A Muffin Makeover: Dispelling the Low-Fat-Is-Healthy Myth

Low-Fat Approach to Eating Hasn't Reduced Obesity or Made People Healthier; New Recipes for Healthier Muffins Using Whole Grains, Healthy Fats

Boston, MA, January 12, 2012 – Dozens of studies, many from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers, have shown that low-fat diets are no better for health than moderate- or high-fat diets—and for many people, may be worse.

To combat this "low fat is best" myth, nutrition experts at HSPH and chefs and registered dietitians at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) have developed five new muffin recipes that incorporate healthy fats and whole grains, and use a lighter hand on the salt and sugar. Their goal? To "make over" the ubiquitous low-fat muffin, touted as a "better-for-you" choice when in fact low-fat muffins often have reduced amounts of heart-healthy fats, such as liquid plant oils, but boast plenty of harmful carbohydrates in the form of white flour and sugar.

Other low-fat processed foods are not much better, and are often higher in sugar, carbohydrates, or salt than their full-fat counterparts. For good health, type of fat matters more than amount. Diets high in heavily processed carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

"It's time to end the low-fat myth," said Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and chair of the Department of Nutrition at HSPH. "Unfortunately, many well-motivated people have been led to believe that all fats are bad and that foods loaded with white flour and sugar are healthy choices. This has clearly contributed to the epidemic of diabetes we are experiencing and premature death for many. The lesson contained in these healthy muffins—that foods can be both tasty and good for you—can literally be life-saving."

A regular blueberry muffin from a national coffee shop chain has 450 calories on average and most of those calories come from carbohydrates, primarily white flour and sugar. However, now that national chains have eliminated trans fats, a regular muffin does have heart-healthy fat, usually from soybean or canola oil. A low-fat muffin has about the same amount of calories, but contains more carbohydrates and sugar—and about 60% more sodium (700 milligrams)—than a regular muffin.

The new Blueberry Muffin recipe offered by HSPH and the CIA is less than half the size of a coffee shop muffin and contains just 130 calories. It is made with a mixture of whole wheat, white, and almond flour and uses canola oil, a healthy fat. See "Blueberry Muffin Battle" for a nutritional comparison of the three types of blueberry muffins.

See recipes for Blueberry Muffins, Cranberry Orange Muffins, Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins, Lemon Chickpea Breakfast Muffins, and Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffins.

"There are so many ingredients available to home bakers who want to offer their families healthful, flavorful baked goods," says Richard Coppedge, Jr., chef-instructor at the CIA and a Certified Master Baker. "These five recipes not only include a wide variety of whole grain and nut flours; they also demonstrate how more unusual ingredients like canned chickpeas and extra virgin olive oil can be used in baking."

The CIA and HSPH offer a dozen healthy baking tips that professional chefs and home cooks can use to build a healthier muffin. Here are a few of their tips:

• Downsize the portions. The mega-muffins popular in bake shops are two to three times the size of the muffins your grandmother might have baked.
• Go whole on the grains. It's easy to substitute whole wheat flour for 50% of the white flour in recipes without harming taste or texture. And with a few recipe alterations, delicious muffins can be made with 100% whole grains. See the Lemon Chickpea Breakfast Muffin and the Whole Wheat Banana Nut Muffin recipes as examples.
• Slash the sugar. You can cut 25% of the sugar from most standard muffin recipes without any negative impact on flavor or texture, and in some recipes, cut back even more.
• Pour on the oil. Liquid plant oils—canola, extra virgin olive oil, corn, sunflower, and others—help keep whole-grain muffins moist and are a healthier choice than melted butter or shortening.
• Bring out the nuts. For extra protein and an additional source of healthy fats, add chopped nuts.
• Scale back the salt. The best way to reduce salt is to make a smaller muffin and to pair muffins with foods, such as vegetables and fruits, that are sodium-free.
• Pump up the produce—and flavor! Fresh whole fruit and unsweetened dried fruit naturally contain sugar, but unlike other sweeteners, they also contain fiber and important nutrients. Using fruit in your muffins means you can have a lighter hand on the added sugar. Cooked or raw vegetables, such as caramelized onions, sliced jalapeños, and chives and other fresh herbs—together with a whole range of spices—can add interesting textures and savory flavors to muffins.

The muffin recipes and photos, baking tips, a Q&A on why it's time to end the low-fat myth, and a handy chart showing how to find foods with healthy fats are all available on The Nutrition Source, a nutrition website from the Harvard School of Public Health.

"We need to make healthy fats and whole grains the new baking norm, at home and in the professional kitchen," says Greg Drescher, vice president of industry leadership and strategic initiatives for the CIA. "We call on restaurants and other food service providers to be leaders in promoting healthy fats—and in doing away with the low-fat myth."

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Chef Rich Coppedge, Jr., and his colleagues at the CIA, used a variety of non-traditional ingredients like pureed garbanzo beans to help reduce the amount of fat found in the typical muffin. (Photo credit: CIA/Nicola Shayer)

Photo 2: The inclusion of beans in the Lemon Chickpea Muffin recipe from the CIA and the Harvard School of Public Health not only add protein and fiber, but they also help to keep it moist and tender. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 3: Recognizing that the low-fat approach to eating hasn't reduced obesity or made people healthier, The Culinary Institute of America and the Harvard School of Public Health worked together to create new recipes for healthier muffins using whole grains and healthy fats. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Stephan Hengst
Marketing Director, Communications & PR
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu

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About Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health is dedicated to advancing the public's health through learning, discovery and communication. More than 400 faculty members are engaged in teaching and training the 1,000-plus student body in a broad spectrum of disciplines crucial to the health and well being of individuals and populations around the world. Programs and projects range from the molecular biology of AIDS vaccines to the epidemiology of cancer; from risk analysis to violence prevention; from maternal and children's health to quality of care measurement; from health care management to international health and human rights. For more information on the school visit www.hsph.harvard.edu.

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CIA and UC Davis Host Olive Oil Seminar for Category Managers, Buyers, Chefs, and other Culinary Professionals

Author Tom Mueller, Experts from Spain, Australia, Italy, California, and Greece to Speak

St. Helena, CA, December 16, 2011 – The Culinary Institute of America and the UC Davis Olive Center will host Olive Oil Flavor & Quality: Next Generation Benchmarks for Specialty Retail, Supermarkets & Foodservice on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at the CIA's historic Napa Valley campus in St. Helena, CA. The groundbreaking one-day seminar will feature presentations, panel discussions, and tastings that aim to educate category managers, buyers, chefs, and other professionals in the retail, foodservice, production, and distribution sectors on state-of-the-art understanding of what constitutes quality in the olive oil sector.

The seminar will focus on three key aspects of the olive oil market: How olive oil is made and sold, and how to understand quality; enjoying quality olive oil; and new approaches to the communication, buying, and selling of quality olive oil. Tastings and a walk-around lunch will ensure that attendees gain useful first-hand knowledge of what makes for great oil and can identify flavor variations. A wide representation of both speakers and sample oils from California, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Australia will also highlight how olive oil varies from country to country.

Topics covered include:

• How Olive Oil is Made and How Things Can Go Wrong
• Understanding Olive Oil Grades, and What is Really in the Bottle
• The World Olive Oil Trade, and How It Affects Buyers Everywhere
• Boosting the Customer Experience, In the Kitchen and at the Table
• Trust But Verify: How Retailers and Food Professionals Can Protect Themselves
• New Approaches to Increase Sales
• Growing the Market for Flavor and Excellence

Tom Mueller, author of the recently published Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, will draw on his expertise on olive oil and olive fraud to explain how much of what is sold as extra-virgin olive oil is actually deeply flawed and blended with a variety of lesser quality oils, and what makes for truly great extra-virgin olive oil. Other presenters include Claudio Peri, founder of Association 3E, an organization based in Milan, Italy that certifies quality olive oil according to factors such as tree-to-bottle traceability, sensory requirements, and a controlled production process, and Chef Paul Bartolotta of Bartolotta in Las Vegas, who will offer culinary demonstrations and tastings alongside CIA olive oil expert Chef Bill Briwa.

Registration for the full-day seminar is $295. For a full schedule and more information about the presenters, visit www.ciaprochef.com/oliveoil.

Media Contact:

Stephan Hengst
Marketing Director, Communications & PR
845-905-4288
s_hengst@culinary.edu

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CIA's Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival Looks at the Casualization of Fine Dining

"World Casual: The Future of American Menus" Brings Food Influencers to the Napa Valley

St. Helena, CA, November 10, 2011 – Dozens of leading chefs from all over the world were at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in St. Helena, CA last week to share their expertise about the growing role of casual food in different world cuisines. "World Casual: The Future of American Menus" was the topic of the 14th Annual Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival held at the college's campus in the Napa Valley from November 3–5.

Jose Garces, the James Beard Award-winning Ecuadorian-American chef who owns eight restaurants in Philadelphia and Chicago, provided examples of how to successfully translate world casual concepts onto American menus. The Food Network Iron Chef led a workshop on the signature casual flavors of Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru and gave a presentation about the next generation of Latin Casual at a session moderated by celebrity chef Rick Bayless, with CIA Chef-Instructor Iliana de la Vega as a fellow presenter.

But the conference focused on much more than Latin America, delving into myriad regional food cultures and ethnic cuisines over the course of three days. Presenters covered Spain and the Basque region; Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the Eastern Mediterranean; Lebanon, Syria, the Middle East, and North Africa; Senegal and West Africa; China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India in Asia; Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil in Latin America; Jamaica, Cuba, and the Caribbean; and the United States.

The combination of a slow economic recovery, continued excitement about celebrity chefs and all things food-related, and technology putting the world at our fingertips has created the "perfect storm," making now the time for casual foods from around the world to find their way onto menus in the United States. Food trucks serving quality fare for good value are becoming more common and the Michelin Guide for Hong Kong this year bestowed stars on several noodle and curry shops serving Asian street foods for as little as $4! World casual embraces these traditions, turning what used to be exotic into the classics-in-the-making comfort foods of tomorrow.

One of many highlights of the conference was the "World Marketplace," which gave participants an immersion into the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of world casual cuisine through market stalls, cultural music and dance performances, book signings, and food and wine tastings.

More than 750 foodservice and hospitality leaders attended the conference, including chefs, corporate menu decision-makers, foodservice management executives, suppliers, and food journalists. Through numerous general sessions, breakout seminars, and kitchen workshops, they learned how to create authentic flavors from the casual foods of different cultures that will appeal to the increasingly adventurous American palate.

Looking at how these cuisines will affect the menus in the United States in the years to come, CIA President Tim Ryan wrapped up the conference by addressing the future of world casual cuisine. "The world casual juggernaut is changing everything, from menu formats to our concept of what a restaurant is. Never before have we seen so much culinary talent reaching into the casual dining space and innovating across such a broad diversity of flavors and culinary ideas from around the globe," Dr. Ryan said. "The movement was led by chefs who make great food and want to do so in a setting that is more economically viable for them and their guests. World casual creates opportunities for more chefs to open restaurants or food businesses. Ultimately, this means the industry will continue to grow and evolve in a world marketplace of ideas."

After 14 years, the CIA's Worlds of Flavor® Conference has become the quintessential model of the college's thought leadership in identifying future culinary trends and sharing that knowledge and expertise with food and hospitality influencers in this country and around the world. Other CIA leadership conferences throughout the year included Worlds of Healthy Flavors and Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives (co-presented with the Harvard School of Public Health); Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids; Flavor, Quality & American Menus; Latin Flavors, American Kitchens; Greystone Flavor Summit; Produce First! American Menus Initiative; and new for 2012: Worlds of Healthy Flavors—Asia.

For more information about the sessions, presenters, and foods explored at the conference, visit www.worldsofflavor.com. Visit our website for select recipes from the conference.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America, speaks about World Casual food as a growing segment during the CIA's 14th Annual Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival. (Photo credit: CIA/Terrence McCarthy)

Photo 2: Chef Jose Garces, of the Philadelphia-based Garces Restaurant Group, prepares for a tasting with kitchen workshop participants during the CIA's 14th annual Worlds of Flavor® Conference. (Photo credit: CIA/Terrence McCarthy)

Photo 3: Chef Maria Jose San Ramon prepares to demonstrate – Fideo Finos Tostados (Toasted Angel Hair Noodles with Softshell Crab) – during the CIA's 14th annual Worlds of Flavor® Conference. (Photo credit: CIA/Terrence McCarthy)

Photo 4: Chef Rick Bayless, of Chicago's Topolobampo and Frontera Grill and chairmen of the CIA's Latin Cuisines Advisory Council, prepares Shrimp Ceviche Verde during the CIA's 14th annual Worlds of Flavor® Conference. For select recipes from the conference, click here. (Photo credit: CIA/Terrence McCarthy)

Photo 5: Chef Bill Kim, of Chicago's Urban Belly and Belly Shack, shows participants at the CIA's Worlds of Flavor® Conference how to prepare his Chicken and Mushroom Dumplings. For select recipes from the conference, click here. (Photo credit: CIA/Terrence McCarthy)

Media Contact:

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

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Acclaimed Wine Expert Terry Theise to Host Tasting at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

St. Helena, CA, October 5, 2011 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone is hosting a wine tasting with importer Terry Theise, one of the most provocative personalities in the wine world. The tasting, scheduled for Monday, October 24 from 5 to 7 p.m., will include 21 wines and be followed by a book signing. Tickets are $35 per person, and should be purchased online no later than October 20.

"Theise is an internationally acclaimed importer, author, and philosopher who has almost single-handedly has made American wine drinkers more aware and interested in the wines of Germany and Austria," says CIA Wine and Beverage Instructor Robert Bath. "In addition to his extensive wine knowledge, he is really fun to taste wine with."

In recent years, the wines of Germany and Austria have become very popular in the United States as more consumers discover their versatility with food, especially when paired with Asian, Pacific Rim, and Latin cuisines.

In addition, Theise has helped introduce the U.S. to many "grower Champagnes," hand-crafted sparkling wines made by small French Champagne producers that were previously only known and available to European consumers. Theise's tasting will include a selection of his favorites from Germany, Austria, and Champagne that he imports to the U.S.

In 2008, Theise won a James Beard Foundation award as the nation's outstanding wine and spirits professional. His latest book release, Reading Between the Wines, was nominated earlier this year for a James Beard award in the beverage category. Theise's book will be available at the event.

Attention media: A limited number of media seats will be available for the tasting. If you're interested in attending, please contact Tyffani Peters at 707-318-2726 or t_peters@culinary.edu.

Photo Caption:

The CIA at Greystone hosts a wine tasting with Terry Theise, one of the most provocative personalities in the wine world. (Photo credit: Courtesy Terry Theise)

Media Contact:

Tyffani Peters
Media Relations Coordinator
707-967-2322
t_peters@culinary.edu

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The Culinary Institute of America to Present "World Casual: The Future of American Menus" for 2011 Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival

St. Helena, CA, August 9, 2011 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) will present World Casual: The Future of American Menus as the theme of the college's 14th Annual Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival, to be held at the CIA's historic Napa Valley campus in St. Helena, CA, November 3–5, 2011. The 2011 conference will highlight the more relaxed, often on-the-go, adventurous dining experiences that are reinventing the American foodservice landscape.

As food trucks proliferate across America, Michelin-starred chefs redefine excellence in new culinary settings, world sandwiches draw large and hungry crowds, flavor hunters track Asian and Latin street food for "the next big thing," and Gen Y and older peers embrace the easy conviviality of wine lounges, noodle bars, gastro-pubs, upscale taco joints and sharable comfort food on small plates, the CIA's World Casual: The Future of American Menus conference will capture the Zeitgeist of well-crafted and highly craveable world flavors served simply, yet inventively, in new sorts of settings and styles.

The 2011 Worlds of Flavor® Conference will reach deep into more than 20 regional food cultures and ethnic traditions—internationally as well as in the U.S.—to create hundreds of ways in which American foodservice can translate culinary traditions from Europe (Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey); Asia (India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea); Latin America (Mexico, Cuba, Peru, and Brazil); and Africa (Morocco, Tunisia, and West Africa) into appealing menu items for their customers.

More than 70 presenters confirmed for World Casual: The Future of American Menus include some of the world's best-known and most talented chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, authors, and more, as well as cooks and other experts with regional expertise from around the globe. Many diverse culinary traditions will be represented, including the spirit of Spanish tapas, Eastern Mediterranean meze, and Peruvian ceviche bars; Italian trattorias; Singaporean hawker centers and the street foods of Kerala and Saigon; and Tunisian sandwich shops—all among a rich bazaar of other "World Casual" flavors.

"World casual speaks to the emerging new middle of the American foodservice market: inspired by world flavor traditions, shaped by a continuing strained economy that has slowed the resurgence of upper-end fine dining, and fueled by next-generation talent that is mashing up culinary ideas in all kinds of novel ways," says Greg Drescher, executive director for strategic initiatives at the CIA and creator of the Worlds of Flavor conference series. "The 2011 Worlds of Flavor conference will give attendees a global snapshot of how we want to eat today, on multiple continents, and how we can translate these ideas into a whole range of operations to dazzle our customers."

The CIA's Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival is widely acknowledged as the United States' most influential professional forum on world cuisines and flavor trends. Now in its 14th year, this consistently sold-out event annually attracts 700–800 leading chefs, corporate menu decision-makers, foodservice management executives, suppliers, food critics and other journalists, and other food and beverage professionals as well as media. The conference regularly brings in dozens of top chefs and food experts from Asia, Europe and the Mediterranean, Latin America, and across the United States.

At www.worldsofflavor.com, you can view a list of confirmed presenters to date and their biographies, read "Presenter Spotlights" and sign up to receive e-mail bulletins about the conference. To become a fan of the conference's Facebook page—which posts interesting articles and videos about the World Casual movement, interesting tidbits from and about presenting chefs, and more—please visit CIA Worlds of Flavor® on Facebook. You can also follow us on Twitter @worldsofflavor.

Grand Platinum
Basque Country. Savour It.

Platinum
Foods from Spain/Wines from Spain
MEXICO – Ministry of Agriculture
PepsiCo
United Soybean Board

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Kebabs. (Photo credit: CIA)

Photo 2: Vietnamese salad rolls. (Photo credit: Mai Pham)

Photo 3: Fisherman's curry. (Photo credit: CIA)

Photo 4: Japanese women eating with chopsticks. (Photo credit: CIA)

Media Contact:

Cate Conniff
Marketing Manager
707-967-2303
c_connif@culinary.edu

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The Culinary Institute of America Launches Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids National Culinary Leadership Initiative

San Antonio, TX, May 24, 2011 – A White House chef and a USDA official were among the many children's nutrition, school foodservice, and culinary leaders who presented at the CIA's Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids National Leadership Summit at the college's San Antonio, TX campus May 11–13, 2011.

Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids, an invitation-only event held in conjunction with the National Restaurant Association, brought together 200 diverse professionals from around the country, including Assistant White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass and Dr. Janey Thornton, USDA deputy under secretary for food, nutrition, and consumer services. Attendees discussed and debated a wide range of issues impacting the quality and flavor of foods for children. The event is the launch of a much larger initiative focused on improving the quality and flavor of foods and beverages made available to children in a variety of settings in the U.S., including our nation's K-12 schools, colleges and universities, chain and other restaurant kids' menus, and the family food environment.

Childhood obesity—and other nutrition and lifestyle issues negatively impacting the health of America's youth—is one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, and the CIA decided to add to its body of health, wellness, and culinary strategies initiatives with the creation of Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids. "The CIA has the capacity to use its wide reach and influence in the foodservice sector to move the critical issues of childhood obesity and school lunch programs to a larger audience," says Dr. Tim Ryan, president of the CIA. "We already have many alumni such as Jorge Collazo in New York and Ann Cooper in Boulder making huge strides in these areas. By convening Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids, we are creating a unique forum for professionals of differing opinions to work through these complicated and critical issues."

Invited attendees at the May 2011 Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids National Invitational Leadership Summit included:

• Members of the Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids National Steering Committee, including CIA graduates Chef Ann Cooper (Child Nutrition Director for Boulder Valley Schools) and Chef Jorge Collazo (Executive Chef for New York City Schools)
• Foodservice and culinary leaders from K-12 foodservice, college and university foodservice, chain restaurants with kids' menus, contract foodservice, and fine-dining chefs participating in Chefs Move to Schools
• Influencers and leaders from national initiatives designed to improve children's nutrition, including the American Dietetic Association, the National Farm-to-School Program, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and Share Our Strength
• Influential leaders from San Antonio who are spearheading local initiatives related to children's nutrition

Culinary presentations included The Global Palate: How Chefs and Parents Can Inspire Interest in Flavors from Around the World by noted chef, TV host, and author Rick Bayless and World Flavors: Inspiration for Successful Salad Programs with Rick Bayless and chefs and authors Joyce Goldstein and Suvir Suran. Other sessions covered topics such as Increasing Kids' Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: How School Gardens, Classroom Nutrition Programs and Health Coaches Can Have an Impact; Promoting Hispanic Health & Preserving Culinary Traditions; and A Focus on Family Health: Helping Busy Families Eat Better. A particularly lively session called My Food, My Family, My Future featured local San Antonio middle and high school students in a panel discussion about food likes and dislikes, and what motivates them to choose more healthful foods at home, at school, and in San Antonio restaurants.

"The Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids National Leadership Summit brought together leaders with strong ideas about how The Culinary Institute of America can help improve the health of children in the U.S. by focusing on food and flavor," says Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RD, program director for strategic initiatives at the CIA. "Culinary professionals working with nutrition peers can share expert knowledge about developing healthful foods and flavors that kids find appealing."

Plans are already underway for the 2012 Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids National Leadership Summit, which will be held at the CIA San Antonio May 9–11, 2012. For more information on Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids, please visit www.ciaprochef.com/healthykids.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Chef Rick Bayless preparing mango guacamole. (Photo credit: CIA/Scott Miller)

Photo 2: San Antonio middle and high school students on "My Food, My Family, My Future" panel. (Photo credit: CIA/Scott Miller)

Photo 3: USDA Deputy Under Secretary Dr. Janey Thornton presenting on "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids: A Closer Look at the New USDA Proposed School Meal Standards." (Photo credit: CIA/Scott Miller)

Photo 4: Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass presenting on The First Lady's "Let's Move!" and "Chefs Move to Schools" initiatives. (Photo credit: CIA/Scott Miller)

Media Contact:

Cate Conniff
Marketing Manager
707-967-2303
c_connif@culinary.edu

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The Culinary Institute of America Brings its Thought Leadership to Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago

Four CIA Experts to Participate in National Restaurant Association Education Panels

Hyde Park, NY, May 19, 2011 – In recognition of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) as an innovator, trendsetter, and thought leader in the foodservice and hospitality industry, the National Restaurant Association has invited experts from the CIA as panelists or moderators of four educational sessions at the upcoming Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago from May 21–24.

"The Culinary Institute of America is well known for its innovative thought leadership in the world of food and restaurants, which is why we selected several CIA experts for our educational programming," said Mary Pat Heftman, executive vice president, convention, National Restaurant Association. "NRA Show attendees look for actionable information and ideas, and these sessions will deliver just that."

Greg Drescher, executive director of strategic initiatives at the CIA's Greystone campus in the Napa Valley, is serving on a panel discussing "The Power of Produce: Converting Health and Wellness into Profits." The session focuses on local and global menu innovations featuring fruits and vegetables. Drescher is the organizer of the CIA's annual Worlds of Flavor® conferences, and a respected authority regarding national and international food trends. (May 21, 2 p.m.)

Amy Myrdal Miller, a registered dietician and program director for strategic initiatives at the CIA at Greystone, is a panelist for the session titled, "Addressing Childhood Obesity: New Restaurant Industry Opportunities." Miller comes to Chicago fresh from the CIA's first Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids conference at the college's San Antonio campus. That three-day leadership summit featured Rick Bayless, White House Chef Sam Kass, Joyce Goldstein, Suvir Saran, and Ann Cooper '79, as well as speakers from the United States Department of Agriculture, Children's Hospital in Boston, university childhood nutrition experts, and school foodservice providers, among others. (May 22, noon)

Certified Master Chef Ron DeSantis, director of CIA Consulting, is part of a panel about "Considering Future Needs When Designing Your Kitchen." Through CIA Consulting, Chef DeSantis provides products and services and expert culinary training to industry clients, including kitchen design and recipe development. (May 22, noon)

John Canner, associate professor at the college's Hyde Park, NY campus, will moderate "Tactics, Tips & Tricks for Developing 'New Now' Menus." Canner teaches Menu Development to undergraduates, and writes about the subject for Chef Educator Today and other industry publications. (May 21, 2 p.m.)

The Culinary Institute of America will have a booth on the floor throughout the Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, and the college is hosting a reception for alumni on Monday, May 23 at the Union League Club.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Greg Drescher, CIA executive director of strategic initiatives, speaking at one of the college's Worlds of Flavor® Conferences. (Photo credit: Terrence McCarthy/CIA)

Photo 2: Certified Master Chef Ron DeSantis, director of CIA Consulting. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 3: CIA Associate Professor John Canner reviewing students' Menu Development projects. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

Jeff Levine
Communications Manager

845-451-1372
j_levine@culinary.edu

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Hottest Name in Food World Becomes Honorary CIA Alumnus

Nathan Myhrvold Delivers Commencement Address and Gives Presentation to 1,000 Students

Hyde Park, NY, March 25, 2011 – Fresh off visits to the Today show and Colbert Report, Nathan Myhrvold came to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) on Thursday, March 24, where he delivered the baccalaureate graduation address. During commencement exercises, Dr. Myhrvold was named an honorary alumnus of the college by CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan.

While on campus, the former Microsoft executive also gave a presentation attended by 1,000 students in the college's gymnasium and simulcast to classrooms on campus. Myhrvold's 2,400-page Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking is generating the biggest buzz in the food world in years. President Ryan was recently quoted in USA Today, calling it "one of the most important cookbooks of all time." Dr. Ryan has been in discussions with Myhrvold to consider how knowledge from Modernist Cuisine can be incorporated into the college's curriculum.

Myhrvold told the families of the 64 graduates of one way the culinary world is changing: "Twenty or thirty years ago, if your son or daughter was a chef, you wouldn't brag about it at a cocktail party. Today you can brag." He then advised the recipients of bachelor's degrees in culinary arts management and baking and pastry arts management, "You've received the greatest culinary education anyone can receive. But it won't be enough. Today is not the day you stop learning. It's the day you start."

In addition to his interest in food, Myhrvold, 51, is a physicist and inventor. And cooking is more than just a hobby for this Renaissance man. He won several first place awards at the World Barbecue Championships in Memphis, TN in the early 1990s and served as the chief gastronomic officer for the Zagat Survey. Modernist Cuisine is the result of his mission to create the world's most comprehensive cookbook. Despite a $625 price tag, it immediately sold out its initial press run.

During his 14-year tenure with Microsoft, Myhrvold was the company's chief strategist and chief technology officer. Before that, he worked with Stephen Hawking on cosmology and quantum field theories. He now runs Intellectual Ventures, a patent acquisition company he founded in 2000.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Dr. Tim Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America, reads a proclamation declaring Nathan Myhrvold an honorary CIA alumnus. Dr. Myhrvold addressed bachelor's degree graduates and gave a presentation for students during his visit to the college's Hyde Park, NY campus on March 24, 2011. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: Nathan Myhrvold tries on the chef's jacket presented to him by CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan, signifying being named an honorary alumnus of the college. Dr. Myhrvold delivered the commencement address at The Culinary Institute of America on March 24, 2011. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

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

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Ferran Adrià Announces Future Plans During Session at The Culinary Institute of America

Famed Chef Shares Vision for elBulli Foundation at Discussion Attended by 1,200 Students

Hyde Park, NY, March 22, 2011 – "Freedom to Create" is the motto and goal of Ferran Adrià's new elBulli Foundation. The organization will take the place of the legendary chef's famous restaurant elBulli, near Barcelona, Spain after it closes its doors this summer. Chef Adrià spoke of his innovative plans for the first time ever in the United States during a visit to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY on March 21.

The Barcelona native says he will turn the restaurant's property into a park and "reserve" for culinary brainstorming, opening in 2014. Each year, 20 collaborators from around the world will be selected to work with the base team. Through the Internet, chefs across the globe will then be able to access the thousands of ideas the team creates, and use the ones that fit their restaurants.

Chef Adrià pioneered molecular gastronomy, which he calls "deconstructivist" or avant garde cooking. He has been chef of elBulli for 24 years. Over the past decade it has been widely considered the best restaurant in the world, earning that official title from England's Restaurant magazine an unprecedented five times. On July 31, 2011, elBulli will close for good.

Chef Adrià was at the CIA for a panel discussion with Lisa Abend, author of The Sorcerer's Apprentices, a new book about Adrià and elBulli; and two former apprentices at the restaurant, including CIA graduate George Mendes '92. About 1,200 CIA students attended the event.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Ferran Adrià speaking at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where he announced future plans for the elBulli Foundation. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: More than 1,200 students attended the panel discussion with Chef Ferran Adrià at the CIA on March 21, 2011. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

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

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Past, Present, and Future Culinary Icons to Visit the CIA in March

Separate Events to Feature Paul Bocuse, Ferran Adrià, and Nathan Myhrvold

Hyde Park, NY, March 14, 2011 – The past, present, and future of the food world are all coming to The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY this month. Students at the world's premier culinary college will have a chance to hear from and interact with Paul Bocuse, Ferran Adrià, and Nathan Myhrvold.

Chef Adrià is a current culinary legend who will be at the CIA for a panel discussion on Monday, March 21 at 11 a.m. Adrià is chef and co-owner of Spain's famed elBulli. The Barcelona native has been head chef of elBulli for 24 years, and over the past decade it has been widely considered the best restaurant in the world. Chef Adrià pioneered molecular gastronomy, which he calls "deconstructivist" cooking.

Nathan Myhrvold is the future of cooking. He is a former Microsoft executive who has turned to cooking for his latest project: a 2,400-page cookbook, Modernist Cuisine, due for release this month. CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan, in USA Today on March 2, referred to Myhrvold's brand-new tome as "one of the most important cookbooks of all time." He will be delivering the commencement address to bachelor's degree graduates on the morning of Thursday, March 24. At 2 p.m. that day, he'll be giving a presentation open to all students.

Paul Bocuse, the father of modern French cuisine, has been cooking since the 1940s. Chef Bocuse, now 85, graced the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1975, unheard of for a chef at that time. He created the Bocuse d'Or international culinary competition, held in his hometown of Lyon, France. "While others influenced 20th century cuisine, it was his leadership, vision, and willingness to take risks that set in motion the global culinary renaissance," Dr. Ryan says. Chef Bocuse will be holding a question and answer session for students at noon on Thursday, March 31. Chef Bocuse's campus visit comes one day after he receives the CIA's Chef of the Century Award at a gala in New York City.

Photo Caption:

More than 1,000 CIA students attended Ferran Adrià's last visit to The Culinary Institute of America in 2009. Visits by Chefs Adrià, Paul Bocuse, and Nathan Myhrvold this month are creating an even bigger buzz on the college's Hyde Park campus. (Photo credit: CIA/Anne Rettig)

Media Contact:

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

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