling covered in a nice thick layer of sweat and flour any time, any day.

Alicia Valverde is a culinary and literary aficionado. She is currently enrolled in the Classic Pastry Arts program.

Afternoon of Desserts

2011-11-30T12:38:00.001-05:00

By Alexa Magarian

To finally have the opportunity to apply the skills learned in class and present your very own creation to the public is just one more stepping stone towards a rewarding career in the pastry arts. A level 3 pastry class invited guests on a recent afternoon to a special tasting where students designed a menu featuring an array of plated desserts. With the rainy weather, it was the sweetest mid-day break.

The tasting began with an amuse bouche as a way to prepare the palate and introduce the desserts. Guests had a choice of a plum brandy cider or spiced apple cider-both drinks were a huge hit. The whimsical sugar-rimmed glasses opened conversation among guests and perhaps gave them a glimpse of what was to follow.

I saw so many great things on the menu, but unfortunately could only pick one so I went with the white chocolate hazelnut semifreddo. It was everything I want in a dessert: smooth, creamy, and refreshing. I adored the way the raspberry and chocolate sauce was incorporated: perfectly-sized dots in a row, from small to large. This technique seemed to give the whole plate more depth but it was just enough to keep the main dessert in the spotlight.

If I had known that extra desserts would be brought out for guests to share towards the end of the tasting, I wouldn’t have finished my entire plate down to the last crumb! I also sampled the Tiramisu, a favorite of mine, but the espresso granite made it so much more appealing. It was the perfect accompaniment to a traditional dessert, especially when served in the mini chocolate box. The hazelnut crisp cookie, shaped like a spoon, was another charming touch that the guests seemed to enjoy.

The Petite Bomboloni Trio was another popular choice among guests. Brioche doughnuts filled with spiced pumpkin, candied bacon, and chocolate cream, served with a harvest apple butter and caramel sauce-what a perfect treat on a cold and rainy day.

Seeing what the students in level 3 have accomplished makes me excited for the challenges that lay ahead for my class. The desserts they created truly impressed me-each item was so well done and professional. I came to FCI because I love to make pastries, and even though some days are long and hard, I know that bringing people together for dessert and making someone’s day that much sweeter is totally worth it.

Alexa Magarian is a student in the Classic Pastry Arts program. Originally from Boston, she hopes to combine her background in public relations and writing with her love for cooking and baking. Her greatest joy in life is spending time with her family around the kitchen table, eating dinner together. When she is not tempering chocolate and creating desserts in class, she enjoys traveling for inspiration, and meeting people who are just as passionate about food as she is.

Dessert Critique

2011-11-28T14:45:00.001-05:00

By Alexa Magarian

Dessert is the culminating point of a meal-it really does make or break an entire experience of dining out. Imagine finishing a mediocre meal: you may throw down your napkin, ask for the check, and run home to vent on Yelp. Or, you reluctantly order dessert and soon find yourself with a smile on your face, sitting in front of a beautiful presentation of something sweet, something perfect to end your day.

In my Pastry Level 2 course we are close to finishing the first unit of plated desserts. We had covered a range of plating techniques, crème brulees, and ice creams, and know that a well-plated dessert always has some kind of sauce and a decorative cookie, like a tuille. My personal favorite was the banana macadamia nut financier. For a recent class assignment, our chef instructor asked us to visit a restaurant of our choice, order a dessert, and critique it.

I went to a popular Japanese dessert bar. The dining area was small and cozy, seating about 30. You can even catch a glimpse of the pastry kitchen in action through a large glass window. Sharing with customers how the food is created always makes the restaurant feel more inviting and intimate.

Tired of ordering something I already know, I picked the most unusual-sounding item from the seasonal menu: pear and cranberry hibiscus agar, yude azuki, matcha shiratama, and kuromitsu ice cream.

The Autumn Anmitsu came in a simple bowl filled with ice cream covered in a red bean paste. The pear and hibiscus agar, in the shapes of tiny cubes, sat along the edge of the ice cream. What initially caught my eye was something small and bright green nestled under the ice cream and agar, which I later learned was a green tea dumpling. A caramel decoration (which we learned to make in class just days before) topped off the dessert. The ice cream had a sort of grainy texture and earthy flavor. Everything else was just very chewy and gelatinous. I personally dislike that kind of texture, especially in desserts, but it’s still important to try something in order to understand it and appreciate how it is incorporated in a unique dish like this. It certainly was not the most mouth-watering dessert I’ve ever had. The presentation was not very enticing for me. But what definitely worked was the color combination: light caramel, maroon, and bright green, colors that certainly highlight autumn, just in a new and unusual way. I can certainly appreciate the unique ingredients and the thought that went into pairing them together. I would love to try this restaurant again, especially for dinner, and perhaps a different dessert.

Alexa Magarian is a student in the Classic Pastry Arts program. Originally from Boston, she hopes to combine her background in public relations and writing with her love for cooking and baking. Her greatest joy in life is spending time with her family around the kitchen table, eating dinner together. When she is not tempering chocolate and creating desserts in class, she enjoys traveling for inspiration, and meeting people who are just as passionate about food as she is.

The Hungry & the Hungrier

2011-11-15T16:47:00.002-05:00

By Emma DeSantis

3pm sharp: I reach the entrance of the Metropolitan Pavilion for a volunteer opportunity – The City Harvest “Bid Against Hunger” event. I found this volunteer opportunity on the school's student intranet, where there are loads of interesting culinary events to sign up for. Guests have brought tickets for an evening of fine food, drinks, and the opportunity to spend outrageous amounts of money towards items in which proceeds go to help New York City’s hungry.

I approach one of the organizers of the event, tell her my name and she lets me know that I will be helping Sushi Samba for the evening.

“If they’re not there yet you can leave your things by their table and help out in the loading area,” she informs me.

They were not there, which didn’t surprise me as the event wasn’t starting until 5:30pm, when the VIP guests arrived.

I made my way to the loading area and started helping chefs from various restaurants around the city carry their boxes or load them on carts and escort them to their chefs’ tables – back and forth and back again.

I thought to myself how great it is to be surrounded by chefs from incredible New York City restaurants who are so highly regarded and well-established in the industry. Restaurants participating included the likes of Porter House New York, Tribeca Grill, Le Bernardin, Magnolia Bakery, Murray’s Cheese, and The Darby.

It was just less then half an hour until the event and the rush of incoming chefs started dying down. I was starting to wonder if I would have a chef's table to assist.

“Well,” said one of the event coordinators. “If you end up not having someone to volunteer for, you can be a floater.”

“A floater?” I asked.

“Yes, you can just go around offering help to different chefs’ tables. But we also need to make sure you can actually help with something and avoid getting in the way.”

Over two hours of carrying boxes and pushing carts and it looks like all I’m going to be for the evening is an inconvenient floater. Splendid!
Five minutes before the start of the event, Sushi Samba arrived and I was excited and relieved that I had a secure spot for the evening. Setting up took no time at all and the first round of food was ready within 5 minutes, just as the initial guests started trickling in. They served glazed pork belly on a bed of lettuce, topped with frisée salad and hearts of palm, then finished with an olive oil and vinegar mixture and a sprinkling of sea salt. The head chef insisted I try one. Well, twist my arm! The sweetness of the glaze, saltiness of the pork, and tanginess of the toppings worked perfectly together.

I looked around for a mere moment. Is that Eric Ripert and Cesare Casella having a good old chin-wag? Yes, yes, it is! My first ever celebrity chef sighting, yet it’s surprising how non-celebrity and very down-to-earth these guys appear. Just another reason why I love this industry.

We continue the plating—lettuce, pork, frisée, hearts of palm, dressing, salt and so this pattern continued. The bidding begins, with guests paying in the thousands for various food experiences such as cooking classes. The final bid of the evening was a dinner with Le Bernardin executive chef, Eric Ripert, which went for $40,000!

The chef’s table next to us was serving tuna belly tacos with sweet onion salsa, and they were kind enough to give us some to try. This was one of my favorite foods of the night. Throughout the course of the evening I also got to try fluke crudo and some of the best foie gras I have ever had. I would carry a thousand boxes for food this fantastic.

With the bidding completed and the food running low, the evening came to a close.

It was wonderful assisting such a great restaurant that is dedicated to providing fine food, as are all the restaurants and chefs that took part. But more importantly, every person at the Metropolitan Pavilion that evening was not there just for the exquisite foods or their chance to outbid another, but to help feed the hungry of New York City.

Emma is originally from New Zealand and is a Classic Culinary Arts student at The French Culinary Institute. She is inspired by cuisines of different cultures and loves to cook for anyone willing to eat her food.

Change in Food Perception

2011-11-01T11:24:00.001-04:00

By Ron Yan

macédoine de légumes

Before coming to culinary school, I considered myself to be an "experienced" foodie, to the point of becoming snobbish, among my circle of friends. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, right? I just have higher expectations to how my food should come out of the kitchen and served in front of me. Aren’t all foodies a little snobbish? I know how most dishes were supposed to taste, to look, to smell, to feel, and to sound by appealing to our five senses. You’re probably wondering about the "sound" sense—have you had Chinese sizzling platters (铁板烧) or teppanyaki? They are supposed to be sizzling when served to you; that same sound you hear every time Hell's Kitchen goes to commercial break.

I've been in school for a month and I noticed that my food perceptions have changed whenever I dine in. I really nitpick at everything on my plate—from the presentation to all the elements on the plate or bowl. Does everything on the plate have a purpose? Do all the ingredients complement each other? My instructor, Chef Phil, says the way to really test a restaurant’s chefs is to order a salad dish and a fish entrée.

salade Niçoise

For salads, we learned that there are three types—simple, mixed, and composed. A Caesar Salad is a simple salad—one main ingredient that is dressed simply in a dressing. A mixed salad has several ingredients and they are seasoned together, e.g. macédoine de légumes (cooked vegetable salad). A composed salad has a mixture of several ingredients seasoned separately and then presented together on one plate. The classical French salade Niçoise is such an example of a composed salad. When preparing the salad, the salad greens should be healthy, dry, and not be bruised. For the dressing, too many elements can cause it to become overpowering and it may cancel out flavors in the salad. It is important to select ingredients in the salad greens and in the dressing to complement each other. The flavor of the main salad ingredient should be enhanced by the salad dressing, not masked by the dressing.

I had lunch at a well-known hotel in Midtown last week and I had a Manhattan clam chowder soup, a beet and goat cheese salad, and a ham and Swiss sandwich on ciabatta bread. I ordered the beet and goat cheese salad because we had already made it in class so I knew how it was supposed to taste/look/smell/feel. If I had made the salad, I wouldn’t have drowned it in dressing. In school, we learned to take a spoonful and slide it around the edge of a stainless mixing bowl and then toss it with the salad greens. The beets were not tender in the center so that told me that they should have been cooked in the oven a little longer. Also, I would have liked the vinaigrette to be a little less acidic. The sharp tang wasn’t too pleasing. However, I did enjoy the clam chowder and sandwich.

Ron has lived in Beijing, Toronto, Hong Kong, and the state of Texas (Plano and Austin) before coming to The International Culinary Center to study in The French Culinary Institute's Classic Culinary Arts program. He is inspired by the cuisines from different cultures and loves to travel. When Ron is not Yelping or passionately learning new skills and techniques in class, he is updating his food blog, Cooking with Strawberry Tsunami.

'Nuff with the Puff

2011-10-24T15:18:00.003-04:00

By Jax Hubbard

It's no secret that the majority of the students in the Culinary Arts program are not particularly apt in the pastry department. It is not to say that we cooks are incompetent or incapable of rolling dough or making caramel. We'd just rather break bread than bake it. Part of the culinary curriculum, however, incorporates pastry lessons in an effort to expose us to as many aspects of the kitchen as possible; whether we like it or not, we have to do it, and do it well.

For six lessons in Level Two, we endured numerous demands from the curriculum, from crèmes and custards to crepes and fritters. I experienced firsthand the heavy feeling of defeat as I watched crème anglaise go from a creamy, slightly thickened (known as nappant in the kitchen) conglomerate to watery scrambled eggs. I witnessed caramel’s rapid transformation from dark golden brown perfection to burnt, bitter molasses. I grumbled over doughy worktops that had to be scrubbed down several times throughout the evening. I sniffled as particles of flour puffed from my hands, floated into my nostrils. I felt the devastation upon discovering that my puff pastry fruit tart hadn’t survived the commute home.

Contrary to how it seems, it wasn't all bad—and we even picked up on a few things along the way. We whirled up frozen fruit soufflé that tasted a lot like a Push Pop. Buttercream from a generic bakery tastes like Styrofoam when compared to fresh frosting. Chantilly sounds fancy, but it’s just a decorative word for whipped cream. There are three types of meringues, and the Italian one is the best (right, Marc?). Génoise is a base cake that is flavored in a variety of ways to make little génoise offspring. Crème anglaise tastes almost as good as the ice cream it makes.

With our pastry tolerance maxed out and our chops just barely developed, we underwent the Level Two practical. In addition to manhandling meat, we delivered on the pastry requirements, granting us the ability to move on to Level Three. (It’s like leaving Neverland—you're excited to grow up, but you'll miss all the fun you had as a kid.)

The most important thing I learned during the two weeks of pastry is that, though I am able to prepare simple desserts and not completely screw them up, and I can impress others with my persistence in whipping cream by hand, I'd much rather have someone do it for me. I turned dough to make puff pastry, but I've had enough with the stuff. For now.

Jax Hubbard is a registered dietitian, freelance food writer, and student at The French Culinary Institute. She is also the founder of eatinginyourunderwear.com. Hubbard aspires to eat well, cook without inhibition and live to write about it.

Cake Techniques and Design Inaugural Graduation

2011-10-20T15:06:00.000-04:00

We're very proud to announce that our first class of students graduated from the inaugural Cake Techniques and Design program earlier this month at our New York City campus. In class, students learned all aspects of cake making, from the fundamentals of construction to hands-on practice of both classical and contemporary decorating techniques.

After completing many cakes throughout the program, our students' final challenge was to design and create an elaborate enchanted themed cake. Here are some photos from behind-the-scenes in the kitchen, the final cakes on display, and the graduating students, with pastry chef-instructors and Ron Ben-Israel, preeminent cake designer, looking on.

We'd like to congratulate our students and wish them the best as they embark on their new careers!

Jacques Pépin's Ultimate Test of a Chef

2011-10-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

By Jen Benyamine

Chef Jacques Pépin is one of the world's most renowned chefs and also dean of special programs here at The International Culinary Center. Dean Pépin recently visited the amphitheater to demonstrate the basic techniques he feels every professional chef—and home cook—should know in order to strengthen their culinary skills.

Whether he was carving and shaping a flower from a brick of butter or trimming and dicing a leek with exact precision, it was like watching a magician at work. His magic was on full display when he fixed a horribly broken handmade mayonnaise with a bit of vinegar slowly drizzled into the base (a trick I know will come in handy throughout my culinary education)!

Dean Pépin then told us that when he really wants to judge a chef's techniques, he asks them to prepare an omelet. Lucky for us, he gave a first-hand step-by-step guide to creating the perfect French omelet.

Use a wide pan with sloping sides, preferably non-stick.
Whisk the eggs well with a fork and really break them up so there are no long pieces of egg white.
Heat the pan very well and place butter in it. It is ready once the butter starts bubbling.
Pour the beaten eggs into the hot pan and vigorously shake the pan while using the fork to stir the center of the eggs to break up the curds and make them as small as possible. You want a lot of movement at this point.
Once the eggs are cooked to the doneness you prefer (traditionally a bit wet in the center), angle the pan so that most of the mixture is at the bottom, with a thin layer on top. Run your fork around the edges to loosen the eggs from the pan. Then fold the thin, cooked eggs down into a half-moon shape.
Run your fork under the thickest part of the eggs to loosen them from the pan and hit the pan at the base where the handle meets with the back of your hand to scoot it up, and begin to bring that part up and out of the pan. Push that part down over the center of the omelet to seal it.
Bang the pan on your workspace a bit to move the omelet to the center of the pan and with an inverted hand, flip the omelet onto your plate. There should be no color (it should be white or pale yellow) and just pointed at the ends. It should have a very creamy and soft interior.

His demo was a peek into what can be seen in Jacques Pépin's Complete Techniques, his latest book that encompasses all that he has learned in the past 40 years. Included is a DVD with over three hours worth of Chef Pépin's techniques. As he said during the demo, he felt it was important to have a visual of some techniques because even the best written directions can be difficult to follow sometimes. We can attest to that, especially after having a front row seat to his craft in action.

Jen Benyamine is a student in the Classic Culinary Arts program.

Taillage

2011-10-03T16:48:00.000-04:00

By Ron Yan

I survived my first week at culinary school.

It’s been absolutely amazing. Tiring, but I look forward to each 5-hour class. I am very confident in my cooking skills, so I have no problem with the pace of the class and the new information. But I have to stand up for the entirety, including the break, so buying good quality black non-slip shoes was very important. I have class every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday night... which also means, I can’t go out on Saturday nights because by the time I finish class, it’s 10:45pm. Then it takes me 15 minutes to pack my stuff and change from my uniform back into my street clothes, and I don’t get back to my apartment on Roosevelt Island until 11:45pm to midnight, depending on how long I have to wait for the F train.

The most important thing that I’ve learned this past week was taillage, methods of cutting. Learning to cut vegetables the French way is challenging. In the French system, there are certain sizes and shapes reserved for each kind of vegetable (carrots, turnips, potatoes). For instance, carrots are commonly julienned. Julienne carrots are very thin sticks with a measurement of 1-2 mm (width) by 5-7 cm (length). Jardinière are similar to julienne except that they are thicker and shorter, 5mm by 4-5 cm. There are others that we practiced: macédoine, brunoise, émincer, ciseler, paysanne, and chiffonade. When I first read about it in my textbook, I didn’t think that much and the importance of it.

There are three purposes for taillage:

1. To ensure that food will cook evenly at the same rate

2. To enhance the visual appeal of dishes

3. To allow more than one person to prepare items for a specific recipe

I could see the aesthetic part of the cutting but I didn’t really think about reason number 3. Duh. It’s not just me anymore in the kitchen when I start working in a restaurant.

Anyway, before my education at The FCI, whenever I made bisques and chowders at home, I did chop my squash and potatoes into small dice but their sizes weren’t completely uniform. When I made New England Clam Chowder (view the recipe) the first time, cooking took kind of a long time. And last night, it only took 30 minutes. I was impressed.

Ron has lived in Beijing, Toronto, Hong Kong, and the state of Texas (Plano and Austin) before coming to The International Culinary Center to study in The French Culinary Institute's Classic Culinary Arts program. He is inspired by the cuisines from different cultures and loves to travel. When Ron is not Yelping or passionately learning new skills and techniques in class, he is updating his food blog, Cooking with Strawberry Tsunami.

Chef Robert Bleifer gets "Chopped"

2011-09-28T14:04:00.000-04:00

By Nicole Ruiz Hudson

Former contestants of Chopped can rest assured that they were granted a little karmic revenge when the Food Network’s Executive Chef, Robert Bleifer, was put to the test at an ICC demo last week. The tables were turned on Chef Bleifer, who is one of the people responsible for putting together the dreaded combinations for the show’s mystery baskets, when he was forced to confront three mystery baskets of his own. On Chopped, the mystery baskets hold a selection of ingredients from which contestants must create a dish. Essentially, they hold the contestants' fate in the competition.

These were not easy baskets either. Basket number one had a Japanese theme with Japanese eggplants, peppitas, yakult yogurt drink, and shiso leaves. Basket number two included octopus, cocoa nibs, piquillo peppers, and seaweed wrapped rice puffs. Finally, for dessert Chef Bleifer was given mango, dried chilies, sweet rice flour, and Pocky sticks. He had a total of 90 minutes to create three dishes and could also draw basic ingredients from a pantry of selected items. I think we can all agree that no punches were pulled just because the Chef is an alumnus.

While Chef Bleifer mulled over what the heck he was going to do with the ingredients, he revealed secrets from behind the scenes of the Food Network kitchens. He certainly has access to all the dirt as he oversees the kitchens of fifteen shows at the channel including Iron Chef, Next Iron Chef, Food Network Challenge, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and of course, Chopped, among many others. Here’s a little dish from the Iron Chef kitchens: Despite the fact that the chefs are given a $500 allotment they can use to request items for their pantry, certain chefs have occasionally tried to sneak in gourmet ingredients that have exceed their budget. (Sorry, not going to tell you who.) Another fun fact is that the day before an Iron Chef season begins, the test kitchen staff has a test run in Kitchen Stadium. The ingredients the teams are given are pretty goofy, but the competition is deadly serious, and it’s always everyone’s favorite day at work.

As far as coming up with the mystery baskets, it’s not as easy as you might think. A lot of factors go into the process and creating new combinations gets more difficult with every season because the ingredients can’t be repeated. They also don’t want the combinations to be too impossibly difficult, so particular care is taken to make sure that there are at least two ‘outs’ or possibilities for each basket. At the same time, things would get boring if every contestant were to come back with the same dish, so they try to include a variety of colors and textures in each basket. Ideas initially come from the entire kitchen staff, but slowly they get whittled down by smaller and smaller committees, until ultimately the final decisions are made by Chef Bleifer and his partner. Of course the producers and the ad department occasionally get a say as well.

In his role at Executive Chef, Chef Bleifer oversees food production for fifteen shows, as well as Food Network events. He is also involved in coordinating production teams, photographers, and food stylists. His background made him uniquely qualified to seize the opportunities that eventually led him to his current position. Prior to attending FCI, he had experience as a photographer. Afterward, he spent time working at Park Avenue Cafe. Eventually an opportunity presented itself to freelance at the then fledgling Food Network. He took the work never thinking or intending that it would lead to a long-term career; however that is exactly what happened. And it would appear that he learned a thing or two from the hosts and chefs on his shows about stage presence, because Chef Bleifer kept smiling and chatting even when it seemed that he’d be stumped by the mystery baskets he had to work with.

So what did he do with all of those crazy ingredients? For his first dish, he borrowed a technique picked up from Chef Michael Psilakis to prepare the octopus. He first seared the octopus on the grill, then put the whole thing in a Dutch oven at 325° F for 55 min to cook in its own juices. After he pulled it out of the oven, he seared the octopus on the grill again to bring char back. He served the octopus with a sauce inspired by romesco and mole, made with pequillo peppers, cocoa nibs, a bit of the ancho chilies from the dessert basket, and seaweed wrapped rice puffs, all processed together in a vita prep.

Figuring out what to create for the second course wasn’t so easy. For this one he cooked down the Japanese eggplant, combined with a yakult yogurt drink reduction with some onions, sake, and the dried shitake mushrooms which he pulverized into a powder. It did not look appetizing at this point. He processed this through the vita prep as well to create a pureed soup, which he garnished with the peppitas and shiso leaves. I think the whole audience and Chef Bleifer doubted this one would come together, but he pulled it together in the end.

For dessert, Chef Bleifer used the sticky rice powder to create basic mochi casings that he stuffed with two different fillings. The first had a combination of mango, sake, and chilli. The second had chocolate, pulverized Pocky sticks, and cream.

But how did the food taste? Any competition needs judges and sitting on this panel were—Melissa Salt, Chef/Owner of Saltbar; Ed McFarland, Chef/Owner of Ed's Lobster Bar and Caravelli's; and Chef André Soltner, Dean of Classic Studies at FCI. (By the way, both Chef Salt and Chef McFarland are FCI grads.) Unfortunately, the panel was not so keen on the dessert course. Chef Soltner offered humble apologies, but said the mochi was not so good as the panel found the mochi to be a little bit gummy. However, the first two courses got rounds of shocked praise. Chef Soltner said the octopus was “Surprisingly Good!” I got the chance to try the octopus and it was indeed very tasty. Given what Chef Bleifer was given to work with, I think we can count this as a culinary triumph.

After 9 years working in the entertainment industry, thoughts of food and cooking got the better of Nicole Ruiz Hudson's imagination. She is now enrolled in the Classic Culinary Program at FCI and hopes to marry her new skills, love of entertainment, and her passion for food in a career in food media. When she is not cooking and eating, she is recording her culinary adventures on her blog, nibblinggypsy.com.

FCI Dinner at BonChon

2011-09-23T16:07:00.000-04:00

By Nicole Ruiz Hudson

Recently, a group of FCI students headed to BonChon for a Korean fried chicken feast. It was the perfect excuse to kick back, relax, and gab away for a couple of hours with fellow students and friends.

The chicken did take a while to come out, but apparently this is because every chicken is made to order. No worries though. Since we all headed over right after day classes let out, happy hour was still in full swing. It was a hot summer day out, so most of us indulged in a pint to refresh ourselves and prime us for the meal ahead.

We also ordered a slate of sides and appetizers to munch on while we waited. The tteokbokki, a large plate of rice and fish cakes in a hot sauce, was probably my favorite side. The sauce had kick, but not an overwhelming amount, and the different elements tossed in the sauce along with noodles and sesame seeds provided a wonderful variety of textures in one dish. The radish side was a hit with everyone at the table, and it and the seaweed salad were refreshing counters to the rich flavors of the chicken that were soon to arrive.

The sides were pretty good, but the chicken was definitely the main event and the reason to head in. The skin is super crispy and crackles as you bite into it, and the meat is moist and juicy. Despite being double-fried (per info on their website) the chicken really does not taste greasy and is covered with just enough sauce to provide a pop of flavor as you bite into to your wing or drumstick. You get your choice of lightly sweet soy garlic or hot sauce to be glazed on your chicken. Both are very tasty, but beware that the hot sauce is not for the faint of heart – or mouth. I’ll admit that a few tears welled up when I first bit into a spicy drum stick. I recommend having radish, seaweed salad, water, and beer all on hand when diving into the spicy chicken.

The chicken plates range from six pieces to twenty, but don’t hesitate to order more than you plan to have in the restaurant. It reheats beautifully and crisps right back up in an oven or toaster oven for a perfect late night snack.

After 9 years working in the entertainment industry, thoughts of food and cooking got the better of Nicole Ruiz Hudson's imagination. She is now enrolled in the Classic Culinary Program at FCI and hopes to marry her new skills, love of entertainment, and her passion for food in a career in food media. When she is not cooking and eating, she is recording her culinary adventures on her blog, nibblinggypsy.com.

Culinary Colombia

2011-09-21T16:59:00.001-04:00

By Emma DeSantis

As I touched down in Colombia, the waves of heart-pounding excitement came upon me. I was looking forward to the wedding that brought me to this foreign land, yes, but it was more the prospect of another opportunity for culinary exploration that had me on the edge of my cattle-class seat.

The fresh food market I visited in Bogota will make any foodie feel like a kid in a candy store. The array of different fruits, vegetables and spices are mind-blowing and it’s easy to lose yourself in a world where senses are heightened on every level.

A fruit I came to love within my brief yet busy visit to Colombia was guanabana. This fruit is like a creamy combination of various tropical fruit flavors, all packed into one rather precariously spiky looking green shell. This fruit would be the perfect complement to the vanilla ice cream we are going to make in Level 2 of the Classic Culinary Arts program. There are many fabulous fruits native to, or available in Colombia. These include lulo, feijoas (a childhood favorite of mine), and pitahaya. Something that they love to do with all of these fruits is transform them into deliciously decadent fruit smoothies… and I tried my fair share of them.

Just across the lot from the fruit and vegetable market was a small ocean market. The first thing I noticed was how much they love to preserve food using the vacuum sealing method, something I also saw a lot of at the local supermarket. Our class learned about food preservation in Level 1. Vacuum sealing involves drawing out oxygen in the package so that food stays fresh, without altering the texture or flavor like other methods of preservation might. They are onto something.

Then I saw the lobsters and it brought me right back to shellfish lesson. Despite the fact that the recipes in this lesson have become some of my favorites, the method of killing the lobster still disturbs me to this day. Although I had never killed a lobster, I had no qualms about getting to class and throwing this tasty crustacean into a pot of boiling water. Hey, I could have even quite happily stabbed a knife through its googly-eyed head. However, this was not to be.

It turns out that a traditional French technique for killing lobsters is to numb them in ice-water for 20 minutes and twist off its tail-end at the abdomen. Since the tail end is essentially all muscle for swimming, the lobster remained quite alive as we were instructed to tear off its squirming legs until it finally died properly when we picked out its brains. I somehow managed to get through, but there were moments when I just wasn’t sure. Okay, to be fair, lobsters don’t have much of a nervous system, but I still felt like a sadist. The lobster did not die in vain—the end result was delicious.

Back to the foods of Colombia. A very traditional soup in Colombia is ajiaco. This is a bound soup (something I learned in soup lesson, as the broth is bound by the starch in the potato). This rich and creamy textured soup is served with cilantro, chicken usually on the bone, rice, capers, avocado, corn, and heavy cream. That’s what I call a hearty meal! There is nothing about any of those ingredients that I don’t love and they work wonderfully together.

Surprisingly to me, Persian food is very popular in Colombia. Over the years, many Persian people had migrated to the coast of Colombia and as a result it has become a large part of their cuisine. At a family member's home we were served hummus, fried kebbeh, and grape leaves to name a few.

From rice and meat wrapped in grape leaves to fish wrapped in paper. One of my favorite recipes I have made in class is fish en papillote. This dish includes cutting out a heart shaped piece of parchment paper, putting tomato fondue and mushroom duxelles on one side and laying the fresh fish on top. You then top the fish with the a’langlaised julienned vegetables (celery, carrot, and leeks), add a sprig of thyme and a splash of white wine, before sealing the parchment paper together. It then goes in the oven and expands into a glorious encasement of steam, that once punctured releases the full aroma of what’s inside. Are you salivating yet?

One of the fish dishes I had in Bogata was Bagre river fish with a corn salsa. Although not traditional, I would like to experiment and try making fish en papillote with the corn salsa in place of the tomato fondue, as I think it would work amazingly as the sweet aspect of the dish.
Amongst the other delicious and traditional foods I had much of during my stay in Colombia was coconut rice, beef with a prune-based gravy, the vegetable yucca (yucca pont-neuf anyone?), and of course lots of plantain.

As I headed towards the airport, I finally understood the expression when people say they are in a “food coma”. Through the haze of my food coma, I can describe the way I feel about this trip in one word—inspired.

Emma is originally from New Zealand and is a Classic Culinary Arts student at The French Culinary Institute. She is inspired by cuisines of different cultures and loves to cook for anyone willing to eat her food.

The King of Chocolate Demos Dough

2011-09-16T16:18:00.000-04:00

By Nicole Ruiz Hudson

Imagine a bakery in the early morning hours. A baker goes to work rolling out dough. The smell of the raw dough begins to waft. As the dough is put in the oven, the aroma fills the room. It is quiet and calm and the smells are intoxicating.

Renowned chocolatier and Dean of Pastry Arts at The ICC, Jacques Torres, painted this picture of his favorite time of day in the bakeries he worked his way up in. The work can often be repetitive, but somewhere in there is also beauty. It was clear from the enthusiasm with which he spoke about the process of making fermented dough for croissants, pain au chocolat, and countless other treats that he has a deep respect for the process of creating them. It almost made me want to get up at 4:00 a.m. to make croissants too . . . almost.

Years of repetition making countless batches of croissants forges an easy intimacy between chef and ingredients, and Chef Torres’ insight and expertise is inspiring. Chef Torres discussed that while doughs really all have the same basic ingredients—salt, fat, sugar, liquid, and maybe yeast—within those limits there is still room for the baker to play. Change the proportions of the ingredients a few grams one way or the other and you tweak the texture. If you mix your flour, you can create just the right amount of gluten to suit your tastes. Understand how doughs react under different weather conditions and you can adjust your methods. Within these nuances is the genius.

On the other hand, Chef Torres said, with dough as fickle as croissant dough, there are countless factors on which you blame a failed batch. To prevent such failures, however, Chef Torres did share a few of his secrets:

For croissant dough, he prefers to use flour with high gluten content, so he likes to use bread flour, which might be cut with a little cake flour.
If you plan to let your dough rest, use a little more sugar as it will develop into gas, creating a better fermentation. If you don’t have time to let it rest, use less sugar.
A long, slow fermentation will create a more intense flavor.
Drop ingredients individually into separate areas of the bowl to make it easier to double-check that everything has been properly added.
Periodically check digital scales for accuracy. A quick way to do this is to put a one-pound package of butter on the scale and check that the reading matches.
Save scraps of leftover dough, they will act as a starter to help develop flavor in the new dough. Scraps can be stored in the freezer and thawed in the fridge the day before you intend to use them.

While Chef Torres’ expertise was evident, his ebullient personality and clear love of the subject matter was infectious. He entertained the audience with stories from his career and had the audience laughing throughout. There was a generally good vibe in the room during the entire lecture which was only augmented by a brief visit from chefs Jacques Pépin and Andre Soltner. The excitement in the room at getting to see these three great chefs together was palpable.

The cherry to top off this wonderful demo was the slew of delicious samples those of us lucky enough to be in the audience got to try. The warm croissant was beautifully flaky and had the perfect amount of chew, the pain au chocolat was oozing with chocolate, and as a final treat Chef Torres also made large, puffy bomboloni tossed in sugar and filled with pastry cream. My only regret is that I ate mine too quickly!

After 9 years working in the entertainment industry, thoughts of food and cooking got the better of Nicole Ruiz Hudson's imagination. She is now enrolled in the Classic Culinary Program at FCI and hopes to marry her new skills, love of entertainment, and her passion for food in a career in food media. When she is not cooking and eating, she is recording her culinary adventures on her blog, nibblinggypsy.com

Letters to Chef

2011-09-07T15:19:00.000-04:00

by Jax Hubbard

Dear Chef Scott,

You’ll be surprised to know that since you left The Big City to teach at The French Culinary Institute's campus in California, we have been surviving without you. This is not to say that we are happy about it, nor had we intended on having any sort of fun or semblance of success while you’ve been away. But we did. So this is not necessarily a love letter.

It behooves you to know that our timing has improved. Only once have we cooked into family meal. Or twice. Okay, so maybe just three times. I’ve stopped keeping track. Don’t give me that look.

Our knife skills have become more sophisticated, accurate, and just plain pretty. We have managed to maximize efficiency and minimize waste. Though I did inadvertently mix cleaned onion trimmings with raw pork bits in my scrap bowl, a no-no that Chef did not fail to notice.

We have continued to learn from–and about–each other and grow as a class. Examples include Angelo’s ability to simply glance at his mise en place and command it to prep itself (rightly noted by Alex, who has an unwavering love for Subway’s six-foot sandwiches); Meg’s commitment to positivity, humor, and colorful kitchen tools; Aiyana’s shameless interest in ServSafe; Ell’s composure in the face of injury (and subsequent stitches, of which there were three); and Dannie’s generosity, as evidenced by her donations of spare produce and parchment paper halves to needy teams.

If you still care to know, we recently endured the demands of the Level One practical and comprehensive exam. On the fifth floor, we were corralled into an unfamiliar kitchen and forced to execute perfection in an unruly time constraint. While the beginning of the practical was nothing short of torture, the anxiety gradually thinned. My hands, which seemed riddled with tremors during the first 20 minutes of the practical, became steady somewhere in the beginning of Part Three. Maybe, though I hesitate to use the word, we eventually managed to have a little fun.

So while you’re teaching in California, remember that your kids are still here in New York, mounting nappant sauces with beurre, trussing chickens to keep their plump shapes, and watching for the first wisp of smoke in the pan before searing. Sure, we continue to slice into our fingertips while we ciseler and singe our hands on hot pot handles, but I guess you could say we’re learning by doing. And doing. And re-doing. I hope that when you return to our little family you’ll be as proud of our progress as we are.

Till then,
Jax & Co.

Jax Hubbard is a registered dietitian, freelance food writer, and Classic Culinary Arts student at The French Culinary Institute. She aspires to eat well, cook without inhibition, and live to write about it.

FCI Instructors & Alumni Go to Harvard

2011-08-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

Harvard has sought out “world-class chefs and food experts” to speak at its vanguard Science & Cooking Public Lectures series, and a number of thought-leading instructors and alumni from The International Culinary Center’s French Culinary Institute have been selected to participate in these discussions on the convergence of science and food. Their scheduled lectures are are as follows:

Tuesday, September 6
Dave Arnold, FCI's Director of Culinary Technology
Harold McGee, FCI Instructor and author of On Food and Cooking
with Harvard Physics professor David Weitz
Topic: Historical Context and Demos Illustrating the Relationship of Food and Science

Monday, October 24, 2011
Wylie Dufresne (Classic Culinary Arts '93), chef-owner of wd~50
Topic: Proteins & Enzymes: Transglutaminase

Monday, November 7, 2011
Dan Barber (Classic Culinary Arts '94), executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Topic: Molecular Differences between Production Methods

Monday, November 14, 2011
David Chang (Classic Culinary Arts ‘01), chef-owner of Momofuku
Topic: Food Microbiology: An Overlooked Frontier

For more information about the series and how to attend, visit www.seas.harvard.edu/cooking.

Not-So-Simple Salads

2011-08-22T18:51:00.000-04:00

By Emma DeSantis

Salads, not simple? Who’d have thought? Prior to Lesson 10, when I thought of making salads, the word “complex” wasn’t usually something that sprung to mind. However, this was a word that stuck with me during this lesson and long after. I had visions of Salad Lesson being a leisurely session where we would mix various vinaigrettes, dress some lettuce, and after praising ourselves and our teammates for how perfectly we seasoned the dressing, we would have a few minutes at the end to practice tournage. Not so.

Thankfully, following Soup Day which was deceptively difficult and completely kicked our butts, our chef instructor pre-warned us that this lesson was another one that was not as easy as it sounded.

The first salad we made was a classic–Niçoise Salad, which is known as a composed salad as it is, (who would have thought), composed of a mixture of several different ingredients put together. Each component was separately dressed with a vinaigrette of olive oil, wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. The components consisted of a base of lettuce, string beans, tomato, egg, bell pepper, olives, tuna, and anchovies (yum).The final presentation of this salad was beautiful and I was pleasantly surprised when I realized it tasted even better than it looked. So far, so good.

Then it was on to the Sweet and Bitter Greens with Tomato and Herbs. This salad consists of several different bitter greens, coated in a vinaigrette and surrounded by wedges of tomato, also lightly coated in the vinaigrette, and fresh herbs, topped with thin slices of toasted baguette. After presenting this to Chef, there came a moment of testing my patience (not a strength, but something I am working on). As much as I wanted to scoff the salad like a ravenous herbivore, as I so often do, Chef suggested we wait for dinner break to add duck confit on top. The duck confit was prepared the last lesson and had been preserving in its own fat for several days—oh yeah! It truly was the pièce de résistance of the dish, or dare I say, the entire lesson. (Sorry, salads.) The classroom was a little more quiet than usual for dinner break—always a good sign that people are totally immersed in their food experience.

I never thought I would ever make a salad that consists of about 20 ingredients, but the Cooked Vegetable Salad did it. It was the ultimate recipe for students to practice different techniques and included cutting macedoine (a cut that transforms your vegetables into 1/2-by-1/2 centimeter cubes) and cooking l’anglaise for the vegetable component. It also required us to create an emulsification for the basil mayonnaise and I can always use more practice in all of these things!

For the final presentation of this dish we made very fine slices of cucumber using the mandolin. I confess I had images of sliced fingertips, but I am happy to say everyone’s fingers are still intact—for now at least. Once we combined the veggies with the mayo and placed this mixture in a timbale mold (along with the tomato fondue, another component of the recipe that’s simple but SO GOOD), we were ready to present.

The moment of truth is presenting to Chef. Is all of your love, blood, sweat and tears that went into making this dish going to be enough? Perhaps that is a little dramatic, but sometimes not far off...

“A little more salt on the vegetables, otherwise good.” Hey, I’ll take it! Besides allowing my potatoes to come to a rolling boil (busted), this was about as chaotic as Salad Lesson got.

As lessons are getting busier and yes, more difficult, I am enjoying them even more. I have learned so much after just a few weeks of the program and despite having a long way to go, what makes the difference is that I actually love learning this stuff. I know that with some passion, practice and persistence I’ll be able to take on any salad that is thrown at me… so to speak.

Emma is originally from New Zealand and is a Classic Culinary Arts student at The French Culinary Institute. She is inspired by cuisines of different cultures and loves to cook for anyone willing to eat her food.

Yankee Stadium Kitchen Tour

2011-08-16T13:43:00.000-04:00

by Nicole Ruiz Hudson

I might as well fess up right now—this writer is not a sports fan. When I go to a game, it’s really just an excuse to load up on all the ballpark snacks. Therefore, the kitchen stadium tour that a small group of us students got to take recently was the perfect way for me to see Yankee stadium.

Hot dog and nacho assembly lines were nowhere to be seen on this visit. As much as I love concessions, the kitchens we saw are producing food in a completely different league. Chef Nichole Sutton, of the Legends Club, led us on rare behind-the-scenes tour of the elite clubs and luxury suites that are providing elevated dinning experiences to Yankee fans. However, these kitchens aren’t trying to completely undo themselves of their ballpark concession roots either. According to Chef Nichole, the goal is more to kick it up a few notches, so rather than getting your average hamburger, here you might be served a short rib slider topped with foie gras. You can also expect to find classics like seafood cocktail. They’re taking high-end ingredients and presenting them in accessible and familiar ways.

The surroundings are also just a little more luxe than your average bleacher seats. Fans with deep pockets can buy suites, which are basically like a baseball fan’s dream apartment. They include indoor and outdoor seating from which to view the game, big screen TVs, and individual kitchens. However, you’ll never have to lift a finger in this kitchen as the suites receive full-service catering.

The Yankee Clubs have a more social ambiance at which fans can enjoy restaurant-style dinning within the ballpark. Chef Nichole’s club, Legends, has the look of a chic, modernist cafeteria with a lot of dark woods, black leather, and steel chairs. The bright, airy space is organized around three buffet stations at the center of the club themed around air, land, and sea. Each club has a different vibe, but no matter where you go, you’re surrounded by Yankee history as photographs of team members hang on just about every wall. A lot of these clubs also have amazing views of the field to enjoy as you savor your meal. Most of the clubs require membership; however, the Audi Club does provide reservations on a per game basis.

These club areas are quite large and have multiple areas, and Chef Nichole made it clear that to serve so many people each game the kitchens really have to hustle. (Legends alone serves approximately 1,200 people on average.) Moreover, sometimes conditions aren’t exactly ideal as some of the kitchens are rather small given the large production scale. The pastry kitchen in particular felt pretty tight with just our small group and the few staff members that were working during our visit. Every game is a make-it-work situation, and they get it done.

Product selection is also given a lot of consideration, as one would assume. As much as possible, the clubs try to source locally and sustainably with an eye on social and environmental responsibility. However, there is a bit of a balancing act that has to happen given the sheer quantities of product required. Additionally, certain items are provided by sponsors, which also factor into purchasing decisions.

Besides getting a very different look at stadium eating, our group also got the rare privilege of getting within a few feet of the green. I have to admit that getting a taste of what it might feel like to emerge out of the dugout and step onto the field was pretty cool.

When I next return to the stadium, back under the constraints of a student budget, I’ll probably opt once again for my usual concessions. I’ll still enjoy my hot dog as always, but I will definitely be thinking longingly about those sparerib sliders.

After 9 years working in the entertainment industry, thoughts of food and cooking got the better of Nicole Ruiz Hudson's imagination. She is now enrolled in the Classic Culinary Program at FCI and hopes to marry her new skills, love of entertainment, and her passion for food in a career in food media. When she is not cooking and eating, she is recording her culinary adventures on her blog, nibblinggypsy.com

A Visit with Harold McGee

2011-08-09T13:13:00.000-04:00

by Melanie Lopez

He does not have a favorite restaurant because he has been to too many to even decide. That is living the dream for anyone who loves food and it is reality for author and food science savant, Harold McGee.

McGee has been present in the food circuit since the 1984 release of his book On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. On Food and Cooking bridged the gap between food and the science behind it, during a time when food science was only of interest in a commercial setting. The book brought practicality to curious kitchen chefs and allowed them to understand their cooking on a higher level. After several books and an increasing interest in food science within the food community, he then published a revised version of the book in 2004. On Food and Cooking is a testament of the power of desire and interest. Not coming from a food science background, but rather one based in literature and astronomy, McGee wrote his book following sheer interest and passion for the subject. He was interested in the ideas that were behind science and the science of everyday life. McGee’s interested mind created a new occupation for himself following a teaching position at Yale University. Now McGee has several books under his belt, a book regarding taste in the making, and is a columnist for the New York Times.

A few weeks ago, Harold McGee graced the halls of The International Culinary Center of California. Alumni, current students, and a few lucky open house guests were able to meet McGee during a signing for his books. Following the signing, McGee was accompanied by Paolo Luchessi of the San Francisco Chronicle for a question and answer forum. Questions regarding the Spanish and Nordic movements of cooking to the intricacies of sous vide cooking were asked.

McGee may not have come from the same kind of background as many students of The International Culinary Center, considering he has never gone to culinary school, nor even studied food during his formal education. However, McGee’s writings on food science have helped to create diversified interests among chefs. Unlike before, chefs now are knowledgeable not only about the tradition of cooking, but the science behind it as well.

McGee’s knowledge and career are highly envied and admired. Being as such, McGee was able to leave The International Culinary Center with words of advice and wisdom for those beginning careers. For writers, he stressed to write about what you like. He also noted that writing in the sciences is not heavily written about. For aspiring cooks, he said find a good place to work at and cook a lot. Great advice from a highly acclaimed food writer. Surely, students will be able to take his words to their own hearts and cooking.

Melanie Lopez graduated from the culinary arts program in June 2010. Like McGee, she traded in her scientific scholarly pursuits for other interests that explained the ideas behind everyday life. She is now pursuing a Bachelors Degree in Community and Regional Development at the University of California Davis and expects to graduate in June 2012.

Soup Day

2011-08-03T15:23:00.000-04:00

by Jax Hubbard

It’s lesson eight of Level 1 and, though barely visible, there is an ember of confidence present in the kitchen. We just finished exam number one and we are ready to take on soups. Though their French designations sound unusual, the recipes’ English names are familiar and comforting: split pea, vegetable, French onion. Consommé is the more intimidating of the four, but come on—it’s just soup, right?

Wrong. So very wrong.

Consommé is first up and things are going smoothly. Step one requires that I mash and mangle together a mixture of meat, egg whites, and vegetables to a consistency, which, I imagine, resembles stomach contents. My left hand is resting on my hip while I stir; I ooze tranquility and control. While our broths are clarifying, we are told to prepare the vegetables and aromatics for the next dish: potage cultivateur, or “farmer-style” vegetable soup. The name conjures a visual of produce, chunked in rustic glory, the product of a blue-collar worker with dirt under his fingernails. Instead, the soup requires meticulous attention to knife skills. Precision reigns in this dish, and nothing is gone about haphazardly—at least not intentionally. Before I can even contemplate my mise en place, we are expected to have moved on to preparing the split pea soup.

Great. Just great.

It’s here where the lesson unravels, as does my mind. Things are boiling that should be simmering, the consommé is being neglected, bowls are accumulating for no good reason, I’m scrambling for the bacon, the butter, the scale, the peppercorns. My plan is taken hostage by a frenzied attempt at organization. I feel my cheeks pool with blood, my hands become shaky, and my heart is thumping underneath my uniform.

And chef is calling for the consommé.

“Almost done, chef.”
“Come on, guys. Pick up the pace. Consommés, now!”
“Yes, chef. One minute, chef.”

I scatter hastily taillaged vegetables into a bowl and dump in my soup. The broth is frothy and I don’t have the capacity to devise a remedy so I bring it to chef and, just as his lips touch the spoon, I feel a wave of nausea as I realize: salt. I forgot the salt. He tries to find something positive to say, but, being there is zero seasoning, he quickly dismisses me.

Back to the split pea soup. The peas are not fully cooked through but I don’t have the time to allow them to gently soften. I dump the soup into the communal soup bucket where it is blasted by chef, toting an industrial-size immersion blender. My partner and I finish off the vegetable soup, all the while panicking over the size of the bacon lardons, the lack of carrots, and the location of the doilies for plating. We taste and discover: it’s salty. Not a pleasant, puckering brininess, but a burn-the-back-of-your-throat saline solution. With the addition of water, we accomplish balance and present the final product to chef.

He smacks his lips together after slurping the broth, makes a face that tells us he’s carefully analyzing the color, the flavor, the mouthfeel, and then he says, “Perfectly seasoned.” I am elated, elevated, and, above all, exhausted. We scramble to disassemble our work area; slosh sanitation solution on the countertops, toss bowls and pots and cutting boards onto the cleaning station, buff out stains from the burners with vinegar, which scorches my nose and makes my eyes tear. I can’t wait to get home and get the soup smell out of my pores. But I earned the stink on my uniform, the pain in my feet, and the ache in my back. We finish on time and leave, each of us with a quart of freshly prepared and pureed split pea soup and a hunk of crusty French bread.

I enter the subway, squish into a seat, savagely tear into the bread, and dunk it into the soup. The strange looks I receive from surrounding commuters barely penetrate me. I was officially initiated into the culinary world and earned some chops tonight, and I’ll be damned if I don’t get to eat some soup.

Jax Hubbard is a registered dietitian, freelance food writer, and Classic Culinary Arts student at The French Culinary Institute. She aspires to eat well, cook without inhibition, and live to write about it.

Why We Love Restaurant Week

2011-07-15T15:16:00.004-04:00

A recent article in the New York Post features a handful disgruntled Restaurant Week diners who feel that abbreviated menus and portion sizes have left them holding the short end of the stick.

We're proud to note that L'Ecole serves the same three-course menu to diners during Restaurant Week that we do year round. That means you can choose from our full range of inventive menu selections at full portion sizes—at an even better price of $24.07 for a three-course meal.

Join us for lunch through July 22 to take advantage of the deal. Menu highlights include Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Ricotta Salata, Corn Bisque with Duck Confit, Steelhead Trout with Fresh Pea Risotto, and Fresh Strawberry Tart with Crème Fraiche Ice Cream.

View the full menu

Download the menu

Tweet It Like You Mean It

2011-07-13T20:07:00.007-04:00

FourSquare, Groupon, Facebook, Google+… The roster of social media platforms just keeps on growing, and the buzz surrounding them has expanded into a steady din. For chefs and small business owners in the food industry, harnessing the power of social media seems like a no-brainer, but dipping your toes in the water can be quite intimidating.

On July 13, we hosted Building Buzz: Restaurants, Foodies & Social Media, a panel discussion with noted chefs and food personalities who are forging their own paths in the social media arena. Sponsored by New York magazine and YourBuzz from American Express OPEN, the talk was moderated by GrubStreet.com editor, Alan Sytsma.

It was a great opportunity for The ICC to help bring together a group of our contacts and alumni in the industry for a fun and informative conversation, and we picked up some great advice from the panelists that we'd like to pass along to you.

Cesare Casella
Our dean of Italian Studies and chef-owner of Salumeria Rosi
Social media absolutely does present chefs with new opportunities and access to the media. Cesare has gotten press inquiries based on content posted to his network that he would not have received otherwise.

Francis Lam
Features editor at Gilt Taste
Negative criticism from readers (internet road rage), can sting on a very personal level, but there is a positive to addressing comments proactively. Reaching out directly to flamers reminds them that there is an actual person on the other side of a rant and can potentially improve the tone of the conversation.

Paul Liebrandt
Chef-owner of Corton
Content should always come from the client in order to be authentic. This sentiment was echoed by all of the panelists. If you're a publicist, spend time with your chef in order to understand the business from the inside so you can capture its true tone and personality. Chefs who outsource their social media efforts are responsible for providing good content and communicating with their providers to ensure that the message is on target with goals.

Kenny Lao
Co-founder of Rickshaw Dumpling
Many small businesses feel obligated to participate in social media because everyone is doing it. If you're hesitant to join the fray, do so only because you firmly believe it will help you grow your business.

Zak Pelaccio
Chef-owner of Fatty Crab and French Culinary Institute alum
Don't be discouraged by internet road rage. Believe in yourself and your vision, and don't let naysayers get you down.

Where Does Bacon Come From? Pork Butchery with Chef Pascal

2011-07-11T19:49:00.004-04:00

The mantra to “never stop learning” is meant not only for our students at The International Culinary Center, but for our chef-instructors as well. We are fortunate to have many experts within our four walls who generously share their talents and techniques—both traditional and of the moment.

Today’s popularity in nose-to-tail eating has ignited new interest in the craft of butchery. At The ICC, this leads us to Chef Pascal Béric. Our resident charcuterie and butchering expert, Chef Pascal recently hosted a workshop for chef-instructors on butchering a pig from head to tail.

Watch artistry in motion as Chef Pascal effortlessly creates the primal cuts of pork: picnic, Boston butt, loin, spare ribs, pork belly/bacon and ham.

California's Inaugural Class Meets Jacques Pepin

2011-06-27T17:12:00.000-04:00

Jacques Pépin with students in the first FCI culinary class

This spring, in celebration of the launch of our new California campus, the inaugural career program was named for one of our legendary deans Jacques Pépin. Students in the Jacques Pépin Inaugural Class for Classic Culinary Arts receive an exclusive session with the acclaimed chefs.

Chef Peter Rudolph visits FCI Calfornia

2011-06-22T18:13:00.000-04:00

Chef Peter Rudolph

Peter Rudolph, executive chef at Madera, in Menlo Park, California, visited The FCI California last week to do a demo for the students there. Interestingly, he began his career in pastry, but eventually made his way over to the savory side of the kitchen, working 10 years with The Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. Chef Peter was awarded his first Michelin star this year.

For his menu, Chef Peter presented an arctic char ballotine, made with arctic char mousse and Louisiana lump crab, with a fried egg, nasturtiums, shaved truffles, and heirloom greens.

Chef Peter showed students how to use a immersion circulator to prepare the dish by using this method to poach the ballotine. He also demonstrated three techniques for making poached and deep-fried eggs.

The eggs bundles and ballotine poach in the circulator at 74 degrees.

After poaching, he dredged the eggs in flour, then dipped it in lightly whisked eggs, and coated the outside in panko before deep-frying to a slight crisp.

Three ways to prepare the eggs, from left: 1. left in the shell and cooked in circulator at 62.4°F; 2. left in the shell and boiled for 5 1/2 minutes; 3. cracked, tied up in plastic wrap, and cooked in circulator at 74°F.

Chef Peter starts the third egg preparation by cracking an egg into a ramekin lined with plastic wrap and then ties the ends together to form a little egg bundle (see above).

the final dish

A Pig Project

2011-06-21T13:10:00.001-04:00

The following video highlights the pig-filled adventure I took in the spring of 2011 as part of my menu project in the Classic Culinary Arts program at The FCI. After tasting the delicious pork from a Berkshire hog, I was compelled to find out what sets these animals apart from the pork I grew up eating. My search began in Brooklyn, New York, at Heritage Foods USA, where I was allowed to intern for a month in exchange for half of a 100 percent Berkshire hog and a trip to their partner Paradise Locker Meats in Trimble, Missouri. I set off to spend some time with the people who raise and slaughter the pigs that I had become so fascinated with.

Upon my arrival, I was welcomed into the home and business of Mario and Teresa Fantasma, owners of Paradise Locker Meats. There I was shown their immaculate and fully thought-out facilities. From outdoor holding pens with automatic water dispensers and misting fans to the remarkably clean kill floor, the family operated meat locker has it all. What I was most impressed by was the process in which the animals are slaughtered, cleaned, and broken down. The six-person crew works systematically to ensure that each animal is handled with respect and that the requirements of their Humane Slaughter Certification are met.

Later, I was able to tour Norton Farms in Plattsburg, Missouri, where third generation pig farmer Eric Norton breeds a variety of hogs, including Berkshires. The Norton Farm spans 5,000 acres of outdoor pasture and crops, where they raise roughly 2,000 hogs at a time. Throughout their property, I saw hundreds of pig huts, which Eric told me needed to be lined with fresh straw every other day during the winter in order to keep their outdoor pigs warm. Hearing of Eric’s dedication to raising these animals gave me that much more motivation to get back to New York City, so I could honor the animal and all the hard work required to raise it with my cooking. For my menu project (something all culinary students are require to complete toward the end of their schooling), I prepared an entire meal showcasing various parts of my hog.

Brian Scibetta will graduate from the Classic Culinary Arts program on August 3rd, 2011. He plans to begin work with a master butcher to further hone his butchering skills. Brian also hopes to open his own restaurant with an ever-changing charcuterie-based menu that is dictated by what local farmers are able to offer.

The Condiment Competition

2011-06-20T14:36:00.015-04:00

On June 6th, The Friends of The FCI held its 4th annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, where students not only came out to prove their incredible eating abilities but their culinary ones as well. The hot dog condiment contest gave students a chance to use their creativity to come up with original recipes for unique hot dog toppers. Five finalists were chosen to be judged by a panel of distinguished NYC chefs.

I had so much fun meeting the contestants and tasting their hot dogs. Each had a completely different approach, but all had delicious results! I asked each contestant about the inspiration for their recipes. I was really impressed by how much the condiment recipes reflected on each student’s own background, influences, and interests.

So without further ado, let’s meet the contestants.

Jaime Herrera, a level 5 culinary student, took the classic condiment of aïoli up a notch by incorporating spicy chipotles. Jaime drew his inspiration from one of the best possible sources—his own palate! Jaime is from Mexico, and his inspiration for this condiment was born out of one of his own favorite flavors: chipotles. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with cooking what you love best! I personally LOVE chipotle sauce of any kind, especially on sandwiches. Needless to say, I was thrilled to sample a hot dog swimming in Jaime’s mouthwatering chipotle aïoli, topped with diced red peppers!

Bettina Will hails from Germany, the home of the frankfurter—the original hot dog. She is currently in the culinary level 2 class, and she created a fantastic lamb chili for her hot dog.

Chili has long been a popular hot dog topper, but this was no ordinary chili. Inspired by Syrian lamb kebabs, Bettina combined sour cherries and rich ground lamb meat with such spices common in Middle Eastern dishes as cumin and cinnamon. Packed with flavor, this dark meaty chili satisfied my taste for sweet, sour, and spicy all in one.

Mary Luz Herras, a level 6 student, reinvented a popular Ecuadorian hot dog.

According to Mary Luz, hot dogs are typically topped with pineapples and salty potato chips in her native Ecuador. I loved her creative twist of flavors by making a pineapple-chile pepper marmalade topped with fried tomato skins.

The marmalade was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy, and the fried tomato skins added an unexpected salty element with a crispy texture reminiscent of potato chips. This refreshing condiment not only brought the flavors of Ecuador to the table, but also utilized tomato skins that would normally be wasted.

Level 2 student, Francine Lee, created a hot dog like none I’ve ever seen. Francine loves to eat the traditional English breakfast, which is comprised of fried eggs, bacon, grilled portobello mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and baked beans. As a result, the breakfast hot dog was born. Topped with baked bean puree and a small amount of each key ingredient in the English breakfast, Francine’s hot dog was a beautiful sight. Presentation wasn’t the only beautiful part of this hot dog. Each bite brought a perfect blend of various flavors. I absolutely loved Francine’s creative approach. I might even start eating hot dogs for breakfast!

Last, but certainly not least, level 3 student Marite Acosta created something really special with her farm stand relish.

Using all local produce harvested mostly from her own backyard on Long Island, Marite’s relish was a perfect example of cooking seasonally and close to home. Her pickled relish included fresh jalape&ncedil;o peppers, okra, radishes, sweet baby bell peppers, and persian cucumbers. Marite was inspired by the Chicago-style hot dog, which is often topped with sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spears, and pickled sport peppers. One bite rendered a full flavored and wonderfully textured hot dog.

The competition truly was a tough one with such different and delicious condiments to choose from. In the end, the judges chose Marite Acosta’s farm stand relish as the winner! Her prize is a spot in FCI’s coveted charcuterie class! Congratulations Marite!

Many thanks to all the contestants for their hard work and excellent products! I was pleasantly stuffed after enjoying all five unique and incredible hot dogs!

Melissa McAllister is a Classic Culinary Arts student graduating in February 2012. She hopes to pursue a career in food journalism or test kitchens. Her favorite way to eat a hot dog is smothered in ketchup at a baseball game with her Dad.

Pop a Cork!

2011-06-17T12:11:00.007-04:00

On opening night, theater superstition forbids actors to wish each other good luck, so they pass along their good wishes by saying, "Break a leg." At The FCI, when our wine students are entering their exams for their "big break" as certified sommeliers, in the same vein, we might wish them to "Pop a cork!"

Just as theater folk don’t want their cast members to actually break their legs, we don't want out students to actually pop their corks. (They would actually lose points on their test for that!) Proper removal of a cork should always be a quiet process. As you can see from the photo there have been a lot of bottles uncorked in practice leading to up to the exam.

Wine students of the Intensive Sommelier Training program are seeking the prized pin classifying them as an industry recognized certified sommelier. To accomplish this certification, they will have to pass two levels of examination, which are conducted by the Court of Master Sommeliers®: Level 1 Introductory Sommelier Exam and the Level 2 Certified Sommelier Exam.

Introductory Sommelier Course, Level 1 consists of an introduction to the Court, fast-paced lectures on such things as wine regions, wine law, and wine styles, and a theory based exam. Certified Sommelier Exam, Level 2 involves a one-day exam with three components: blind tasting, written theory, and practical service. The service portion can be either Champagne or wine decanting, and students won’t know which they will be expected to do until they are tested.

It's an exciting accomplishment to earn this coveted pin. We would like to wish all of our students the best of luck on their exams this week. —Royce Dove, associate marketing manager, International Culinary Center California

Stand Up for the New Reigning Hot Dog Champions

2011-06-17T11:13:00.012-04:00

On Monday, June 6th, I had the pleasure of attending the Fourth Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest, a charity event organized to raise money for The Friends of The FCI Award. There was certainly some very lively competition between the contestants. Students raced to finish a single two-and-a-half-foot-long hot dog, and the faculty was tasked with putting away as many regular size dogs as they could in three minutes.

I had never been to an event like this, but eating competitions are really something everyone should experience, even if just once. The room was packed with a sizable crowd, all yelling and cheering while the hot dogs were being eaten—myself included. Not that consumption rate is necessarily correlated with the loudness of the crowd, but I wanted to believe that we could actually help them eat faster if we were just a little louder.

The staff champion, Chef Dave Oland (pictured above, center), from Chicago, took home a prize of three vacation days after downing 13 hot dogs in three minutes.

Winning strategy?
"Come in and beat Erik Murninghan, and raise money for the cause."

Favorite thing about hot dogs?
"beer"

Best hot dog memory?
"this one"

In the student division, Dan Esposito (pictured above) placed first, finishing all two-and-a-half-feet of hot dog before any of his classmates. He was handsomely rewarded with a stack of coupons to various restaurants around the city and a trophy made entirely out of sugar. It was a pretty heavy trophy.

His winning strategy?
"Apparently, make a mess, and eat faster than everyone else. If it weren’t for a good cause, I’d be very, very ashamed of myself."

Favorite thing about hot dogs?
"I think that a hot dog is a fun food. I wouldn’t feel the same way about eating 30 legs of duck confit, or a bucket of foie gras."

Best hot dog memory?
"This one, or Nathan’s 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest. Unless I'd been there, I wouldn’t believe that people could get so excited about eating pork by-product."

I screamed myself hoarse from all the excitement and went home with a sore throat. I was also waiting to see if anyone would have trouble keeping it all down, but everyone took it like a champ. And, the best part? Raising money for a good cause while having a blast.

Grace Ports is a Classic Culinary Arts student graduating in February 2012. She hopes to expose more people to Cantonese cuisine and help bring family dinner back into people's homes. She has a food blog at www.claypotclub.com. Her favorite hot dog was eaten at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Give a Little, Get a Lot

2011-06-16T13:38:00.021-04:00

A large part of being in the food industry is community. Giving and sharing are inescapable elements in what serving food to others is all about.

As a school, along with education (and good technique!), we are also advocates of investing positively in the community around us. And our chef-instructors, employees, students, and graduates share their passion with a larger community in a multitude of positive ways—ways that support, build, and make life better. Whether sharing food or skills with underserved populations, working tirelessly to improve food in our schools, fighting hunger, getting involved with food policy, or making positive choices in how to run a restaurant, bakery, or food truck, there is so much good that can be done with just a little effort (or sometimes a lot).

Recently, The International Culinary Center of California participated at a Meals on Wheels of San Francisco event, serving food prepared by our chefs along with other area restaurants in an effort to raise money for the program. Meals on Wheels of San Francisco provides daily nutritious meals to homebound seniors, while also providing needful human contact, with the mission of helping these seniors stay in their homes and avoid premature institutionalization through the aid of their supportive services. It was a fun event, and everyone had a great time!

Marc Bauer, master chef and roundsman, New York campus

André Soltner, dean of classic studies, (left) with Jeremy MacVeigh, director of culinary arts, California campus, (right)

André Soltner with Brooke Schwartz, president of International Culinary Center California

The Grand Finale: Pastry Takes a Bow

2011-06-14T13:41:00.014-04:00

Scanning the hallways for final projects is a favorite diversion around here. Creativity reigns. Given a central theme, Classic Pastry Arts students must design and create a display made out of chocolate and/or sugar (pulled, blown, pastillage, etc.) on which to showcase their final product for judging. Each student is assigned a cookie or petits fours, cake or tart, and confection (some sort of candy dipped, coated, or encased in chocolate) from the curriculum, along with a bread product that is not arranged on their showpiece. Top chefs from the industry come in to judge what the students have produced.

Can you guess what theme these students were given?

A Taste of South America

2011-06-06T15:11:00.011-04:00

"Fusion isn’t Korean tacos," says Adam Schop, chef and partner of Nuela, a Latin American restaurant in the Flatiron district in New York City. To Schop, simply mixing flavors together from different cultures is missing the point of fusion cuisine. He has embraced this philosophy at Nuela, where he focuses on flavors from such countries as Peru, Brazil, and Columbia, pulling from native influences and tastes from immigrant populations.

Peru is Schop’s strongest focus, a country boasting a broad range of dishes heavily influenced by its large Japanese population. Schop visited the International Culinary Theater recently to share his philosophy with students and demo a few signature dishes from his restaurant.

Chef Adam Schop of Nuela

First up, a bright pink and orange Florida red snapper hit the cutting board and Schop quickly filleted it and sliced up tender pink cubes to create seviche tipico, the typical seviche served across Peru, and one of many served at the seviche bar at Nuela. Although you could technically make a seviche by marinating fish in citric acid and salt until it is cooked, there are a few integral steps that transform it from something acrid into something really special.

The secret to Nuela’s seviche tipico is something the Peruvian’s call leche de tigre, or tiger’s milk. It’s a natural liquor that leaches from the fish as it marinates, creating a salty, milky liquid that is often served alongside the ceviche as a shooter. Schop takes this principal and brings it to the next level by making his own leche de tigre base as a marinade for the fish, incorporating raw fish, celery, onion, garlic, and fresh ginger to create a savory green puree.

The other key ingredient to his seviche is a custom blended citrus juice designed to replicate the flavors of Peruvian limes, which are larger versions of Key limes and pack a bold flavored juice unavailable here in the United States. He uses a blend of Key limes, bitter orange, and yuzu to marinate his fish along with the leche de tigre and some salt to make one of the freshest, brightest tasting seviches I’ve ever tried. He tops the dish with red onion slivers, chopped cilantro, and cancha—sun-dried corn kernels fried in duck fat—to complete this classic dish.

ceviche tipico

Students had the opportunity to not only watch and learn, but sample Schop’s seviche, along with a Brazilian-influenced lobster moqueca with hearts of palm, Swiss chard, farofa, and cashews, and the show stopping, duck-focused dish, aroz con pato (shown below). Awarded the distinction of Sam Sifton’s Best of Dishes of 2010 by the New York Times, the aroz con pato is a paella topped with seasonal veggies, foie gras, dry-aged seared duck breast, duck confit, a fried duck egg, and a duck gizzard salad to make a feast for two (or three, or four…).

lobster moqueca

aroz con pato

You can sample Chef Adam Schop’s flavors of Latin America, and try the infamous aroz con pato, by visiting Nuela, located at 43 W. 24th street, between 5th and 6th avenues. Learn more at Nuelany.com

Don’t forget to check the events calendar to stay up to date on the exciting demos coming to the International Culinary Theater; students and alumni are invited to taste and learn!

Tara O’Keeffe graduated from the evening Classic Culinary Arts program on March 16, 2011. After an exciting year learning how to make food look and sound good at the Food Network and Food Arts magazine, she has come back to FCI to share and expand her passion for food, working in the Culinary Programming department. She has a blog called Fun Fearless Foodie.

Eggs Most Excellent: Lessons from Jacques Pepin

2011-06-02T16:06:00.007-04:00

The Dean of Special Program’s at the French Culinary Institute, Master Chef Jacques Pépin, recently spent some time with students and alumni in the International Culinary Theater to talk about life’s wonder ingredient: eggs!

Eggs are incredible for a number of reasons—not only are they packed with protein and nutrients, but they can thicken, stabilize, emulsify, and add flavor. Whether hard-boiled, over-easy, scrambled, whipped into a meringue, or the secret to a soufflé, eggs are an essential ingredient every cook should know how to work with.

A master of classical French cooking, Chef Pépin has been working with eggs his entire life and introduced some very helpful tips and simple recipes to the crowd of eager listeners. Here are the highlights:

On boiling eggs:

When soft-boiling or hard-boiling an egg, use the tip of a pin to poke a tiny hole in the top of the egg. This allows pressure to release as the egg is cooking, preventing cracking and helping reduce the sulfuric smell and gray lining around the yolk.

As soon as your eggs are cooked, place them in a bowl of ice water to shock them for at least 15 minutes. This slows down the cooking process and allows the sulfur inside the egg to escape into the water, again preventing that stinky smell and reducing the chances of getting the gray lining.

On separating whites and yolks:

If you separate whites by passing the yolk back and forth in the shell you leave behind 20% of the whites and run the risk of breaking the yolk. If you are working with a recipe calling for whites and don’t get them all, your ratios may be negatively impacted and that soufflé or meringue may not come out right.

Instead, separate the whites and yolks while the eggs are cold using your hands (clean of course!), passing the yolk back and forth. This method works well because the cold egg prevents the yolk from breaking as easily and you will drain off almost all the whites.

On mayonnaise:

According to Chef Pépin, there is nothing quite like fresh mayonnaise, and I have to agree. Simply place a few yolks into a bowl, add a dash of vinegar, and slowly stream in canola oil while whisking vigorously until a smooth emulsion forms. Season to your tastes with salt and pepper, and serve. Use within a day. Making your own mayonnaise takes a matter of minutes and is leaps and bounds better than that jarred stuff.

Chef Pépin also shared with us a recipe for his mother’s take on deviled eggs—what he calls Eggs Janet. Janet, his mother, is 96 and still a powerful presence in his life. She makes a garlicky filling for the eggs, stuffs them, then sautés them in a little butter to achieve a golden crust. She serves them over a quick mustard sauce for a simple but tasty egg dish.

Eggs Janet
recipe courtesy Jacques Pépin
Eggs:
4 hard-boiled eggs
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
fresh chives
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
milk
unsalted butter
Mustard Sauce (recipe below)
1. Slice the hard-boiled eggs in half lengthwise and remove the yolks using a small spoon. Place 3 of the yolks in a bowl and reserve the 4th yolk for the mustard sauce.
2. Mash the yolks with the garlic and chives until a smooth paste forms. Season. Pour in milk, a little at a time, until the mixture is creamy. Spoon the filling into the egg whites.
3. Heat some butter in a sauté pan set over medium heat. Add eggs, filling side down, and gently sauté until the surface is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and serve over mustard sauce.
Mustard sauce:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
canola oil
fresh herbs (chervil, parsley, and chives work great)
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
Whisk reserved egg yolk with mustard until incorporated. Stream in canola oil and whisk until an emulsion forms. Stir in herbs; season.

Don’t forget to check the events calendar to stay up to date on the exciting demos coming to the International Culinary Theater; students and alumni are invited to taste and learn!

Tara O’Keeffe graduated from the evening Classic Culinary Arts program on March 16, 2011. After an exciting year learning how to make food look and sound good at the Food Network and Food Arts magazine, she has come back to FCI to share and expand her passion for food, working in the Culinary Programming department. She has a blog called Fun Fearless Foodie.

The Not So Very "Haute-Dog" Eating Contest...

2011-06-02T10:59:00.011-04:00

...Bon Appetit!

I had read about the hot dog eating contest shortly after joining Level 1 of Culinary. Surely this was a typo, as there is nothing français about a hot dog, and we are all at this school to become fine French chefs embellishing conversations with fancy French words, RIGHT?

I soon learned that I was not only wrong but also delusional about the contest and my perception of the school. First, credible sources confirmed that the school will be serving up 30-inch hot dogs (and, yes, size does count), and, second, the school rocks both worlds, be it glamour or street. This sounded exciting, and I decided to shed my short lived "pseudo culinary wannabe-ism" and join in the fun.

If you haven’t noticed, there is a lot of locker and classroom conversations about this event, and if you haven’t been part of it, wake up and get on board. It will be hilarious to see the most likely and some not so likely individuals gorge themselves on les chiens chauds.

But eating is not the only place where our competitive spirit will prevail. It’s a package deal, as there is also a beverage and a hot dog condiment contest! As I am covering the beverage part of the event, my eavesdropping skills are being put to good use, and let me tell you, there are some pretty mind-blowing beverages coming your way.

I am sure you will all join me in wishing our comrades bon courage, and may our "hot doggers" be blessed with a large appetite and a fast metabolism on Monday!

Saira Malhotra is a Classic Culinary Arts student graduating in August 2011. She hopes to pursue a career in food television and has a food blog at: www.passportpantry.com. Her favorite way to eat a hot dog is fully loaded with jalapeños, hot sauce, and a squeeze of Dijon mustard.

Attention, Attention!

2011-06-02T10:38:00.003-04:00

Due to a power outage at the school yesterday, the condiment and beverage recipes entry deadline has been extended! All students have until 5:00 p.m. today (June 2nd) to apply. Submit entries directly to Chef Jeff Butler: jbutler@frenchculinary.com.

Good luck to all!!

What’s On Your Hot Dog?

2011-06-01T17:24:00.011-04:00

Everyone knows that a hot dog isn’t complete without the perfect condiment. This year’s Hot Dog Condiment Contest takes dressing up a dog beyond mustard and relish and raises the bar to a whole new level. Students are challenged to flex their culinary muscles and bring their own original condiment recipes to the table. Five recipe finalists will be selected to prepare and present their condiments to a panel of some of NYC’s top chefs. The winner will receive free enrollment in FCI’s celebrated three-day charcuterie class!

Choosing a winner will certainly be a difficult task, as there are probably a hundred different ways of eating a hot dog! I interviewed a few of the judges to find out some of their ideas on what makes for a winning condiment.

MEET THE JUDGES:

Chef Tony Liu, Executive Chef of August located in Greenwich Village

What inspired you to become a chef?
Food! I love to eat. I was also inspired by the the many aspects of the trade. To be a chef you need to be able to do some math, chemistry, history, geography, and sports. I can relate running a restaurant to team sports.

What criteria are you looking for in this competition?
First and foremost, taste is the main criterion that holds the most weight. I think texture should also be included with taste, because it is a part of taste reception. A diced onion tastes differently than a pureed onion. Next in importance is presentation, and then creativity.

What is your favorite way to eat a hot dog?
I really like Chicago—style dogs because there is so much going on. I also like currywurst. Two great things taste great together.

Chef Candy Argondizza, Director of Culinary Arts at The FCI

What are the main influences in your cooking style?
My style reflects food that is accessible and has lots of flavor. Seasonality is a huge influence in what I choose to make. I love to make food that is tasty and unfussy.

What criteria are you looking for in this competition?
The criteria are mostly about flavor and balance. Hot dogs tend to be a little salty, so I’m looking for something with a little sweetness, vinegary, sweet-and-sour, and, of course, texture is important, too. Presentation and creativity also play a role. It’s all important. My colleagues and myself will taste everything, and judge them as fairly as possible.

What is your favorite way to eat a hot dog?
I’m a purist. I like a dog with just a good mustard and a beer.

Chef Karen Bornarth, Production, Training, and Quality Manager at Le Pain Quotidien

What inspired you to become a chef?
I was inspired by food (and particularly bread baking) at a pretty young age—my Italian grandmother was a great home cook and baker. I was always fascinated by the bread she made. It seemed like such a mysterious thing—bread baking.

What criteria are you looking for in this competition?
For the condiment competition, I’ll judge first with my eyes—the hot dog in its bun is such a perfect blank canvas. Then I’ll taste for texture and flavor, but especially texture. Flavor is important, but the wrong texture can ruin everything.

What is your favorite way to eat a hot dog?
My favorite way to eat a hot dog is with mustard and sauerkraut, on a hot summer day at Coney Island.

Thanks to Chefs Tony, Candy, and Karen for your insights! I can’t wait to see what our contestants come up with. I’m definitely looking forward to tasting the winning condiment! As for me, I like to eat my hot dogs like a little kid—smothered in ketchup!

Melissa McAllister is a Classic Culinary Arts student graduating in February 2012. She hopes to pursue a career in food journalism or test kitchens. Her favorite way to eat a hot dog is smothered in ketchup at a baseball game with her Dad.

Get ready to...eat! The Hot Dog Competition is back!

2011-05-26T11:41:00.014-04:00

It's time to begin ramping up for one of the best events of the year: The Friends of The FCI Hot Dog Competition. It's pretty exciting! Watch last year's student eating competition below.

The event also includes an employee eating competition sponsored by Sabrett, a beverage competition (to go with a hot dog, of course!), and a condiment competition judged by top NYC chefs. All money raised from the events goes to help promising students in financial distress. It's fun to have fun, but fun is sweetened even more when it is coupled with a good cause. So as far as we are concerned, this event is a plus plus.

Over the next two weeks, three fantastic culinary students (Melissa McAllister, Grace Ports, and Saira Malhotra) will be covering this year's competitions—bringing you the day-of scoop, interviews with the judges and the contestants, and so much more!

David Kinch Goes East

2011-05-16T14:59:00.007-04:00

New dean David Kinch, chef/owner of Manresa in Los Gatos, California, showcased his West Coast cooking flair at The James Beard Foundation pop-up restaurant, JBF LTD, in Chelsea Market in New York City, as part of the celebrations in connection with the recent James Beard Award Ceremony. A JBF award winner himself (Best Chef: Pacific Region 2010), Kinch was invited to cook dinner for guests Wednesday, May 11th through Saturday, May 14th.

The Menu

Green Garden Gazpacho and Almond Milk Ice, Pickled Green Strawberries, Vegetable Beignets
Boulder Bank Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, New Zealand 2008

Romaine and Abalone Salad, Grilled Cucumber, Avocado with “Norinade”
Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay Sonoma, California 2008

Suckling Porcelet, Whey Polenta, Rhubarb, Hazelnut, Spring Onions
Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast, California 2007

Popovers and Hibiscus–Berry Butter
Lavazza Coffee and Espresso

Click through to The FCI homepage to watch a slide show of David in action, along with some shots of the swoon-worthy food and dinning scene.

If you went, we'd love to hear what you liked. Leave us a comment.

More Deans, More Talent

2011-05-05T09:22:00.015-04:00

Emily Luchetti and David Kinch are two famed chefs we are adding to our list of deans that already includes Jacques Pépin, Alain Sailhac, André Soltner, Jacques Torres, Alan Richman, and Cesare Casella.

Emily Luchetti, a graduate of Denison University and the New York Restaurant School, has more than 20 years experience as an executive pastry chef. She has worked for many top restaurants, including eight years at Jeremiah Tower's Stars restaurant and Starbake, the retail bakery. She is currently the executive pastry chef at Farallon and Waterbar, both in San Francisco. Emily has written six cookbooks (including the just released The Fearless Baker, A Passion for Desserts, A Passion for Ice Cream, Stars Desserts, and Classic Stars Desserts). She is a James Beard Award winner and was named by San Francisco Chronicle on their list of "20 Visionary Chefs in the Bay Area," along with numerous other awards (too many to mention). Emily and her desserts have appeared on TV shows and in newspaper and magazine articles, and she enjoys sharing her love for baking and food with others.

Read Emily's Blog
Visit Emily's website to see what ingredients and equipment she can't live without.
Follow Emily on Twitter and on Facebook.

David Kinch and Cynthia Sandberg at Love Apple Farm (courtesty of Manresa Blog)

David Kinch is the executive chef/owner of Manresa in Los Gatos, California. Influenced by the California Coast, his American-style haute cuisine is very fresh and ingredient-driven. In 2006, he formed an exclusive partnership with Cynthia Sandberg of Love Apple Farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The farm supplies Manresa with biodynamic vegetables and provisions year-round. He is a James Beard Award Winner for Best Chefs in America, and Manresa has been awarded two Michelin stars for four consecutive years.

Read about what David is up to on Manresa in the Media.
Follow David on Twitter and Facebook.

The school is celebrating the addition of our new deans by naming a pastry class and a culinary class in honor of each chef respectively. The Emily Luchetti Pastry Class will have the opportunity to work with the chef personally in a special session, and The David Kinch Culinary Class will go on a visit to Love Apple Farm with the chef. There are lots of exciting opportunities going on in June, so check out The FCI website for more details.

Read the full announcement of our new deans on The FCI website.

It All Starts with an Apple Tart

2011-04-20T16:46:00.016-04:00

FCI California's Jaques Torres Inaugrual Classic Pastry Arts Class make their first tart!

A simple apple compote, a pâte brisée crust, a layer of thinly sliced apples, and a light coat of apricot nappage, and you have completed your first two days in The FCI's pastry course. As delicious as the other tarts are (chocolate ganache, banana cream, fresh fruit, caramel nut...), something about making your first tart makes it taste the very best.

visiting chef-instructor Jürgen David, pastry instructional coordinator, NYC

Class pose with their handiwork flanked by Chef Jurgen (left) and California chef-instructor Sam Ward (right)

The FCI Chef Demo Series is Up and Running!

2011-04-15T13:37:00.024-04:00

by Rhonda Lynn and Nicole Harnett (student services, FCI California)

Chef Craig Koketsu

The FCI California welcomed Craig Koketsu, Bay Area native and executive chef of Quality Meats, located in midtown Manhattan, on Tuesday, April 12. Chef Craig brought it back to basics with Five and Under: Delicious and Simply Prepared Dishes with Five or Fewer Ingredients.

Craig Koketsu fostered his passion for precision, knowledge, and flavor by working with acclaimed chefs from diverse backgrounds at some of America's top restaurants. Koketsu started at Stars in Palo Alto, California, working with renowned chefs Jeremiah Tower and Joyce Goldstein.

As Craig learned about the luminaries of the culinary world, he realized that a move to New York City was crucial to work with the chefs he admired. Once in New York, Craig worked with Gray Kunz at the famed Lespinasse, and another remarkable talent, Christian Delouvrier, who replaced Kunz after his departure. Craig stayed on Delouvrier's new team and became poissonnier, which was the post he held when Lespinasse earned a four-star review from the New York Times.

From there, Craig was asked to create the concept and menu for Quality Meats, which opened in April of 2006. In 2007, he was at the helm of Park Avenue Summer, NYC’s first—literally—seasonal restaurant.

For this demo, Chef Craig shared his particular food approach. "In light of all the recent hype with modernist cuisine techniques and ingredients, I wanted to bring it back to basics. I want to focus on flavors and how simple combinations can add up to much more than the sum of the individual ingredients. The title of this demo will be Five and Under..., but there will be a few 'free' ingredients, such as butter, oil, garlic, salt, et cetera."

Attendees had the opportunity to learn about (and sample!) the following six dishes:

Baby Beet Salad with Pickled Ginger, Japanese Sesame Seeds, and Labne

Baked Black Sea Bass with Jalapeño-Lime Salsa Verde

Spiced Shrimp with Cardamon, Urfa Biber, and Thai Basil Spiced Coconut Sauce

Steak Au Poivre with Yuzu-Kosho Cream Sauce and "Hash Browns"

Marinated Melon with Lemon-Ginger Infused Elderflower Syrup

S’mores with Coffee Crème Fraîche

baby beet salad

Chef Craig ended the demo with a very interesting statement, referencing Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success. In his book, Gladwell repeatedly mentions the "10,000-Hour Rule," claiming that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. Craig's kitchen translation: It can take10 years to really hit your stride as a chef!

Chef Craig fillets black sea bass. His tip: Never remove the skin; it helps to impart flavor.

Chef Craig demonstrates proper knife blade placement for filleting fish.

"I really loved how Chef Craig demonstrated how sophisticated and tasty dishes can be relatively simple. His lesson learned early on with one of his mentoring chefs shined through—the importance of balancing sweetness, acidity, saltiness, and bitterness. Chef Craig does this very well.

"I found his tip of using a bamboo skewer to test fish very helpful—an easy way to test the fish for doneness. You insert the skewer into the top of the fish—it should go through easily, encounter resistance at the center as that part is not fully cooked, and then continue through the fish easily, as the bottom is fully cooked. The carryover heat will continue to cook the center to perfection.

"I also liked his tip of not forgetting about the cilantro stems. Another good chef lesson: Don’t waste. The stems can be used just as well as the leaves. He used them in his jalapeño-lime salsa verde, which he served with black sea bass. One of my favorite ingredients that he used today was Urfa biber (dried pepper from the Urfa region in Turkey known for it’s smoky raisin-like taste). Today’s demo was tasty and inspiring!" —Rhonda Lynn

Win a Cake. Do Some Good!

2011-04-14T16:53:00.004-04:00

The pastry chef-instructors who teach our new Cake Techniques & Design program at The FCI New York have decided to donate their cake making talents to a good cause.

The New York Women’s Culinary Alliance is hosting a silent auction to raise money to help support healthy eating and nutrition for New Yorkers. All of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to organizations equipped to provide a lasting impact on women's and/or children's health and nutrition. Our pastry chefs are offering a custom made cake to the highest bidder. Bidding closes May 4th!

NYWCA is an organization that works to provide networking opportunities, education, and cooperation among women in the food and beverage industry in New York City.

FCI California goes to Taste of the Nation SF

2011-04-14T13:24:00.023-04:00

Brooke Schwartz, president of FCI California; Chef Jeremy MacVeigh, director of culinary arts; Nicole Harnett, career placement coordinator; and Rhonda Lynn, director of student affairs, went to the Share Our Strength benefit in San Francisco to spread the news about FCI’s West Coast branch (and taste some great food from local restaurants along the way). Chefs were excited to hear about the school's arrival and some even agreed to come down to Campbell to give a demo….

Bar Bambino

Perbacco

Fifth Floor was a group favorite.

Tell Tale Preserve Company

Mina Group Corporate Pastry Chef Lincoln Carson

To the Stars...

2011-04-08T11:47:00.006-04:00

Satisfaction for us is to see our students go out and excel in what they have been taught. And nothing is quite as exciting for for someone in the food industry as a James Beard Awards (Oscars for the food folks if you will). We have seen many grads win nominations over the years, and this year we offer our congratulations to the following alumni, whose hard work and talent have landed them a place on this coveted list (some more than once).

Outstanding Restaurant
Dan Barber
(Classic Culinary Arts ‘04)
Blue Hill, New York City

Best Chef: New York City
Wylie Dufresne
(Classic Culinary Arts ‘93)
Wd~50, New York City

Outstanding Restaurant
Marc Vetri
(Art of International Bread Baking ’98)
Vetri, Philadelphia

Best Chef: Northeast
Tim Cushman
(Fundamentals of Wine ‘06)
O Ya, Boston

Rising Star Chef of the Year
Christina Tosi
(Classic Pastry Arts ’04)
Momofuku Restaurant Group,

Best Chef: Midwest
Tory Miller
(Classic Culinary Arts ‘00)
L’Etoile, Madison, WI

Macarons. Is that one o or two?

2011-04-07T10:57:00.004-04:00

Pastry chef-instructor Kir Rodriguez is known throughout our NYC location for his brilliant chocolate work, but he is also a master macaron maker and has even been suppling tea-inspired macs to our SoHo neighbors Harney & Sons at their tea shop. Chef Kir shares his insights into the difference between a French macaron and a coconut macaroon and other tips and tidbits with Fox News.

Graduation Day

2011-04-06T11:47:00.008-04:00

photographs courtesy of Jenny Lee-Adrian

It's been less than a week since I graduated from The French Culinary Institute, and I still look at my photos over and over again. Graduation was bittersweet. My classmates and I became pretty close, getting together to study in Level 1 and hanging out after class ended late at night. We emailed class notes and text-messaged each other about cooking techniques. We gave one another pointers about how to make sure those lamb chops were medium-rare for service at L'Ecole, and we talked about how to make agnolotti into perfect pasta pillows filled with herbed goat cheese.

Roast lamb chops with agnolotti and swiss chard are served at L'Ecole.

Nine months ago in June, I remember sitting nervously at a table, introducing myself over and over again as a new classmate walked in the door for orientation. We didn't know each other then, but we leaned on one another throughout all six levels.

Justine Vella rests on Alex MacPhail after service ends at L'Ecole.

Reminding me of a totem pole, Chef Scott Larson watched over us in Levels 5 and 6, during our time pulling out dishes for the school's restaurant.

Chef Scott's typical stance in the kitchen

More satisfaction comes from carving my own portions of meat. I can break down a whole duck and fillet a fish.

Ryan Abril portions lamb chop servings.

The heat pressed on my face in the kitchen. But I could look across the room and my friends would crack me up.

Ryan Abril (left) and Brandon Touchstone (right) take a mental break from cooking to look up.

Our chef-instructors were adamant that we work clean and fast. They constantly pushed us to be better.

From left: Chef Xavier "X" Mayonove, Chef Greg Wozniak, Chef Janet Crandall, and Chef Scott Larson take note of us getting ready to graduate.

I may look like a chef with a toque on top of my head, but graduation is just the starting point. I have so much more to learn, and I want to cook as much as I can.

Jenny Lee-Adrian graduated from the Classic Culinary Arts program on March 31, 2011. She is currently an intern in the Saveur test kitchen. She has a blog called Hummingbird Appetite.

Growing, Growing...Good

2011-04-05T15:05:00.015-04:00

The school has been doing a lot of growing during 2010 and 2011. We have a new campus in California, which is very exciting, and we also have been growing our New York City location as well.

We've decked out our classrooms on our second floor with all the equipment needed for our new Estate Management Studies classes, and on our recently completed fifth floor, we have brand new kitchens, a sleek storeroom, a beautiful buffet area for family meal, and an impressive event space (see above).

We held our first party on the fifth floor this past Thursday, March 31st—a Chinese buffet with dumplings, lo mein, spring rolls, chicken and broccoli, and much more to celebrate the completion of this large project. Along with the food, there were speeches and even a good luck dragon dance to commemorate the event.

New Climes, New Food Adventures

2011-04-04T16:23:00.015-04:00

A couple of our NYC staffers have made the move to the more temperate climes of California, joining the staff at our new location in Campbell, just outside of San Jose. Both Rhonda Lynn (student services) and Katie Myers (admissions) took the opportunity to explore the food culture in the area by joining fellow FCI California employees for excursions to check out SJ Eats (San Jose's first food truck festival) over the weekend.

Rhonda enjoyed the activity, "Having lived so long in New York City where I loved the street food, I was anxious to see what was happening with this growing trend on the West Coast." Her pick was the tacos from El Tonayense. And she even took a picture or two of the happy throngs who came out to try the assorted fare on offer.

Students visit 92nd street Y to listen to Ferran Adrià

2011-04-01T15:34:00.007-04:00

Student Activities is one of the fun parts of being a student at The FCI. In these school planned excursions, students get a taste of the industry outside the school walls. On Thursday, March 24th, it was a trip to the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side to listen to Ferran Adrià. Christina Briscoe reports.

“Technology” and “Humor” are the two words that stuck with me as I applauded Ferran Adrià. The discussion lasted for about an hour and a half and drifted from Japan to New York, Spain and back to New York. The questions were very open, which allowed the conversation to be molded in whichever way Ferran’s thought process lead. His responses were simple and to the point, which I found interesting because I thought that he would speak about molecules and gadgets that I knew nothing about, but he didn’t. Ferran explained to us that he is not scientific, he just uses technology. That fact is something that tied the entire existence of elBulli, in my memory, together. He and his creative team are not scientists, they just use technology as a tool to produce their product. Ferran’s own example is a cell phone (he has an iPhone 4 by the way): We all use them, but that doesn’t make us scientists.

After the discussion, Ferran showed us exclusive videos of elBulli, which chronicle the history and future of the restaurant and show the blueprints of the very innovative and futuristic elBulli Foundation, which will be completed in 2014. I am utterly impressed and can’t wait for the transformation of elBulli. There are mixed feelings about this transformation, but I am excited and can’t wait for the creativity that will soon spew from Catalan, Spain. Ferran will return to New York City in a few months to release his new book Family Meal.

Christina Briscoe is a pastry student in Level 1 who enjoys reading culinary memoirs. She frequents Eater.com and has a passion for the hospitality industry in which she hopes to succeed in as an executive pastry chef. She is a native Californian and lists Michael Laiskonis as her favorite pastry chef.

Jobs Times Two

2011-03-31T18:19:00.014-04:00

On Wednesday, March 23, the school opened its doors once again to some of the top restaurants, caterers, magazines and other food companies at our semi-annual career fair in New York City.

And as Chef Annette so aptly posted on her twitter account that day, "@frenchculinary career fair today. 5 years of former students & friends on both sides of the tables. I'm a very proud teacher today!"

It's amazing to walk the halls and see such an impressive network of companies and students coming together for the benefit of both. Friends of the school and former students come back year after year, providing excellent opportunities for those students taking their turn at starting out fresh in the industry.

The fair filled L'Ecole, the 4th floor classroom, and most of the 4th floor kitchens.

There was also an exciting addition to this year's career fair. On Monday, March 28, the school followed up our NYC career fair with one at our new California campus. The inaugural career fair went extremely well. Students and staff were both pleased with the employers who came to the school. The visiting employers were in turn impressed with the professionalism exhibited by the students.

Now, with one fair behind them, the career services team in California is looking forward to their next career fair in the fall (mark those calendars for Wednesday, September 21!)

Foreground: Joey Elentario, executive chef of Mountain Views’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Chez TJ, reviews notes with his colleague. Middle: Deanna Kang, representative from Women Chefs & Restaurateurs, shares info. about the professional organization. Background: Emily Richard, director of Bumble, speaks to interested attendees about the new café and play space in downtown Los Altos.

Participating Employers included:

New York City:
21 Club
Abigail Kirsch/Pier Sixty
B.R. Guest Restaurants
Eataly
Food Truck Franchise Group
The Hurricane Club
The James Beard Foundation
The Meatball Shop
Patina Restaurant Group
Saveur
Wellness in the Schools
Blue Hill/Blue Hill at Stone Barns
The Breslin/The John Dory
The Dinex Group
Nobu 57
Oceana
Park Avenue Spring
Seeds in the Middle
Club Med
Food Arts
Indiana Market & Catering
MARC Restaurants
Shake Shack
Sweet Bliss
Union Square Hospitality Group
Bar Baque
Morandi
NYY Steak
Pierre NY
Pulino's
Rouge Tomate
Shorty's.32
The Water Club
Frankie's Spuntino/Prime Meats
The Harrison
La Petite Maison NYC
Maloney & Porcelli
Mercer Kitchen
Sheraton Brooklyn/Aloft
Aquavit
Marlow & Sons
Momofuku
Quality Meats
Resto
Seersucker
New York Women's Culinary Alliance
Advanced Studies at The International Culinary Center

Campbell, California:
Acrobat Outsourcing
Google
Bacchus Management Group (Café des Amis, Mayfiled Bakery 7 Café, Pizza Antica, ROASTCO, Spruce, and The Village Pub)
Bumble
Hayward
Labor Ready
Left Bank
Chez TJ
LB Steak
Cordevalle, a Rosewood Resort
Manpower
Embassy Suites
Morocco's
The Party Staff
Specialty Baking Company
Paula Le Duc Catering
Restaurants from Scratch (Scratch, Reposado, Palo Alto Creamery, Gravity Wine Bar)
Rosewood Sand Hill
Volt Workforce Solutions
The Wine Club
Women Chefs and Restauranteurs
Yan Can Asian Bistro
Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club
South Bay Wine Tours
Slow Food, South Bay

Our Very Own Jeeves

2011-03-30T10:02:00.004-04:00

In May, The French Culinary Insitute begins its first run of week-long classes in our new Estate Management Studies training, headed up by former footman at Buckingham Palace and butler to Brooke Astor, Chris Ely, whose goal is to elevate the quality of professional service.

In a whirlwind of media attention, Chris was interviewed in the New York Times and on Good Morning America this week. Read and watch, to learn more about Chris, our new EMS classes, and a few tidbits that we know you will want to use around your own "estate."

Coast to Coast

2011-03-21T13:54:00.019-04:00

If you haven't heard the news already, The French Culinary Institute now has a campus in Campbell, California—just south of San Francisco. FCI career pastry and culinary programs will begin this April. Jacques Pépin, dean of special programs, cookbook author, and TV cooking show host, will be teaching a class for the inaugural Classic Culinary program, and Jaques Torres, dean of pastry arts and owner of Jacques Torres Chocolates in New York City, will be teaching a class for the inaugural Classic Pastry program. We also have two scholarships available for students attending these first two classes in April.

We are excited to be able to expose our students to both the Bay Area and New York City, with their rich food cultures, and we look forward to becoming a strong participant in the food community in the Bay Area.

Along with our new location, we also have a new website, which is chock-full of interesting tidbits: alumni bios, reports on events at the school, some of the interesting community endeavors we are participating in, and much more. The site is also easier to use and navigate. You can check out one of our many blogs for more in-depth coverage, too. We hope to keep you abreast of all the exciting things going on at both schoosl, as well as make it easy to get all the information you need on our many fantastic programs and areas of study. So, click around the new site. We think you will like it as much as we do!

Let's Move: from the White House to Local Schools

2011-03-11T14:45:00.015-05:00

A childhood obesity epidemic has long been on the rise in America, and it’s become a problem we can no longer ignore. What began as a campaign less than a year ago has already reached thousands of schools. With a year in the works, from the White House to local schools nationwide, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move campaign last May to team up local chefs with school food programs.

The two-day regional IACP conference organized by The Culinary Trust took place on February 18th and 19th. The first day opened with a plenary session at the Players Theatre in the West Village with guest speaker Sam Kass, private chef to our nation’s First Family and senior policy advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives.

Sam Kass and Corby Kummer

Sam Kass

the organizers

Motivated as a culinary professional and mother of two young children, I attended several sessions to find out what I can do to help the Initiative. With the amount of press in the room, we could have been attending a White House press conference. Childhood obesity statistics continue to rise, and so everyone wanted to know where can we find the solution?

members of the press and notable culinary professionals in the audience

According to Chef Bobo, the problem didn’t originate in schools. However, the solution can certainly begin there. The home-based diet of a child has an enduring impact on their lifestyle. Parents can help by making smarter food choices, spending valuable time cooking meals in lieu of frozen dinners or takeout.

Even Food Network executives believe the notion of home cooking will decrease the obesity rate. According to Mark Dissin, vice president of Production at the Food Network, “There’s conclusive evidence that spending time around the dinner table contributes to healthier adolescent growth, lower obesity rates in children, better performance in school, et cetera. And I’m confident that our programming has played a role in helping people get good food on the table day after day.”

I recently met Dr. M. Baer, a doctor of Nutrigenomics, University of Cambridge, who recommends a diet based on individual metabolic type and that eating the right foods can determine the remedy to genetic disease prevention. He believes the consumption of organic, sustainable foods versus conventional processed foods is better overall for longevity and disease prevention. Conventional foods are loaded with “toxins” that “attack and destroy cells and gene structures. They create an acidic environment in the body that is vulnerable to fungi, bacteria, parasites, worms, viruses, and many other pathogens. Organs and body systems under a toxic load lose their ability to metabolize and process fat effectively,” hence contributing to the obesity factor.

So what is the solution to the childhood obesity epidemic? There is no solid answer. However, it will take more than just buying and cooking local, sustainable foods. It’s easier said than done, and certainly easier when money is not an issue. With the rising cost of produce, how will low-income families provide healthier alternatives at home? Walmart is taking steps toward offering compatible pricing for whole-grain products. Whole Foods Market is organizing on-location cooking demos at stores nationwide. In Washington, D.C., local public schools are receiving a $.05 bonus for each meal prepared, utilizing local sustainable ingredients. That’s good for starters. Of course any long-term solution to the childhood obesity epidemic will take a few years to show tangible results.

We as chefs have the power to enrich the lives of children by educating them how to eat well. Remember the old saying, We are what we eat? After attending the conference, I went home and registered to participate in the Initiative online. If we can get children to cheer for broccoli and try cauliflower, the Let’s Move Initiative looks very promising indeed.

Notable attendees included: Sam Kass, Corby Kummer, Shelly Menaged from the James Beard Foundation, Mark Oshima from Citarella, Judith Weinbrow, Mike Thelin of Bolted Services, Karin Endy, Phil Gutensohn, Tony Garcia, Bill Telepan, Marion Rosenfeld, Chef Bobo.

Shelley Menaged of the James Beard Foundation with Mark Oshima from Citarella

Bill Telepan and Nancy Easton

John Turenne

FCI note: If you are interesting in doing more, the school is offering a 10-hour course, New Directions in School Meal Planning instructed by Chef Bobo on May 7th.

Rina Oh is an evening student in the classic culinary arts program and is a contributing writer on Eat Life FCI, The Hot Plate and Food2. When she's not working as a food writer or stylist, she continues developing content for her gossip blog, dining with outlaws, and illustrating a comic book series called The Gastronomic Chronicles.

Food in the Schools: IACP Regional Conference

2011-02-24T17:08:00.013-05:00

Last Friday and Saturday (February 18 and 19) The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Regional Conference was held in New York City. The conference brought together food industry professionals from a variety of backgrounds. This year the conference focused on four topics of interest:

1. communication in an electronic and digital age
2. the foods of New York
3. school food
4. farm to table: urban and rural foodways

The conference started with opening remarks from White House chef Sam Kass about the First Lady’s Chefs Move to Schools initiative. Phil Gutehsohn (student affairs, FCI) organized the panels for the school food track. The FCI hosted the discussions.

On Saturday morning, Gabriella Petrick from NYU's food studies program, moderated the Farm to School discussion with panelists Ben Flanner (Brooklyn Grange), Beth Feehan (NJ Farm to School Network), Stacey Murphy (BK Farmyards), and Steve Ritz (NYC Public Schools). The panelists discussed educational programming currently at work in schools as well as the different strategies and environments being used to connect kids to the food they eat.

From left: Gabriella Petrick, Steve Ritz, Beth Feehan, Stacey Murphy, and Ben Flanner

Fabio Parasecoli from the New School's food studies program moderated the next panel: Chefs Who've Moved to Schools. Here, attendees were able to listen to advocates and frontlines-men, who are already working hard to make a difference, recite the realities of what they have confronted in engendering change. Bill Telepan and Nancy Easton (Wellness in the Schools), Marion Rosenfeld (The Cooking Room), Chef Bobo (The Calhoun School), and John Turenne (Sustainable Food Systems)were the panelists and candidly discussed the challenges they have faced in working to improve food in schools—what is working and what needs to be rethought and retooled.

From left: Bill Telepan, Nancy Easton, Chef Bobo, John Turenne, Marion Rosenfield, and Fabio Parasecoli

The day finished with School Lunch Size Me moderated by Jack Murnighan of Babble.com. Panelists concentrated on giving suggestions on how to bring awareness of the state of food in the schools and its effect on children to a wider audience than culinary professionals, as well as the various media options that can help this effort. Panelists included Amy Kalafa and Alex Gunuey (Two Angry Moms), Avis Richards (Birds Nest Productions), Beatriz Beckford (Brooklyn Food Coalition), and Ed Bruske (Parents for Better D.C. School Food).

There is a lot of work to be done, but it is something The FCI community feels strongly about. The school community was excited to have the opportunity to participate and host this important event. Through The Future Cooks Initiative, under the direction of Phil Gutensohn, the school plans to continue to bring together the minds and efforts of the top innovators and change makers on this important issue. Add Future Cooks Initiative's new blog, The Lunch Box, to your RSS feeder to stay abreast of what's going on.

Doing Good by Giving Back: The John Besh & Bride Mayor Scholarship

2011-02-18T16:45:00.011-05:00

This week, famed New Orleans chef and restaurateur John Besh announced an exciting new scholarship aimed at providing minorities in the New Orleans area with a culinary scholarship. Partnering with Jessica Bride and Nick Mayor, the John Besh & Bride Mayor Scholarship will be awarded to someone from New Orleans with aptitude in the kitchen but in need of financial assistance to realize their dream, allowing them to study in a career program at The French Culinary Institute in New York City and return to New Orleans to work for eight weeks as a paid intern at one of the restaurants in the John Besh Restaurant Group. The scholarship recipient will also be mentored by someone within the restaurant group for a full year in order to give the recipient the network and support they need to take full advantage of the opportunity. While studying in New York City, four special experiences will be tailored for the recipient to expand their knowledge of the culinary field and increase their connections with some of the industries top professionals.

You can download an application for the scholarship online.

Read more about John Besh and the new scholarship on YourLife.USAToday.com.

Bread and the City: an interview with Roger Gural, 2010 FCI Outstanding Alumni Awards Recipient for Outstanding Bread

2011-02-11T18:57:00.014-05:00

"It was through having worked for Chef Keller that I was asked to participate in the Mondial." —Roger Gural

Roger Gural was born and raised on Staten Island, New York. What started out as a hobby eventually transformed into a professional bread baking career. He began by experimenting with pizza dough, and then moved on to artisan breads after he enrolled in the six-week bread course at The FCI. The pizza bread baking resulted from a case of supply and demand: "One night, I was coming home from work, and I had planned on making pizza, but the market was out of dough. So, I made it myself. It wasn’t very good, so I did some research to figure out why, and from there I started to make my own pizza dough."

It wasn't very long after experimenting with pizza dough that his hobby led him to the SoHo location of the school, and then on to working full-time as a baker for several world-class chefs.

examples of Roger Gural's beautiful artisanal breads

The French Culinary Institute is familiar with career changers in their student body, and Roger is one of them. He worked in the recording industry and television before switching over to bread baking, but when he started classes, he wasn't even thinking about a career in bread baking. So, how did Roger go from amateur baker to becoming one of the best? "My first job was at Bouley Bakery. When I was a student at The FCI, Chef David Bouley came through the school and toured the bread kitchen. [While there, he] mentioned to my instructor David Norman that he was looking for a baker. David encouraged me to go trail. I actually had to trail twice because I think the head baker at Bouley wasn’t too convinced, but thankfully after the second night he offered me the job. I was really lucky, because he was an incredible baker and role model. I immediately had an understanding about how much work goes into learning the craft. Later on he helped me find some places to work in France, so I am just so indebted to his generosity. He really helped introduce me to a network of super talented bakers who feel a professional responsibility to share their knowledge. After working at Bouley, I worked at Amy’s Bread, and from there [I went] to France. It was several years later when a pastry chef who had worked at The French Laundry tasted my breads and suggested that I should go work there. At that moment it wasn’t the right time, but a while later, I saw they were looking for a head baker, and I thought maybe I should go for it. After a tryout in New York City and one in Napa, California, I was offered the job."

And most recently, in 2009, Roger went on to compete in the prestigious Mondial du Pain (the same convention as the Bocuse d’Or), which took place in Lyon, France, representing the United States. "It was through having worked for Chef Keller that I was asked to participate in the Mondial," he says. Competitors traveled to Lyon from all around the world and stayed for two weeks to compete. "We had to make baguettes, decorative baguettes, rolls, a health and nutrition bread, a bread representing our country, sandwiches, four different types of breakfast pastries, and a bread sculpture." Roger and his colleagues were given the chance to practice their skills in a bakery (run by the Pozzoli family). "The hospitality we received there was probably the highlight of the trip. They were incredibly generous and supportive," he says. By the end of the event, Roger was exhausted.

Roger's bread sculpture at Mondial du Pain

After the event, Roger enjoyed dinner with Chef Alain Sailhac (executive vice president and dean emeritus at The FCI) and his wife, Arlene, at the famed Léon de Lyon, a three-Michelin star restaurant, owned and operated by Chef Jean-Paul Lacombe. This dinner was an occasion Roger would always remember as a highlight. Part of the significance of the dinner was that it commemorated an end to the long labor-filled hours of the event and also that it was a finishing marker to the passion for learning something he loved that had brought him to this extraordinary experience of competing in the first place.

Vanilla Baguette with Dried Pear
Recipe created by Roger Gural
This recipe is a favorite of my six-year-old son. The dough is very wet.
150 grams unsulphered dried pears, cut into small slivers
white wine
950 grams all-purpose flour
50 grams buckwheat flour
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
820 grams water
20 grams salt
4 grams fresh yeast
1. Place dried pears in a bowl; add enough wine to cover pears. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain off soaking liquid; reserve.
2. Place flours in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook; add vanilla bean; mix well on level one; gradually add water with motor running; mix to combine;remove bowl from mixer; cover. Let stand 30 minutes.
3. Add the salt and yeast. Return to the mixer, and mix on level one 5 minutes; increase speed to level 2; mix 3 minutes. Add pears, and mix on level one for 45 seconds.
4. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl; cover. Let dough stand in a warm spot 20 minutes.
5. Fold dough to release gases. Cover, and let rise another 20 minutes. Repeat process one more time. Let rise another hour. Place dough in refrigerator; reserve overnight.
6. Heat an oven to 470 F with steam.
7. Divide dough into 400 gram pieces, and preshape into logs. Rest 15 minutes. Shape into short baguettes. Place on lightly floured couche; let rise 30 minutes. Score each baguette with lame or sharp pairing knife; bake until golden brown and crispy (about 25 minutes).

Rina Oh is an evening student in the classic culinary arts program and is a contributing writer on Eat Life FCI, The Hot Plate and Food2. When she's not working as a food writer or stylist, she continues developing content for her gossip blog, dining with outlaws, and illustrating a comic book series called The Gastronomic Chronicles.

For The Love of Cooking

2011-02-09T18:58:00.005-05:00

FCI chef-instructor Tim Shaw shows Nate Berkus and his guest how to make pasta primavera (including the homemade pasta!) on The Nate Berkus Show.

Click through for Chef Tim Shaw's recipe and photos from Nate Berkus's visit.

Hydrocolloids with Dave Arnold

2011-01-27T11:07:00.011-05:00

During my final weeks as a student, I had the opportunity to work with Dave Arnold (Director of Technology) in assisting him with the hydrocolloids class taught at The FCI. I had been interning with Dave for several months up to this point. In the class, we used a variety of ingredients, including gelatin, carrageenan, agar-agar, methocel, and xanthan gum, to change the texture and consistency of various foods.

By the second day, everyone was engaged in the kitchen magic we were creating. We carried on conversations about who manufactured the best agar-agar and xanthan gum on the market. And we made maple syrup caviar, which we stirred into pancakes before toasting them on a griddle and serving them to the attendees for breakfast. This is how we started the day, surrounded by magic potions and liquid nitrogen. Then, we finished with a gin cocktail. The glasses were chilled with the N2O and garnished with bits of grapefruit that we'd freeze-dried. The cocktails were mixed with clarified lime juice, and all the ingredients were made fresh to order minutes before the live demo, so we could toast the finale of the two-day class. Attendees included Harold McGee, Chef Wanda, current and former technology interns, professional chefs and cooks—some traveled internationally to attend. —Rina Oh

Some pictures from the class:

step one: separating the segments and peel of the grapefruit we used for the cocktails

Step two, candied grapefruit peel used as a garnish for the cocktail

step three: grapefruit pulp out of the blast freezer

Rina Oh is an evening student in the classic culinary arts program and is a contributing writer on Eat Life FCI, The Hot Plate and Food2. When she's not working as a food writer or stylist, she continues developing content for her gossip blog, dining with outlaws, and illustrating a comic book series called The Gastronomic Chronicles.

Kitchen Dreams

2011-01-21T15:57:00.005-05:00

Jessica Botta, chef-instuctor at The Italian Culinary Academy, and Alexis Kahn, associate director of education, share cooking tips and advice about getting into the restaurant industry with Vernon, a charming teen with kitchen aspirations, who was recently featured on NBC's Wednesday's Child, a segment about adoption, which helps find permanent, loving, adoptive families for children in foster care. We hope to see Vernon succeed in pursuing all his dreams!

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video.

Ah, the Joys of Restaurant Week!

2011-01-20T10:53:00.007-05:00

Starting this Monday, L'Ecole will be offering a menu just for restaurant week. Chestnut gnocchi with oxtail ragu and butter poached lobster are some of the lunch offers, while the dinner menu boasts an apple brown butter cake with pomegranate ice cream, among other tasty desserts. We love easy on the wallet and delicious!

IDIC 2010

2011-01-18T18:21:00.040-05:00

From left: Massimiliano Alajmo, Dorothy Cann Hamilton, Cesare Casella

It's that time of year again when Italian food lovers (top chefs, restauranteurs, food industry professionals) descend upon the school to celebrate authentic Italian cuisine. On January 12th and 13th, Italian Culinary Academy Dean Cesare Casella (executive chef/partner of Salumeria Rosi) and Dorothy Cann Hamilton (founder and CEO) hosted the launch of the International Day of Italian Cuisine (IDIC) with two days of culinary workshops, demos, tastings, and dinners, showcasing all things Italian. Massimilano Alajmo, the famed chef at the three-Michelin-starred Le Calandre in Rubano, Italy, prepared the Gala dinner and closed the celebrations with a master demo.

The dish for this year's IDIC was pesto alla Genovese, which chefs around the world prepared on Monday, January 17th. This annual event is organized by the Gruppo Virtuale Cuoci Italiani (GVCI). Chef Cesare is the leader of the GVCI in the United States.

The event began with a session about pizza dough made with long leavening and the art of making Italian pizza, led by Nicola Demo of Agugiaro & Figna mills and Pasqualino Barbasso, world-champion acrobatic pizzaiolo.

Nicola Demo (left) and Pasqualino Barbasso (right)

After a pizza lunch, attendees were able to learn more about typical Italian products, such as grana Padano (introduced by Lou Di Palo, Lou Di Palo Fine Foods, New York City), De Longhi, and Birra Moretti beer.

The evening finished out with dinner prepared by Massimiliano Alajmo and a Chef's Night Out.

Massimiliano prepping

Dorothy Cann Hamilton welcoming guests

Massimiliano and Cesare talk with Tony May, owner SD-26

Thursday's activities began with the IDIC Worldwide Launch. Chef Andrea della Gatta of Tratoria Andrea, in Genoa, and president of the Consorzio del Pesto Genovese lead a panel discussion followed by a pesto competition.

Chef Paolo Monti of Gaia, in Hong Kong, prepared a special lunch, featuring Italian extra-virgin olive oil.

The day finished with a master class taught by Massimiliano Alajmo.

Interview with Mark Dissin, 2010 FCI Outstanding Alumni Awards recipient for professional achievement

2011-01-13T14:41:00.013-05:00

Post-World War II New York was filled with Old World-style, staid French restaurants, art galleries were showing patriotic works by Jasper Johns, and behind the scenes, Campbell's executives were buying out V8 brands. Most food advertisements were made in print media as this was before the age of digital printmaking.

Television was something new and exciting, and if you were lucky enough to own one, it was considered a luxury item. Perhaps nothing close to owning diamonds, but pretty close to owning a computer in the '70s and '80s, long before iPods or iPads were conceived. Most average folks still dined mainly at home with the occasional outing on the town. This was also an era where cooking as a profession was considered a blue collar job and not glamorous by any means. Julia Child was a television pioneer that may have inspired the launch of a whole new generation of culinary professionals.

Mark Dissin was inspired by Julia Child. He watched her growing up, perhaps the only eight-year-old amongst his friends who watched her cooking shows, but he wasn’t the only kid watching. Mark is a family guy, an Italian food aficionado, a creative television pioneer, and a risk taker, whose intuition, drive, and love of simple cooking brought him to The French Culinary Institute back in 1997. With the hopes of someday working for, then, the recently incepted Food Network cable television channel, Mark Dissin left his former production title at HBO to pursue his love of food. As a child, he frequently watched Julia Child and imitated her while recounting the cooking shows at the dinner table. His family found his passion to be amusing. Little did they know what would come from Mark's early childhood obsessions with Julia and The French Chef on Channel 13.

Mark grew up in a small town on the North Shore of Long Island. Like many successful culinary professionals, he talks about his mother’s home cooking, "she often prepared American, Jewish, and very passable French and Italian food”. His father, a WWII veteran, served in the infantry and spent the remainder of the war in Beune, France, where “he befriended the owner of the only hotel in town and traded PX goods for meals at their home.” This is perhaps where his first impression of French cuisine began. When his father returned home, he brought back with him a love of French cuisine and introduced this new passion to his wife and family.

Mark says, “My dad commuted into Manhattan every day, and we’d frequently meet him in the city after work for a night on the town. Some of my earliest food memories are of staid French restaurants, such as Le Marmiton, and Le Beq-Fin. I’m sure my parents took us on these outings in the hope of expanding our culinary horizons. Unfortunately, between the ages of seven and ten, all I wanted to eat was hamburgers.”

For Mark, his early childhood recollections of simple, every day meals with the family serves as the key inspiration behind his love affair now with food television. A tradition he has maintained when he held the title of full-time student at The French Culinary Institute. Mark attended the intensive six-month day program in culinary arts. How did he manage to attend school and balance out his personal life? He had the luxury to take time off from work to focus on school as his wife became the “sole breadwinner” for the family. With an incredibly supportive spouse, Lena, “finding the right school/home life balance wasn’t an issue.” He talks about being “lucky” to have the luxury of concentrating full time on his studies. This luxury allowed Mark to attend demos, hang out with his children, and study the day’s recipes before rolling up his sleeves to make dinner for the family every night—something he continues to do as often as his busy schedule allows.

Risk takers are those people who put everything they have going aside to change gears and do something else, perhaps driven by an early childhood sentiment, which is especially rewarding when committing a great sacrifice in order to pursue something different without guaranteed results. In his book To Reach a Chef: Professional Cooks in the Age of Celebrity, Michael Ruhlman writes about Mark leaving television at the age of 40 to attend The French Culinary Institute. But the tremendous sacrifices he made served as a main ingredient in his motivation to strive to finish top of his class. He still remembers the instructors who fostered his passion for learning how to cook like Julia. He says he was “fortunate in landing Chef Sixto in level one, and Chef Henri in levels two and four. I can’t imagine there’s a better pair of cooking instructors anywhere.”

Mark did not take an easy road to reach his dream job. His first job was working the line at a small Tuscan restaurant Follonico in the Flatiron District in New York City, earning $9.75 an hour. He started his culinary career behind the hot kitchen lines with the hopes of “earning back some of the lost income.” He landed the job in the Italian kitchen due to his frequent outings as a diner. The restaurant was a “60-seat jewel box, with a wood-burning oven and a great menu.” Most of the food was cooked to order—"a rough ninety-five percent." He worked the lines as garde manger, sauté, and grill soon after. It wasn’t until he left Follonico for Eleven Madison Park that he started conceptualizing ideas for future production for Food Network. He compares the two venues:

“There was a lot about Eleven Madison Park that I liked, and some things I didn’t respond very well to. For example, Kerry Heffernan, the Executive Chef, was one of the nicest and smartest cooks I’ve ever met. He was a great boss. The food was, for me, a little fussy. I worked the meat station as the entremet and was in charge of 38 different garnishes, ranging from gratins to beggar's purses to a half dozen sautéed greens, and it was more than I could handle. Plus, at Follonico we worked with tickets, while at EMP the orders were called out by the expeditor, and I had a wicked hard time remembering my orders. I think the combination of a slightly fussy menu and not being able to keep up were the only two signs I needed to make the move out of the kitchen and back into the studio.”

With that in mind, the decision to move on couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Was it luck? The right timing? Some may call it a combination of both. Mark got an offer he couldn’t refuse. In 1998 he received a call from a former colleague from HBO who had recently left the company to join the Food Network. With a producer going on maternity leave, the job of his dreams was on the horizon. Although it may seem as easy as it sounds, the job was not so easily acquired. It took countless hours of freelance jobs with the Food Network before the phone ever rang for a full-time position. The Food Network has been Mark Dissin’s first and only employer in the food media business. He recalls his one and only food styling experience doing some hands-on work for the original graphics package for 30-Minute Meals, "We filmed the tabletop portions at a stage in Knoxville where our director of photography was based. The shoot took place a week after 9/11, and the stylist we had booked to travel with us from New York refused to get on a plane. I ended up having to do much of the styling and cooking myself."

Food media work, whether that entails production work such as producing segments, culinary production, food styling, writing, or working as the star of a cooking show on television is not the glamorous job some would believe. "Days can be as long as a shift on the line." He also points out the stresses associated with the job being equivalent to putting out great food in a restaurant. With the average production crew ranging anywhere from 20 to 50 members, along with the high cost of shooting television shows, the demands of delivering on budget and on time is a lot of stressful work.

To all aspiring food stylists, Mark says, "Regarding advice for culinary students interested in food styling for television? I recommend a stint in a restaurant first. You’ll learn how to deal with multitasking and nothing on the set will ever compare to the speed and output you’ll encounter in a professional kitchen. Typically, the best cook/stylists have done some time in a restaurant."

Mark started freelancing for Food Network in December of 1999 and by April of 2000 he was promoted to Senior Producer. In 2004, he was promoted for the third time, to vice president of production after working as executive producer for two years. And the rest is history.

The Jacques Pepin plaque, a personalized Outstanding Alumni Award given to Mark Dissin for Professional Achievement is hanging in his office alongside a slew of vintage food advertising, set renderings, and some of his Emmy Awards. Mark has won three Emmys: Best Daytime Service Show Award for 30 Minute Meals in 2006; Outstanding Lifestyle Program Award for Everyday Italian in 2008; and Outstanding Culinary Program Award as co-execuive producer for Giada at Home in 2010.

Who inspires him the most? "Teachers and people who volunteer their time to help those less fortunate inspire me. Men and women who serve in the armed services and put their lives at risk inspire me. Really creative people inspire me, and, finally, my kids inspire me."

And when stars like Guy Fieri are quoted saying Mark Dissin is their inspiration, how does he feel? "Honestly, I’m touched whenever a host says something nice about me. I always think my contributions are completely superfluous since all of the heavy lifting is done by the person in front of the camera, not behind it. Guy, like many of the hosts I work with, is incredibly talented. He was born to perform, and I tell people all the time that if he were born in the middle of the 19th century, he would have figured out a way to make television shows. People tend to underestimate how difficult it is to cook on camera. You’ve got to describe processes, tell stories, manage hot equipment, and do it quickly and efficiently, and most intimidating of all you’re doing it in front of a big crew and for a home audience of tens of thousands. Anyone who thinks fronting a cooking show is easy is completely bonkers."

Rina Oh is an evening student in the classic culinary arts program and is a contributing writer on Eat Life FCI, The Hot Plate and Food2. When she's not working as a food writer or stylist, she continues developing content for her gossip blog, dining with outlaws, and illustrating a comic book series called The Gastronomic Chronicles.

Interview with Christina Tosi, 2010 FCI Outstanding Alumni Awards recipient for pastry

2010-12-22T13:43:00.000-05:00

“Most of the items we serve at Milk Bar are made from ingredients we have lying around in our kitchen. I love making flavored milks by steeping toasted items over spans of time—something that I learned [to do] and loved to do while [working as] a pastry cook at wd~50.” —Christina Tosi

Christina Tosi is the executive pastry chef of Momofuku Milk Bar and the 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award recipient for pastry. In a recent interview, Christina gives an exclusive scoop inside her professional life after graduating from The FCI in 2004 from the classic pastry arts program.

She took the traditional route of college to appease her parents before coming here. Once she “finished college, it was crystal clear she couldn’t face a conventional profession.” Something many students can relate to and have come from a far to study at the school for the same reason. Christina made her way to NYC to study amongst the best at The FCI.

I asked her, "How did you come up with the idea for cereal ice cream?"

"Cereal milk was something I had in the back of my head for a few years, and it came out just right when I was playing around with it one night in Ssäm Bar's basement, while desperately looking for dessert inspiration.” By the way, if you haven’t tried the cereal milk soft serve, you must make a trip over to Momofuku Milk Bar and get a cone or cup…and bring some friends. Another great treat is the Corn Cookie. Christina has always had a sweet tooth and is known for never drinking any type of milk straight up (that includes any soy milk varieties). The only way you can get her to drink a glass of milk is by infusing the liquid with Lucky Charms or any other childhood cereal favorites. Her now famous cereal milk is a good result of this process.

Cereal Milk soft serve ice cream with assorted topping

The New York Times's T Magazine named her as one of their “The Nifty 50” and said her Compost Cookie recipe resulted from a “happy mistake." Some of her dessert ideas come from recycling reusable pantry items or incorporating foods that are already made. Somehow she has a gift of resurrecting ingredients that most folks would allow to go stale and eventually discard. Not Christina. Her biggest inspiration is Wylie Dufresne, whom she met while working at wd-50. Christina says, “I think a lot of what I draw from is a combination of Wylie’s influence, how to think about food and apply flavors and science and applicative thought to food, and what I've learned from the old gals in my family: the waste not, want not type of mentality, where [surplus] cereal goes into the cookies that are baked for every occasion; standard pantry items are made into breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It’s all in the craft and creativity of it for them.”

Compost Cookies

You can describe her culinary aesthetic as comfort foods on steroids. Some of her favorite foods are Lucky Charms and, “Campbell’s Soup with grilled cheese, the ultimate symbol love and home, grandmas, moms, boyfriends—it always tastes so damn good”.

Whether she’s listening to oldies, reggae, Bob Dylan, or Neil Young, you will find her immersed in conjuring up the next Sunday Funday inspired dessert wearing a vintage scarf and apron. When I asked her who created the signature Momofuku Pastry look, her response was, “Ha! I think being in a kitchen is all about personality and personal identity and flair amidst a sea of white porter shirts and an army of checkered canvases. In kitchens outside of the city where the dress code isn’t enforced, signature looks are all the rage. You have to love the food you’re making, and wearing something that helps remind you you’re you really makes a difference.”

Outside of the kitchen, typical civilian garments include mostly “old lady stuff.” That entails “old lady dresses, or jeans with old lady blazers or blouses and old lady belts.” She recommends reading “Joy of Cooking, the older the edition the better. It’s got an immense wealth of food story, history and knowledge in it. I could read or bake from it for hours. I love to bake from it and put a twist on whatever recipe I’ve fallen in love with at that moment.”

Christina is originally from Virgina. She is down-to-earth, approachable, and her food could describe her personality. When she’s not at work, you’ll find her wearing old lady clothes, bartering clothes for cookies, or hanging out with friends and indulging in comfort foods. Aside from Crack Pie and other notable sweets, you will find a new addition of truffles—some that resemble remnants of confetti sprinkles. Her desserts bring out the big kid in all of us.

assorted cake truffles (clockwise from top, left): apple pie cake, chocolate malt cake, birthday cake, and banana cake

A Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook is in the works and will be released later on in the Fall of 2011.

Rina Oh is an evening student in the classic culinary arts program and is a contributing writer on Eat Life FCI, The Hot Plate and Food2. When she's not working as a food writer or stylist, she continues developing content for her gossip blog, dining with outlaws, and illustrating a comic book series called The Gastronomic Chronicles.

Outstanding Alumni Awards 2010

2010-12-20T14:23:00.001-05:00

Dorothy Cann Hamilton with Dean André Soltner

On Monday, November 29, 2010, The French Culinary Institute hosted their annual Outstanding Alumni Awards. Five individuals received a prestigious award in the following categories: culinary, pastry, professional achievement, restaurant management, and bread.

All the deans were in attendance, and the evening was highlighted with introductions given by Dorothy Cann Hamilton (CEO and founder of the school) and special words of inspiration by Dean Alain Sailhac. When describing the art of making bread, he told us when recently asked how can you tell if the bread is good, he answered “it’s all in the crackling of the crust.” In other words, if there is no sound, it is no good. Chef Alain later described Roger Gural’s bread as “extraordinaire.”

Roger Gural, outstanding bread award

Roger Gural, this year’s Outstanding Bread Award recipient, finished the intensive six-week bread course at The FCI in 1998 and went on to work for Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud shortly after completing the program. Dorothy Cann Hamilton said, “his own personal drive, curiosity, and discipline sent him in a very short period of time out to those bakeries. And to get those positions that he did was absolutely extraordinary.” In 2009 he went oversees to compete, representing the United States, in the prestigious Mondial du Pain held in Lyon, France.

Zak Pelaccio, outstanding culinary award

Zak Pelaccio is the Outstanding Culinary Award recipient this year. He graduated in 1998 and has become the award-winning executive chef/partner at the critically acclaimed Fatty Crab, two Southeast Asian joints in NYC that focus on Malaysian-inspired cuisine, and the recently opened Fatty ’Cue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He is a partner in Cabrito and former chef for multiple critically acclaimed concepts. After graduating from the culinary arts program, Zak worked at The French Laundry and Daniel prior to traveling-throughout Asia, where he developed his unique palate. Zak is the founder of a new nonprofit called the Future Chefs Initiative and recently met with Dorothy Cann Hamilton and Phil Gutensohn, director of placement at The FCI and the executive director of The Future Chefs Initiative, to discuss future plans on how the initiative and Wellness in Schools programs can work together and create a working formula other institutions can follow.

Christina Tosi, outstanding pastry award

New York Times “The Nifty 50", Christina Tosi, who’s desserts at Momofuku Milk Bar have recently been all the rage, received the Outstanding Alumni Award for Pastry. Christina went on to work for wd~50 and Bouley after graduating from the intensive pastry program in 2004. Now the heralded pastry chef at Milk Bar and David Chang’s (also an alum) Momofuku restaurants, her unique twists on conventional sweets has lead her to the top in only a short few years since graduating from The FCI. Her work has been featured in a number of local and national print magazines and periodicals, and she has made television appearances on the Today show and The Martha Stewart Show.

Mark Dissin, professional achievement award

The Professional Achievement Award was given to Mark Dissin, who graduated in 1997. Mark, vice president of production at the Food Network, is a television pioneer who has helped to shape the food media industry into what it is today. He joined the cable network during their early inception. He has three daytime Emmy awards, is the producer of Giada at Home, 30 Minute Meals, and several other hit Food Network shows. He recently directed Cook Like an Iron Chef in 2010.

Named by O Magazine as one of the “Five Most Giving and Gifted Food Professionals,” Laura Pensiero is a chef, restauranteur, cookbook author, and a registered dietician. Laura received the Outstanding Restaurant Management Award, a title that barely describes her multifaceted talents and all the hats she wears. Laura has established a well-managed cohesive restaurant brand Gigi Hudson Valley, which includes Gigi Trattoria, Gigi Market, and she is a chef-partner of Just Salads. Laura works as a contributing writer to several national print magazines. Her most recent venture, Just Salads is “a collection of healthy fast foods” with five locations in NYC and two in Hong Kong.

Each of the five outstanding alumni received a special, hand painted plaque made by Dean Jacques Pépin.

Dean André Soltner

The evening ended with a few words from Chef André Soltner: "I have been in this business for 61 years. And it was always a joy for me. I did my apprenticeship and then I was a cook for a long time. And later on, I became a sous chef and then chef and owner of a restaurant. And when I retired, I came to the school. And I must say that I’ve always had a great pleasure to be in this industry. The biggest pleasure is to see when the students who graduate—and we are very proud—when we see them years later and they are honored because they made a great career. That is the greatest thing for us. Congratulations to all of you.”

It was an intimate and exclusive gathering of star chefs, culinary notables, and experts. We raised our champagne flutes and toasted to the outstanding alumni’s achievements. Attendees included our very own founder and CEO of the International Culinary Center, Dorothy Cann Hamilton; the Master Chefs: Alain Sailhac, Jacques Torres, André Soltner, and Jacques Pépin; Vice President of Culinary and Pastry Arts Nils Norén; Dave Arnold, food technology expert; The 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipients: Zak Pelaccio, Roger Gural, Christina Tosi, Mark Dissin, and Laura Pensiero; former alumni award recipient Wylie Dufresne; faculty and staff; students and alumni, with friends and family.

award winners, deans, and Dorothy Cann Hamilton, the school's founder

Alain Sailhac and Zak Pelaccio

Alain Sailhac, Christina Tosi, and Nils Norén

Wylie Dufresne with Christina Tosi

Mark Dissin (left) and Dorothy Cann Hamilton (right)

Jacques Torres, André Soltner, Dorothy Cann Hamilton, and Phil Gutensohn

A Meeting with Dorothy

2010-12-14T10:51:00.020-05:00

A few lucky FCI students attended a private meeting with Dorothy Cann Hamilton, CEO and founder of The International Culinary Center, and the deans of the French Culinary Institute. We enjoyed wine with hors d'oeuvres and good conversations. We got a chance to mingle with other students from Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and The Italian Culinary Academy and got a few words of advice from the master chefs.

From left: Alain Sailhac; André Soltner; Jacques Pépin

From left: Alain Sailhac; André Soltner; Jacques Pépin; Jacques Torres

the author, Rina Oh, with the deans

Leland Scruby from student affairs

Jacques Pépin

André (left) and Jacques (right) pose with Dorothy Cann Hamilton.

Candy Argondizza, assistant director of culinary arts at The FCI

A Tasty New Year's Eve

2010-12-13T12:53:00.000-05:00

Our very own (and very talented) André Marrero, executive chef of events at The International Culinary Theater, will be ringing in the new year by cooking at The Beard House on the 31st. Some of the tempting menu items include: Kumamoto Oysters with Pickled Radishes and Mignonette; Tamarind-Glazed Poached Egg with Truffle Butter and Shaved White Truffles; and Slow-Cooked Spiced Beef Short Ribs with Onion–Garlic Confit and Braised Potato.

Menu Project

2010-12-10T10:48:00.004-05:00

Platters of Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches, Chinese roast duck rolled into pancakes, steamed fish in banana leaves, and Tom Yam soup filled the white-clothed tables on Wednesday night. Over six class days, five classmates and I roasted, braised, sliced, stewed, and baked everything we could to pull off this buffet, one of our assigned projects in our classic culinary arts program.

Here are some of the dishes we served:

Chinese roast duck with cucumbers and scallions in pancakes

I roasted eight ducks and shredded the meat.

Chinese roast duck

Egg rolls with filet mignon and bell peppers

Students and teachers fill up their plates.

Causa de Camarones, a Peruvian dish with molded layers of mashed potatoes, aji peppers, and shrimp

Tom Yam soup

summer rolls with shrimp and basil, served with hoisin-peanut sauce

deep-fried pork belly with pickled watermelon

steamed branzino with sticky rice in banana leaves

coconut flan

tea-braised lamb stew

Cold drinks such as mango lassi (front) and Korean cinnamon tea were served.

stir-fried mushrooms with noodles

mango sticky rice

Chinese almond cookies

My classmates, Chef Veronica Lindemann and I (second from right) stand still for a photo. Chef David Oland (not shown) also guided us through the preparation of our buffet.

To see more photos, go to this Flickr page.

Jenny Lee-Adrian is a student in the Classic Culinary Arts program. She has a food blog called Hummingbird Appetite.

A trip to DessertTruck Works

2010-12-06T11:12:00.005-05:00

I could taste the imprint of bacon in the custard sauce that had been poured over the chocolate bread pudding. I liked the savory touch in something that was so sweet. I had never tried the famous chocolate bread pudding of DessertTruck Works that was declared the winner on Throwdown with Bobby Flay in 2009.

I went along with The FCI's Dessert Club to DessertTruck Works to try their sweet treats on Friday, December 3rd. In 2007, FCI alum Jerome Chang and Chris Chen, a Columbia Business School MBA graduate, created DessertTruck with the goal of bringing gourmet desserts to the public in a mobile kitchen. This year, Chang opened the pastry shop/cafe at 6 Clinton Street. Besides bread pudding, the menu offers molten chocolate cake, doughnut holes, Pavlova, honey-rosemary ice cream, macaroons, as well as other delectables.

Chang is a proponent of fine dining in casual fare.

As far as the idea behind a food truck selling sophisticated desserts, Chang said, "We thought it was something in the zeitgeist. We thought 10 other people want to do this, but we wanted to be first."

"It's a democratization of food," he said.

What is Chang's advice for culinary students?

"Attitude. Keep your mouth shut. Always ask why, why, why. Ask yourself why so you can put your personality on a plate."

At the tasting, we enjoyed doughnut holes, slow-baked apples, and butternut squash ice cream.

warm brioche doughnut holes alternately filled with vanilla cream and nutella

butternut squash crêpe with butternut squash ice cream and roasted pumpkin seeds

slow-baked apple with puff pastry, cranberries, whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream

macaroons

Pavlova with quince sorbet, candied grapefruit, pomegranate seeds, and whipped crème fraîche

For more photos, click here.

One of my favorites was the honey-rosemary ice cream. Chang had infused the rosemary into the ice cream base. The final product left a faint impression of the herb in your mouth. Chang said it was simple to make, but it's all about the execution.

He looked at us and emphasized, "Execution, guys. It's always the execution."

Jenny Lee-Adrian is a student in the Classic Culinary Arts program at The French Culinary Institute. She has a food blog called Hummingbird Appetite.

Coming Up Kosher

2010-11-29T12:50:00.001-05:00

Photo by Micah Beree 507 Studio

Shaya Klechevsky
Classic Culinary Arts 2007

Our students come from diverse backgrounds, and half the fun as a student is the cultural diversity of fellow classmates, and all you can learn from them. Often students are excited to share their food traditions with others by bringing dishes and desserts they have made at home to class or by arranging a club outing to a favorite restaurant, highlight a particular cuisine. Along with this, many students fit what they learn here (yes, all those fancy French techniques) into a personalized course that incorporates their individual background.

This has been the course for Shaya Klechevsky, whose path proves you can attend culinary school while observing kosher law and that what might seem as a limitation to some was actually what became a passionate driving force for his career. Shaya came into school, after working as an administrator at a private Jewish high school, with no more training than the love he had for food and cooking. Attending an evening culinary program, Shaya remembers how hard he worked and particularly, chef Candy grilling the students with questions as they prepped and cooked—that you had to be on your toes at all times. He felt he walked away with valuable "confidence to go out and embark on his profession" and the "classic techniques to build off of." And through the process of working through each station and getting kitchen experience at L'Ecole, Shaya was able to refine what he wanted to do with his education.

roasted salmon fillet with mustard cream sauce

He knew he wanted to be a part of and contribute to what is available and going on in the kosher food industry. Not interested in restaurant work, Shaya decided to look into catering and being a personal chef. He found clients that were not interested in using a large caterer for smaller events, such as anniversary dinners or private fetes on large yachts, and from there he grew his business, servicing his clients with healthy, gourmet kosher food. At Your Palate was born.

champignon en croute

After the economy snagged on the rocks of the bursting housing bubble and subsequent Wall Street tremors and crumbles, Shaya found the party scene lackluster, necessitating a shift in business. But, as often comes with seemingly bad fortune, good things arose, leading Shaya into the world of teaching. Now his company has grown, and Shaya has a team of three chefs plus two interns. They still cater small parties and events, but now they also prepare cooking lessons for individuals and small groups—all with the personal touch. He "loves interacting with his clients and connecting people to food so they can really appreciate it."

Shaya is doing what he likes best, and in a way that is integral to who he is as a person. And the bonus? He is able to share all this with others.

truffled tuna tartar with caviar

Urbanites, Take Note

2010-11-23T12:45:00.006-05:00

It's exciting to watch students from any of our classes go out and do exciting things with what they have learned, whether that be for home cooks or for professionals. Kate McDonough, who has taken a variety of classes at the school (a master class with Marcella Hazan, The Craft of Food Writing with Alan Richman, some short courses at The Italian Culinary Academy, and most recently she completed our intensive Culinary Techniques for amateurs) has just had her first book published. The City Cook, edited by McDonough, is based on her blog of the same name, which has drawn quite a following since it's inception, with it's mission to be a "guide for urbanites looking for ways to fit great cooking into a busy life and a small kitchen."

This is the perfect read for weekend warrior bakers, week night kitchen bunglers, or anyone else who may want to make cooking a part of their busy city life.

At the New York Chocolate Show

2010-11-19T10:14:00.012-05:00

Our talented pastry chef-instructors have contributed often to the annual New York Chocolate Show, showing off their talent and skill. This year, chefs Kir Rodriguez and Jae Kim headed up a team of volunteer students and three recent grads to make a six-foot Amazon dressed in 240 pounds of chocolate for the Trains, Planes, and Automobiles themed exhibit at the event.

And she lives up to her name. A mighty chocolate presence, indeed!

The FCI heads to California

2010-11-16T10:29:00.008-05:00

In some exciting personal news, the school is growing! The French Culinary Institute at The International Culinary Center now has a branch campus (The Professional Culinary Institute) in Campbell, California (San Francisco Bay Area).

In an area know for it's local, organic, sustainable foodways, nearby vineyards, as well as such industry luminaries as Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, and Michael Chiarello, not to mention the bubble and foment going on in the area's restaurant scene, this is a unique and rich place to study the culinary and pastry arts.

We look forward to being a part of two great food hubs in the country. Stay tuned for more to come...

Kitchen Tools for the Brain

2010-11-12T16:44:00.008-05:00

Released this month, Harold McGee's (all serious cooks and chefs should check out his excellent two-day kitchen science course at the school) new book is a guide for every cook. Filled with basics such as the best way to wash and store berries, how to cook a juicy steak, or effectively treat a burn, Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes is another (next to McGee's On Food and Cooking) wonderful reference for the kitchen shelf. Organized in short, often bulleted sections, this is a practical and helpful go-to page-turner for those little nagging questions, like, Should I freeze this bread or leave it on the counter? We can guarantee you will find something brillantly useful between its covers. You can see what we mean, just watch below.

Thermometers

Ice Cream

A Piece of Cake

2010-11-11T11:57:00.043-05:00

Sara Heslington
Classic Pastry Arts, 2002

With a disposition to match the sunny California climes in which she lives, Sara Heslington has recently embarked on the next phase of her professional career as a pastry chef and cake designer, starting her own cake design studio in Corona Del Mar. But not unlike Odysseus's voyage home, she has more than a tale or two to tell from along the way of getting from the beginning to where she is now.

Sara's pastry odyssey began in college as a student in the biological sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey. It was here that she realized she wanted to pursue a career in pastry focusing on cake design instead of science. So with that, she began shopping for her new culinary school and landed at The FCI. She remembers loving how hands-on the program was and how fun and exciting Chef Jürgen David made it to be there. And in step with her interests in cake design, one of her favorite parts of the program was how many different showpieces (chocolate, pastillage, sugar) they were required to make. Sara was talented enough to score an internship with Ron Ben-Israel, one of New York City's top cake designers. Her internship lead to a job, where she worked until an opportunity to be a part of the opening team at The Montage Laguna Beach in California came her way.

all cakes designed and made by Sara Heslington

After a return to New York City and another stint with Ron, Sara, always looking to further her cake skills, answered a job posting on The FCI jobs board and found herself moving to Chongqing, China, where, as the pastry chef for an American-style bakery and cake company, she went through all the challenges of sourcing Western ingredients and figuring out how to run a business in a large city not very exposed to Western ideas. She would find a supplier for one item but have to go somewhere else for another. Finding a fondant supplier was one of her biggest challenges (something she finally ended up importing from Australia).

Working in a kitchen so small that you couldn't open the refrigerator door all the way because it hit the counter and with the sink located under the stairs, she had to be scrappy and resourceful. All of which, Sara took in stride. In the end, the business morphed into a cafe with a wide assortment of desserts and meatballs on skewers being sold from a different vendor at the front of the shop, instead of the line of cakes and bakery items Sara thought she would be working on. She returned to New York City to work once again with Ron, helping him complete the massive and elaborate celebration cake for The Plaza hotel's 100th birthday. (A sugary replica of the famous building, the cake measured over 12 feet tall and feed over 1,500 guests.) After her project with Ron was finished, Sara again returned to California and worked for The Montage for several months before joining the opening team of The Resort at Pelican Hill. Starting as a pastry cook in charge of all cakes, she had the opportunity to switch after a year to doing cakes only (her true love). So after another short stint with Ron, she returned again to California to head up the cake department at the resort, making all the wedding and special occasion cakes for all the restaurants and banquet functions.

But these weren't the only adventures Sara had dipped her pastry brush into. While working for Ron, Sara met James Roselle, and they became good friends. James had been invited to compete in a Food Network "Cake Challenge" while she was in China and won. When he was invited back, he asked Sara to be his assistant. They took on the surprise engagement challenge and won. Sara admits that she, "enjoys competitive sports and the atmosphere of team competition. The days are long and stressful [working on a show], but I really enjoy having that competitive outlet." By their third competition, however, the team felt that the pressure to keep a winning streak was overload, and this time the show had so many unexpected twist and turns, that when the show was over, they decided to call it quits. It felt more like TV drama than a place to showcase their skills.

However, after a year, when asked to participate in a roller derby–themed challenge, they couldn't say no. But this time they were doing it for fun and doing what they wanted to do. For Sara, some of what she enjoys most about participating in these challenges is meeting other designers and seeing their different styles and ways of working. In total she competed with James in the Surprise Engagement Challenge, Extreme Holiday Cakes, Last Cake Standing Series, and Roller Derby Cakes. The added bonus to competing with James is that they are both so busy that this is time they can spend together as friends.

Back at the resort, Sara was still itching to do more with her cakes. With long hours spent at the restaurant, she rarely had the time or energy to take on any designs on her own. With having her own studio always on her mind, when she heard of a personal assistant opportunity through a friend, she jumped on it, thinking, I could do that. From chef to personal assistant may seem like an incongruous move, but not for Sara. Now, she could finally focus on having her own cake business. She works four reasonably houred days a week as an assistant, leaving her time to work on her own cakes. She rents a kitchen part-time and only takes on two to three cakes a month. This may not sound like a lot of decorating, but when you know that Sara's minimum order is $2,000.00, you get the indication that these are no ordinary confections. She wants to focus exclusively on decorative and detailed cakes that really allow her to be creative. Her favorite? Flowers. "I look at flowers differently after working with Ron. I love a cake with a ton of sugar flowers." She also likes to create a cake that is detailed enough to reflect the event the bride and her wedding planner have envisioned, pulling in details—perhaps lace from the dress or a color from the invitation—in such a way as to bring all the pieces of the happy day together into the cake.

Sara's travels are far from finished. And with a new studio in its first year, many would say she has only just begun. But, for Sara looking back on the story she has created so far, she's excited to be where she is at. And the sources she credits most for where she is today are the people she has worked with. She is grateful to have had many good teachers and mentors along the way.