Kendall Blog

New Bread Oven Will Create Community, Expand Student Learning

A new piece of equipment is getting a rise out of faculty and students at Kendall College, but it’s not in one of the commercial-grade kitchens. It’s in the courtyard. “Wood-fired ovens are usually built outdoors,” says School of Culinary Arts instructor Melina Kelson-Podolsky, CMB, CEPC, CSC. “Historically, many towns had a baker who baked home-prepared loaves. The oven was used as a community gathering site.”... read more

Dean Koetke Vies for Inaugural Pathfinder Award from Chefs Collaborative

Amber, August 30th, 2010 | Category: Around Town, Green | Permalink | Email this
tagged: awards, Chefs Collaborative, Christopher Koetke, School of Culinary Arts

Congratulations to Chef Christopher Koetke, C.E.C., C.C.E., dean of the School of Culinary Arts! He’s a candidate for the first-ever Sustainability Awards presented by Chefs Collaborative based in Cambridge, Mass. Chefs Collaborative is the leading nonprofit network of chefs that fosters a sustainable food system through advocacy, education and collaboration with the broader food community.

Chefs Collaborative will honor a single individual in each of three categories during the organization’s awards dinner at Allandale Farm in Boston on Oct. 4. Koetke is a candidate for the Pathfinder award, which recognizes a visionary working in the greater food community who has been a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts that go beyond the kitchen.

Sustainability is woven throughout Kendall College’s curricula and the school’s operational practices. In 2007, Kendall was the recipient of the Green Award presented by Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI), the first ever presented to a culinary-training program. In 2008, thanks to Koetke’s leadership, Kendall expanded its sustainability commitment to provide education on this critical issue to the broader foodservice industry. Today, Koetke is a well-known expert on the subject and speaks frequently at regional and national industry conferences.

Here’s wishing Dean Koetke the best of luck! Click here for more information on Chefs Collaborative’s National Summit, Oct. 3-5 at Bunker Hill College in Boston.

Beyond the Basics: The Keys to Navigating Your Career Path Workshop & Podcast

admin, August 30th, 2010 | Category: Inside Kendall | Permalink | Email this
tagged: Podcast, School of Business, workshop

Beyond the Basics Workshop & Podcast: The Keys to Navigating Your Career Path

Featuring
Dwain Celistan, Author of You’re Hired! Action Steps to Get and Keep the Job of Your Dreams!

This August 8, 2010 workshop covered topics such as:

Key insights into the hiring process from the other side of the table
Sell yourself: social media as a successful means of advertising yourself
Real stories from active professionals about what is next – the things you do not anticipate after you graduate

Brought to you by the School of Business Junior Advisory Board.

Listen to Podcast

Beyond the Basic Podcast [104:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

View slides from presentation >>

Incoming School of Culinary Arts Student Jose Gonzales Featured on “Undercover Boss”

Amber, August 25th, 2010 | Category: Featured | Permalink | Email this
tagged: School of Culinary Arts

Jose Gonzales can’t believe how fortunate he is. It all started while he was working at a White Castle in Chicago and was featured on the CBS show “Undercover Boss,” where he had the opportunity to work with White Castle owner Dave Rife. During that visit, Jose expressed his desire to go to culinary school and eventually open his own restaurant. Rife was so impressed with Jose’s work ethic (and his delicious homemade salsa), that at the end of the show he surprised Jose with the news that White Castle would offer him a $20,000 scholarship to attend culinary school.

Guess where Jose, the recent Chicago public high school grad, will be starting classes this fall? That’s right—Kendall! But Jose’s good fortune doesn’t stop there. In addition to the scholarship from White Castle, Jose was awarded the 2010 Frontera Scholarship to Kendall from Chef Rick Bayless.

While Jose’s official culinary education is just about to begin, he already has accomplished something many experienced chefs would only dream of. On August 17, Rife and Jose met again, this time here at Kendall, where Jose prepared his salsa once more and Rife announced that they will test market it in some of White Castle’s restaurants. Congratulations to Jose and we look forward to seeing him in Kendall’s kitchens this fall!

Kendall Shares Good Nutrition Tips with Kids from Chicago’s West Side

Amber, August 19th, 2010 | Category: Around Town | Permalink | Email this
tagged: childhood nutrition, School of Culinary Arts, School of Education

Baking and pastry/hospitality management student Adam Harralson talked about nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating with kids from Chicago’s West Side who are training for the upcoming Chicago Blackhawks 5K. This was in partnership with the nonprofit community organization Neighbors Development Network, which has developed a summer running program for low income neighborhood kids as part of their summer initiative against childhood obesity.

Harralson showed both parents and kids how to make healthy homemade “Energy Boost Bars” after the kids’ morning workout on August 15. The kids train twice a week in preparation for running the 5K in September, but organizers are also emphasizing healthy eating and exposing the kids and parents to healthy food options that will have a lifetime of benefits.

Kendall College is introducing a childhood nutrition concentration in the School of Education in the fall of 2010. Designed for early childhood educators, this concentration is in direct response to state and federal initiatives on childhood nutrition, healthy eating and childhood obesity. In conjunction with this, Kendall is committed to doing community outreach throughout the Chicagoland area and looks forward to working with more schools and nonprofit organizations to help educate kids, parents and teachers about childhood nutrition.

Click here to read more about the running program in the Chicago Tribune.

Jeffrey Hamelman Teaches Baguette Class

Amber, August 13th, 2010 | Category: Inside Kendall | Permalink | Email this
tagged: School of Culinary Arts

Kendall College was the proud host of The Bread Bakers Guild of America’s 2010 Master Class series, The World’s Fair of Bread, on August 7-8, where author and award-winning baker Jeffrey Hamelman taught a sold-out baguette class.

This year’s classes spotlighted international breads, and the baguette is traditionally associated with France. “Baguettes Six Ways” was an intensive demonstration and hands-on class aimed at beginning and intermediate bakers. Students had the opportunity to compare a variety of baguette formulas and techniques, including pousse lente, intensive mix, and poolish-based baguettes, and practiced shaping and scoring the loaves.