The Culinary Institute of America to Host Bocuse d'Or USA Finals

World's Premier Culinary College Chosen as Site to Select American Entrant in International Cooking Competition

Hyde Park, NY, January 26, 2010 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has the honor of serving as the host for the American finals of the Bocuse d'Or competition. The cook-off will be held on the college's main campus in Hyde Park, NY in early February. The winner will represent the United States at the 2011 Bocuse d'Or International Culinary Competition in Chef Paul Bocuse's hometown of Lyon, France.

"Bocuse d'Or USA chose The Culinary Institute of America to host this event because of its magnitude on all levels: for its wealth of extraordinary talent, grand campus and facilities, and commitment to professionalism," says Jerome Bocuse, vice president of the Bocuse d'Or Foundation and son of Paul Bocuse. "Of course I may be partial, because I am a 1992 CIA graduate!"

Five CIA graduates are among the 12 finalists selected by the Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation to participate in the competition:

• Luke Bergman '02 of The Modern, New York City
• Michael Clauss '95 of Daily Planet, Burlington, VT
• Mark Liberman '98 of Roxy's, West Palm Beach, FL
• Christopher Parsons '90 of Catch, Winchester, MA
• Percy Whatley '97 of The Ahwahnee, Yosemite, CA

In addition, five current CIA students will each serve as a commis (assistant) to one of the competing chefs.

The public is invited to campus to attend cooking demonstrations, seminars, and book signings related to the Bocuse d'Or USA from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, February 5; and to observe the competition from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 6. Admission is free to watch this prestigious competition, which is held once every two years.

Following the competition, visitors may attend an awards dinner, where they can mingle with Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation President Thomas Keller, Vice President Jerome Bocuse, and Chairman Daniel Boulud, as well as other top chefs from around the United States. For ticket information and reservations, visit www.bocusedorusa.org/events.html.

Photo caption: The 2010 Bocuse d'Or USA competition will be held at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY on February 5 and 6.

Photo credit: Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation

Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

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The Culinary Institute of America Announces 2010 Special Chef's Select Menus

Back by Popular Demand: World-Class Cuisine at Great Prices

Hyde Park, NY, January 22, 2010 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has announced the return of its Chef's Select Menus. The annual fixed-price menus at the college's award-winning, student-staffed restaurants offer two-course lunches for $19.95 and three-course dinners for $29.95. This special promotion is an extraordinary value for Hudson Valley residents and visitors alike.

Join us Monday through Thursday, now through April 1, 2010 to enjoy Chef's Select Menus designed to both tantalize and satisfy. Selected dishes from each restaurant's menu are included in the fixed-price offerings. Prices do not include tax or service and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.

Offered in all four fine-dining restaurants—American Bounty Restaurant, Ristorante Caterina de' Medici, Escoffier Restaurant, and St. Andrew's Café—Chef's Select Menus at the CIA give diners the opportunity to taste the cuisine of tomorrow's great chefs, today.

Also available now through April 1 is CIA's popular 2010 Dining Series, a festival of themed luncheon and dinner events. And stay tuned for March when the CIA joins in the celebration of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week.

Dinner at the CIA's restaurants begin at 6 p.m., and lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tables are available, although reservations are suggested. To make your reservation today, call 845-471-6608, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., or visit www.ciachef.edu/restaurants. Your table is waiting.

Photo caption: Chef's Select Menus now available at The Culinary Institute of America.

Photo credit: CIA/Ben Fink

Contacts:
Virginia Muré
Communications Manager
845-451-1555
v_mure@culinary.edu

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New Wine and Beverage Certificate Program Introduced at The Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley

New Classes Will Train Graduates for Careers in Fast-Growing Wine and Beverage Sectors of the Foodservice Industry

St. Helena, CA, January 19, 2010 – Responding to the quick growth of the profitable wine and beverage business, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has created a new wine and beverage certificate program for 2010 at Greystone, the school's Napa Valley campus.

The Accelerated Wine and Beverage Certificate Program (AWBP) will advance a student's professional skills in the wine and beverage sector. An AWBP certificate will position graduates to pursue career opportunities in numerous segments of the food and beverage industry.

"A deep understanding of wine, beer, spirits – even coffee and tea – is vital to career success in the foodservice and hospitality fields," said Adam Busby, CMC and Director of Education at CIA Greystone. The pioneering AWBP program will equip students with skills and insights required for advancement toward leadership positions in beverage management in both fine and casual dining, restaurant front-of-house management, wine and beverage retail, wholesale, and more.

The accredited 30-week AWBP will impart knowledge and skills related to sensory evaluation, flavor dynamics, cellar management, and mixology. Food and beverage pairing, service, and hospitality are major components of the eight-month curriculum. "AWBP students will graduate with a wine and beverage education on par with those skills learned by the CIA's culinary students," notes Busby.

The program launches in September 2010 at the CIA's Greystone campus in St. Helena, CA. Classes will be held at the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies, a state-of-the-art complex featuring two tasting theaters ideally designed for the in-depth study of wines and beverages.

Program enrollees must have a bachelor's or associate degree in hospitality management, culinary arts management, or a related field, or have a bachelor's degree in another discipline as well as relevant food and beverage industry experience. Financial aid is available for those who qualify.

For more information about the AWBP, visit www.ciaprochef.com/winecertificate or call 1-800-CULINARY.

Watch the video >

Contacts:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

Jay Blotcher
Media Relations
845-905-4419
j_blotch@culinary.edu

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"Other" CIA Comes to Washington to Recruit: The Culinary Institute of America Seeks Career Changers Eager to Become Chefs – Not Spies

February 10 Event Offers Significant Grants for Students Who Enroll This Spring

Hyde Park, NY, January 18, 2010 – It's no secret that with 13 million people working in foodservice, the industry is one of the largest private-sector employers in the United States, and—according to the National Restaurant Association—is expected to add another 1.8 million jobs over the next decade. Anyone considering a career change to become a chef, baker, or other foodservice industry leader should attend The Culinary Institute of America's upcoming Admissions reception in Washington, DC.

The Admissions reception will be held at The Mayflower, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW, on Wednesday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m. Aspiring culinarians will have the opportunity to meet CIA representatives and learn about the college's range of degree programs, educational benefits, and additional scholarship opportunities. The reception is hosted by CIA alumni Abdellah Aguenaou '98 and Anthony Mardach '93. Aguenaou is executive chef and Mardach is director of food and beverage at The Mayflower.

Students who begin their CIA studies toward either a bachelor's or associate degree in culinary arts or baking and pastry arts during the spring 2010 entry dates will receive a grant covering one-quarter of freshman-year tuition—a $5,845 value!

Despite the current economy, foodservice continues to be a major growth industry, and interest in culinary careers is rising among both career changers and "traditional" college students. About 12% of the CIA student body has changed careers. Food Jobs, a 2009 World Cookbook Award-winning book by CIA instructor Irena Chalmers, describes 150 career options in various segments of the foodservice industry. Graduates of the CIA hold prestigious positions in a variety of careers. In addition to being top chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers, CIA alumni are leaders in catering, research and development, education, food styling, food journalism, and many other food-related fields.

To learn more about the reception or to find out about available entry dates, please contact The Culinary Institute of America at 1-800-CULINARY (285-4627) or visit www.ciachef.edu/admissions.

Photo captions:
Food Jobs, by CIA faculty member Irena Chalmers, delves into the many career options available within the food industry.

Faculty member Irena Chalmers of The Culinary Institute of America, author of Food Jobs. The CIA will be in Washington, DC on February 10 to share with career changers their many options for a new career in the food world.

Photo credits: Irena Chalmers/Food Jobs

Contacts:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

Virginia Muré
Communications Manager
845-451-1555
v_mure@culinary.edu

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Putting Food in a Social, Historical, and Cultural Context

Former Faculty Member Returns to The Culinary Institute of America for Lecture Series

Hyde Park, NY, January 15, 2010 – New York University assistant professor Krishnendu Ray returns to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to speak about food, culture, and society on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. The former CIA faculty member and assistant dean will be giving the lecture, "Taste, Toil, and Ethnicity: Dreaming of Pakistani Grill," as part of the college's Dooley Lecture Series. The lecture takes place at 3:30 p.m. in the Ecolab Theater in the CIA's Admissions Center.

Dr. Ray is an assistant professor of Nutrition and Food Studies at NYU. He holds a Ph.D in Sociology and is author of The Migrant's Table: Meals and Memories in Bengali-American Households. He serves on the editorial board of the journal Food, Culture and Society.

Some of his published chapters and articles include "Domesticating Cuisine: Food and Aesthetics on American Television," "Ethnic Succession and the New American Restaurant Cuisine," in The Restaurants Book: Ethnographies of Where we Eat, and "Why do Ethnic Restaurants Have Terrible Service?"

The public is invited to attend the talk at the CIA campus, which is on Route 9 in Hyde Park. Attendance is limited to 100, and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Dooley Lecture Series brings food industry leaders, experts on international relations, and other interesting luminaries to The Culinary Institute of America. The series is named for Carroll F. Dooley, the first director of the college 's food preparation division in 1946. His daughter, Patricia Dooley Fortenbaugh, has been funding the series since its inception in 2002.

Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

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The Culinary Institute of America Graduates 53 in 19th Commencement Ceremony of 2009

Hyde Park, NY, January 6, 2010 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) held its 19th and final graduation ceremony of 2009 on December 18. Marc J. Sarrazin, president of DeBragga and Spitler meat purveyors, delivered the commencement address to 53 recipients of associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts.

"If you carry passion with you in all that you do, you will not only be successful; you will also find great satisfaction," said Sarrazin, whose late father, Marc L. Sarrazin, was a member of the CIA's Board of Trustees.

With the CIA's unique Progressive Learning Year building-block curriculum, freshmen and sophomores study in a single class for three weeks before "moving up" to the next class. Therefore, every three weeks, a group of students in each major completes its final course and the students earn their associate degrees. There are also three baccalaureate graduations at the college each year.

In 2009, a total of 1,366 students earned CIA degrees during the 19 graduation ceremonies. The first associate degree commencement for 2010 will be held January 22. The next baccalaureate graduation is February 11.

Photo caption: Students at The Culinary Institute of America celebrate their graduation on December 18, 2009. The college bestowed diplomas on 1,366 graduates in 19 commencement ceremonies in 2009.

Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris

Contact:
Jeff Levine
Communications Manager
845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

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