July 12, 2007

Greetings from NECI:

Our efforts to communicate with alumni continue to improve and reflect the creativity of the people who are joining in the effort. For example, see the article about Chef Marcus below - and all the other articles that Diane Lisevick has put together for this issue of the online newsletter.

Chef Marcus, a NECI alum, and his wife got the urge to take time off and travel about the country for a year in their new truck and travel trailer (with NECI banners) before their son starts school. Their travel plans will take them to a number of cities where there are NECI alumni.

Those who wish to know about Chef Marcus's travel plans and follow his journey across the country, should visit his blog, https://neci.wordpress.com.

Overseeing the Chef Marcus journey and other marketing initiatives that are just taking shape is the new Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing, Jan Knutsen. Jan comes to the school from Minneapolis where she was the admissions director at several post secondary vocational schools in the Twin Cities. She is planning a trip back to the area soon to meet with alumni there, develop a plan for them to stay in closer touch with one another and to connect them more effectively to the new NECI Alumni Association, now beginning its second year.

To quote Jan, her overall ambition is "to brainstorm with the alumni about ways to increase awareness of the NECI brand." It is in the best interests of all to do it. The ideas that are generated through this effort will help Jan develop a template for other urban areas where there are NECI grads.

Coming up soon is the ACF National Convention in Orlando, July 22nd and 23rd, where there will be a NECI alumni gathering on the 22nd at the Champion Sports Bar in the Marriott World Resort from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm with an open cash bar. Any NECI alum planning to attend should RSVP to tklauder-at-blodgett.com, the email address for Tim Klauder, the President of the NECI Alumni Association and organizer of the event.

Also, alumni in Vermont early August are invited to stop by the Inn at Essex on Friday, August 3rd, between 9:00 am and noon, to participate in the open house for prospective students and their families.

In closing, I want to reflect briefly. A year ago, there was no online newsletter. The NECI alumni association had been organized but with a board that was not communicating regularly. There was talk about regional activities for NECI alumni but nothing more than talk.

Tomorrow, Chef Michel LeBorgne and his wife, Annemarie, will attend a breakfast in Birmingham, Alabama, organized by NECI alumna, Rebecca Corretti. On July 14th, Chef Michel and his wife will have breakfast with NECI alumni in the Ashville, North Carolina area, at the Biltmore. And three days later they will be in Charleston, South Carolina, meeting with NECI alumni at Tristan. Clearly, things are improving.

Sincerely,
Fran

Chris Frothingham Interview
Diane Lisevick, Director of Alumni Relations

Chris Frothingham (AOS Cul 2001) never considered cooking as a career. A high school athlete coming home from practice, he was always hungry; if the previous night's tuna casserole leftovers didn't suit, he had to fend for himself. Julia Child and "Yan Can Cook" inspired his initial cooking efforts.

Despite graduating college with a degree in Environmental Economics, he headed to Oregon's Mt. Hood as a ski bum. Much to his family's horror, he financed this lifestyle earning $5.75/hour as a dishwasher. He was mesmerized watching the activity of the kitchen through the glass rack of the dish machine. After reorganizing the dish pit, chefs took notice and trained him for prep shifts. Once he experienced the excitement of a kitchen serving a full house, he was hooked. He returned to the East Coast to work 80-hour weeks at Nantucket's Jared Coffin House, which he refers to as his crash course in cooking.

"I don't know what got into me, maybe guilt over not using my finance degree, but I actually hung up my chef whites for pinstripes for a year. I worked for a finance firm in Boston, and was thoroughly bored," he admits. It was during this period that Chris toured NECI, applied, and met with Chef David Hale to discuss his candidacy for the Accelerated Program. "I was a nervous wreck sitting down with Chef Hale. He owned his own restaurant in Napa, was the school's Executive Chef, and I felt like I had no right to be there." Chef Hale disagreed, and Chris was accepted.

Having skipped his first internship, Chris moved to Boston and interned at the newly opened Sel de la Terre. Hearing that Chef Todd English would soon open Bonfire, a new steak house, Chris applied, starting as a Tournant. He advanced to Executive Sous Chef within four months, and within a year, was Executive Chef.

"NECI boosted my career. With my college and culinary degrees, I had the confidence to make these career moves and my credentials gave peace of mind to management."

The step from steaks to fish seemed only natural with a move to Executive Chef at Kingfish in Boston's Faneuil Hall. After four years as part of this English team, opportunity (Legal Sea Foods) knocked and Chris opened the door. As a new Sous Chef, Chris developed new concepts for the corporation and managed a $10 million training store. However a year later, when the Executive Chef position became available at Fish Club in Seattle, English asked Chris to rejoin him. "This association has provided me with exciting challenges and opportunities for growth." (fishclubseattle.com)

In February of 2007, a team of ten Todd English chefs cooked dinner for members and the public at the James Beard House in NYC. "What an experience, working in this old kitchen modernized with industrial cooking equipment! Todd's staff flew in from all over the country - Seattle, Boston, DC, Florida, New Orleans and Connecticut. And talk about a small world...I reconnected with Eben Leonard, a NECI grad whom I knew in Vermont...he was a Sous Chef at Olives in NYC and is now Executive Chef at Bonfire in Boston!"

"Another exciting event I was involved in was a charity benefit dinner. One of the silent auction items was a private dinner for eight, cooked by Todd English. Part of the draw was that Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck would host the dinner! All proceeds went to the charity, the guests had a great time meeting the celebrities, and they ate a fabulous meal, cooked by a renowned chef!" Who wouldn't pay for that experience?

Chris's Advice to NECI Students...

"Ask a lot of questions. Find out as many ways to do something as you can. Save all your notes and recipes. I took every single recipe from my NECI days and saved them in three 4" binders."

"Don't be too eager to climb the ranks of the kitchen. Learn as much as you can as a line cook; a few years of solid line cooking will make you a much better chef in the long run. Don't become complacent. Set the bar and rise above your peers; do not be intimidated by those around you. Surrounding yourself with people who are better than you will make you stronger and more valuable in the market."

Because You Asked...

Chris asked about Chef Dan Tabor at La Brioche.

Here's his report...
When NECI's Baking and Pastry program started a few years ago, I transitioned into a baking position. I teach Mod I B&P students the fundamentals of baking principles - concentrating on yeast breads, quick breads, and laminated dough in the National Life bakeshop. At the same time, I have one or two Mod IV B&P students - teaching them the basics of bakery management. The Mod IV students coach and help train the Mod I students, write production lists for all stations and do inventory/product ordering. So far, the combination of Mod I and IV students in the same kitchen has been very successful.

Outside of the kitchen, I have participated in the preparation of Mod IV dinners (breads and desserts), have judged the baking division of the Skills USA competition and have been involved in the mentoring of new Baking & Pastry faculty.

NOTE: Chef Dan has recently accepted the position of Chair of NECI's Baking and Pastry Arts program.

William Greene, AOS Culinary Arts

There is no specific role food is tied to in film. In that sense it is tied more to a range of emotions. Food can be a catalyst, changing moods from the delight of a cream pie, to the embarrassment of having it smashed in your face. The mood could be depression, with the same bland two step food production of boiled fish and bread cakes produced by a former Michelin Chef in refuge. Food in this sense is viewed as an extension of the emotions you are meant to feel.

Of the films I have viewed throughout my life that focus on food, I don't always remember the food, but I remember the mood produced by it. The easiest moods to recreate are of nasty people cooking less than edible slop in soiled clothes. Everyone can relate to a meal they did not want to eat after they saw where it was cooked. The macho guys with no agenda getting together around football, beer, and pizza sends a message of apathy. When you see a magnificent roasted turkey, with slices of truffle under the skin, you practically leap through the screen to get a slice. The feast to accompany the turkey would most likely feature good spirits and good company. This is done because of the accessibility everyone has to food. It is the one element every living, eating thing has in common.

Food advertisers have found a way to use the range of moods associated with food to sell their products. The film industry can sway the market with its position and direction. Pinot Noir certainly found this to be so with the movie Sideways, drawing audiences closer to certain varieties. In this sense, food is embedded with intended feeling and is so eager it passes some on to you. This merchandising is cousin to how food has become so valueless. Pepsi cans are drunk, mojitos mixed, and Budweiser cars raced. All these things have some false pretense of sexuality, coolness, or manhood being imprinted on you, the viewer. Real food draws from you, from inside, from what you love or hate from your past.

A terrible argument lodged between two members of a small town's church congregation seems melted away by the presence of a ten course French dinner with eight different wines. This shows how the passion a chef has for cooking food not only envelops her, but consumes her guests as well. This expression is felt because everyone has relationships like these. These are felt deepest by the chef, who is attached by serving as well. To know that you served a party of ten or twelve the best meal of their lives is an accomplishment beyond any other. The emotions that people translate are generally predictable. If the movie portrays a golden suckling pig fresh from an earthen oven, even the Rabbi might ask for a rack of ribs.

With food as a star, the chef has an equally emotional role in film. You get the crankiness of Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi", tired of New Yorkers and short with the world. An angry chef is the easiest chef in the world to present. The chef is always a role of tempers flaring, knives cutting, and ovens blasting, so generally a love for food must be characterized over time in the movie. The distinguished palate and bright imagination, paired with knowledge and experience are where he develops and becomes more accessible. The love comes back into sight. He takes, he creates, he gives, and what he expects in return is the opportunity to do it for you again. It is there where a person of any other profession relates. My mother fostered my love for food in the mold of a chef. Maternal caring is something anyone who was aptly parented can relate to and with it comes the relationship food has with life.

Food is a necessity to sustain life, so where there is a lack of subsistence, food is a star as well. The first meal you have after almost starving to death will be one of the best meals of your life. The same can be said for the sensual nature of chocolate. The way someone is paid to eat something can move an audience from indifference to total participation with the drawn out flick of a tongue. To illustrate death, food has been used in a culminating feast or social gathering where the audience feels as satisfied as the character, then falls the axe.

Food adapts well with all emotions and human expressions because we all eat so much throughout our lives; we are bound to relate to something. Food is an expression of its own, like poetry or a painting. It is most definitely prepared like a prop for film and in most cases what the viewer sees is inedible, but it perfectly evokes the natural human response which is appropriate. Food is accessible; it is what we all must eat and it provides depth to our lives.

Chef/Instructor and former Alumni Association President Marcus Hamblett (1995 AOS Cul Essex), his wife Erika, and 5 year old son are leaving Vermont, 26' trailer in tow, as they take a one year sabbatical to tour the US. Chef Marcus will represent NECI (the trailer will be wrapped with the NECI logo and web address), visiting alumni, doing demos at tech centers and upscale food markets, and staging in various restaurants. Erika, a professional photographer, will act as copywriter for the blog, and has promised to post every other day.

The tour begins on Saturday, July 7th with the first couple of weeks spent in New England. Heading west on a northerly route, they plan to be in Sturgis, South Dakota for the Harley Davidson rally in mid August. Stops have been planned for Wisconsin, Minneapolis, Iowa, Nebraska, Boulder and Breckenridge, Montana and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Christmas will be spent in San Francisco. The return trip will take a southern route, bringing the family back to Montpelier in time for the June 2008 graduation.

Chef Marcus explains that this is an opportunity to see the country, home school his son, experiment with culinary themes, and learn new techniques. "I'm approaching this with an open mind," he states. "I want to have fun, whether it's flipping burgers wearing a NECI tee shirt, talking to potential students about our programs, or staging for a night in a restaurant owned by one of my block mates from 1995! I've been talking to a lot of my classmates and students whom I've taught; it's really an exciting opportunity!"

Read up on the adventure on his blog at https://neci.wordpress.com. You'll also find a link to it on the neci.edu website homepage.

From left to right: Mark Pumphret, Stuart Rockhold, Erika Connell Cooper, Peg Checchi, Tim Klauder and Steve Jackson at the Chicago NRA show in May.

Orrick Nepomuceno (1996 AOS Cul Essex) joined Diane Lisevick at the Pinehurst Country Club for lunch in April. Orrick's book "Hitchhiking In The Corner Office: Avoiding The Top 10 Potholes So Your Employees Don't Hit The Road" was recently published.

Chicago Sightings

Peg Checchi (1992 AOS Cul Essex) manned the NECI booth at the Chicago NRA show in May and met up with other alumni. Checking in to say hi and reconnect were former Montpelier AOS Culinary students:

Emily Bruegge, 2003
Jeffrey P Miller, 1987
Kevin Sikes, 2001
Tyne Sansom, 2004
Brian Williams, 2000
Steve Jacobson, 2004
Hunter Lacey, 1998
Kim Wisniewski, 2004
Tom Hassenauer, 1986
Roberto Gonzalez, 2005
Stuart Rockhold, 1985
Dan Furey, 2003 and
Erika Connell Cooper, 1995 and 1999 BA Food and Beverage Management

All NECI alumni in attendance were invited to the Middleby Corporation booth on Saturday afternoon for live music and cocktails, compliments of Tim Klauder (1984 AOS Cul Montpelier), Mark Pumphret (1984 AOS Cul Montpelier) and Todd Belanger (1994 AOS Cul Essex). Steve Jackson (19993 AOS Cul Montpelier), private chef to the Chicago Bulls and Bob Bennett (1984 AOS Cul Montpelier) hosted the event. Bob was in Chicago as Head Judge for the World Chocolate Masters.

Three alums gathered at the Windy City chapter meeting of the ACF in Chicago on June 18th. Tim Klauder, Peg (White) Checchi and Chris Quirk (1989 AOS Cul Montpelier) enjoyed the great food!

Alumni have written in, asking for further clarification of contest rules. The goal is to help NECI update contact information for our administrative database. We are asking alumni to contact the members of their block, gather address, telephone and email information, and submit that information for each member of the block. The first ten blocks to send in all data win, with each block member winning a NECI apron.

The data we're looking for is:

Student Name
Current Name (if name has changed)
Mailing Address
Home Telephone Number or Cell Phone Number
Email Address

Alumni who graduated in 1985 may have a harder time remembering names of block mates than more recent grads. But give it a try! It's always fun to reconnect with old friends, and it's also an opportunity to network.

Also, if you have not updated your contact information on the alumni directory, email Diane at dianelisevick-at-neci.edu. She'll refresh your User ID and Password (or assign a new one) so you can access the alumni website.

1990

Gerry Beck (Montpelier AOS Culinary) emails that opening the London Whole Foods store was one of the toughest challenges in his career, thus far. The store has made a big splash on the London scene, and is doing well. (See the May issue of NECI News for an article featuring Gerry. Other NECI luminaries affiliated with Whole Foods include Michael Berlanger, Jamie and Benjamin Cevello, Brian Gadbois, Matt Varanese and Jeremy Lorch.)

1994

Tommy and Kristin Winrock (Essex AOS Culinary), owners of Tommy's City Grill in South Burlington, Vermont, were recently featured in the Burlington Free Press. It's good food, served hot and fast, with a price that won't flatten you. People are surprised to find such good food in a shopping center! tommyscitygrill.com

1995/1997

Matthew Schapiro (1995 AOS Culinary Montpelier and 1997 BA Food and Beverage Mgt) has started a new business designing and making coins and pins. He makes trackable coins for a hobby called geocaching.com, a high tech GPS treasure hunt game. His company can make coins and pins (or any item that is metal) for hotels, restaurants, etc . socalgeocoins-at-aol.com

1996

Kacia Duncan (Montpelier AOS Culinary) has joined the Sourwood Inn, a B&B north of Asheville, NC. She has returned to the US after an adventure in the Gascon region of southwestern France, where she was the private chef on an exclusive canal barge. During that time, she and the owner also operated a cooking school and led gastronomic tours through France and Spain. To learn more, visit sourwoodinn.com.

1997

Jason Wright (Montpelier AOS Culinary) is Executive Chef at the Brewster Inn in Cazenovia, New York.

It's a small world... On Tuesday, June 26, Corrie McCarty, a new NECI admissions rep, was having dinner with her boyfriend at her favorite restaurant, Sonoma Station, in Richmond VT. Sonoma will forever be her favorite restaurant because on this particular date, her boyfriend proposed, she accepted, and it wasn't until the end of the evening that she discovered that NECI alum Monica Lamay (Essex AOS Culinary) is chef/owner!

1998

George Stevenson (Montpelier AOS Culinary) recently emailed Chef David Hale with an update. He was in New York on his way back to Seattle for actual full time work after about a year's sabbatical. He had sold a condo and hit the road, using Hong Kong as a base for traveling around India and continental Southeast Asia. He worked briefly at Restaurant Petrus in Hong Kong as a vegetable peeler. Initially conceived as a food tour, it became "just a tour" where he consumed some incredible meals. Macanese style African Chicken is something no one should miss, given the chance!

Outside of Seattle, George will be the chef of a small artisan winery called DiStefano. Along the way, he wrote a book titled "Veg Out: A Vegetarian Guidebook to Seattle and Portland." Check out his blog from the Asian adventures at zipcon.net/chefgeorge/chefblog/index.php.

2000

Joshua Goetz (Montpelier AOS Culinary) and the Hilton's Restaurant One East on Third was recently featured in the Beijing Tatler. As Head Chef, his philosophy of food is to "create pleasure by gratifying all possible senses." Having worked at a number of New York City establishments, he admits that "the more I work, the less I find I know. Cooking develops continuously and cannot ever be totally commanded."

2001

Michael Berlanger (Essex AOS Culinary) is Culinary Associate Store Team Leader for Whole Foods Market in Alexandria, VA. He recently submitted a notice on the Alumni Website Job Board for a pastry chef position. He's looking for someone to help liven up the display case a bit, assist in training team members on new techniques and ideas, perform active demos, and help set up an efficient production system. Contact him at 703-706-0891.

Bettyann Parker (Montpelier Certificate in Basic Cooking) recently emailed, remembering her days with Chef Steve Morgan instructing. Cooking became a second career after years of nursing. Bettyann wonders where Jackie Loyd is and is hoping for an update; email her at bap8-at-verizon.net.

2002

The Boston Globe featured Nick Terrafranca (Montpelier AOS Culinary), chef at 28 Degrees in Boston's South End, in an article entitled: "Boning up on technique yields dish that's easy to warm up to." Reading the detailed description of his cooking technique for a signature dish, braised beef short ribs with buttery mashed potatoes, diners will have a hard time putting down the fork! Visit 28degrees-Boston.com

Alex Tung (Essex AOS Culinary) is the Executive Chef at Tapenade Bistro in Vancouver, British Columbia. Having worked with such culinary icons as Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Daniel Boulud and Christian Delouvrier in New York, London, Boston, Toronto and Vancouver, he focuses on indigenous ingredients in his dishes. His philosophy is simple: produce simply elegant food cooked with proper technique and passion. Visit tapenade.ca

Phoebe (Blacksmith) Sutherland and Warren Sutherland (both Montpelier AOS Culinary) were featured in an Ottawa Business Journal article, describing Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro, the only aboriginal-owned and operated fine dining restaurant in Canada. Warren, originally from Jamaica, and Phoebe, who grew up in a Cree community in Northern Quebec, take traditional aboriginal dishes and add a fine dining twist. To learn more, visit sweetgrassbistro.ca.

Scott Masciulli (Essex AOS Culinary) has emailed; he's working as Head Chef at Verdigre in New Brunswick, NJ. Anyone is the NJ/NY area is always welcome to visit!
To learn more, visit verdigrenb.com

2003

Catreace Woods (Montpelier AOS Culinary) was featured by the Jackson (TN) Sun as pastry chef for the pastry shop associated with the newly opened Candela Restaurant.

Joshua St Pierre (Montpelier AOS Culianry) emailed that he is working for Levy Restaurants at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa FL. He is sous chef, working under Executive Chef Daniel Martin (Essex AOS Culinary 1998).

2005

John Hall and Joy Varga (both Montpelier AOS Culinary) recently opened their restaurant Canela, a Southwestern Bistro, in Sonoita, Arizona. After working in Seattle, they considered traveling abroad, but were convinced by John's father to return to southeast Arizona. Canela's style is southwestern/Mexican and French inspired food, a restaurant that is something between a café and a fine dining room. The restaurant was recently featured in Desert Living magazine.

2006

Riley Huddleston (Tortola AOS Culinary) is sous chef at the newly opened Beato in Seattle, WA. Visit the site at beatoseattle.com