Chef Huff Does His Stuff

Chef Instructor Miles Huff worked his annual garde manger magic at the State Fair in Columbia this month. Assisted by CIC students Kimberly Harrigal and Chris Holme, Chef Huff carved a veritable garden of fruit and vegetable flowers and crafted an array of other amusing creations.

First Farm to Plate Class Ends by Cooking Local

Members of Class 1 of Farm to Plate, r/l:
Renata Dos Santos, James Handy, Dereck Israel, Ami Whiteside, John Hicks, Thomas Jordan, Charles Valenza, Cole Poolaw and Chef Instructor Michael Carmel. Absent from the picture: Seth Purvin.

For their final exam, the class divided into groups of three and devised menus of appetizer, entree and dessert. All primary ingredients had to be locally grown, raised, or caught.

Judges awarded first place to the team of Handy, Dos Santos and Whiteside.

Special notice was given to the appetizer below from the team of Hicks, Poolaw and Valenza, which featured Wild American Shrimp.

CIC Premiers Taste of Charleston IRON CHEF!

Friday, October 10th - CIC inaugurated its new demonstration amphitheater kitchen at the Palmer Campus with a high-spirited Iron Chef competition. Chefs Aaron Deal of Tristan and Craig Deihl of Cypress clashed pots with Chefs Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad and Charles Arena of The Boathouse on East Bay, cheered on by some 250 attendees and the playful patter of emcees Tom Crawford and Mickey Bakst.

CIC Donates Doggie Baking Class to Pet Helpers

On a sunny Saturday morning, CIC Chef Jeff Alexander led a group of friends in treat-filled class of baking for their dogs. CIC donated the class and lunch following it in 181 Palmer to Pet Helpers as an auction item for their annual Fur Ball. Guest celebrities - and dog lovers - Teresa Taylor, Food Editor of the Post & Courier, and Mitchell Crosby, of JMC Charleston, joined in the fun. The CIC Baking Club, under the leadership of Chef Bernd Gronert, whipped up a batch of puppie cupcakes for snacks.

Chef Lee Teaches Farm to Plate Class

Folowing a talk by Keegan-Filion Farms owner Marc Filion, Chef Frank Lee, of Slightly North of Broad, joined the Farm to Plate students in the kitchen to prepare the farms's pastured chicken.

Chef Alexander Stars in Post & Courier Story

Chef Alexander's Artisan Bread class was featured in a story titled "The Art of Baking" by Post & Courier columnist Nathalie Dupree.

"There are 10 of us," writes Dupree, "including the instructor, Jeff Alexander, who have been standing next to the oven during the Artisan Baking Class. The hardest artisan bread to make is the French baguette. And, class after class, the students at Trident Tech's Culinary Institute of Charleston turn out at least three loaves of French baguettes each, totaling more than 50 each by the end of the term. Each student is eager to master all 50.

"Fifty is a magic number to chef Alexander, a graduate of Johnson & Wales when the culinary school was in Charleston, a passionate baker and unbelievably dedicated teacher.

"In addition to the French bread, the class had already rolled pita bread and formed it into rounds, watching it as it miraculously puffed in the oven. They had made pissaladiere (French pizza-type breads, these shaped into rectangles), covering them with salt and pepper, sauteed onions, garlic and the finest Nicoise olives.

"The finale is pizza, tossed in the air. "Think 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 9 o'clock as you toss the dough between two hands, turning as you go," says Alexander. "That will keep it round." And it does."

Find the complete story, including CIC student Meri Spalviero's recipe for homemade pizza, at:
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/oct/08/art_baking57050/

CHEF DEAL FEATURED IN POST & COURIER

CIC Adjunct Instructor and Tristan restaurant Executive Chef Aaron Deal garnered some pretty fine press in this week's Post & Courier!

"Deal moved to Charleston several years ago and graduated from Johnson & Wales in 2005. ... [He] works an average of 12 hours each day of the week. He recently started teaching culinary courses at Trident Technical College," wrote Sophia Rodriguez.

For the complete story, including some great quotes, go to: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/sep/25/tristans_new_chef_wont_let_youth_get_way55626/

Chef Bob Waggoner Shows Farm to Plate Class Wild American Shrimp

Thanks to Wild American Shrimp Executive Director Eddie Gordon and Chef Bob Waggoner, the Farm to Plate class had a hands-on experience with right-off-the-boat Wild American Shrimp. (Note the "whiskers" on the shrimp in the first and second pictures, the true tell.)


Chef Waggoner prepared one of his Charleston Grill specials, Zucchini Blossoms Stuffed with Carolina Shrimp Mousse (see recipe on the side feature of our Blog: What We're Eating). A board member of the prestigious Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio, where he sources his squash blossoms, Chef Waggoner was kind enough to bring enough for the students to make two stuffed blossoms each. A real treat!

FARM TO PLATE FIELD TRIP TO KENSINGTON PLANTATION FEATURED IN POST & COURIER

In a September 24th article titled "Going for Gold," Post & Courier Food Editor Teresa Taylor writes:"Last week, [Richard] Stoney, whose family owns Kensington, and [Batt] Humphreys, a longtime friend and business associate, shared their tale and their table with students at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. A dozen or so class members and faculty visited Kensington in Berkeley County as part of the school's new "Farm to the Plate" course.

"Stoney also is an attorney and owner of Crew Carolina, a restaurant and catering group that includes Carolina's and the Boathouse restaurants. Humphreys is its communications director.
They and Carolina's chef Jeremiah Bacon served as hosts and educators for the excursion that took students into the rice fields and then to a plantation lunch under live oaks. Bacon rewarded them with a sumptuous platter of chicken and okra pilaf, or "perlo" in Charlestonese, made with fresh, handpicked rice."

See the full story, complete with color pictures, at: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/sep/24/going_goldprospects_look_good_carolina_r55495/

FARM TO PLATE CLASS EXPLORES HISTORIC CAROLINA GOLD RICE

On Tuesday, September 16th, the Farm to Plate class has a one-of-a-kind field trip to Kensington Plantation to see authentic Carolina Gold Rice grown again where it had been grown as long as three hundred years ago. It was a historic moment when the class was served a chicken pilau made from Kensington's rice. Chef Jeremiah Bacon, of Carolina's Restaurant, did the honors, and subsequently came to the Palmer Campus to lead the class in cooking an array of dishes made with Anson Mills' Carolina Gold Rice and corn.

CIC Adjunct Instructor M. Kelly Wilson Featured in Charleston Magazine

One of CIC's Baking and Pastry Adjunct Instructors was featured in the September issue of Charleston Magazine in a story titled "Sweeten the Deal: Pastry Chef M. Kelly Wilson makes haute desserts easy with recipe and tips for the home cook."

"Now head pastry chef at the prestigeous Cypress restaurant, industry committee chair for the Food and Wine Festival's Bubbles and Sweets event, and a second-year adjunct instructor at The Culinary Institute of Charleston, Wilson has a tall toque of professional credits. Over the past three years, she's also become a popular teacher of continuing education baking classes at both USC's Culinary and Wine Institute certificate program and The Culinary Institute. There, she educates nonprofessionals in the art of making restaurant-worthy desserts that are doable in the home kitchen."

Showcased in the story are Chef Wilson's Limoncello Cheesecake with Pinenut and Lavendar Shortbread Crumbles, Apricot Beignets with Rosemary-Infused Honey and Rosemary-and-Sea Salt-Candied Marcona Almonds, Milk Chocolate Mousse Lollipops, and an assortment of mignardises.

Photos by Roo Way

CHEF SEAN BROCK OF McCRADY'S LEADS FARM TO PLATE CLASS

Following a field trip to Wadmalaw Island to Chef Brock's farm, the Farm to Plate class enjoyed a great day with Chefs Brock and Carmel in one of the CIC Palmer Campus kitchens!

NEW CIC FARM TO PLATE COURSE AT PALMER CAMPUS

To get ready for one of CIC's new Advanced Certificate courses, we've been reading the latest book by renowned English champion of in animal welfare and sustainability, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. In "The River Cottage Cookbook," he writes, "“Overall, I will be encouraging you to be less dependent on industrially produced food; to support local small-scale producers of quality meat, fruit, and veggies; to support farmers’ markets and other local food initiatives; to deal directly with farmers and growers. I will go on to suggest how you might produce some food of your own, both meat and vegetables.”

Over the next eight weeks, some of Charleston's leaders in this movement have volunteered their time to come to CIC's new Palmer Campus facility and work hands-on with the new Farm to Plate class. See the highlights below.

Field Trip to Farm of Chef Sean Brock of McCrady's
Chef Brock cooks his vegetables with the class

Marc Filion of Keegan-Filion Farms speaks to the class
Chef Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad cooks Keegan-Filion chicken with the class

Field Trip to Kensington Plantation to see Carolina Gold Rice in field
Chef Jeremiah Bacon of Carolina's cooks a variety of rice and corn from Anson Mills with the class

Eddie Gordon, Executive Director of Wild American Shrimp, speaks to the class
Chef Bob Waggoner of Charleston Grill cooks Wild American Shrimp with the class

Field trip to Aquarium for Sustainable Seafood Lecture
Sustainable fish cookery for the class

Emile de Felice of Caw Caw Creek Farms brings whole pastured pig and speaks to the class
Chef Mike Lata of FIG cooks Caw Caw pork with the class

Project: COOK LOCAL FOR A DAY

CHEF CARMEL'S CUTTING STYLE

An August 6th Post and Courier article titled "Face It, Most of Us Need Basic Instruction When It Comes to Using Kitchen Knives" by Food Editor Teresa Taylor featured Culinary Department Head Chef Michael Carmel demonstrating the art of the knife.

"One afternoon last week, Carmel, department head for culinary arts at the school, agreed to share his know-how and show the way to better slicing, dicing and chopping by mastering essential skills," writes Taylor. "He also proved that a few key, good quality knives will do most, if not all, jobs nicely."

For the whole story, see: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/aug/06/pointers49843/

For video demonstrations, see:

http://charleston.net/videos/2008/aug/06/523/

http://charleston.net/videos/2008/aug/06/521/

http://charleston.net/videos/2008/aug/06/519/

Retail Bakeshop Projects Rock!

On July 31st, Chef Vagasky's Retail Bakeshop class invited the campus into to see and sample their final projects. A delicious time was had by all!