Congrats to CIC's John Thornberry for a Great Review

On Wednesday, May 9th, Laura Reiley, Tampa Bay Times Food Critic wrote a glowing review titled: "Parts of Paris a welcome addition to Safety Harbor, local French food scene."
She captioned this picture: "Before the dinner rush, Parts of Paris co-owner Chris Orrung, left, catches up with chef Jeff Thornsberry, a recent Culinary Institute of Charleston grad. Parts of Paris is the project of Orrung, who was most recently at Tampa Marriott Waterside, and Jonas Ahlgren, who is in Stockholm."
"Thornsberry", Reiley writes, "shares the kitchen with Lazaro Gonzalez, another alum from the Tampa Marriott Waterside. Thornsberry is on the hot line while Gonzalez tends to the cold stuff and together they make magic." For the complete review, see http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/parts-of-paris-a-welcome-addition-to-safety-harbor-local-french-food-scene/1228853

2012 Graduation Awards for CIC Students

Congratulations to the following CIC graduates, who were recognized for outstanding performance on Awards Day.

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges: Peggy Benson, Beverly Days, Thomas Pratt

Merit Award – Culinary Arts: Justin Morris
Merit Award – Hospitality Management: Thomas Pratt
Award of Distinction: Hospitality/Culinary Student Association
Graduation Student Speaker: Justin Morris

TTC Graduates Largest Class. CIC Grad One of Speakers.

On Friday, May 4th, Trident Technical College graduated its largest class in its 48-year history. The total of 674 graduates reflects the continued growth of the college. TTC President Dr. Mary Thornley decided to have two of the many outstanding TTC grads as speakers instead of bringing in guests. Leaders of the schools organizations selected Faith Callum, who was receiving an associate degree in Radiologic Technology, and CIC's Justin Morris, who was receiving an associate degree in Culinary Arts Technology. According to a story on the graduation by Brenda Ridge in the Post and Courier, "Morris, 25, who is a head line cook at Fulton Five restaurant, graduated from Summerville High School in 2004 with a 1.9 grade point average. 'The thing I worked hardest at was not working hard,' he said. 'A couple of months later, I joined the Marine Corps, and a few friendly drill instructors managed to change all that. It didn’t take long for me to realize that hard work and dedication were the tools for success and that my parents were right.' He enrolled at Trident in 2010 and graduated Friday with a 3.85 grade point average."
For the full Post and Courier story, see http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20120505/PC16/120509491/1006&slId=2

2012 Spring Farm to Plate had a great class!

The eggs have been gathered. Keegan-Filion Farm.



Chef Black with Chef Lee



Chef Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad
shared his long experience in cooking local.

 





The class visited Cypress to see Chef Craig Deihl's charcuterie.

Chef Kevin Johnson brought his
farm-to-table cuisine from
The Grocery to share with the class.

   

Megan Westmeyer, Sustainable Seafood Coordinator at
The South Carolina Aquarium, taught about seafood.  





CIC's Chef Kevin Mitchell Takes Part in Edna Lewis Celebration

On April 13th, The Edna Lewis Foundation, of which Chef Mitchell is a trustee, held a Commemorative Birthday Reception and Fundraiser at Atlanta's City Club of Buckhead. Using Anson Mills' Sea Island Red Peas (see them in the picture on the left), Chef Mitchell prepared a dish of Pan-Seared Grouper with Sea Island Red Pea Succotash and Roasted Tomato Broth (on right).About The Edna Lewis Foundation 

A chef, cookbook author and teacher, Edna Lewis was a champion of Southern cookery who helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts. Founded in 2012, The Edna Lewis Foundation continues in the same vein and will offer a variety of events and programs designed to educate, inspire, entertain, and promote a deeper understanding of Southern culinary culture and heritage. The programs include educational initiatives, food awards programs, culinary scholarships and publications. In addition to establishing and maintaining The Edna Lewis House in Atlanta, Georgia, as a performance space and cooking school for visiting chefs, the Foundation will create a robust online community and host tastings, lectures, workshops and food-related art exhibits in Atlanta and around the country. The Edna Lewis Foundation is a Georgia non-profit organization based in Atlanta, Georgia. www.ednalewisfoundation.org
The Edna Lewis Foundation Board of Trustees:
Chair Chef Joe Randall, Chef Joe Randall’s Cooking School, Savannah, Georgia
Vice-Chair Chef Marvin Woods, Diaspora Foods International, Atlanta, Georgia
Chef Erika Davis, Simply Erikas Desserts, Atlanta, Georgia
Chef Darryl Evans, City Club of Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia
Chef Duane Nutter, Lushlife Restaurant Group, Atlanta, Georgia
Chef Charlie Hatney, City Club of Buckhead Atlanta, Georgia
James Oxendine,, Atlanta, Georgia
Chef Earlest Bell, Healthy Culinary Creations Orlando, Florida
Timothy W Koerner, John E. Koerner & Co., New Orleans, Louisiana
Chef Kevin Mitchell, Culinary Institute of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
Chef Matthew Raiford, Little Saint Simon Island, Georgia

Plated Desserts Class Makes "The EGG!"

Chef Wilson's Plated Desserts class made "The EGG!" Created by then Executive Pastry Chef of NYC's Le Berdardin restaurant, Michael Laiskonis, The Egg is a dessert that once tasted is not forgotten. It is composed of a milk chocolate custard, layered with a warm caramel, topped with a caramel foam, and finished with whisps of maple syrup and sea salt. Chef Laiskonis made The Egg for his appearance at the BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival several years ago. See his blogpost and recipe below: http://michaellaiskonis.typepad.com/main/2008/01/the-egg.html

CIC Chef Scott Stefanelli Knows Local

When Chef Scott Stefanelli and the students in the kitchen at CIC's downtown campus 181 Palmer restaurant cook a dish like the Pan-Roasted Grouper with Roasted Corn Succotash and Smoked Tomato Butter in the photo above, you can believe that they're cooking local. Suppliers include Crosby's Seafood for Wild American Shrimp and local fish, along with Mark Marhefka's Abundant Seafood, Dirthugger and Limehouse Produce for vegetables, and Keegan-Filion for chicken, eggs, and pork.

The Charleston City Paper's DIRT Magazine says: "For Stefanelli, it's not about the farm-to-table movement so much as it's about connecting his students to the food. 'The whole idea of the local foods movement is getting reconnected with food, which is so important for a cook,' he says. 'Too many cooks in a kitchen have no respect for what goes into picking nice greens out of the garden, making sure you're taking care of them and using them. And also there's the flavor ... when you have a good product you can approach it with more simplicity.'"

For the full story: http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/an-all-you-should-eat-supper-club-installment/Content?oid=4048508
food photo by jwkpec.com

CIC Grad Ellis Grossman Knows Local

Great story in Charleston City Paper's DIRT magazine about how CIC grad Ellis Grossman farms to provide produce for his Black Bean Company restaurants.

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/ellis-grossman-grows-veggies-and-wraps-them-up-too/Content?oid=4048547
http://www.blackbeanco.com/

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/