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/

Hospitality Tourism Department Head Patricia Agnew Highlighted on Cvent

This week, Alan Kleinfeld highlighted Ms. Agnew in the Cvent Hospitality Education Spotlight:
"It's easy to see when you meet Patricia Agnew that she has a passion not only for the culinary arts, but for those students studying culinary arts as well. She's even done some of her own studying in Paris."
Degree/Designation: Masters Degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration, University of South Carolina; Intermediate Certificate of Culinary Studies, La Varenne Ecole De Cuisine; and Certified Hospitality Educator, American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute.
Years as an Educator: 15+
Years in the Meetings/Hospitality Industry: 25+
Name of Institution: Trident Technical College
Name of Program/Educational Focus: Culinary Institute of Charleston
How long has the program been around: Since 1987
How many students are in the program? "Recent enrollment figures reflect nearly 1,000 students enrolled in associate degree programs in hospitality and tourism management and culinary arts plus multiple certificate programs."
Favorite subject you teach and why? "Teaching Introduction to Hospitality is always a pleasure as students begin to understand the true meaning of service and explore career options available to them in the industry."
What do you see as the challenges facing students in the coming years? How can they best prepare? "As the hospitality industry continues to grow with staggering speed, students are challenged to explore every possible avenue for understanding future growth of the industry including technology, ecological awareness, diversity in the global marketplace and rapidly evolving changes in communication. We urge them to prepare through frequent networking, engaging in discussions with industry mentors, gaining valuable volunteer experience and pursuing professional certifications to build prospects for future success."
"With over 150,000 supplier profiles, the Cvent Supplier Network is the industry's most comprehensive online database of hotels, special event venues, conference centers, convention centers, audio-visual companies, caterers and more."

CIC's Helen Hayes Takes First in the Southeast Regional Almost Famous Chef Competition and CIC's Stephen Seguin Takes Second - a CIC SWEEP!



Stephen preparing his dish.

   

Helen's critique.



Congrats to both Helen and Stephen Seguin for representing the CIC in this prestigious competition by taking a sweep of both first and second in the judging. With her signature dish of Thai Inspired Halibut with Sautéed Shrimp and Coconut Rice, Helen landed a spot in the finals at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, California, March 9-12, 2012. CIC Chef Instructor Scott Stefanelli served as the CIC team mentor with assists from Chefs Ward Morgan and Kevin Mitchell.

The Southeast Regional took place at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta. Stephen and Helen competed against Andres Mera-Borja of Johnson and Wales University – Charlotte and Reina Shanks and Juliana Weygand of The Culinary Institute of Savannah at Savannah Technical Institute.

Judge Mentors Chefs Rathburn, Fry, and Klaskala

The judges were: Chef Kevin Rathbun (also participating as a chef mentor) of Kevin Rathbun Steak, Chef Ford Fry (chef mentor) of JCT Kitchen and Bar, Chef Gerry Klaskala (chef mentor) of Aria Restaurant, and Chef Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene. Media judges were Hope S. Philbrick (freelance writer/editor), Besha Rodell of Creative Loafing Atlanta, Valerie Hoff of 11Alive and WXIA-TV and Chloe Morris of Chow Down Atlanta.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the S.PellegrinoTM Almost Famous Chef Competition. More than 70 culinary schools and student competitors, along with renowned chefs, will take part in culinary competitions across leading markets and culinary schools in the U.S. and Canada.

FOLLOWUP: For a great blog with pictures of the mystery box competition, see:
http://www.tinyurbankitchen.com/2012/03/10th-annual-s-pellegrino-almost-famous.html

Chef Carmel Quoted in Article about Gluten Sensitivity

A February 8 City Paper article  by Nikki Seibert titled "The horrors of the gluten-sensitive sufferer," quoted CIC's Culinary Department Head Michael Carmel. Carmel recently developed the Institute's degree and certificate programs in Sports and Health Nutrition.

"Chef Michael Carmel, culinary department head at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, is working on addressing these issues. His students are trained on how to handle food allergies and preferences through a variety of courses from kitchen sanitation to menu development. Carmel believes that catering to those with dietary restrictions, whether it is gluten, nuts, or animal products, 'is not only a business opportunity but it is essential.' In his eyes, ignoring these groups is limiting your customer base and missing an incredible opportunity to stand out."

For the complete story, see: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/the-horrors-of-the-gluten-sensitive-sufferer/Content?oid=4013036&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Weekly

CIC Students join Chef Black to recycle oyster shells

Chef Black, Herbert Thornton, & Angela Walp

Thanks to Chef Black, Board member of the Mount Pleasant Coastal Conservation Association, and the CIC students that helped with the oyster shell recycling program at the Oyster Festival.

"Although South Carolina's commercial shellfish harvest has remained stable over the past three decades, the closing of oyster canneries and most shucking houses during this period has resulted in a shortage of shucked oyster shell needed to cultivate and restore oyster beds." SC Department of Natural Resources.
To learn about the shell recycling program:

http://saltwaterfishing.sc.gov/oyster.html  

Chef Mitchell Is A Participant in The 2012 Minority Chef Summit

Culinary Wonders USA, Cuisine Noir and Black Culinary History sponsored the first Minority Chefs Summit.
Martin Luther King Weekend, 2012 Jacksonville, Florida
Chef Kenny Gilbert: the vast areas of culinary dining possibilities

Featured Chefs: Chef Joe Randall, Chef Kevin Mitchell, Chef Matthew Raiford, Chef Todd Richards, Chef Hugh Sinclair, Chef Cassandra J. Jones, Chef Erika Davis, Chef Duane Nutter and Chef Wayne Johnson.

Chef Mitchell with Chef Joe Randall

The goal of the three-day Summit was for chefs to come together to share their passion and heritage, and to look ahead to their future in the culinary world and create their vision. Said Summit organizer, Chef Erika Davis: "When planning began for the Summit we were all in agreement that one of the issues that had to be addressed was identity because in order to begin to solve the issues of inclusion, representation, supplemental culinary history education, and the dozen other topics facing us in the culinary world, we first had to deal with our collective culinary identity. The starting point was Chef Kevin Mitchell and a sixteen-year-old senior thesis he had written while at the CIA. It was a brilliant telling of our evolution in American cooking, with an eye toward the changes he felt we had to make as a community in order to cement our future in this work. When we all read the paper we were blown away by its intensity and the fact that sixteen years later it still resonated. With Kevin and his paper as the base of the conversation we then looked to Chef Joe Randall to provide the flourish. I don't think that any discussion on the topic of heritage would be complete with out Chef Joe and his historical insight and legendary candor."

TOPICS:

• Chef Matthew Raiford: organic, sustainable farming and cooking
• Chefs Todd Richards, Duane Nutter, Joe Randall, and Kevin Mitchell: Soul Food- is it a trend or is it African-American Cuisine
• Liz Morgan (PR Manager): Staying connected through social media, public relation for successful chefs, publishing books
• Chefs Kevin Mitchell and Cassandra Jones: the importance of education/ educators
• Chef Wayne Johnson: the importance of mentoring students, financial support, techniques support
• Chef Richard: the battle of obesity and the red coat campaign for the American Heart Association
• Chefs Tim Koerner and Todd Richards: Demo with Sosa products

 Chef Mitchell also cooked for the fundraising final evening's Night on the Hill Dinner at the Casa Marina Hotel and Resort. The other chefs on the team were Chefs Todd Richards, Duane Nutter, Erika Davis, Matthew Raiford, Joe Randall, and Wayne Johnson.

Night on the Hill Dinner
Chef Mitchell's dish top row, next to last



CIC Friend Dan Long Featured in The Post & Courier

CIC Congratulates Dan Long, Vice President and Wholesale Manager of Crosby's Seafood, Inc.

January 28, 2012 By Teresa Taylor
"Failure is not an option for Long, the No. 2 man at the area's oldest fish and seafood wholesaler. Just as a five-day work week is out of the question for him: Crosby's delivers every day, and Long is in the office save for a half-day here and there.

"Long goes about his business without seeking the limelight, but he plays a huge role in the fruits of the sea that local consumers are able to enjoy, eating out or eating in. Crosby's supplies 300 to 400 restaurants around Charleston and many retail outlets with grouper, tuna, clams, catfish, squid and gator -- well, 'anything that swims or has fins,' he likes to say."
To read the story, go to: http://www.postandcourier.com/photos/2012/jan/27/100156/
Photo by Wade Spees.

CIC Grad Allison Smith's Glazed Gourmet Doughnut Shop Featured in The Post & Courier



Allison Smith (foreground) and Mark Remi,
co-owners of Glazed, along with employee
Katie Wilson, finish up batches of
doughnuts before the store opens.

Photo by Brad Nettles

The Post and Courier

See Allsion's website at: http://glazedgourmet.com/

 "At Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts, which opened in October, owners Allison Smith and Mark Remi have tapped into what she calls “the upper King Street vibe.” The shop is located at 481 King about midway between Calhoun and Spring streets.

"Starting about 3 a.m. six days a week, Smith and her mother, Mary Smith, make doughnuts at the shop, a glow of light and activity on a main drag that is otherwise shutting down for the night. Allison Smith, a Culinary Institute of Charleston graduate, is the one who dreams up doughnuts for the shop. (Remi, who works full-time as a computer engineer, takes care of the business side.) She comes up with a new flavor profile every week and has reached about 40 different ones. Ten of those are offered every day, at prices ranging from $1.50 to $3 each. Some are cake, some are yeast; all are made from scratch. Such artisanal ingredients as Nueske’s bacon figure into the mix."

For the rest of this delicious story, go to:
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2012/jan/25/designer-doughnuts/

Follow CIC Grad Chris Holm's poste de stagiaire in France

Thanks to the connections of CIC Chefs Council member Executive Chef Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad, CIC grad Chris Holm is doing a stage in several restaurants in France. We're following Chris via email.

Le Bougainvillier	Chris and Chef Gerard Charbonnier	Food at Le Bougainvillier
1/17/2012 I am currently in Saint Galmier, France, although as of tomorrow I am traveling to Albertville where they hosted the 1992 winter Olympics. The restaraunt I have been staging at for the last two weeks is Le Bougainvillier with Chef Gerard Charbonnier. It is a classical French restaraunt with some amazing food and a lot of foie gras! Saint Galmier is small town southeast of Lyon. It's a small kitchen and the staff even smaller, so I got a lot of hands-on experience. My next destination is Restaraunt Million with Chef Jose de Anacleto.

Hotel and Restaurant Million	Chris and Chef Jose Anacleto
Seared sea bass	Oysters & Caviar

1/30/2012 Just wanted to take a second to give you an update. My time in Albertville at Hotel Million is over and it was a great experience. Chef Jose taught me a lot and I learned even more. The food is outstanding, fresh, local, and simple but perfectly executed. I have been able to try a lot of new things on my journey - some familiar things but all delicious. Foie Gras by the tons and all of it is great. I have to say that this has been an eye-opening experience and I will cherish it for the rest of my career and life. I am now in Lyon where I will spend one day and have a reservation for a upscale restaurant called Le Mere Brazier with Chef Mathieu Vinnay. Then I fly home on Tuesday. Chris.

CIC's John Ondo Featured in Post & Courier's "Restaurant Week: 10 Chefs to Watch"

   Teresa Taylor of the Post and Courier writes: "The co-owner of Lana since 2005, Ondo is a Charleston native and Culinary Institute of Charleston graduate. He has worked in the kitchens of McCrady’s, Carolina’s and Il Cortile Del Re, and is known as a hands-on guy. And he may be one of Charleston’s best-kept secrets. That is only because of Lana’s relatively low profile at Rutledge Avenue and Cannon Street. He characterizes Lana’s cuisine as 'new Mediterranean.'”
For the rest of the story, go to: http://www.charlestonscene.com/news/2012/jan/11/12restweek/

The 2012 Tourism and Hospitality Education Foundation scholarship application is now posted .

Students may begin filling them out immediately. Both rising freshmen and current under-graduate students are eligible for this scholarship. Last year $24,000 was distributed amongst 20 students. Scholarship applications can be filled out by hand or online. If applicants choose to fill out scholarships online, they will still need to mail in transcripts and letters of recommendation. The application deadline is June 1st.

 
Applications are found on https://www.goprostart.com/application/ https://www.goprostart.com/application/