New York City 2012

There is a wave of anticipation in front of the IUP Punxsutawney Learning Center as the other students and I huddle in groups and talk about our plans for the weekend. Each year, the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts plans a weekend trip to New York City for the students; The only requirement for this year is that we attend our Saturday lunch at a world famous Brazilian restaurant called Plataforma.

The students and I make plans to visit famous monuments and hot dining spots as we pile on the bus. My main desire is to visit the Museum of Modern Art (which I did… check that one off my bucket list). Ipods, books and laptops come out as we start to settle in for our 5 and a half hour long bus ride.

Anticipation rises as traffic starts to build up and skyscrapers start to appear on the horizon. It’s 11:00pm… Finally… New York City. We reach our hotel and unload our bags, room keys are handed out and we all wait for the elevator. Me, Dan, Joe, and Jessie are all roommates for the weekend which is nice because we all had similar plans. After settling in, we all decide to go for a walk around the area and see some sights.

After successfully wearing myself out, I decide to get some sleep and prepare for Saturday. 

It’s 9:00am on Saturday and I’m up and ready for the day. Me and my friend Harley decide to wander around Manhattan a little bit. I don’t want to go to all the touristy sights, I just want to see New York for what it is. After getting a metro pass, we head into the heart of the city; after getting successfully ”lost” we find our self caught up in the middle of a fresh food market. 

Organic, natural, and local are all words you see posted on tents everywhere. Any kind of meat, seafood, produce, flowers, grass, jams, and jellies you could ever want are available. 

After that we make our way to Plataforma. An incredible meal with amazing service is had by all.

Soon we are off on our adventures. Garment District, Time Square, and The Statue of Liberty are all sites that were visited.

After a day that went by too fast, everyone is tired and returns to their hotel rooms., knowing that the next day will involve the trip home. 

-Daniel Leatherman

ACF Meeting - April 11th - Cake decorating and competitions

Heidi Miller - Sweet Tammy’s Bakery - Pittsburgh, PA
Head Baker
with - Angie Held IUP 2009

Heidi graduated in 2008 from the baking and pastry arts program through IUPACA.

What was your favorite memory from IUPACA
Chef Battaglia rapping on a daily basis in class.

What is one recommendation for future students at IUPACA?
Don’t be scared. Just give it a chance. I thought it would be like Hells Kitchen when I first came here, but it’s actually pretty chill.
-
Chef Heidi is the head baker in the retail department at Sweet Tammy’s Bakery. Heidi began her career worked in Vanilla Pastry Studio in Pittsburgh for 2.5 years after graduating.

Sweet Tammy’s prides itself on being both Kosher and nondairy. Heidi went on to explain that the purpose of being nondairy is that in the Jewish community, it is a custom that you cannot have meat and dairy in the same meal. To make it easier for the jewish community, Sweet Tammy’s decided to replace any dairy with soy ingredients in their recipies.

Heidi has competed in two cake competitions.

Her favorite thing to do is making pastries or the participate in the actual activity of baking.

She had no previous experience before going to IUP for culinary school.

shesalty: Piccolo - Minneapolis →

shesalty:

Last month I had the great opportunity to visit Minneapolis’ new restaurant, Piccolo. The menu is small and they serve very small portions (a few bites) so you get the chance to try many different things. The menu is very strongly composed, and Anthony Bourdain himself called it, “one of the most…

Culinary Students preparing ingredients and food for celebrity chefs at GoodTaste! Pittsburgh. 

Come visit us on Saturday at GoodTaste! Pittsburgh →

Why do chefs wear white chef coats?

The chef coat is one of the most recognizable uniforms that exist. No matter what fine dining establishment you enter in the world, you can almost always be sure to see white coats being worn in the kitchen. While these coats demand respect, they are more than just a fashion statement, they are also very well thought out pieces of equipment.

One of the main reasons the chef coat is worn is for safety. The long, thick sleeves protect the chef from burns on the arms and the double breasting on the front protects from hot pans and sauces that may splash up. The knot buttons on the front do not melt unlike normal plastic buttons which keeps from having foreign objects falling into the food. Also, these buttons are come off quickly in case of an emergency where the coat must be removed quickly.

Another reason is the heat. The color white is one of the most reflective colors; therefore, wearing white has the ability to reflect heat away from the body and keep the chef a little bit cooler. The heavy cotton also keeps the chef insulated from the searing heat in the kitchen. Ever little ability to remain cool that can be taken advantage of is crucial.

One more reason is for appearance.  White can be bleached, so the chef can quickly say good bye to almost any stain after a good washing. Also, the double breasting allows for the chef to quickly switch the side on which the coat is buttoned, hiding that marinara sauce stain.

So that is just a couple basic reasons for the classic chef coat. Of course as time passes and technology becomes more involved, the chef coat also advances. As time goes on more and more brands, fabrics, and styles make their way into the kitchen. However, the white, cotton chef coat will forever be the standard.

Sources:

http://www.chefolio.com/Articles/HistoryoftheChefsuniform.html

http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culinarytools/p/chefscoat.htm

October Advanced Baking Open House

Here are some pictures from our first ACF meeting for the 2011-12 year.

First ACF Meeting of 2011-12

So, we held our first American Culinary Federation (ACF) Groundhog Chapter meeting for the 2011-12 year on October 12^th with Chef Wutsch. Chef Wutsch went on to explain some basics about becoming a junior member.  Here are some of the details:

It is only $85.00 for a membership and it is valid up until 3 years after you leave the culinary program. (DEAL, bro!)

By joining the ACF you instantly begin a valuable network with other culinary professionals. By becoming a member you are throwing your name out there all over the web, which is one of the first places that an executive chef would go to if he is in need of a quality, trained professional. Being a member of the ACF instantly tells the chef that you are an individual who is dedicated to the culinary field.

After speaking briefly on the ACF, Chef Wutsch gave a demonstration of preparing Pan Seared, Spice Encrusted Shrimp and Salmon, Charred Pineapple with Grand Marnier Gastrique, and Black Pepper Panko Asparagus. To assist with the preparation, Chef Wutsch enlisted the help of Amanda Miller and Jenna Wright, both being baking and pastry students.

If you would like to learn more about the ACF, click here to go to their website.

I’ll post some pictures taken by Dong Hwan Choi…

"Simplicity due to perfection is elegant."

Chef Andrew Nutter