CIC Grad BJ Dennis in Garden & Gun Video

Enjoy CIC grad BJ Dennis in this humorous video produced by Garden and Gun magazine: "Southern Chefs in the Hot Seat." He's keeping mighty fine company these days!

Post & Courier Gives a Shout to CIC's Relish Restaurant

In its April 15 Food Section, the Post & Courier features a Relish dish prepared by two students from Chef John Ondo's Mediterranean Cuisine class. Staphanie Zawacki and Paul San Luis delivered a centerpiece of beeliner snapper that was taken off of the bone and rubbed with basil, parsley, thyme and garlic before roasting. Carrots, artichoke hearts, olives and tomatoes are boiled in chicken stock, which is reduced after the vegetables are removed. Garlic confit is incorporated into the sauce with a stick blender. Tomato petals and basil puree add color and flavor. 

CIC Chef Instructor David Vagasky Featured in the Post & Courier

Chefs  Vagasky (l) and Gray (r) demoing chocolate
for one of their accounts, Southern Seasons.

Chef Vagasky and his partner Chef Mark Gray have a very sweet business called Cacao’s Artisan Chocolates. They recently received some sweet props from the Post & Courier in an article about their company, its products and the over 1,000 chocolate bunnies they made for Easter. Read it here.

Chef Kevin Mitchell Attends James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp

Group shot at the Tabasco factory. 

Cooking the collaborative dinner.

From March 15^{th -} 17^th,  Chef Kevin Mitchell attended the invitation-only James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change. This is program offers a unique opportunity for civic and politically minded chefs to become more effective leaders for food-system change. During thematic retreats around the country, participants receive advocacy and media training while learning about important issues, challenges and opportunities facing the food world. The goal is to build a growing network of like-minded chefs, provide support for personal interests and passions and give tools and guidance that will help them act as influential advocates. The Boot Camp provides:

• A geographically, culturally, and demographically diverse group of 15 chefs
• A unique destination to facilitate group cohesion
• Policy and media training by industry and political experts on specific food-system topics
• Hands-on activities that engage chefs with local natural resources, such as harvesting, visits to local farms, slaughterhouses, fisheries and other producers
• A collaborative dinner prepared by the participating chefs
• Educational sessions about pressing food-system topics, such as the Farm Bill or sustainable fisheries
• Exposure to campaigns of partner organizations, such as the Pew Charitable Trusts’ campaign against antibiotic overuse in livestock
• Strategic brainstorming about effective action points and next steps 

In addition to Chef Mitchell, attendees were:

• Jamie Simpson, Milan, OH
• Bill Telepan, New York, NY
• Christian Thornton, Martha's Vineyard, MA
• Lee Anne Wong, Honolulu, HI
• JBF Award Winner Sherry Yard, Los Angeles, CA
• Victor Albisu, Washington, D.C.
• David Carson, Atlanta, GA
• Michael Leviton, Boston, MA
• JBF Award Winner Emily Luchetti, San Francisco, CA
• Jud McLester, Chicago, IL, Tabasco's Executive Chef
• Seamus Mullen, New York, NY 

The Boot Camp took place on Avery Island, home to the McIlhenny Company, producer of Tabasco.

Read more here.