Wine Legends to be Honored During Vintners Hall of Fame Ceremony at the CIA

Ticket Sales Raise Funds for the College's Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies Scholarship Programs

St. Helena, CA, February 3, 2012 – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone invites food and wine enthusiasts to a rare opportunity to mingle with noted winemakers, famous chefs, and wine-loving celebrities, while supporting the future of wine education in America. The Sixth Annual Vintners Hall of Fame Induction Celebration will honor seven people who have helped shape the California wine industry. The celebration will be held on Presidents' Day, Monday, February 20, 2012 at 4 p.m. Tickets are $175 ($100 of which is tax-deductible), and can be purchased online.

In celebration of Presidents' Day, selected California wineries will host a reception featuring wine and food pairings from White House menus. The members of the Class of 2012 will be inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame in the Barrel Room after the unveiling of sculpted bronze plaques honoring those inducted in 2011. The induction ceremony will be followed by a Walk-Around Dinner in the CIA's teaching kitchen with wines from members of the Vintners Hall of Fame. Mingle with former White House Chef and CIA graduate Walter Scheib; guest chef and congressman Mike Thompson; Almir DaFonseca, executive chef of the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant; and other CIA chefs.

The Culinary Institute of America has dedicated the historic Barrel Room to celebrate the men and women who have been responsible for the growth and world-wide prestige of the California wine industry. Each year, inductees are selected by a panel of more than 75 national wine writers, critics, and historians. This year's inductees include:

• Joe Heitz (1919–2000) of Heitz Cellars in St. Helena was a gifted winemaker, and his unwavering commitment to quality contributed to the renaissance of California winemaking. He was a firm believer in education, so when he was called upon to set up the first enology department at Fresno State, he accepted.
• Eugene Hilgard (1833–1916) was one of the pioneers of soil science. At UC Berkeley, he created the nation's first unit devoted to viticulture and enology. Hilgard's ideals and the program he founded are still evident today in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology.
• Peter Mondavi, Sr. of Charles Krug Winery has established new standards for the wine trade. Few vintners have been as instructive as Mondavi, who showed just how fresh and fruity California wine can be.
• Myron Nightingale (1915–1988) was winemaker and director of operations at Beringer. He brought the winery back to life and gradually turned it into a large-scale producer of world-class varietal wines.
• John Parducci took over winemaking at his family's Mendocino County winery in 1940. He strove to improve the quality of wine and to make it more accessible. Parducci helped build his family's winery and the Mendocino region into a noted wine presence.
• Richard Sanford is the first winemaker to prove the potential for Pinot Noir in the chilly Santa Rita Hills. In 1981, he started Sanford Winery and spent the next 20 years making some of the best-regarded Pinot Noirs, helping to put Santa Barbara wines on the map.
• Albert Winkler (1894–1989) helped build UC Davis' enology and viticulture program into one of the world's finest. His classic textbook General Viticulture, published in 1962, has been used by thousands of winemakers and grape growers and translated into several languages.

Proceeds from the event help to support the Vintners Hall of Fame and contribute to scholarships for the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA at Greystone.

For more information and to purchase tickets online, please visit www.vintnershalloffame.com.

Photo Caption:

U.S. Congressman, Mike Thompson, serves his mushroom risotto at the Walk-Around-Dinner in the CIA's teaching kitchen. (Photo credit: CIA/Faith Echtermeyer)

Media Contact:

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

# # #

CIA Chef-Instructor Wins Napa's Cochon 555

St. Helena, CA, February 2, 2012 – Lars Kronmark, chef-instructor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, was crowned the winner of Sunday's Cochon 555 cooking competition. This mobile food event stops in 10 cities, where five local chefs are each given a local heritage breed pig to create dishes from every part of the animal. With the help of seven CIA culinary arts students, Kronmark and his team created six entrees that put them ahead of the Napa competition.

"Our dishes showed fine craftsmanship," says Kronmark. "The students and I worked all week on these dishes, putting real cooking techniques into every dish, and it showed."

One of the missions of the Cochon 555 tour is to promote slow food that is prepared with respect for the animal. It is a philosophy that is shared by the CIA and taught to students on all four of its campuses, including the CIA at Greystone. The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant also practices whole animal utilization, ordering beef and pork and using the entire animal in featured dishes on the menu.

"It shows more respect when you use the entire animal in a professional kitchen. Using all of its parts to create fantastic dishes is much more ethical than using just the loin, or other cuts that we are used to cooking," says Kronmark.

Kronmark was given a mulefoot heritage breed pig from Grabish Farms in Napa Valley. The winning plate included "Burning Love," a childhood comfort food from Kronmark's native Denmark made with onion bacon sauce; and an Offal and All-Spice Sauce, both served over mashed potatoes. The team also made a house-cured mortadella smorrebrood, roasted and stuffed trotters, hard-cider cured mule foot ham cooked in straw, and St. Croix pork fritters with beet jam.

Kronmark and the winning chefs from each of the tour's 10 stops will compete again at the Grand Cochon event at Aspen's Food and Wine Festival on June 17.

Photo Caption:

Photo 1: Chef Lars Kronmark working with a team of culinary arts students at Cochon 555 at the CIA at Greystone. (Photo credit: CIA/Soren Bloch)

Photo 2: The winning team at Cochon 555 Napa. Chef-Instructor Lars Kronmark and his team of culinary students took first place in the friendly competition that promotes using local, heritage breed pork. (Photo credit: CIA/Soren Bloch)

Media Contact:

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

# # #

New Chef Brings Fresh Ideas to CIA Restaurant

St. Helena, CA, January 27, 2012 – The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant starts out the new year with a new executive chef and general manager, as well as new menu items. In addition, the restaurant on the California campus of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) was recently awarded a 2012 Great Wine Capitals Best of Tourism Award, citing the many delicious educational opportunities the restaurant offers to guests, whether they are tourists or locals. Guests at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant get a chance to take home new culinary and wine lessons, while interacting with the up-and-coming chefs of the future.

New Executive Chef
Chef Almir Da Fonseca has been a culinary instructor at the CIA at Greystone for five years. He now steps into the role of executive chef at The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant, in addition to his chef-instructor duties. This makes the restaurant not only a great place to experience world-class food and wine, but an excellent hands-on classroom for CIA students.

A native of Brazil, Da Fonseca studied culinary arts at the Senace Trade School in Rio de Janeiro. He went on to a 25-year career in the food industry—which included culinary training and apprenticeships in southern France and Italy—before coming to the CIA at Greystone. After moving to Northern California, he gained experience as executive chef at Lucas Wharf Restaurant in Bodega Bay. Chef Da Fonseca has also owned his own restaurant, ran a catering company, and developed a line of sauces. A member of the CIA at Greystone faculty since 2007, he teaches classes, participates in consulting projects, presents at CIA conferences, and regularly speaks at graduation ceremonies.

Students enrolled in the CIA's Associate in Occupational Studies degree program spend the final 12 weeks of the 21-month curriculum working in the restaurant. It's the perfect culmination of their CIA education, working under the direction of Chef Da Fonseca and learning in this hands-on classroom.

"I am really excited to show our students and customers that all of the ideals we teach are not just words and ideas," says Da Fonseca. "We are actually putting the ideals to work in our restaurant kitchen. The students are learning that sustainable cookery and using local ingredients can be done in a restaurant, and that solid culinary skills can turn those ingredients into beautiful food."

New General Manager
Pat Jeffries is a Napa native who comes to the CIA with 25 years of experience in the food and wine industries. Most recently he was the general manager at the successful Norman Rose Tavern in Napa, and has managed Cole's Chop House and BarbersQ. He has also been a consultant for Luna Vineyards.

"I've always wanted to teach," says Jeffries. "I get to work directly with CIA faculty to make sure the lessons in the classroom are consistent with 'real world' experience. We focus on the skills needed to provide the best guest experience day in and day out."

New Menu Items
The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant features new, fresh menu items, such as a brand-new raw bar featuring fresh oysters, crab, and other shellfish. Da Fonseca works closely with advisors of the student garden club members, who have planted specific produce requested by the chef. Beginning in February, about 80 percent of the produce served in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant will be harvested from the organic student garden, located just a 1/4 mile away. Look for creamy Mushroom Risotto made with various mushrooms, or homey Ragout made with Rancho Gordo beans and braising greens from the garden.

Da Fonseca works closely with advisors of the student garden club members, who have planted specific produce requested by the chef. Beginning in February, about 80 percent of the produce served in the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant will be harvested from the organic student garden, located just a 1/4 mile away. Look for creamy Mushroom Risotto made with various mushrooms, or homey Ragout made with Rancho Gordo beans and braising greens from the garden.

The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant has adopted the sustainable practice of ordering whole cattle from neighboring Five Dot Ranch and using the entire animal in dishes on the menu. Chef Da Fonseca has taken this practice one step further and is now dry-aging cuts of beef in house, giving the grass-fed beef more flavor and tenderness. Featured cuts rotate daily based on what is available, and include a New York strip steak, aged for 28 days, or a Butcher's Cut special of flat iron, hangar, or skirt steak, that has been aged 5 to 7 days. The Better Burger is really that—Five Dot Beef sirloin that has been aged for 28 days, hand ground, and served with house-made Kennebec potato chips and house-made catsup.

Chef Da Fonseca continues the practice of using the whole animal by ordering sustainably raised whole hogs from Gleason Ranch in neighboring Sonoma County. Da Fonseca breaks down the whole hog in the restaurant kitchen, instructing students and giving them valuable, eco-friendly skills to use in their culinary careers.

Da Fonseca uses his own Mediterranean curing mix to make bacon, which is smoked on the CIA property and used throughout the menu. Larger cuts are braised and served as specials, while other parts are made into a Spanish-style chorizo sausage and served with mussels and other dishes. Da Fonseca is also making charcuterie in-house, and instructing students in the practice.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Almir Da Fonseca is the new executive chef at the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. He is also a chef-instructor at the culinary school and will continue to work with students in the restaurant. (Photo Credit: CIA/Charlie Gesell)

Photo 2: A look inside The Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant on the California campus of The Culinary Institute of America. (Photo Credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

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

# # #

The Culinary Institute of America Launches Cutting-Edge Series of Culinary Science Courses for Professional Chefs

Four Exciting New Continuing Education Classes are Now Offered at CIA Campuses in Hyde Park, NY and St. Helena, CA

Hyde Park, NY, January 26, 2012 – As part of the college's mission to provide cutting-edge education and to advance new understanding of food and flavor, The Culinary Institute of America has launched a series of four new courses. These additions to the CIA Continuing Education curriculum, designed for the professional chef, will explore the science underlying new techniques, culinary traditions, and food safety.

Through a combination of lectures, discussions, and extensive hands-on kitchen—and guided by award-winning members of the CIA faculty and guest faculty from industry and academia—professional chefs will gain a better understanding of culinary science principles that can foster efficiency and innovation in the modern food service industry. These classes are now offered at the CIA's main campus in Hyde Park, NY, and at the Greystone campus in St. Helena, CA. All programs are designed for professional chefs with advanced culinary skills.

"A sound foundation in the principles of science underlying our techniques and traditions is 'Mise En Place 2.0' for the modern chef," said Dr. Chris Loss, PhD, director of the Department of Menu R&D. "The culinary industry is becoming increasingly technical and cross-disciplinary. Chefs eager to keep pace in the competitive food industry should be familiar with the fundamentals of culinary science that have already captured the attention of the culinary world."

The CIA Culinary Science courses have been designed by chefs, a microbiologist, a sensory scientist, and a food chemist, as well as consulting experts from the recent book by Nathan Myhrvold, Modernist Cuisine. This cross-disciplinary faculty team reflects the fascinating integration of the art and science of cooking that drives major food industry trends.

To find out more about the faculty designing and teaching this course, please visit us online.

The four Continuing Education classes that open this new series include: Culinary Science: Principles and Applications in Modern Cuisine; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Writing; Introduction to Precision Temperature Cooking Techniques and Processes; and Menu Development—Commissary/Contract Feeders.

Culinary Science: Principles and Applications in Modern Cuisine allows students to review the principles of culinary science and their applications in modern foodservice industry careers through lectures, discussions, and extensive hands-on kitchen work. By comparing traditional and "modernist" techniques, this course introduces chefs to the mechanisms underlying the physical and chemical changes that occur during food preparation and cooking—and how to control them. The five-day class will be offered August 13–17 at Hyde Park. Tuition is $1,795 per person.

HACCP Writing offers an overview of how the education, health care, military, contract foodservice, commissary, and restaurant segments of the industry must be brought into compliance with current Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulations, according to state codes. In this non-cooking class, students apply the process of creating a HACCP program specific to their foodservice establishments, and study the science, microbiology, and safety elements of precision temperature cooking. The four-day class will be taught at St. Helena, February 21–24, 2012. Tuition is $1,300 per person.

Introduction to Precision Temperature Cooking Techniques and Processes offers a foundation for foodservice managers, chefs, decision makers, and researchers seeking to understand the techniques and benefits of precision temperature cooking processes. The course is designed to demonstrate the interconnectivity, techniques, and benefits of complete end-to-end systems centered on precision temperature cooking systems. The four-day class will be taught at St. Helena, April 9–12, 2012. Tuition is $1,300 per person.

Menu Development—Commissary/Contract Feeders allows food production facilities to improve menu items and products for receiver kitchens, in segments such as health care, education, military, institutions, and business and industry properties. Students analyze their site facilities and create operational changes that promote economic savings, through efficient food production techniques, green initiatives, and carbon savings and operational cost reductions. The four-day class will be taught at St. Helena, March 19–22 and May 14–17, 2012. Tuition is $1,300 per person.

To enroll in any of the classes in the CIA's new 2012 Culinary Science curriculum, visit www.ciaprochef.com or contact the CIA's customer service department at 1-800-888-7850.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: The future of the culinary arts has arrived. The Culinary Institute of America, the world's premier culinary college, has launched a culinary science curriculum in 2012, featuring four exciting courses, designed for the professional chef. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: "A sound foundation in the principles of science underlying our techniques and traditions is 'Mise En Place 2.0' for the modern chef" said Dr. Chris Loss, '94, who helped design the CIA Culinary Science: Principles and Applications course. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

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

# # #

The Culinary Institute of America Launches New Wine Lovers Boot Camps in 2012 at its Napa Valley Campus

Two- and Five-Day Classes Will Heighten Consumers' Skill and Confidence in Wine Selection, Tasting, and Pairing with Food

Hyde Park, NY, January 11, 2012 – At a time when wine awareness and consumption in the United States continues to grow dynamically, The Culinary Institute of America is launching a new series of classes designed for the wine enthusiast at its St. Helena, CA campus.

Wine Lovers Boot Camp will debut in spring 2012 at the CIA at Greystone, whose location in the heart of the Napa Valley—home to great vineyards and wine estates—is ideal for the study and enjoyment of wine. The two courses launching this new series are Wine Lovers Boot Camp—Basic Training and Wine Lovers Boot Camp—Tasting Like a Pro.

Wine Lovers Boot Camp—Basic Training is a five-day exploration of the joys wine can bring to one's lifestyle, and is designed to elevate participants' overall understanding of wine. The program will also enable students to select and enjoy wine with greater knowledge and confidence, whether shopping for a mid-week meal at home, dining out at a restaurant, or hosting a special social gathering.

Working with the CIA's renowned faculty, students in this Boot Camp will taste the world's major white and red wine grape varieties as they learn to decipher wine labels from regions near and far. They will discover how a vineyard's location and a winemaker's influence can impact the flavor, style, and price of wine. Through tastings, participants will learn how to evaluate wine "flavor" and place it skillfully in the context of a meal. This newfound understanding will ultimately be put into practice in the kitchen as students prepare a multi-course meal with paired wines.

Initial 2012 class dates are February 13–17, April 16–20, and May 21–25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuition is $2,195 per person, and the class is open to students 21 years of age and older.

It is often said in oenophile circles that a wine is good if you like it. But how do professionals objectively evaluate wine? The CIA's Wine Lovers Boot Camp—Tasting Like a Pro will teach the casual wine drinker how to adopt professional approaches to tasting wine.

This two-day program will guide participants through proper tasting technique and teach them how to recognize important wine attributes that determine the quality and style of still, sparkling, and sweet wines. Through structured tastings, students will discover the influence on flavor of winemaking techniques, from barrel fermentation to fortification. Blind tastings will ultimately test their ability to identify wines like professionals.

Initial class dates for 2012 are February 2–3, February 29–March 1, March 26–27, April 13–14, and May 17–18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuition is $895 per person, and the class is open to students 21 years of age and older.

On select class days, students in both Wine Lovers Boot Camp programs will enjoy dinner at the on-campus Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant.

To enroll in a CIA Wine Lovers Boot Camp, visit www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts or call 1-800-888-7850.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1: Beginning in spring 2012, the CIA's new Wine Lovers Boot Camp classes will take place at the college's Greystone campus in California's famed Napa Valley. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Photo 2: Savoring the joys of wine, for either personal pleasure or in launching a wine industry career, is one of the myriad benefits of the new Wine Lovers Boot Camps at the CIA. (Photo credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)

Media Contact:

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

# # #

Three-Star Michelin Chef Addresses CIA Graduates in Napa Valley

St. Helena, CA, December 27, 2011 – Christopher Kostow, acclaimed executive chef of The Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena, told graduates of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone that what they strive to do in their careers on a day-to-day basis is important. Kostow addressed 36 graduates at the ceremony held Friday, December 9, 2011.

"When you achieve certain accolades, when you reach a certain level in your career, recognize that it's important, and that it all can be done away with very quickly when you cease to hold it in high regard," said Kostow.

Kostow has earned three Michelin stars for The Restaurant at Meadowood, making him the second American-born chef and the third youngest chef ever to receive that distinction. In addition, Kostow has earned a 2011 James Beard Foundation Award nomination as Best Chef: Pacific, inclusion among Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs, recognition as a Rising Star Chef by the San Francisco Chronicle, and the honor of being named a Grand Chef Relais and Chateaux.

Kostow asked the graduates to remember that hundreds of chefs paved the way for the "celebrity" status that some in the industry enjoy today. He encouraged them to hold integrity for their chosen profession.

"What all the true professionals have is a narrative and a voice. They're speaking from a region, they're speaking from a philosophy, they're speaking from the heart," he said. "You can be a very good chef with technique. You can be a very good chef with skills. But you can never be great until you're saying something."

After building a stellar reputation working in kitchens throughout California, France, and New York City, Kostow arrived at Meadowood in early 2008. In addition to adding a Michelin star since his arrival, the restaurant has received many accolades under his inspired leadership.

Photo Caption:

Christopher Kostow, executive chef at The Restaurant at Meadowood addresses 36 CIA graduates at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone on December 9, 2011. (Photo credit: CIA/Charlie Gessell)

Media Contact:

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

# # #

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

# # #

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

# # #

CIA Introduces Blueberry Kitchen: Contemporary Recipes from The Culinary Institute of America Online Learning Module

St. Helena, CA, November 2, 2011 — The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has introduced a new free online learning module, Blueberry Kitchen: Contemporary Recipes from The Culinary Institute of America, on the college's www.ciaprochef.com website.

Blueberry Kitchen explores a wide array of blueberry menu concepts as well as blueberry nutrition and history. The e-learning module includes 14 downloadable recipes in streaming video, demonstrated by CIA Chef-Instructor Scott Samuel. The site is geared toward food enthusiasts and foodservice professionals alike.

Demonstrating innovative culinary techniques and the versatility of blueberries on the menu, Blueberry Kitchen covers how to use blueberries in everything from beverages, breakfast, and desserts to savory global cuisine. Through online videos, chef-tested recipes, and information on the nutritional value of blueberries, the online learning module presents scores of new uses for this versatile fruit.

"Customers know about the health benefits of blueberries and are eager to try unique and contemporary dishes with blueberries on the menu," says Chef Samuel. "It was interesting to explore such a wide array of concepts with blueberries, which add such a rich flavor profile and vibrant color to any dish."

Recipes on the online module include Blueberry Mojitos, Wild Rice-Dried Blueberry Stuffed Pork Tenderloin, Blueberry Muffins with Orange Glaze, Chipotle-Grilled Chicken Breast with Blueberry-Peach Salsa, Blueberry Lavender Fizz, and Blueberry-Ricotta-Orange Crêpe with Vanilla Blueberry Sauce, and more.

Blueberry Kitchen: Contemporary Recipes from The Culinary Institute of America was produced by the CIA's New Media group, which has won two James Beard Awards for Best Webcast. The module can be found at www.ciaprochef.com/blueberries.

Media Contact:

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

# # #

CIA Alumnus and Former Greystone Restaurant Chef Addresses Graduates

St. Helena, CA, November 1, 2011 – Todd Humphries '88, executive chef and partner of the new Kitchen Door restaurant in Napa's Oxbow Public Market, returned to his Napa Valley roots to address graduating students at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone. The ceremony, held October 3, 2011, ushered 44 graduates into the food industry from both the college's Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts degree programs. To date, this marks the largest graduating class at the California campus of the world's premiere culinary college.

"Pay attention to the details, go places, and meet people," said Humphries. "I have learned from everyone I've met."

Humphries has done his share of going places in his culinary career. Originally from Regina, the capital of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Humphries attended the CIA in Hyde Park, NY. After graduating in 1988, he worked in restaurants in the New York area including the Quilted Giraffe, Adrienne, the Peninsula Hotel, and the critically acclaimed Lespinasee. Humphries moved to the Napa Valley in 1999 and became the executive chef at the CIA's Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. He has been a prominent fixture of the local food scene ever since.

"In this industry it's important to work as a team, and to remember that it's all about the customer," advised Humphries.

Following his own advice, Humphries led the team for nine years as chef and owner of the very popular Martini House restaurant in St. Helena, earning a Michelin star rating and inclusion in both Robb Report's Top 100 Favorite Restaurants and Zagat's Top 40 Restaurants in Northern California.

He has also been featured as a judge for an episode during the first season of Bravo's Top Chef.

Photo Caption:

Chef Todd Humphries speaking to graduates at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone on October 3, 2011. The 1988 CIA graduate is executive chef and partner of the new Kitchen Door restaurant in Napa's Oxbow Public Market. (Photo Credit: CIA/Charlie Gesell)

Media Contact:

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

# # #