Fran Voigt

Recently, I spoke to the Executive Committee of the NECI Alumni Association. The purpose of the call was to update the Executive Committee about plans in several very important areas. The first is the reorganization of the school's board of directors. The current board has its final meeting on April 14, 2008. A new board will meet for the first time on July 16. The date overlaps a visit of our Program Advisory Committee. The PAC, as part of our accreditation requirements, is composed of food service professionals who meet by teleconference several times a year and visit annually to evaluate the curriculum and proposals for new programs, inspect foodservice facilities, and comment on completion and placement rates.

The new board will focus primarily on several
fundamental changes that are under consideration
at the school. One will be an application to a regional accrediting commission, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges; a second will be the conversion of the school to non-profit status; and a third will be succession, that is, the hire of a new president. The projected timetable for completion of these important tasks is sometime in 2010.

The new board will consist of a member of the Program Advisory Committee, Pete Mihajlov, a principal in the Parasole group in the Twin Cities which has developed the Oceanaire and Buca di Beppo concepts, among others. A second new member is Ray McNulty, formerly the Commissioner of Education in Vermont, Program Director for Education at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and currently Senior Vice President of the International Center for Leadership in Education. A third, a member of the current board, is Charles Smith, former President of Key Bank which has handled banking needs for the school for a number of years, former Secretary of Human Services in Vermont and current President of the Snelling Center for Government. Also, Ellen Bryant Voigt, my wife, a successful poet and an experienced post secondary educator who occasionally has been a guest lecturer at NECI, will serve on the new board as well as yours truly. To round out the new board membership, two alumni positions are being created. One is for an alumnus or alumna who graduated within the last twelve years; the other for a graduate beyond twelve years.

The new board is designed to be an all volunteer, working board. Members will be expected to have a good understanding of education (especially NECI's approach), food service operations, and/or finance. It will meet quarterly. Each meeting will last two days, and will start with a first-hand review of some part of the school so that board members learn how each department operates and what its challenges are. Following each meeting will be some brainstorming with the appropriate administrators to develop solutions to any problems uncovered. The usual business meeting will be held on the second day.

Because the new board will be self perpetuating, it will make the final selections of the alumni members. To assist the new board, the Executive Committee of the NECI Alumni Association has been asked to nominate three candidates for each of the two positions. To aid in the process, please spread the word among graduates and e-mail the president of the Alumni Association, Tim Klauder, with your suggestions. His email address is tklauder-at-blodgett.com. The school will pay for travel, lodging, food and other expenses associated with board work. There will be no stipends.

The events just described are part of a strategic planning effort that began last April. By the time the plan is completed early next summer, all divisions of the school will have been reviewed and plans for them developed for the next few years. Many at the school are participating in the process. It is the most thorough in the history of NECI and should help immensely with the NEASC application as well as provide a guide for those charged with leading the evolution of the school.

I hope that some of you will be intrigued by the opportunity to help shape NECI in the years ahead.

Michelle Holcomb

Michelle Holcomb (1999 AOS Culinary Montpelier) found her life's work after her first internship. An "older" student, she arrived at NECI at age 25, having earned a BA in math at Grinnell College in Iowa. Looking at the job market, she knew she was not interested in the jobs she was being offered as a math major, but had always been passionate about food. Just to confirm her interest, she managed an apartment complex by day, and worked in a restaurant at night for three years before applying to NECI.

Michelle (many alumni will remember her as "Spike") interned under Chef Steve Johnson at the Blue Room in Cambridge, MA. Long before it became fashionable, Chef Johnson was concerned about sustainability and supporting the local production of food. It was during this period that Michelle first confronted the issue of hunger. She volunteered at Share Our Strength, a non profit organization funding both hunger relief and nutrition education. "Kids Up Front" was a program aimed at providing food survival skills to at-risk kids in a low income area of Boston. Nutrition grad students and local chefs teamed up to teach basic nutrition and basic cooking.

"My involvement with the issues of sustainability and hunger lead me to the realization that this was exactly what I wanted to do with the rest of my life."

Michelle returned to NECI, and felt a little out of place. "I was working alongside younger students, many of whom hadn't thought about these issues. But I needed to learn more and finish my second year. Joey Kline, who taught the History of Agriculture, convinced me about the importance of organic agriculture. I'd been a naysayer up to that point. And even today, I use information from my classes. Sanitation and Product Identification are key in my work. Last year, a local farmer brought in boxes of greens from his farm; weeds, he called them. 'Hope you can use this stuff,' he said. It was purslane! A lot of folks who came into the food pantry that day passed it up because it wasn't anything they were familiar with. Then two ladies from Haiti came in and both responded in amazement: 'Ah, you have coupier! My grandmother fed me this!' They knew it was really good, really nutritious."

Michelle returned to Cambridge for her second internship, at Salts under Chef Steve Rosen. "I was in the restaurant for 40 hours, but also volunteered at the local food pantry for three or four hours a week. When I finished my internship, I approached Janet Murray, a local activist, and told her I wanted to work 40 hours a week addressing hunger. Janet tried to dissuade me, pointing out the hard work, heavy lifting, low pay, lack of health benefits, and I responded, 'I'm a line cook! It's no different!"

Michelle started working at Helping Hand Food Pantry, run by the St James Episcopal Church, eight and a half years ago! She is also the Development Director for Food For Free, an organization which rescues fresh produce that might go to waste, distributing it to the emergency food system, to pantries, meal programs and shelters.

"It's all about bridging the gap between waste and want. Did you know that one quarter of the food produced in the US goes to waste? Especially at the prepared food level, in restaurants and in our homes. We over prepare, and we discard."

"At Food for Free, we rescue food from several dozen sources. Food comes in from wholesalers, importers, farmers, and grocery stores. A banana importer may realize that he can't sell all of the produce, and he sends it to us. We distribute to over 60 different food programs in the greater Boston area, reaching 20,000 people each month."

"One of our greatest sources is farmers markets. We can pick up surplus produce from several vendors at one location, then distribute to a pantry the next morning. Within 24 hours, that food will be in a meal, nourishing someone. Farmers want to grow food and they want it to be eaten, not discarded."

Articles in today's press continue to highlight the high incidence of obesity in our culture. "It's important to look at the relationship between hunger and poverty, and hunger and obesity. Access to food impacts eating habits and metabolism. If someone is food insecure, he or she is more likely to be obese. Inconsistent access leads to a fasting and binging eating pattern which wreaks havoc with the metabolism, causing the body to store more calories as fat. This is why poor people are more likely to be obese, and more likely to be hungry. An understanding of these relationships has grown over the last ten years, and highlights the importance of getting high quality food to the poor."

Michelle's Advice to NECI Students...
"As culinary professionals, we have the opportunity to use our knowledge and our influence to change people's relationships with food. Figure out what you care about. Is it hunger? Organics? Eating local? Find ways to invest yourself in the issue that matters to you."

	Timothy G. Klauder

NECI Ambassadors

Have a look at the NECI Calendar and check out the dates and locations of upcoming events. If you feel you can help by being a NECI ambassador and lend your support, email Diane at dianelisevick-at-neci.edu. If you will be attending any shows around the world let us know.

Alumni Week June 16-22

Welcome Home, NECI Brothers & Sisters! Whether you fly or drive, we are planning scheduled tours and other events to celebrate your return to NECI Land.

We will have a list of alumni owned and operated drinking and dining hotspots in Vermont and across New England to kick off the alumni Tour de NECI . If you'd like to be included, send us your contact information!

Please let us know what other activities you'd like to see, i.e. workshops, seminars or continuing education. We want alumni to see the changes on campus and to have an opportunity to participate in programs which offer value. Here's the tentative schedule, so far:

Tues/Wed/Thurs/Fri: a tour of the NECI campuses and outlets in both Montpelier and Essex will be given each day. Montpelier will start at 10:30 and end at noon. Essex will start at 3:30 and end at 5:00. Alumni will be given discount coupons to use should they choose to eat lunch or dinner at the Main Street Grill or La Brioche in Montpelier, or at the Tavern or Butlers at the Inn at Essex.

Wednesday: a tour of Home Bistro in Plattsburgh, NY. Owned/operated by NECI alumnus and Board member Scott Stillman, this is the oldest sous vide operation in the country. You will take the ferry across Lake Champlain to get to Plattsburgh (a 12 minute ride). Limited capacity; this will fill quickly! RSVP Only to Diane at dianelisevick-at-neci.edu

Thursday: a continuing educational program at Blodgett facilities in Burlington on "How to Promote Yourself and Make It to the Next Level"; this is a program which provides you with a promo package including your resume, writing style, a cooking demo video which you could show interested parties. Yes, we will help you produce a video of yourself at your best in the Blodgett studio. Your portfolio on DVD will include a brief video clip introducing yourself and your style to potential media & marketing professionals. This class will also be limited in size and will fill quickly; RSVP only to Diane at dianelisevick-at-neci.edu. This will be fee based with monies donated to the NECI Scholarship Fund.

Friday is open for tours of the area, Lake Champlain cruises, and connecting with alumni family and friends. The annual Alumni Board of Directors meeting and dinner will be held at Blodgett's Center of Excellence, 44 Lakeside Avenue, Burlington VT 05461 Meeting at 5:30, Dinner at 6:00 PM. All Alumni are welcome but must RSVP to Diane Lisevickat dianelisevick-at-neci.edu.

We have not made any particular arrangements with area hotels or B&Bs. The Inn at Essex does offer reduced rates to alumni, and surprisingly enough, they are not swamped at graduation. Contact Mark Lyons at the Inn, 802.764.1474 or markl-at-vtculinaryresort.com. Very reasonable rates can be found using search travel sites like Travelocity. So give us a call; let us know if you can make it and if there is anything special you would like to see. Please stay in touch as we get closer...

Contact Diane Lisevick, Director of Alumni Relations 802.225.3273 or email: dianelisevick-at-neci.edu. Yes, we will have more information in each monthly newsletter.

Timothy G. Klauder
NECI Alumni President
Corporate Executive Chef
Blodgett Oven Company
tklauder-at-blodgett.com
802.238.0447

Job description: Big Daddy's Wood Smoked Bar-B-Que Head Chef/Bottle Washer

1. Person to help in the development of new business venture. 2. Contribute in developing a menu, recipes, and presentation for restaurant.
3. Participate in team building
4. Highly motivated to contribute in building a new venture
5. Entrepreneurial with a strong work ethic
6. Looking for a challenging and expanding career
7. Interested in developing a sweat equity position
8. Pleasant attitude; willing to work with others
9. Prepared to wear many hats as business develops through its three phases
10. Starting at $12.50 an hour with salary increase as business increases and team develops to $40K plus a year as business begins to develop 6-18 months
11. Benefits include 70% major medical, 401K , etc.

Vision Statement
The goal of Big Daddy's is to establish a restaurant based on the traditional southern Bar-B-Que smoke shack, serving simple, quality, wood smoked food with an updated twist. The menu would offer traditional pulled pork and ribs as well as smoked sea foods and vegetables. Located in a small, upstate New York town.

Phase 1 of this new business would be a counter service with seating for under 100, or for takeout, eventually developing into delivery and catering. The first phase will establish the market. When the initial business is successfully established it would develop a full service restaurant and bar in an adjoining space, eventually with some banquet space.

The town has two colleges, a diverse population of 30,000 and is positioned adjacent to a Hampton Inn. The building has very good visibility and access from the Interstate. It is well traveled by tourists who visit the many museums and halls of fame in the area. There are a large number of summer camps.

The building is undergoing renovations at this time to prepare for remodeling. For more information, contact David Lubin at Lubin2-at-aol.com.

Foodservice Directors (2 positions in Central Vermont)

We are seeking qualified candidates with multi-unit operations experience to oversee campus foodservice operations for a $1.5 million account. Qualified candidates will have 3-5 years of solid operations and financial management experience. The candidate will report to the District Manager.

Base compensation - $55,000 - $65,000 with competitive benefits package. My client will offer relocation assistance for the right candidate.

If you are interested, please submit your resume online or visit www.kaonconsultinginc.com for more information.

By Orrick Nepomuceno, CPC, Essex '96

The Membership Committee of the NECI Alumni Association adjourned for its first conference call a couple of weeks ago. For those of you unaware of the new committee, our mission is to engage and retain NECI Alumni by communicating the school's and the Alumni Association's efforts, now and in the future. In time, we strive to create a network of alumni around the world so that new and old members of the NECI family can connect and help to promote the school.

The membership committee consists of a great core group of individuals who have already demonstrated a love and passion for our alma mater. But we are always looking for others willing to volunteer and participate on our conference calls and do some of the "heavy lifting" necessary for us to reconnect with those we have fallen out of touch with over the years.

According to Fran, "anyone who has attended NECI, regardless of graduating or not, is a part of the NECI Alumni Family and Community." So it is up to us to get out and call old friends and get them involved with the school again.

If you are interested in participating on this committee, I would welcome you to join our next conference call on February 26, 2008 at 2:00 PM EDT. Feel free to email me, Orrick-at-dickwray.com, or Diane Lisevick, dianelisevick-at-neci.edu, for details.

The only prerequisites for joining the committee are that you can participate on the monthly conference calls (about 1 hour) and make a few calls to alumni during the month (about 1 hour). Otherwise, please be prepared to bring your ideas to help invigorate our NECI Community.

I look forward to hearing from some of you soon!

Scott Stillman

The French technique, "sous vide," may seem mystifying, revolutionary, and state of the art, but it's been in use for well over a quarter century. Current NECI students are introduced to the technique, and it was featured in the second episode of the Food Network's The Next Iron Chef program last fall. So what is all the buzz about?

The culinary definition of "sous vide" is cooking without air. A protein, placed in a pouch, is cooked under vacuum at a low temperature. The food is then held at that temperature for a period of time to kill any pathogens. This is called the dwell time. While many cookbooks recommend roasting the Thanksgiving turkey to an internal temperature of 185 (and ruining the bird in the process), the sous vide method brings the turkey to a low internal temperature (perhaps 130-145 degrees) and then holds it, preventing the release of moisture from the product. This eliminates the problem of a dry and inedible turkey breast.

Scott Stillman (1987 Montpelier Culinary) is co-owner of Home Bistro in Plattsburgh, NY, the oldest sous vide company in the United States. He was introduced to the sous vide method during his first internship at Gerard's in Fairfax, VT. While many questioned the wisdom of his internship site selection (it was perceived as a little factory selling refrigerated meals), to him it made perfect sense. "I could live at home and work alongside French chefs, learning classical techniques. Gerard, a former ski industry executive, had learned of sous-vide in France. He hired Denis Chauvin, a sous vide instructor with George Pralus in France, who is considered the father of sous-vide. I was learning from the best and using the best; we had great products- Dover sole delivered from Dover, England, fish flown in from Brittany, locally grown squash blossoms and foraged fiddlehead ferns. When I returned to NECI, a chef instructor had a dozen ducks to break down. None of the students wanted to touch them, but I'd done hundreds before at Gerard's, so I jumped right in. The experience at Gerard's was so great that I went back for my second internship."

In 1988 Scott and his wife became partners with Gerard and Denis. Although the company went through many changes and difficult years, Scott and Denis remained committed to a belief that eventually the public would accept the technology and find that it provides a convenient and quality meal. The company remained in Fairfax until 2003, then opened as Home Bistro in Plattsburgh. The facility is large, 25,000 square feet, which includes the shipping and receiving area, the hot kitchen with multiple kettles, braising equipment, vertical form fill machines for soups and sauces, the vacuum machines of course that make it all possible, freezers, the pick and pack area, and the call center. "We produced nearly 1 million meals last year, and have around 100 employees. We're a medium sized operation, producing soups, appetizers and entrees, all in house. Desserts are outsourced and we use Klingers breads. We are not set up with a bakery facility."

"Our big break came in 1998 when the food editor from the Washington Post received a press release from us. Back then, the company was called Cuisine Sous Vide and he had no idea what we were about. So, we shipped him various items and he loved them. We had a special, something like 10 meals for $60. His article was printed and the phone started ringing. Today we have a loyal following in the DC and Virginia area."

"In the early days we stayed alive by making what I called 'Schlop in a Box!' We packaged up sloppy Joes, mac and cheese, shepherd's pie, all of which we sold to several home food service companies. I was always calling the buyers and marketing people, asking them what else we could make for them. One day a Director of Marketing asked what else we made and I proceeded to tell him about these quirky simmer and serve meals we prepared for restaurants and caterers. When he sampled the food, his reaction and advice was that we needed to go into the direct mail business, selling to busy people. We didn't have the money for a venture of this scale, but he did. Eventually, he merged with us, and we became Home Bistro. He brought in the marketing experience, and we had the manufacturing core."

"It's amazing to think back... that first internship is what set up my business and my career!" And we have it on very good authority that meals from Home Bistro make excellent gifts. Chef Laureen Gauthier, Director of Curriculum and Accreditation, sends meals as Christmas presents, and Susan Church, Director of Human Resources, stocks her freezer for meals in a pinch! Visit the site, www.homebistro.com.

Forget about relying on Google or Yahoo as your search engine... use www.goodsearch.com and benefit the NECI Scholarship Fund at the same time!

Thanks to Dana Hammatt (2004 Culinary Essex, 2008 BA Hospitality and Restaurant Mgt Essex) for giving us the heads up on this one:

Instead of using Google or Yahoo, simply type www.goodsearch.com into the address line and click Go. This brings up the goodsearch site. You will be asked which charity you want to benefit. Type in NECI Scholarship Fund and click verify. Once goodsearch accepts the listing, simply continue your search.

The only hard part is remembering to list NECI as the charity, not New England Culinary Institute!

For every hit, one penny will be donated to the Scholarship Fund. Let's see...if 100 people use this search engine twice a day for a year... that translates into a donation of $730! How painless is that?

New to NECI News, On the Fly will feature general items of interest, freebies, and pertinent notices. Let us know if you have information to share... email dianelisevick-at-neci.edu
* * * * * *

Only 7 cabins remain at the pre-arranged price for the First NECI Alumni cruise, to benefit the NECI Scholarship Fund! Don't miss out on the opportunity to enjoy sun and sea with alumni and Chef Michel and Annemarie LeBorgne. For More Information: Contact: Kate Speer at 813.929.3430 ext 2226 or email kspeer-at-aaasouth.com.
* * * * *

A 20 year collection of Bon Appetit and Gourmet magazines is being offered to any NECI alumnus, student, or instructor. Helene Lang, a friend of NECI, is moving and has offered to deliver her prized collection to anyone within a 50 mile drive of Montpelier. The collection is in perfect condition, nary a clipped recipe! Contact her at 802.223.3531 or hwlang-at-sover.net.
* * * * *

The alumni hosted Fundraiser dinner in Birmingham, Alabama is taking shape with several alumni pitching in to help Chef Michel in the kitchen! Alum Dave Zablocki of Wine Cellar Sorbets is contributing some of his signature NY State Riesling sorbet for the third course. Here's the menu:

The Great Foods of New England

Chilled Cream of Leeks
with crème fraiche and chives

Sautéed Diver Scallops
with beet carpaccio, fennel chiffonnade

NY State Riesling Sorbet
from Wine Cellar Sorbets

Naturally Raised Roasted Rack of Veal
with blue cheese polenta, roasted pear and spinach flan, port sauce

Mesclun Salad
with walnut oil and sherry vinaigrette, Vermont artisan cheese

Warm Chocolate Bombe
with coffee sauce
* * * * *

Join us at the New England Foodservice and Lodging Exposition, Sunday April 6 through Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Diane Lisevick, Director of Alumni Relations, Brandy Pombar, Admissions Rep, and Chef Michel, NECI Ambassador, will be staffing Booth #122. An alumni reception and admissions recruiting event are being planned... stay tuned.
* * * * *

SAVE THE DATE
A Philadelphia area alumni reception (aka "meet and greet") is scheduled for April 28 at the home of Max Hansen. Save the Date cards have been mailed to all alumni in NJ and PA, but if you're planning on being in the area and would like to participate, just let us know! Here are the details:

Event: Alumni reception at the home of Max Hansen
Featured Guests: Chef Michel and Annemarie LeBorgne
Date: Monday, April 28, 2008
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Location: 3758 Aquetong Road, Carversville, PA 18913
RSVP: dianelisevick-at-neci.edu, 802.225.3273
Directions: maxhansen3758-at-aol.com, 267.228.4715 (cell)
* * * * *

NECI Pin Project Update: NECI's Next Generation Scholarship is offered to a prospective student when he/she is referred to NECI by an alumnus. When an alum refers five students, we send a silver NECI spoon pin to the alum. When ten students are referred, we send out the gold spoon pin. These are just for referrals! When a prospective student actually matriculates and is present for Mod 1 orientation, a $25 NECI gift card is mailed to the referring alum.

Thus far, ten alumni have received pins:
GOLD: Alton Brown
SILVER: Scottie Burton, Kurt Friese, Ben Guertin, Cassandra Russ, Ronald Mantley, John Dowman, Gavin Kaysen, Darin Muly and Benjamin Pike

Many thanks to all of you who praise the value of your NECI education! We know the best students are the ones referred by our alumni!

1985
The Boston Globe recently featured Lori Deliso (Montpelier Culinary) of Lexington, MA. One of the founders of the Lexington Farmers Market, she holds after school cooking classes for children, teaching the art of making meatballs, ravioli and other pastas, as well as fruit tarts, gingerbread houses, and cakes. She also offers cultural enrichment programs in the schools of neighboring towns. In the fall of 2007, she co-directed a five week program for 5th graders in Lexington, focusing on etiquette, nutrition and menu design. Spoons Across America, a New York based nonprofit promoting healthy eating and shared meals, sponsored the school program, which was seen on the Today Show in December.

1987
Jamie Eisenberg (Montpelier Culinary) is the Executive Chef and General Manager of Healthy Living Natural Foods Market in South Burlington, VT.

1990
Devin Lowden (Montpelier Culinary) has been living in Hawaii for the past 5 ½ years. He has been busy with catering and private chef work and is very active with the ACF. He has earned the Certified Private Chef designation.

Craig Jacobs (Montpelier Culinary) is President of Splash Tropical Drink Sensation. All is well, and his company is growing more than ever. He manufactures frozen drink mixes, cola and juice concentrates with distribution throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America (even Cuba)!

1992
Martha McGinnis (Montpelier Culinary) wrote in. After years of working in restaurants and resorts, she moved to Michigan and started a personal chef business. One of her clients asked her to move to Cincinnati as their private chef. She's been with this family for the past three years. She states that while at NECI she never really considered private service, but the hours, pay and benefits are great!

1993
Mike Selvera (Essex Culinary), executive chef and part owner of Bar Crudo in San Francisco, was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle in January. Mike and his brother Tim opened the restaurant in October 2005, and plan to open a second Bar Crudo this spring in the Nopa area. www.barcrudo.com

1994
Yannick Marchand (Montpelier Culinary) spoke recently with Chef Michel. He is a private chef for a family in Malibu, California.

Margaret "Meg" DeVero (Essex Culinary) is Executive Chef with Aramark. She provides HACCP and recipe research and development for a cook-chill production facility in Jacksonville, FL. She oversees the admin dining and catering departments as well. (How many hats do you wear, Meg?)

1996
This just in from Zurich! Stefano Orselli (Essex Culinary) updated us on his adventures. After working in Germany (Hotel Konigshof, best hotel restaurant in Germany in 1997 and Restaurant Aubergine, with 2 Michelin stars) he returned to his hometown of Locarno and opened a restaurant. After selling the restaurant, he worked on a Millenium Cruise ship, and ended up in Zurich where he worked as chef in an Italian restaurant. He is now the General Manager of Ristorante Cantina, a well known restaurant located in the old town of Zurich.

Tristan Toleno (Essex Culinary) is chef/owner of Riverview Café in Brattleboro, Vermont.

The Chapel Hill News recently featured the chocolates of Matthew Shepherd (Essex Culinary). Matthew, who trained as both a pastry chef and perfumer, combines exotic and unexpected flavors in his line of handmade chocolates. Some of the favorites include white pear and ylang ylang creams, and rose petal scented truffles. His shop, Matthew's Chocolates, opened in downtown Hillsborough in November, 2007. You can reach him at matthew-at-matthewschocolates.com

David Eyler (Montpelier Culinary) wrote us that Littleton NH is abuzz with the news that Miller's Café and Bakery is expected to see a write-up in the February 2008 issue of "Everyday with Rachel Ray." It's also a possibility that the café will appear in the Travel section of her show. No stranger to good ink, Miller's Café has made it into New Hampshire Magazine, The Boston Globe, Fodor's Travel, Yankee Magazine, Boston Magazine, and even USA Today! "I guess folks really do like a great sandwich," quips David!

As an aside, David mentioned that he and Chef Laureen Gauthier (now NECI's Director of Curriculum and Accreditation) taught Alton Brown pastry arts. Way back then, Alton told David that he was thinking about doing a little cable food show...

1997
Kent Andersen (Montpelier Culinary) lives in Orem, Utah where he is chef/owner of Chef's Table. The restaurant has been in business for eight years, and listed as the best fine dining in the state of Utah for two years. Kent is working on his Certified Master Chef designation from the ACF, and plans to attend the NRA show in Chicago in May.

Darin Muly (Essex Culinary) is a culinary arts teacher for Monmouth County Vocational School District. The school, the Culinary Education Center, is located in Asbury Park, NJ. He has been teaching at the Center for the past ten years as well as working in area restaurants such as Brandl in the Jersey shore area. www.brandlrestaurant.com

Fred Heurtin (Montpelier Culinary) will be the celebrity chef hosting a cooking class at Kitchenique, located in the Market Shops at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort (northwest Florida Gulf coast) in February. In his class, he will combine bold Asian flavors with traditional Louisiana favorites. Fred was formerly Corporate Chef for Charlie G's in Metairie, LA and Executive Chef for the Hilton Hotel in Jackson, Mississippi. He was the first Executive Chef for Finz Restaurant at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. He is currently working in food product research and development in Baton Rouge.

1999
Keith Walls (Montpelier Culinary) is the Food and Beverage Director at the Bethesda Country Club, Bethesda, Maryland.

Congratulations to Manuel Trevino (Montpelier Culinary), Executive Chef at Dos Caminos on Third, NYC. "Memo" to his blockmates, he made the cast of 16 contestant chefs to star in Top Chef: Chicago. This is the popular show's fourth season which kicks off on March 12. Judges are Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Ted Allen. Memo has promised NECI an exclusive interview once the show premieres.

David Edgar (Montpelier Culinary) is the Executive Chef and Operations Manager for the Serna Center Bistro, SCUSD in Sacramento, California.

Melanie DeRoehn (Montpelier Culinary) is living in Lebanon NH and working in pastry at Allechante, in Norwich and Woodstock, VT.

Clint Ouellette (Montpelier Culinary) is living in Red Feather Lakes, CO. He became the Executive Chef at Fox Acres Country Club, and in 2002, opened a small 50 seat café and bar with a friend. The café was destroyed by fire in June '06. Clint started a consulting company specializing in assisting small restaurants and non-profit organizations with training, troubleshooting, kitchen layouts, etc. He combines this with working as kitchen manager at a non-profit organization's new facility. In his spare time, he's working towards the Foodservice Manager Certification through the NRA and the CEC certification.

2000
Barry Maiden (Montpelier Culinary) called to update us: late February is the scheduled opening of Hungry Mother Restaurant in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA. Serving down home comfort food and refined classics, the menu will be ingredient driven, harkening back to the southern Appalachian cuisine of his youth. The restaurant will be open for dinner six days a week. Barry guarantees that the cornbread served will be "the real thing," straight from his grandmother's recipe box!

Craig Schantz (Essex Culinary) has moved to Brooklyn, NY and is a sous chef for Gray Kunz at Café Gray. He had lived in Florida for six years, starting as a cook and working his way through all of the kitchens at Loews Miami Beach Hotel. In May 2007 he joined Le Cordon Bleu Miami as a Chef Instructor, teaching Meat Fab, European/Asian Cuisine, and Skills. He and his wife moved north this past November.

Bruce Logue (Montpelier Culinary and 2001 BA Food and Beverage Mgt) has returned from six months in Italy. He is now living in Atlanta, and is part of the opening team of Craft at the Mansion on Peachtree.

Matthew Murawski(Montpelier Culinary) called in from St Thomas, Virgin Islands. He is the chef at Captain Mayhems, which opened last Fall.

2001
Gavin Kaysen (Montpelier Culinary) updated us on life in NYC. Gavin is Executive Chef at Café Boulud, and is about 2/3 done with menu changes. "When that is finished, it will feel more like my kitchen. Working with Daniel Boulud is an amazing experience. We have a huge group: 9 stewards, 6 in pastry and 22 cooks! I am learning so much about food, people, the business... projects like this make me fall in love with the industry all over again!"

Wedding bells for Jathan Van Gurley (Essex Culinary)! Jathan and his fiancée, Allison Marie Marr, will wed on June 28th. Jathan is employed with Jager General Contracting, Inc. of Sherman, TX.

Craig Barlow (Montpelier Culinary) lives in the Greater Houston area. After much thought and several years in the industry, he will enroll this fall in the BA program of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the Conrad N. Hilton College located on the campus of the University of Houston.

2002
Alan Brooks (Essex Culinary) is the Executive Catering Chef at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

2003
From the far north, Sara Spudowski (Montpelier Culinary) sent photos of her newly opened restaurant, Sugarspoon, in Anchorage, Alaska. Photos are posted on the NECI discussion board.

Stockton MacInnes, "Tock" to his pals (Essex Culinary), has lived in Stratham, NH for the past three years. A Stocked Kitchen, his personal chef service and take-out kitchen, is located in C'est Cheese in North Hampton. He and his wife Danielle have two children, with a third on the way. Tock volunteers at the New Outlook Teen Center in Exeter NH, participating in the "Chef's Corner" program. "The kids can learn techniques that they can use when they cook on their own. In this program, they're cooking for 40 people, so they are learning a lot."

David Allen (Essex Culinary) has been the Executive Chef at Iris' Restaurant in Plattsburgh, NY for two years. He is active in the local ACF chapter.

Wes Morton (Montpelier Culinary) has been named Executive Chef at Houston's award winning restaurant *17. Wes previously worked in Half Moon Bay, CA where he was sous chef for NAVIO Restaurant at the Ritz Carlton. Prior to that, he worked at Circle Bistro, Cityzen and Citronelle in the DC area.

News from Megan Ellingwood Bankert and Bob Bankert (both Montpelier Culinary and 2005 BA Food and Beverage), who were married in Montpelier in September 2007. Both Bob and Megan work at Castle Hill Inn in Newport RI. Bob is a sous chef and Megan is Office Manager. Bob participated in the NECI career fair this past January.

2004
Carolyn Malcoun (Essex Culinary), associate editor of Eating Well magazine, was quoted and provided recipes for Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel. The article featured the use of dark, leafy greens such as kale, chard and collard, beet and mustard greens, or "DLGS", which Carolyn uses on a daily basis. The current issue of Eating Well continues the conversation about DLGS, where Carolyn recommends pairing them with feta cheese, walnuts and bacon to balance their bitterness.

In January, the Providence Journal featured the Mill's Tavern where Chef Christian Pieper (Essex Culinary) has overseen the kitchen staff for the past year and a half. Before coming to Mill's Tavern, Christian cooked in Providence at Neath's and at Boston's Top of the Hub. The article's author pronounced the food at Mill's as "exceptional!"

The Walton (FL) Sun recently featured the Hibiscus Coffee and Guest House in Grayton Beach, Florida where alum Andy Salmela (Montpelier Culinary) has been chef for the past three years.

An update on Nate DeGroff (Essex Culinary) from his parents. "It's been a long recovery. Nate is helping a friend at a golf course with some private dinners (plating) but has not returned to the kitchen/cooking. It's driving him crazy! Next neurosurgeon appointment is in April; until then he's on 'light duty' -no more than 10 lbs lifting. No driving yet. The good news is that he should make a full recovery and will be back to cooking!" You can email Nate at cinjeff79-at-gmail.com

2005
Matt Funk (Essex Culinary) completed his second internship at Kitchen Table Bistro in Richmond, VT and has been working there ever since. He is a sous chef under the guidance of Steve Atkins and Lara Collier Atkins, both 1997 Essex Culinary alumni.

Brandy Allan (Essex Culinary and 2008 BA Hospitality & Restaurant Mgt) is the Food Services Nutritional Educator for the Lund Family Center in Burlington, VT. This is a residential treatment facility for pregnant and parenting young women. Brandy instructs these women in a "lab" setting, teaching cooking skills and showing how to manipulate recipes and classic styles to make meals as healthy as possible. Next term she will be teaching a Modern Nutrition class, and will be starting a Masters of Education degree from the University of Phoenix, online program, in Curriculum and Instruction.

Isaac Kaufman (Montpelier Culinary) is the Executive Chef de Cuisine of the Catering Program at The Garden of Eden on Tremont Street, Boston. After leaving NECI, he helped open an organic fine dining Italian seafood restaurant in Boston, and then joined the Savant Project in Brigham Circle, Boston. The menu still features his Latin American-Asian fusion signature.

2006
The San Francisco Journal recently reported on changes at SPQR where Chris Behr (Montpelier Culinary) is the new Chef de Cuisine. Chris worked previously at A16 for a couple of years and traveled with Executive Chef Nate Appleman in Italy, learning regional food styles.

Jesse Hurlburt (Essex Culinary) checked in with Mary Beth Rowe. He was a pastry cook at the Ivy Manor Inn and is now a Cook Supervisor at the Boca Country Club, Boca Raton, Florida.

2008
Chris Lockard (Essex Culinary) checked in from The Home Ranch in Clark, Colorado. After leaving NECI, Chris spent a bit of time at Mark Miller's Coyote Café in Santa Fe. He joined the team at The Home Ranch in June 2007 and reports that it's a fantastic learning ground. Chris hosted Chef Marcus Hamblett, wife Erika, and son Chase while they were westward bound... read about it on Chef Marcus's blog, http://neci.wordpress.com.