Thanks to Chef Gronert's Advanced Chocolate & Sugar Class for the Delicious Easter Displays!

L - R: Rita Boags, Violet Beasley, Anna Lone, Nichole Mohlenoff, Wendi O'Brien, Elizabeth Pangalangan, Laura Hunt, Courtney Peralta, Taylour Calcutt, Chef Gronert, Ashley Bruce, Jaime Kampmey, and Kait Ingram.

 

Happy Black Forest Cake Day!

 

Today is National Black Forest Cake day (go figure!). Here's a fabulous Black Forest Ice Cream Cake (see the chocolate trees) that Chef Wilson's Ice Cream Class made from the new "Desserts by Pierre Hermé
" book.

Chefs Gronert and Huff Secure Externships at The Cloister at Sea Island

Last spring, CIC Chefs Bernd Gronert and Miles Huff called on The Cloister at Sea Island, Georgia to investigate the possibility for externships for CIC students. Their negotiations were successful, with the result of an externship for CIC student Jon Montjoy last summer and for CIC student Elizabeth Pangalangan this summer. A luxury Five Star hotel on a private resort, The Cloister offers an incredible opportunity for CIC students.http://www.seaisland.com/

CIC Is Proud to be the Beverage Seminar Sponsor for the 2012 BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival

This was a successful second year for the Culinary Institute of Charleston as the sponsor for the Festival's wine seminars. The amphitheater at the CIC's Palmer Campus again proved to be a perfect venue.

Champagne and Charcuterie with wine connoisseur Kevin Pike and Jason Houser of Meathouse

Hendrick's Gin - A Deconstructive + Cocktalian Study with Mixologist Charlotte Voisey and Jim Ryan

Mixologist Junior Merino of The Liquid Chef, Hospitality Department Chair Particia Agnew, Mixologist Charlotte Voisey of Hendrick's Gin

Also in the amphitheater: A Dessert Wine and Pastry Pairing and Wine and Cheese. In the 181 Palmer restaurant dining room, Amizetta Estate Winery's Spencer Clark guided attendees to Build Your Own Bordeaux.

For informed comments on the Hendrick's seminar, see: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/Eat/archives/2012/03/04/chswff-spirit-tastings-galore
For a delightful blog post on the Champagne and Charcuterie seminar, see: http://eatthischarleston.com/index.php/features/item/bubbles-before-swine-champagne-and-charcuterie

Superstars of Rioja with Master Sommelier Sara Floyd and Chef Ben Berryhill

Off-premise wine events that CIC sponsored included:

• Prestigious Producers of Friuli at McCrady's
• Charleston's Top Sommelier Panel + Tasting at McCrady's
• Winning Wine List at McCrady's
• Spirit of the Scots: A Balvenie Tasting at The Cocktail Club
• Nectar of the Gods: Pulque, Mezcal + Tequila at Taco Boy
• Bourbon Born at Halls Chophouse

CIC Cocktail Dinner for the 2012 BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival

Left to Right: Chef Crawford, Daniel Sanchez, Junior Merino, Charlotte Voisey, Chef Stefanelli, Jonathan Cato, CIC Dean Michael Saboe
CIC Chef Scott Stefanelli	Umstead Hotel and Spa Executive Chef Scott Crawford
Junior Merino, The Liquid Chef	Charlotte Voisey, Brand Ambassador for William Grant and Sons

The Festival's very first cocktail dinner was held in 181 Palmer Restaurant at CIC on Friday, March 2nd. Superstar mixologists Charlotte Voisey and Junior Merino designed cocktails featuring Hendrick’s Gin and Milagro Tequila respectively, paired for each of four hors d'oeuvres and four courses on the menu. CIC Chef Instructor Scott Stefanelli was joined in the kitchen by guest chef Executive Chef Scott Crawford of The Umstead Hotel and Spa of Cary, North Carolina.

First Course: Crudo of Mark Marhefka's Beeliner Snapper with Grapefruit, Ginger, Radish, Marcona Almonds Cocktail: Earl of Grey Granito	Second Course: Loin and Confit of Ashley Farms Rabbit with Housemade Bacon, Warm Potato Apricot Salad, Tarragon Jus Cocktail: Tequila Warrior
Third Course: Border Springs Farm Lamb with Fava Beans, Pine Mushrooms, Rosemary and Fennel Broth Cocktail: South Carolina Sour	Dessert: Anson Mills Corn Cake with Honey Butter Ice Cream, Salted Pecan Brittle, Anejo Cream Soda Cocktail: Rouge

Charleston City Paper Restaurant Critic Robert Moss, who attended the dinner, wrote:
"With all four courses the pairings went well — leaving you reaching for your cocktail glass and momentarily forgetting it was not wine. Most of the cocktails had some sort of floral note to it — the lavender bitters in the opening 'Earl of Grey Granito,' the ginger elderflower syrup in the Tequila Warrior — that added a nice complement to the course with which it was paired. ...
"Are cocktail-paired dinners the wave of the future? If the comments of my tablemates and those around us are any indication, this inaugural one was a resounding success. The liqueurs and infusions of craft cocktails bring a new palette of flavors to the table, and I suspect we'll see more chefs and bartenders teaming up for future events."
For the full story, with photos: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/Eat/archives/2012/03/03/chswff-cocktail-pairings
Mr. Moss also wrote a considered piece about Brand Ambassadors in his personal blog, al forno Charleston:
http://www.robertfmoss.com/2012/03/brand-ambassadors.html

CIC Chef Instructor Donald Barickman A Headliner in Charleston Wine + Food Festival Culinary Legends Dinner

CIC Chef Instructor Donald Barickman joined "Culinary Legends" Robert Carter, Brett McKee, and Ben Berryhill, at Berryhill's Next Door restaurant for a spectacular dinner of five courses paired with a beer from the trailblazing New Belgium Brewing Company.

Of Chef Barickman's course, Charleston City Paper Restaurant Critic Eric Doska wrote: "The dish of the night was prepared by Donald Barickman. He made tender wood-grilled pork tenderloin with sweet and spicy jalapeño peach jam, pulled pork ragout, and extremely flavorful collard greens that were braised in Fat Tire. Truth be told, I forgot about the Fat Tire (5.2 % ABV) pairing, as the dish was just fantastic without it." For the full story: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/Eat/archives/2012/03/05/chswff-legends-craft-beer-dinner
http://charlestonwineandfood.com/

Chef Instructor Kelly Wilson Kicks Off CIC's Charleston Wine + Food Festival Activity!

CIC Baking & Pastry Chef Instructor Kelly Wilson and local Stars restaurant chef Nathan Thurston joined a fantastic lineup of national chefs for the Festival's major fundraising event. Traveling to Charleston were Nashville's Tyler Brown, Atlanta's Linton Hopkins, Louisville's Michael Paley, Atlanta's Anne Quatrano, and Chapel Hill's Bill Smith. The goal was to raise money via live and silent auctions for Mickey Bakst's Feed the Need and Lowcountry Local First's Farm Incubator Program.  

Following the theme of celebrating local, Chef Wilson prepared a trilogy of divine Southern bite-size desserts, which were passed on colorful LE CREUSET serving platters: dark chocolate fudge with candied pecans, 'nana pudding macarons, and mini Meyer lemon cheesecakes made with juice and rind from Meyer lemons picked off of Sidi Limehouse's trees.  http://charlestonwineandfood.com/