Monday, December 15, 2014

CIC Grad Chef Trey Dutton Shares His Holiday Chutney Recipe



A native of Brunswick, Georgia, Chef Trey Dutton grew up in Summerville, South Carolina. He is a 2004 graduate of the culinary arts program at the Culinary Institute of Charleston at Trident Technical College. In 1999, Chef Mike Lata gave Trey his culinary first job in the kitchen at Anson. Trey went on to work for Chef Lata at FIG from 2003 to 2005. Subsequently, he held the position of Lead Sous Chef at the Sea Island Company’s property, The Cloister, in Sea Island, Georgia, operating the 100 Hudson dining room, and of Chef de Cuisine at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Trey developed his own company in 2014, Southern Keep, where he produces small batch artisan pickles and preserves. This began as an outlet for him to “share his love for pickling and canning, especially by recreating his great-grandmother’s recipe for ‘Cement Pickles.’” He describes them as a “super-crisp, sweet and tangy original. My great-grandmother's recipe, infused with lots of love over the course of the three days it takes to make them.”

In August 2014, Trey was hired by the Indigo Road Group, where he will serve as Executive Chef at their Mercantile & Mash and The Cedar Room properties at the Cigar Factory, scheduled to open in June, 2015. Mercantile & Mash will be an emporium with a coffee shop, bar, bakery, lunch counter and culinary mercantile on the ground floor; The Cedar Room is a private event space above it. In the interim, Trey is working at the Indigo Road Group’s properties Oak Steakhouse, in Charleston and Alpharetta.

Trey and his wife Ellen have a four-year-old daughter, Avie Jane, and live in West Ashley.

The Charleston City Paper Features Yuri Kojima




Congrats to CIC student Yuri Kojima, featured in today's Charleston City Paper piece "Summerville's Yuri Kojima hosts YouTube's Japanese Cooking Lovers." (Yuri is seen here with her winning dish for the Limehouse Produce Pumpkin Contest). 

"After graduating this spring from CIC, Kojima plans to use her sports and nutrition degree to become a health coach. Until then, she's starting the process, little by little, on each of her YouTube videos. Nearly every episode either gives a meat alternative like tofu (of which she also includes a recipe) or encourages the use of additional vegetables." 

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

CIC Hosts SCHA Cooking Well Invitational



CIC hosted the South Carolina Hospital Association's Cooking Well Competition for the second year. On Thursday night,the Iron Chef Showdown was held on our Palmer campus. It featured celebrity Chef Marvin Woods as Emcee  and two teams: Chef Graham Dailey of Peninsula Grill with Culinary Institute of Charleston Chef Instructor Kevin Mitchell and and Chef John Ondo (a CIC grad) of Lana Restaurant & Bar with Chef Miles Huff. Each team had to whip up dishes using three secret ingredients – snapper, tuna and butter beans.Team Ondo/Huff won over the judges and was proclaimed the winner of the 2014 Iron Chef Showdown. To view more photos from the Iron Chef Showdown: https://www.flickr.com/photos/schospitals/sets/72157649233176541/ 

The main event, The Cooking Well Invitational, took place on Friday. Culinary teams from nine hospitals across the state had 90 minutes to create three-course meals that satisfied not only the judges’ taste buds but also specific nutrition guidelines. Spectators were able to watch chefs as they mixed, chopped, sautéed and perfected their dishes and some even got a taste. After time was up, the dishes were presented to the judges – Chef Donald Barickman, Chef Randy Williams and Chef Ward Morgan of the Culinary Institute of Charleston. While teams were busy cooking away in their kitchens, Chef Marvin Woods and Chef Kevin Mitchell of the Culinary Institute performed cooking demonstrations for the crowd, and Chef Woods talked about how he got his start in the business and his take on healthy cooking. After several grueling hours of taste testing, the judges made a difficult but necessary decision. They crowned Greenville Health System-Oconee Memorial Hospital as the winners with their Greek yogurt drop biscuit appetizer; artichoke, quail egg and Serrano ham entrée; autumn fruit dessert flatbread pizza; all washed down with a peach spritzer. Georgetown Hospital System came in second place, followed by Beaufort Memorial Hospital in third. To view more photos from the culinary competition: https://www.flickr.com/photos/schospitals/sets/72157648826907037/ 

CIC Chef Instructor Kevin Mitchell is South Carolina's Slow Food Delegate to Terra Madre

Hanna Raskin of the Post And Courier picked up on this incredible opportunity for Chef Mitchell, writing: "In addition to the tasting rooms and seminars, the five-day event included themed meals and academic panels. Mitchell contributed to two pop-up dinners, helping to prepare hoppin' John with Arborio rice and serving bourbon-marinated pork loin with pickled Bradford watermelon rind andFarmer's Daughter brand collard kraut.
"As a panelist, Mitchell participated in a session about culinary migrations. He addressed African-American cuisine, and talked about long-ago African imports such as okra and watermelon. He also stressed the rice-growing heritage of Charleston."
For the complete article: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20141119/PC0301/141119308 

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Post & Courier Features 181 Palmer Dessert

Chef Stefanelli's Capstone class whipped up a fabulous white chocolate cremeux with fruits, pomegranate, coconut crisps, and Thai basil to serve in 181 Palmer. It was featured in the food section of Post & Courier. Congrats, y'all.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The Limehouse Produce Pumpkin and Squash Contest Was a Smash!

There were a number of great contestants in the Limehouse Produce Pumpkin and Squash Contest - and six worthy finalists. Here are the results: in First Place and winning a $200.00 gift certificate to McCrady's with her Hot and Sweet Miso Kabocha: Yuri Kojima. In second place, winning a $100 gift certificate to Berlin's Restaurant Supply with his Squashed Crab Tortellini: Paul San Luis. In third place, winning a basket of assorted culinary items for her Pumpkin Crepes: Sarah Hassell.
 Also finalists were: Russell William with Butternut Squash Gnocchi, Candice Hunsucker with Thanksgiving Stuffing in a Pumpkin, and Arlette Park with a Pumpkin and Eggnog "Soup" that would make a divine dessert. Congrats, everyone!


The Finalists
The dishes