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Dean Koetke Vies for Inaugural Pathfinder Award from Chefs Collaborative

Amber, Monday, August 30th, 2010 | Category: Around Town, Green | Permalink | Email this
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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.

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

Amber, Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 | Category: Featured | Permalink | Email this
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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, Thursday, August 19th, 2010 | Category: Around Town | Permalink | Email this
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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, Friday, August 13th, 2010 | Category: Inside Kendall | Permalink | Email this
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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.

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Jose Gonzales Wins Frontera Scholarship 2010 to Kendall College

Amber, Friday, August 13th, 2010 | Category: Around Town, Featured | Permalink | Email this
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Chicago Public High School student Jose Gonzales was announced the winner of the Frontera Scholarship 2010 at a press conference held at Frontera Grill on July 16. Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless launched the Frontera Scholarship program in 2008 in conjunction with Kendall College, which he believes to be one of the best culinary schools in the country.

Each year Chef Bayless, along with other board members, selects a Mexican-American student from the Chicago Public School System who has shown a genuine and consistent interest in the hospitality industry. The winning student is then awarded a full scholarship to attend Kendall College’s School of Culinary Arts for an Associate of Applied Science degree in culinary arts or baking and pastry. In addition, the winning student gets to do an internship at Chef Bayless’ restaurants—and the chance to accompany the Frontera team on their annual trip to Mexico.

The judging panel consisted of Rick Bayless, Chef/Owner of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo; Christopher Koetke, Dean of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College; Sheila O’Grady, President of the Illinois Restaurant Association; George Cardenas, Alderman; David Blackmon, Program Manager Hospitality & Culinary Arts, CPS ETC; and Steve Dolinsky, ABC-TV.

Click here to learn more about scholarship resources, including the Frontera scholarship.
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