Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Guest Chef Hall Hitzig Talks about Pastry Entrepreneurship






Hall Hitzig "The Crazy Baker" worked with students on hands-on and demonstration of baked goods including gluten free. Hall shared is experience as an entrepreneur and pastry chef.
For more information about Hall click here:

Guest Chef Jeff Kessler Talks about Baking Entrepreneurship









Students in the FOSM 2230 Advanced Baking class were recently treated to a hands-on class and demonstration from Jeff Kessler. Chef Kessler is the sole proprietor of Jeff's Breads in Lewisburg.

Jeff led a discussion about entrepreneurship. He has been in the baking business for nearly 30 years.
Read more about Jeff's Breads:

Friday, February 10, 2012

Pierpont Wins Fourth Straight State Competition



Members of the Pierpont Community & Technical College Culinary Competition team are bringing home their fourth straight ACF West Virginia State Culinary Competition title. The team has qualified to compete in the ACF Northeast Regional in Niagara Falls, NY April 27-30, 2012. Pierpont Culinary Academy’s team includes: Maria B. Provencher, Team Captain and a member of the 2010 & 2011 ACFWV Regional Teams; Brandon Show, member of the 2011 ACFWV Regional Team; Ryan Contraski, member of the 2011 ACFWV Regional Team; Peerce Van Meter V, and Jason Wells, Team Alternate.

The team is featuring a menu inspired by classic recipes. As the team researched this year’s classic entrée: Supreme de Volaille a l’Ecalarte, they continued to find classic ingredients and recipes that paired well with the entrée. While the recipes are not completely from Escoffier, his work served as a great opportunity for discovery and learning.

One of the interesting items on the menu is the appetizer featuring rainbow trout grown in West Virginia. The fish was grown as part of the West Virginia University Aquaculture program. The trout is presented with the classic Meunière style in mind. It is accompanied by classic flavors such as white beans, chard, and fennel. Similarly, the salad course is inspired by Escoffier’s Salade a la Andalouse. The team’s version is highlighted with a savory grain salad. Lastly, the meal culminates with a dessert featuring three meringue variations.

In addition to the state title, the group qualified for ACF Silver Medals with a score of 34.24.

Pierpont’s team is coached by, Jay R. Mahoney, CEC, 2010 ACFWV Chef of the Year, and Allison McCue, CC, CPC.