WANT MORE?
A NOTE FROM PRESIDENT LIBERATOSCIOLI SUMMER 2014 Every year, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College graduates some of the top hospitality professionals in the region, the nation and the world. Our graduates go on to open and manage restaurants, resorts, hotels, catering operations, food trucks and everything in between. Throughout their journey at our College, our faculty and staff are infinitely invested in the success of our students and dedicate their time to making sure each and every one of them shine. But, there are also others, those whom the students may not come into contact with on a daily basis, that are also infinitely invested in their futures 足 our Board of Trustee members. These eight men and women diligently work on ideas, plans and dreams for the future of our College as well as our students and graduates. Specifically, Chef Pierre H. Rausch, CEC速, WCC, AAC HOF, a Board of Trustee member who has accomplished too many honors, awards and accolades to list here, is also a pioneer of community programs and engagement in the culinary world. His penchant for encouraging students to challenge themselves and apply their talents in the hospitality community is relentless. We are forever thankful to Chef Rausch for his commitment to our College as well as our students, current, past and future. Happy reading!
Danny Liberatoscioli President The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College
www.WalnutHillCollege.edu
SUMMER 2014
Alumni Spotlight 6
Art of Fermentation 8
IN THIS ISSUE
The Common Table 11
CONTRIBUTORS
Daniel Liberatoscioli | President Valery Snisarenko | Editor足in足Chief Kelly Vass | Senior Editor Madeline Copp | Associate Editor Jim Ward | Alumni Relations Philippe McCartney | Contributor Ralph Rafols | Photography
To Submit A News Story: Contact MainDishMag@ WalnutHillCollege.edu www.WalnutHillCollege.edu
Chef Pierre Rausch 12 Debunking the Blog 16
ALUMNI
Q&A
with Ashley Zaccara Walnut Hill College Alum and Manager of Lolita Restaurant
WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE FOOD? Cheese. I like them soft and a little stinky, a little funky and a little mushroomy. IF YOU COULD EAT ONE CUISINE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Italian. I’m definitely a pasta fiend, which is something I’m trying to ease off of. But I could probably eat pasta and pizza all day, every day. FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY TO EAT IN? East Passyunk. There’s a lot of stuff happening there and it’s close to my house, which is nice. I actually worked down there for a while when I was at TRSatWHC. Chef Patton, who used to work at the school, had a restaurant down there and I worked there. That was maybe 5 or 6 years ago and it’s come up and changed so much since then. It’s a very happening scene while still being cozy and family friendly. IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ONE PERSON, LIVING OR DEAD, WHO WOULD IT BE? My older sister, who passed away a few years ago. She actually passed while I was at school and I would love to have one more dinner with her.
WHAT FIRST DREW YOU TO A CAREER IN RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT AND FOOD GENERALLY? When I started at TRSatWHC, I had never worked in a restaurant. I knew I didn’t want a sit-down-at-a-desk job; I wanted something more exciting. I’ve been working since I was 14 years old, so I’m used to being on my feet and I was looking forward to the excitement and change of things. My friends always used to joke that I should open up a bar because I came up with crazy drinks and I thought, “ok!” Also, my dad is an awesome cook; my grandparents did catering too so it was natural for me to dive into food. I was a lot pickier when I first started, so my idea of food was much simpler than it is today. WHEN YOU GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT IS IT EASY TO TAKE OFF YOUR MANAGEMENT HAT AND ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE? OR DO YOU FIND YOURSELF BEING CRITICAL OF SERVICE? I turn it off a little bit and try not to pay too much attention what’s going on elsewhere and just enjoy the company I’m with, but it’s hard to do. It’s almost a curse sometimes because it’s hard not to notice what’s going on… it’s like little things that I didn’t notice before and now I’m like, “they didn’t do this! Or that!” You pick up on those little things; if you’re a perfectionist, you want to hold everyone to those standards, but you also want to relax and have a good time. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE GOOD SERVICE? Good service doesn’t need to be stuffy. I think casual, friendly, honest, service is important. I want to feel that someone is genuine. It’s important to know your audience… know who you can joke around with and who you have to tone it down with and make sure guests have everything they need. Then also giving them the service they want because not everyone wants the same kind of service so whether it’s being really attentive or if it’s two people who are trying to catch up and they just want their privacy, giving them space.
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BIGGEST PET PEEVE WHEN IT COMES TO SERVICE? Keeping people waiting when you’re not busy is a big one. If there’s a group of servers just standing together talking. It’s been tough at the beginning of service when it’s slower and there might be ten servers standing around the server station, but if you have one table, they need your attention. If you’re busy, it’s fine to just stop at the table to say, “I’ll be right with you.” And if (the servers) are busy, I’m fine helping them and watering their tables, but seeing people stand around is a big one.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AT LOLITA? I started working at Barbuzzo just over three years ago, which is their sister restaurant and got hired as the lunch manager. They had been open about a year and it was just Valerie and their general manager Terrence and they needed to bring someone in as they were growing. I took over a lot of the office duties and worked lunch, Monday – Friday 10-5, which was kind of nice. And then I started working nights a few months later and immediately rolled into a General Manager position [at Barbuzzo] and Terrence went to help them open new restaurants. Then the opportunity came up when Lolita was re-opening and they asked if I wanted to move over there. It’s a nice change of scenery.
Good service doesn’t need to be stuffy. I think casual, friendly, honest, service is important. I want to feel that someone is genuine. It’s important to know your audience as well. WHAT ARE SOME NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WORKING FOR A COMPANY WITH MULTIPLE RESTAURANT CONCEPTS AND LOCATIONS AS OPPOSED TO ONE? There’s definitely pros and cons. It’s nice because if we’re out of something, I can run next door to borrow it. I’m over there ten times a night checking on things or asking questions or they’re coming to ask me a question. It’s nice to have a little support system. The owners are there all the time, they actually live on the block as well, so they’re very hands-on. It’s definitely nice that if we’re fully booked, we can say, “We have a restaurant across the street. We have a restaurant next door.” In that way we feed each other business. But it’s also tough because we also compete with each other. Barbuzzo has a famous dessert, the budino, and people will come into Lolita and ask for a budino and I have to say no. Just because we have that at one of our restaurants, doesn’t mean it’s on every menu. IN TERMS OF TRAINING AND HOW THE OWNERS WORK WITH THEIR STAFF, IS IT A UNIVERSAL APPROACH OR DOES IT DIFFER BETWEEN RESTAURANTS? Everything is pretty similar, which is nice because it makes it easy to plug people in different places. You have strong people who you can move from spot to spot and certain chefs who have opened all their restaurants with them. They have a few managers who are able to bounce around as well. They try to keep it consistent. The concepts are different menu-wise, but service-wise, their standards are pretty much all the same. YOU’VE WORKED BOTH AS A SERVER AND NOW A MANAGER. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE TRANSITION FROM SERVER TO MANAGEMENT? WHAT WAS THE MOST SURPRISING THING ABOUT MANAGEMENT? It’s definitely different! When I was working at Tria, I was serving there and then got moved up to management. It was definitely an adjustment with my peers—learning how
to have a different relationship with those people, but it was a great learning experience. You’re multi-tasking in both positions, but it’s a very different kind of multi-tasking. When you’re a server, you’re stuck with people for a certain amount of time and you have to own that and as a manager, you can swoop in and be very objective with things. Whenever a server is having a difficult time with a table and taking things personally, it’s so easy to swoop in as the manager and smooth things over. You don’t want to upset your guests or your staff and you want to keep everyone happy. It’s definitely hard to balance sometimes, but it’s something I think I’m good at. I like that there’s a blend of office work involved too. It’s not something I like to do full-time, but I’m very organized and I like to just zone out and focus on paperwork sometimes. HOW DID YOUR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCES AT THE RESTAURANT SCHOOL PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR ROLE AS MANAGER OF LOLITA & BARBUZZO? It prepared me a lot, actually. When I started, I had no experience at all and wasn’t sure what I was doing. It was a blend of the hands-on training, seeing things, and working with people. Working in the restaurants was an awesome experience. People like Mr. McCartney and Mrs. Devos and all the teachers were awesome; we were able to bounce ideas off of them and get real perspective from people who have experience in real restaurants. Our class on HR--I think that’s one of the most helpful things when I’m interviewing and hiring. I’m still pretty young and it was intimidating when the owners just came to me and said, “Interview these people and hire someone!” But luckily, we did mock interviews in class and now I know what to be looking for, so I felt like I would be okay.
If I ask you to do something and I’ve been helping you all night doing those same things, you’re more likely to do it than if I’ve been standing around all night pointing my finger at you. If servers see you working with them, that’s really motivating. FAVORITE CLASS AT THE RESTAURANT SCHOOL AT WALNUT HILL COLLEGE? I actually liked our English class a lot, which might seem strange. It was very focused on food writing and reading a lot of books about food. Writing’s something I’ve always been interested in, but I don’t love it enough to pursue it. It was really neat because it made me realize that food writing is a cool thing and we got to write restaurant reviews... It took something that’s normally a boring thing and made it interesting and applied it to what we were doing. But the Restaurant Operations class was definitely a favorite as well. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT GOING TO WORK EVERY DAY? / WHAT’S THE MOST
SPOTLIGHT
REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB? I really like our staff and we all get along really well. I also like setting the tone for the day, like saying, “This is how it’s going to be today—we’re going to be in a great mood, and we’re going to give people great service.” It’s great when people say, “oh I’m so glad you’re here today, you’re so helpful with this!” and knowing that those things are noticed and appreciated. It’s great to be able to work hard and have fun at the same time, all while giving people a great experience. It’s also exciting introducing people to the changes on our menu—educating them, showing them our new cocktails and teaching them about tequila, which was all new to me. It’s been fun to help make them love the changes and feel like it was a really good change. HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOUR STAFF? I try not take anything too seriously, to keep people in a good mood. Reminding them that we’re all here to work hard, but we can have fun doing it. Also that if you do work hard, you’ll be rewarded. This is how they make their living… if they give bad service, it will show. Your tables won’t be happy and we won’t be happy with you. We work with a small staff and Val and Marcie really like us to be working managers, and see us working and opening the doors and bussing tables. It’s really helpful for servers to see you working along with them. If I ask you to do something and I’ve been helping you all night doing those same things, you’re more likely to do it than if I’ve been standing around all night pointing my finger at you. If servers see you working with them, that’s really motivating. FAVORITE DISH ON THE MENU? Carne asada. It’s one thing they’ve kept from the old menu. A beef tenderloin filet, jalapeno crema and guacamole and yucca fries. Amazing. BEST ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE A STUDENT STUDYING RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT? Pay more attention! When I first got here, I was 18 and in college in a big city and so happy, but 8 am Knife Skills Class was the last place I wanted to be. All those kitchen classes? I learned a lot from them, but I could’ve learned a lot more… especially in the beginning when you learn a lot of the basics that, even just a basic awareness of, would help me out as a manager even though I’m not in the kitchen. For example, presentation and how things should look or knowing the standards the kitchen should uphold. Take it all in and appreciate it because it goes by really fast! BEST ADVICE FOR AN ALUM JUST STARTING OUT IN RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT? I didn’t do this right away, but I do it a lot now. Use the school to network and keep in contact with those people. The teachers can offer you advice and I’ll contact them if I’m staffing and I’ll say, “Do you know anyone that would be a good fit?” They’re doing a lot with the somm sessions and the cocktail program, so utilize these to help promote your business. Keep those relationships alive to help you further your career. Continued on page 19 ... SUMMER 2014 7
By Kelly Vass
Q&A with Fermentation Evangelist Amanda Feifer O’Brien. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE SCARED OF FERMENTING THEIR OWN FOOD? WHAT ARE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT FERMENTATION? The biggest misconception is that it’s an unsafe practice or that there’s risk involved, namely the risk or potential to get botulism (see insert on page 10 for definition). There is literally zero cases in the history of vegetable fermentation of botulism. It does not happen. It’s not related to vegetable fermentation in any way (meat fermentation, however, is another story…). Vegetable fermentation, wine fermentation… these are not areas where you need to worry about botulism. We know that fermentation has been going on for thousands of years. We have evidence in archaeological digs to prove that. Since recorded history, there has never been a recorded case of botulism in vegetable fermentation. The science of it is that botulism is very heat tolerant, which is why when you’re canning you need to boil 8 www.walnuthillcollege.edu
the heck out of anything you’re canning because [botulism] needs to be thoroughly murdered for it to be gone and also because you’re killing the lactic acid bacteria with just a little bit of heat. Lactic acid bacteria would naturally do the work of killing off any potential botulism that would be there. So the way it works is, lactic acid bacteria (and botulism) are naturally there. Lactic acid bacteria eat sugar and make acid. Botulism does not tolerate acid at all--it immediately dies. The pH under which botulism cannot survive is 4.5. In a typical sauerkraut fermentation, you could reach that pH in one day and most sauerkrauts ferment for 4-6 weeks. There’s very little risk. If you’re afraid, the longer you leave a vegetable ferment out on your counter at room temperature, the safer it is to consume. I’m not saying, “Leave your meat on the counter for a long time!” These rules are specific to the practice of vegetable fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria thrive at room temperature; they’re happiest in this environment and they’re going to do the work
to make your food safe and they’ve been doing it long before we knew anything about kitchen science. Of course there’s a point where it can get mushy and unappetizing, but depending on how much salt you use, that point is way, way down the line. LET’S TALK ABOUT GOOD BACTERIA. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FERMENTATION?
Note: these statements have not been verified by the FDA.
There are a ton of proven benefits and suspected benefits of fermented foods. I think we’re in a really interesting place right now, where we’re at the beginning of a lot of important research…We’re starting to map out specifically what the health benefits are so in 10 years, we’ll probably have a ton of really great information. But for right now there’s a few things we know: we know that lactic acid bacteria are probiotic bacteria. Certain companies that have financial benefit tested
certain strains of lactic acid bacteria and found that they have specific health benefits. There haven’t been any studies published (yet) on the specific benefits of ALL the strains of lactic acid bacteria, but things that we know are: some strains help with digestive health, some strains help with immunity. There are compounds created during fermentation that do all sorts of interesting things—there is an enzyme called nattokinase that’s created during the production of a Japanese ferment called natto and it’s been shown to reduce plaques within the body so there’s testing being done on neurological and arterial plaques. There are even enzymes in sauerkraut that have been shown to block the reproduction of cancer cells. These are unique compounds – they’re not created any other way, they’re not found in nature, only as a result of fermentation. Other benefits of ferments? They make foods easier to digest by pre-digesting some of the things that are harder for our bodies to digest--they’ll break down the sugars in sourdough bread or the gluten in bread or phytic acid, which is an inflammatory acid found in nuts and seeds and grains. They help our bodies able to digest those foods without a lot of pain. And they can make minerals more bioavailable, meaning there are a lot of minerals in our diet that pass right through us, but by eating fermented food, we’re actually able to absorb those. Lastly, fermentation helps to synthesize a lot of vitamins so in some cases there’s more vitamins in foods post-fermentation than before.
Favorite ferment to make? Ok, top three? Miso is amazing. I like to ferment radishes. And milk kefir is like a miracle beverage. Favorite ferment to eat? Probably kimchi. It’s a broad statement, because there are so many kinds, but I could eat it every day. Best use of fermentation on a Philly menu? I’m super biased but High Street on Market makes the best bread on the planet… and I’ve lived in European countries known for their bread. Best name for a kombucha SCOBY? Do you name your SCOBYs? I don’t name my kombucha SCOBYs, but I do name my kefir grains. I had a set of grains that died while I was on vacation named Hermione Grain-ger and now I have a large size-of-your-hand kefir grain named Grain-ny Smith Apple. What’s your guilty pleasure food? The Paesano’s Panelle. It’s banana peppers, godzuki, this crazy sauce and deep fried chickpeas. I love it with all my heart. It is a delicious sandwich and I happily eat it with relish and without shame… so I guess technically it’s not a guilty pleasure food. Favorite Philly neighborhood to eat in? I’ve been an East Passyunk fan for a while, but I’ve hit up a few spots on Rittenhouse recently and it’s not normally my vibe, but there’s some REALLY good food there. Center City’s been knocking it out of the park too. Charlie Was a Sinner had some amazing food and again, biased, but A.Kitchen is one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life.
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOUR FERMENTATION HAS GONE AWRY? WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KILL A CULTURE? It differs depending on what you’re making. With vegetable fermentation, mold is usually undesirable. Most people would agree that a fluffy white mold can just be scraped off, and then let your ferment finish. It’s fine and not harmful, but for some people it’s a deal breaker. Generally, if it smells fine and tastes good, it’s fine. If it smells gross and tastes gross, it’s not fine. With fermentation, you are empowered to use your senses and judgment. For things that use cultures, like kombucha or water or milk kefir, where you need a physical item to put into your batch to make it work, there are a few indications. A kombucha failure would also be mold if there is mold on your kombucha, get rid of that culture as soon as you can. Mold is very dangerous on a SCOBY (see page 10 insert for definition). Otherwise, if the SCOBY is no longer floating in liquid and sinks all the way at the bottom, then it has probably lived out its life cycle or some of the wrong microbes took over and the good ones didn’t survive. This is why when giving out layers of kombucha, you want to keep the top SCOBY and give away the one underneath, because the top one has fresh new life and the one underneath is eventually going to die. With other cultures, you’ll generally know they’re off when they stop producing what they’re meant to produce. And I don’t mean if your ferments are just having an off week. Temperature and seasonal change aside, if your water kefir tastes like sweet water and is neither acidic nor bubbly or your milk kefir is thin and doesn’t smell like kefir, it’s not working. DOES FERMENTING FOOD IMPROVE SHELF LIFE? IF SO, WHY? HOW LONG DO FERMENTED FOODS LAST? IS THERE A WINDOW WHEN YOU SHOULD CONSUME THEM TO PREVENT THEM FROM TASTING TOO FERMENTED? It’s different for every ferment, but for vegetable fermentation, you generally want to store them in the fridge once they’ve reached the sourness that you’d like. For some people that’s 5 days and for some vegetables that’s 5 months. And then after that, the taste rule still applies. I have sauerkraut in my fridge that’s 2 years old and still crispy and tastes great; I have sauerkraut that’s four months old that is starting to get mushy. Mushiness doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s gross; if it doesn’t smell rotting and it still smells like sauerkraut, then it’s still sauerkraut.
If it does get mushy, there are other uses for it—you can mix it in bread dough, you can put it in stews, you can use the liquid as braising liquids. This is a liquid with a ton of layered flavors in it—it’s an already salty, sour liquid. It’s ideal for a lot of things in the kitchen. With regard to storage, move it into a smaller container as you eat it; you don’t want a lot of room for air in your container. Air will start to potentially introduce mold or bacteria which will help that mushiness along, so you want to keep moving it into a smaller container. Submerge it in its own liquid or brine and you should be able to get it to last for a very long time. Also, if you know you’re going to be preserving it for a really long time, use more salt at the time of fermentation. It’ll be saltier—fermentation does not reduce salt levels, but you can always rinse it later. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT ANY FERMENTATION FAILS? WHAT’S THE MOST EPIC FAIL YOU’VE HAD? I had a gallon jar of beet kvass, which is a beet drink, explode all over my kitchen. Explosions are a big problem for fermented beverages because if you bottle them, they can explode because they produce CO2 and are releasing gas and creating pressure. This was in a jar that wasn’t meant for bottling and couldn’t withstand a ton of pressure. I didn’t think [the kvass] was that bubbly and I went to bed and when I woke up, my kitchen looked like it was covered in blood, but it was actually just beet juice! Beverage fermentation is way more prone to explosion because it is in a sealed jar. If you’re doing fermentation in mason jars, the lid will deform and let the CO2 escape before the jar will explode. There’s a weak point (the lid and not the jar). When you’re doing water kefir or beverages, they’re much more carbon dioxide-active and that’s when you just need to pay attention. The beet kvass was my fault and happened purely out of laziness. To prevent explosions, I recommend bottling in plastic because there’s less risk of injury. A glass explosion is basically a bomb going off and someone could get hurt. Sandor Katz [author of Wild Fermentation, a book on fermentation] recommends adding a raisin or a piece of dried fruit into the container, so when the raisin gets to the top of the liquid, you know it’s carbonated. Or, you can bottle in plastic and bottle in glass alongside of it. The benefit of bottling in plastic is that when it gets hard you know it’s time to put everything in the fridge and that it’s carbonated. I also put everything in a cooler, even when I bottle in plastic, so just in case something happens, it stays inside the cooler. SUMMER 2014
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WHAT DO YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD YOU BEFORE YOU STARTED? I wish someone had calmed my fears before I started. Which, is kind of funny because Sandor Katz’s Wild Fermentation basically says don’t be afraid, but I think if I had had someone there with me, I would have been much more comfortable. I also wish The Art of Fermentation, his second book, had existed because it goes so much further into the science to make you really understand. It’s not just somebody saying, “It’s okay, everyone’s done this for a really long time,” it’s saying that but also, “we’ve got scientific data to show that this is a safe practice.” I wish I had that book in my early days; I think I would’ve been a lot more intrepid. I feel like I wasted my first six months of intense fermentation sipping things cautiously and wondering if they tasted right. TELL US WHERE WE CAN LEARN MORE AND FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU!
FERMENTATION
: EXPLAINED
Wild fermentatio n – Any fermenta tion that is done fermentation is do without a starter, ne with bacteria using bacteria tha that is already on t is already presen the vegetable) t (i.e. sauerkraut Culture fermenta tion – Fermentat ion that begins wit yogurt, milk and h an added cultur water kefir) e or grain (example s include: kombuch a, cheese, SCOBY - Symbio tic Colony of Bacte ria and Yeast, a sta rter culture used in making kombuch Lacto-fermentat a ion – Fermentat ion process using lac vegetables), tic acid bacteria (ex am ples include pickle starting with a sav s, sauerkraut, an ory environment, d adding salt and let ting the bacteria eat the sugars pre Alcohol fermenta sent in the vegeta tion –Fermentat bles ion using yeast an lactic acid bacteria d sugar. Yeast is that’s already pre really active on the sent) and feeds on skins of fruit (more sugar, producing so than the a bubbly, yeast fer mentation and, ult Acetic fermenta tion (vinegar fer imately, alcohol mentation) – On bacteria, which is ce an alcohol has already present in already been fer the air, gets into mented, it turns vinegar. (This is wh sweet alcoholic liq to vinegar. Aceti y wine becomes uids and digests c vinegar and why what’s present, tur its important to pro ning it into perly store wine!)
I do a lot of workshops in Philly. I’ve got a busy September with lots of workshops, including a free workshop as part of Fringe Festival. I have a soda making workshop at Fair Food, who I love. My site, http://phickle.com/, where you can find my blog and all my social media accounts to follow. My book! My book is being published in 2015 by Fair Winds Press. It’s just vegetable fermentation; I’m digging deep and doing a lot of recipe development, and it’s crazy, but I’m really excited about the weird and interesting and easy to make stuff that I’m going to put in the book!
WHERE TO FIND STARTERS, SCOBYS, CULTURES AND BACTERIA? The Philadelphia Urban Farm Network’s list serve https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/pufn If you’re looking to buy, the best SCOBY I’ve ever had is from Kombucha Brooklyn http://www.kombuchabrooklyn.com
ARE THERE OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FERMENT VEGETABLES? DO I NEED TO STERILIZE MY JARS? SHOULD I PEEL MY VEGETABLES?
peel, I recommend doing a mixed vegetable ferment with something that has the peel so it can introduce sufficient bacteria.
Peeling vegetables is definitely a no-no. Most of the bacteria that’s present on the vegetable is on the peel because bacteria live on the soil, not on the vegetable. You definitely want to cut out any soft or unappealing parts. I usually cut the tops off of things because there are enzymes there that start to break things down, but other than that, leave the peel on. If you do have to
Sterilization is not necessary; it’s a popular practice with home brewers who are trying to control the final taste and going for a specific taste and wild yeast can impart off flavors. For vegetable fermentation, for yogurt, for kombucha; cleanliness is necessary, but sterilization is not.
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For other cultures, I recommend a site called Yemoos http://yemoos.com For more unique cultures like Japanese cultures that can be trickier to find, I recommend Gem Cultures http://www.gemcultures.com Lastly, Cultures for Health http://www.culturesforhealth.com Also, Fermenter’s Kitchen has a listing of people who have extra cultures. http://facebook.com/FermentersKitchen
PIERRE RAUSCH CEC®,WCC, AAC, HOF
“I guess it always comes down to LOOK, LISTEN, LEARN, REPEAT. Over and over.” HUNGER. It was hunger that first drew Chef Pierre Rausch to cooking. As a young boy growing up in Germany during World War II, he understood the realities of hunger and limited access to food. “My mother was a good cook, but she worked during the week. My grandmother died early—in ’46 so we were sort of left to our own devices,” he recounts. As the oldest of four children, Rausch felt responsible for his siblings and wanted to provide for them. While Rausch and his brothers had access to a decent-sized garden, they shared it among numerous relatives at a time when food was a commodity. As a child in a farming community, he was also taught to be resourceful about food and to take advantage of his resources. “It was a village with a lot of farms,” he recalls. “When it was harvest time, we would go out and pick after the potatoes or the grain had been picked, so we were able to help ourselves that way.” Still, Rausch wanted to be able to provide his siblings with a proper diet and that meant going where the food was. He soon took a job working in a kitchen to have better access to food for himself and his family. He reflects, “There was an opportunity to help out in a local guest house as a young boy and I did because if I didn’t make any money, at least I would be able to eat well and bring some food home.”
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Though it was access to food that first drew him to work at the local guest house, an awareness of the limited food supply also shaped his apprenticeship there. The facility had a great deal of weekend and social business—weddings, parties and funerals—yet management was always cognizant of how food was being used. The owners were highly involved in the business and made sure the chefs and apprentices understood the financial and business implications of food waste. “I think the basic thing we learned was to respect food, number one. There was no waste. [From a business standpoint] you hurt if you wasted food,” he remembers.
This respect for food and conservative use of ingredients also influenced the chefs’ training throughout Rausch’s apprenticeship. He remembers the rigidness of his instructors saying, “The next thing you learned is to be precise so there is no waste. We had to be right on point with everything we learned and we were. There would be no wasted time.” Instruction emphasized quick learning, repetition of skills to develop proficiency and a wide variety of tasks to fully learn the business. Rausch laughs, recalling his first year peeling “a mountain of potatoes” until it had become second nature, “schlepping coal” and walking miles to the farmer to pick up produce. Rausch participated in a traditional, structured apprenticeship program. Instruction was over the course of three years, each of which relied heavily on mentorship. During the first year, apprentices worked closely with a second or third year apprentice. Rausch recalls the learning process, saying, “Early on, I think the idea was to really listen and learn and retain so you can have it for later. Follow the menus as they’re given to you. Listen to the chef or the cook next in charge giving instructions…I guess it always comes down to look, listen, learn, repeat. Over and over.” The second year apprentice worked with the third year apprentice. Finally, in their third year, apprentices worked with the full cook or sous chef and could stand in for them to work with the head chef. The idea was to learn from those with more experience and to impart knowledge to those with less. CULINARY APPRENTICESHIPS Rausch sought to instill these same values to culinary students when he arrived in the United States in 1964. The kitchen environment was different than what he had experienced in Germany; some of the cooks were not formally trained and lacked some of the necessary skills to become a successful chef. Rausch set out to mentor these chefs and provide them with knowledge he had gained through his own chef training. He reflects,
“If you have a good apprenticeship, it reflects later in life when you train apprentices yourself. Coming over here, there were no apprenticeships, so we had people in the kitchen who were there by happenstance and they needed to be taught so they could be valuable to the place. So, since I had a good, solid beginning, I was able, in this country, to impart to them what I had learned.” Upon arriving in Philadelphia two years later, Rausch’s first order of business was to create a formal culinary apprenticeship program. In 1969, he joined his first American chef’s organization, the Delaware Valley Chef’s Association, which later became ACF Philadelphia. One of the group’s largest projects was to establish a proper apprenticeship program in
Philadelphia. They faced challenges in navigating licensing, chef certification and regulations, but ultimately succeeded by piggybacking off of the Pittsburgh chapter of ACF, who had the nation’s first formal apprenticeship program. As first chairman and first teacher of ACF Philadelphia’s apprenticeship program, Rausch had the opportunity to take stock of the young chefs as they began their careers. As a result of this experience, he believes that culinary graduates are just at the beginnings of their professions and would benefit from the wisdom and guidance in a mentorship program after graduation. Rather than restaurant owners hiring graduates straight from school and bestowing the title of chef upon them, Rausch suggests that they have more to learn. “It’s much better to have an apprentice, give someone a proper start and gradually rise to the point where they can take charge. I think a good apprenticeship, supported by the industry, would produce much better culinarians because you learn by the seat of your pants.” Despite this belief, however, Rausch is not optimistic that the European model of apprenticeship will ever become part of the culinary norm in the United States. From a financial standpoint, many businesses are not willing to incur the cost of an apprenticeship program. As part of the traditional three-year model, restaurants must have three apprentices—first, second and third year—at all times, to allow for proper mentorship and learning. Hiring three extra cooks to the kitchen also adds three extra lines to the payroll, which is not something all businesses would welcome. From a training standpoint, Rausch cites cultural differences between the United States and Europe as the primary challenge to apprenticeships in this country. “We as Americans aren’t able to teach our young to adhere to tradition and follow through with rules and work habits and you maintain your workspace and tools and communicate with coworkers. It’s so different.” As he speaks, his own apprenticeship training shines through, as he stresses precision, respect for the profession, respect for workspace and respect for presentation. He blames the casual kitchen atmosphere and dress popular in some kitchens around the country as the reason for the shift away from traditionalism in the United States.
“If you go to one of the best restaurants, on the East Coast, Per Se in New York, you walk into a kitchen that looks like it’s in France or Italy. Other restaurants aren’t that way, because, it’s, for my taste, too relaxed. It’s not the same and to me, yes, it doesn’t make the food bad, but it says something about the mentality of the environment. The clean, crisp appearance and kitchen? It sets the tone.” When asked who or what is to blame for the change in the level of professionalism from the perfectly spotless
FOOD kitchen and immaculate chef’s whites to the baseball caps and apron-less chefs found in some kitchens, Rausch looks no further than the smart phone in his pocket. Though he agrees it has certainly been helpful, it has created a culture that lives on several tracks and is easily distracted. “The phone, the technology in recent years has changed a lot. Our whole outlook has changed…we live differently. We live faster. We don’t concentrate as much as the older generation because they didn’t have this outside influence.” Though technology has caused a shift in the way we learn and interact, Rausch still believes there is room for mentorship, if not full-blown apprenticeship, in restaurants across America. He advises culinary students to learn from culinarians they respect. He says, “Be a sponge. Soak it up. Take every opportunity and advantage to learn, even after hours.” As he reflects upon his own apprenticeship training, he remembers learning the most by staying late and learning from the chefs. During production, there was little time to focus, ask questions and learn. Though he was not being paid during the hours he stayed late, he found the time invaluable for the close attention he was able to get with chefs whose work he admired. Similarly, Rausch’s advice to recent graduates and young chefs is to use every opportunity as something to learn from and grow from. He also emphasizes initiative and self-motivation as keys to success. “Don’t wait for someone to show you and do it for you. Practice every day—whether it’s dinner or daily preparation or researching—to perfect your craft.” He says, “Soak up everything you can in the beginning because that’s the spawning of your own career that builds within you. Listen, learn and perform.” He reminds us that as we age, the economic pressures increase as we enter into relationships and start families. He suggests learning as much as possible and shaping a culinary career at a young age, before greater responsibilities begin to accumulate. Finally, he urges young chefs and culinary school alumni to give back to their alma mater. By donating their time and energy mentoring current students, young chefs can impart their own knowledge and “pay it forward” to the next generation of chefs. He muses, “I think that people who graduate from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College (and others) make their way and don’t necessarily come back. I think they should lean more on their roots and be more involved with bringing other young people up and give them the same opportunity. Be involved more in mentoring more and showing them the way.” If anyone knows about being involved, it’s Chef Pierre Rausch. As a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, he has served as an officer on both the national and local levels. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for his service, including being named the 2009 national Herman G. Rusch award recipient, ACF National Chef of the Year, ACF Philadelphia Chapter President’s Meritorious Award, and induction into the American Academy of Chefs Hall of Fame. SUMMER 2014
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STUDENT ACTIVITIES
When asked about his own influence on the culinary landscape in America, he cites both the ACF as and The Chaîne as being instrumental to affect change. He says, “I was able to have some national jobs in my professional organizations and hopefully made a difference in both. You get satisfaction out of being able to do something, to help, to create, to be involved and see results.” By serving in leadership positions, he hopes to have made both the ACF and The Chaîne better organizations for its members and to improve the overall chef community at home and abroad. According to Rausch, on a macro level, the ACF functions to bring people together and provide a voice for the chef community at large. Their mission is to “promote the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education on all levels.” They accomplish this through certification, accreditation, apprenticeship programs, publications, events and charitable causes. On an individual level, Rausch the educational experiences, trainings and professional workshops at regional conferences and national conventions as important contributions to developing the next generation of chefs. THE CHAÎNE DES RÔTISSEURS SCHOLARSHIP As for The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, the organization is making a difference right here at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College through The Chaîne Foundation Scholarship. As the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world, its membership is comprised of chefs, sommeliers, and those who simply appreciate all things gastronomy. Therefore, the organization is dedicated to supporting promising young chefs in their culinary training. Relying on voluntary contributions from members and donations from friends of the organization, The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs are able to award scholarships to exemplary culinary students across the country to help offset the costs of education. According to their website, scholarship recipients, called Chaîne Scholars, are students who “meet high scholastic standards and possess the attributes and attitudes that reflect the very best in professional standards, dedication, and commitment.” On behalf of our student body, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is enthusiastic about The Chaîne Foundation Scholarship, which will be allocated based on criterion and standards decided on by the Dean of Hospitality Studies, David E. Morrow. We suspect that the Scholarship will be reserved for our Bachelor of Science students, and more specifically, the examplary students nominated for The Student Leadership Program.
The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is the world’s oldest international gastronomic society, founded in Paris in 1248. It is devoted to preserving the camaraderie and pleasures of the table and to promoting excellence in all areas of the hospitality arts. Each year the society sponsors young chef and sommelier competitions that attract contestants from throughout the world, while the Chaîne Foundation provides scholarships for students in these fields. Chaîne is based on the traditions and practices of the old French royal guild of meat roasters. Revived in 1950, the society has professional and amateur members in more than 90 countries worldwide. In the United States, there are nearly 130 bailliages (chapters), each offering a variety of culinary activities to suit the interests of local members. https://www.chaineus.org/AboutUs.aspx
The Student Leadership Development Institute (SLDI) of The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is dedicated to the development of future leaders in the hospitality industry. Students who graduate from the college with an Associate of Science degree in any of the college’s majors are eligible for the program. To be a part of the SLDI, students must be nominated by the faculty and staff of the college and be accepted into one of the college Baccalaureate Degree Programs. Once nominated students will be invited to apply to the institute and engage in a rigorous selection process that includes an academic review, resume and referencing, and an interview process. Once selected into the SLDI, our Student Leaders complete weekly leadership assignments in a variety of roles at the college. In return for their successful completion of these assignments, students are awarded a financial grant towards tuition, housing, books, and other program needs. In addition to the grant funds, Student Leaders engage in a variety of leadership development activities, including: exclusive leadership workshops and seminars, faculty mentoring programs, fellowship coaching programs, on-line journaling related to their leadership development, development of a leadership portfolio, and finally the civic engagement and community service activities.
MORE ON SCHOLARSHIPS AND COMPETITIONS... Both The Chaîne and the ACF sponsor student culinary competitions to help foster the next generation of young talent. Competitions begin at the regional level and advance to national and international levels. Chef Rausch has served as an international judge and notes the intensity of the competition, saying, “The judges judge you based on how you look, how you work, how you clean, how you cooperate—all the things important to our business.” Winners of these competitions receive scholarships to help offset the cost of culinary school. Though Rausch wishes these competitions had a wider impact on the world beyond the people who compete, he is thankful for the financial support they offer to the winners. “If it helps a young person finance their education without debt or less debt…then it’s helpful.” FINAL THOUGHTS Though it was hunger that drew him to his first apprenticeship, it is an insatiable urge to give back that keeps him involved in the community. Yet with countless accomplishments, professional accolades, and a legacy of achievement, one has to wonder: what is next for Chef Rausch that he hasn’t already attained? Not surprisingly, he reminds us once again of the value of imparting knowledge and giving back to rising chefs. “My aim in this latter part of my life is to have some fun teaching adults cooking, but to concentrate
forever on finding young people who need a leg up and guide them, motivate them, be a mentor. If I can be in any way effective at that, I will do that first before anything… absolutely.”
From Left to Right: Philipp Pinkney ,CEC., AAC., Michael Kalanty, CEPC., CCE., CMT., M.A., Gary Waldie, M.Ed., CEC., AAC., Pierre Rausch, CEC., WCC., ACC., HOF.
QUICK QUESTIONS WITH PIERRE RAUSCH FAVORITE CUISINE? German. Modern German to be exact. NEIGHBORHOOD IN PHILLY? Rittenhouse Square. But I’m most excited about Fishtown. It’s the up and coming version of modern cuisine. They’re daring – trying things people don’t do elsewhere. DISH TO PREPARE? Sweet breads are the most underrated offal. Most people fry them, but I have the most delicious recipe with port wine sauce. FIRST DISH LEARNED TO PREPARE ? Chicken a hundred ways. Growing up, there wasn’t a lot of beef around… we learned techniques past fried, fricassee… you can do a lot with chicken--schnitzel, scaloppini. Anything you can do with veal you can do with chicken. GUILTY PLEASURE? Burger. The juicier, the better! But it has to be a great bun, none of that potato business. Cooked medium rare. I don’t like well done anything. DETESTABLE FOOD? Alligator and snake. I’ve tasted it but it’s not my thing. Tastes like chicken? It doesn’t. CULINARY TECHNIQUE OR SKILL THAT WAS HARD FOR YOU TO LEARN? Tourne-ing mushrooms. It takes hours and I don’t know how many baskets of messed up mushrooms I took. My cook who taught me was very patient and the place had mushroom soup for quite some time! WHO ARE YOUR CULINARY HEROES? Julia Child & Jacques Pepin – That lady who everybody laughed at taught me a very valuable lesson: you don’t have to be French, you don’t have to speak French; if you present yourself well, you can be someone. Jacques Pepin. Chef Hermann Rusch. They each taught me a lot. It’s the real people you have to think of. They were very much out there and at that time, I very much wanted to come out of my shell. They taught me that even if you talked funny or looked funny or had an accent, you can succeed in this business. There was one Walter Spiel, a restaurateur in Munich. He had a philosophy about food presentation and how to deal with customers that I really admired as a young person: Be personable, immerse yourself with your clientele. Learn from them; don’t impose. SUMMER 2014
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DEBUNKING THE BLOG The Business of Food Blogging By: Kelly Vass
Fifty men and women fill a hotel banquet room. Clustered in groups, they stand around white tables ready to dive into the ingredients set before them. Their mise en place includes California avocados, a rainbow of vegetables, a myriad of spices and three different kinds of bread. They take a few moments to formulate a plan and brace themselves in anticipation of the start of the competition. Seconds later, a judge announces, “GO!” and they scramble to collect ingredients. With only fifteen minutes to prepare their dishes, their hands dance between prep bowls as they toss ingredients, chop herbs and assemble components of their dish. Minutes fly by as they artfully arrange vegetables on toasts, some competitors topping with a delicate drizzle of oil, others finishing with a flourish of chili flakes. With seconds remaining in the competition, they wipe the edges of their plates clean 16 www.walnuthillcollege.edu
clean and rush to add a last minute decoration. A flurry of hands shoot into the air as the judge calls, “TIME’S UP! HANDS UP! UNTENSILS DOWN!” The contestants catch their breath and time seems to stand still for a moment. With the faintest hint of trepidation, the contestants approach the judges with their plated masterpieces. The judges assess each dish before taking a bite. While the judges savor the flavors and textures of each dish, the contestants describe preparation and ingredients. The judges silently scribble notes about each entry. Once the dishes have been tasted, the contestants sit down to wait while the judges huddle together and deliberate in whispers. Ten minutes later, they reconvene in front of a hushed audience. As the winners are announced, the room erupts in applause and congratulatory shouts. Though this is a cooking competition, the contestants are not professionally trained chefs. Their presentation and attention to detail is refined but they do not work in restaurant kitchens. The men and women vying for grand prize have honed their skills in home kitchens across America: they are food bloggers participating in a three day hands-on food blogging conference called Eat Write Retreat. This past June, 50 food bloggers descended upon Philadelphia for Eat Write Retreat. Armed with DSLR cameras, empty stomachs and the desire to improve upon their craft, they
spent the weekend with other food bloggers who sought to improve their writing and photography and increase their professional connections. In addition to the aforementioned cooking competition, attendees also participated in business workshops, panels on current trends in blogging and fine dining experiences. Bloggers also had the opportunity to experience Philadelphia’s culinary landscape at Supper restaurant, exploring Reading Terminal Market and watching an in-depth cooking demonstration from The Mushroom Council and local partners Iovine Brothers Produce. The two women behind this event are co-founders Casey Benedict and Robyn Webb. They met at a West Coast food blogging conference in 2009 and saw a need to bring similar programming to East Coast bloggers. According to Benedict, “At Eat Write Retreat, we target food bloggers who are ready to take themselves and their work seriously. This doesn’t mean they have to be professionals who are supporting themselves from their blogging work, but rather that they are ready to invest in themselves to move forward.” One of the biggest draws of the conference is the opportunity to network with brand representatives. The conference is sponsored by different brands each year and the attendees have the opportunity to network throughout the weekend with representatives from produce boards, food and beverage companies, and kitchen tool and gadget brands. “We offer unparalleled networking with brands who are interested in working with bloggers, plus educational sessions that send
our attendees home loaded with actionable ideas on how to create a successful business out of their blogs,” says Benedict. If food blogging is now a viable business, its success is due largely to the increased popularity of food blogs in the last ten years. Although food blogs started as a handful of sites across the internet, their presence has found its way into mainstream culture. Julie Powell’s blog began as a quest to cook her way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking and ultimately inspired a popular book and film, Julie and Julia. Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman, is a No. 1 New York Times Best Seller cookbook author and now has her own show on Food Network. Even a simple recipe search on Google will yield a stream of countless food blogs all offering their version of the searched dish. Food blogs are a space for making food personal. They allow the authors to add their individual perspective on an ingredient or dish. Carla Cardello of Chocolate Moosey describes food blogging as “storytelling using food and recipes. It’s what makes food blogs different from sites like All Recipes and Food Network.” This narrative is what gives us a better look at the person behind the recipe. As Olga Bergman of Mango & Tomato writes, “Blogging for me is sharing. It’s like a diary that you let others read…I share everything food related in my life with my readers: recipes I develop, restaurants I visit, food trips I take.” Sharing also means giving food a backstory and using it to invite readers into your life—posting a recipe for chicken tagine as well photos from a vacation to Morocco that inspired the dish, or sharing a focaccia recipe and the story of how your grandmother taught you to make it. Food blogs can also be a creative outlet and a place to chronicle your culinary experiments. Mallory Fay thinks of her blog, Fork vs. Spoon, as “a place to discover and share that goes well beyond just the recipes.” For Fay, blogging is a creative outlet and a way to measure her growth as a home cook. “[My blog] provides a space to grow and keep tabs on how far [I’ve] come and gives direction to where [I am] going.” In this way, food blogging can even be a way for borne chefs to expand their own repertoire and learn new techniques in the kitchen. Olga Bergman credits several blogging groups as well as her own blog series with helping her grow as a home chef. She says, “Because of my blog, [joining the blogging group] Daring Bakers and also having a Russian Recipes Revisited series on my site, I’ve definitely learned new techniques, used new ingredients and stretched my comfort zone.” Food blogs can be a way to bridge the gap between professional chefs and home cooks. As Carla Cardello of Chocolate Moosey notes, “Sometimes professional chefs can make a dish a little daunting or overcomplicated for the home cook to make. With a blog, chefs can easily teach how to cook through step-by-step photos and clear directions so even the average home cook can feel confident enough to make it.” Thus, food blogs help to make food more accessible for their readers by highlighting recipes catered toward home cooks. Laura Kumin agrees. Her blog, Mother Would Know, takes an educational approach to cooking and baking. As a home cook of many years, her posts are filled with the anecdotes and culinary wisdom you might get if you called your own mother for cooking advice. Part of her definition of food blogging
includes “answering questions and talking about topics that a home cook needs to know, such as food safety or nutrition. I think the connection between the reader and the blogger is basically ‘I did this and here is how’ or ‘I did this and you can too.’” She hopes to make cooking and baking a less intimidating, user-friendly experience for readers, empowering them to have the confidence to try new recipes. Jason Shriner is a professionally trained pastry chef who uses instructional videos on his blog, The Aubergine Chef. Each demonstration highlights pastry techniques to help viewers become more comfortable in the kitchen. Topics include Making a French Meringue, Trimming and Slicing a Cake and How to Use Gelatin. Shriner shares Kumin’s philosophy of instructional blogging, saying, “Food blogging proves that anybody can cook and it doesn’t take hours to make a meal or require a huge skillset just to get started.” In this way, food bloggers can encourage readers to try out a new or unfamiliar ingredient or introduce them to a specific cooking technique. Shriner also considers the blogging process in itself inspirational, as it allows him more freedom for culinary exploration. He says, “Blogging encourages creativity and consistency. Working in a [restaurant] kitchen, you rarely have the chance to develop a recipe or try something differently. At home blogging, you can use whatever ingredient you want however you want and learn new things all the time.” When he was working in a professional kitchen, he was at the mercy of a pre-set menu and had little room for experimentation. Being at home in his own kitchen working on his own schedule, he has more time and freedom to experiment. As a professionally trained pastry chef, Shriner was working in the food industry and felt burnt out by the long hours and physicality of his job. Eventually, he traded in his chefs whites and left the food world entirely. He remembers, “I took an office job to try and change my career around for an easier life but after only about 3 months I started to feel my pastry skills getting rusty and the kitchen started calling to me again.” Shortly afterward, his boss suggested he start a food blog and The Aubergine Chef was born. Through his blog, he has not only revisited his passion for pastry, but he has won numerous awards and accolades in the process, including being featured in Rachael Ray magazine and named as one of Potomac Local’s 40 Under 40. Jennifer Farley is also a culinary school graduate whose blog Savory Simple fueled a life-changing career move. After graduation, Farley held several different jobs to make a living and use her culinary degree. “I was a line cook, a pastry chef, a recreational cooking instructor and a social media marketer,” she explains. “I hated all of these jobs and wanted to blog full time, but didn’t have the nerve to try.” Fifteen months ago, food blogging became Farley’s full-time job. “When I was let go from my social media marketing position, I decided to try blogging full time for 3 months. If it didn’t work I would get another job. That was around 15 months ago and I’ve never looked back.” Though she no longer works in a professional kitchen, she recognizes that her culinary school education gave her a solid foundation for the work that she does as a blogger and recipe developer. “Culinary school wasn’t about recipes; it was about
Photos By: Kelly Vass
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BLOGGING skill and technique,” she says. “These are the foundation of any good recipe and I wouldn’t be able to do what I do today without the techniques I learned at school. I often make advanced recipes and they don’t work without a fundamental understanding of basic techniques: caramelization, pan sauces, tempering, leaveners, etc.” These techniques have paid off in a big way. Her photography and recipes have led to recipe development with national brands, developed a photography portfolio, and ghostwritten a cookbook. Her work has also been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Apetit, The Huffington Post, the Kitchn, Food52, Better Homes & Gardens and Williams-Sonoma. Susan Palmer of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen has also used her blogging experience to venture into a new career. “I had won two cookie competitions in Brooklyn and was trying to decide on how I can turn blogging into a career,” she remembers. After some consideration, she decided to open a small-batch independent bakery, which was recently funded through Kickstarter. “My blog is opening up an entire new learning experiencing opening up my bake shop. I’m going into a professional space and connecting with distributors and other small-batch producers. It’s been an exciting yet nerve racking time!” For bloggers who are not ready to blog full-time but want to turn their blog into a revenue stream, there are advocates working to help bloggers find paid opportunities. As owner of Kitchen PLAY, Casey Benedict also connects food bloggers and brands for professional partnerships. She designs custom programs for brands looking to promote new or existing products. Food bloggers are influential in this way because, according to Benedict, “They hold a great megaphone to consumers and can help create awareness for anything from a new brand or product line to health and nutrition information to proper cooking techniques.” As part of Kitchen PLAY events, food bloggers create recipes with the brand’s products, craft custom blog posts, participate in social media events and represent the brand at food shows and conferences. Bloggers share this original content with their blog readers and social media followers, fostering engagement and promoting brand awareness to a new audience.
READY TO START A FOOD BLOG?
Before you begin, decide what it is you want to say and why you’re starting a blog in the first place. Ask yourself what kind of recipes you’d like to feature, how much of your own story you’re willing to share with your readers and how you intend to create content. Would you like to take a sentimental approach and share the stories behind your favorite dishes? Are you going to have an instructional focus and emphasize technique and specific skills? Is your blog going to be about a certain kind of cuisine or foods that cater to a specific diet, such as gluten-free, paleo, or vegan? Do you want to be a resource for people looking for healthy meals made on a budget? If you write with a goal in mind, it will not only be easier to develop recipe ideas, but you’ll gain credibility with your readership as you focus on a specific topic. 18 www.walnuthillcollege.edu www.walnuthillcollege.edu
t! a E & d 'Em
Rea Featured Food Blogs Mallory Fay - Fork vs. Spoon http://forkvsspoon.com/ Jennifer Farley - Savory Simple http://www.savorysimple.net/ Olga Bergman - Mango & Tomato http://www.mangotomato.com/ Jason Shriner - The Aubergine Chef http://www.theauberginechef.com/ Susan Palmer - The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen http://girlinthelittleredkitchen.com/ Laura Kumin - Mother Would Know http://www.motherwouldknow.com/ Carla Cardello - Chocolate Moosey http://www.chocolatemoosey.com/ Amanda Feifer O'Brien - Phickle http://phickle.com/ Casey Benedict - Kitchen PLAY http://kitchen-play.com/ Defining your blog, also helps you develop your brand and your voice, so make it unique! As one of the first and most famous food bloggers, David Lebovitz, reminds us, “The main thing you want to do is to find your niche and say something that people will enjoy reading or learning from you. We all have different personalities and highlighting yours in your blog is the most important thing you can do to differentiate yourself from others.” Writing with a clear voice is also key because blogs should be a conversation with your readers. Good blogs engage their readers to keep them commenting, asking questions and coming back to read more. How do you do this? Finish your blog post with a question. If you’re posting about a kitchen mishap, ask your readers to share their own kitchen catastrophes. Posting about a recipe from your childhood? Have your readers leave a comment
with theirs. Want to do a how-to video for a particular technique? Ask your readers what they’d like to learn! If you don’t ask, your readers may not think to share their own experiences, but if you give them content they can relate to and a question to answer, you’ll be surprised at how they connect with what you’ve posted. Share great content! Of course you’ll want to promote your own work, but sharing the work of fellow bloggers is a great way to get your blog noticed and introduce your readers to valuable content. As you share quality recipes, your readers will begin to rely on your tweets, Pinterest pins and Facebook posts as sources of excellent food content. Additionally, if you share a post from another blogger with a larger audience, that blogger may take notice and follow you on social media, or share one of your posts with their audience.
HAVE YOU HEARD?
Have You Heard? Alums Justin Swain of Rex 1516, Christopher Kearse of Will BYOB and Jessica Nolen of Brauhaus Schmitz were named by Zagat as the 30 Under 30 in Philadelphia! Kudos to our Alums who continue to make us proud every day! This year, TRSatWHC celebrates its 40th Anniversary! Follow us on Facebook for “Flashback” photos of Faculty & Staff and try to guess who! The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College has once again earned the Wine Spectator Award for 2014! This marks the 10th year that the College has earned such honors. Thanks to Mr. Philippe McCartney our wine program rocks! TRSatWHC is growing! Stay tuned for updates in the next issue of the Main Dish for details! We are proud to welcome Chef Isaac Frerichs as the new Dean of Culinary & Pastry Arts. Chef Frerichs most recently served as the Senior Research and Development Chef with the Campbell Soup Company.
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Continued from page 7.. WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING CUSTOMER OR THE MOST CHALLENGING PART ABOUT WORKING IN HOSPITALITY? Trying to keep your cool is difficult. When someone is screaming in my face, my first reaction is to get angry back, but you can’t do that. You have to smooth
it over. I think that’s one of the most challenging parts about being a manager. You’re invested and you can’t just say what you want. You have to think about what’s good for the business. Listening is the biggest thing; people just want someone to listen to them yell and in that moment, you may need to just let them go. Then you can smooth it over with a gift certificate or an apology. I don’t feel like I’m quick on my feet with those things, but I’m great at responding to emails when someone complains. Val will just forward them
to me and tell me to deal with them because I think for her, it’s too personal or she feels like maybe they’re attacking her personally. But if I have the time to sit in front of my email and work with my words, I can win them over so easily and they’ll respond with something like, “Can’t wait to come back!” so we joke and call me the complaint whisperer.
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The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College 4207 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Follow Us: @TRSatWHC @TheRestaurantSchoolatWalnutHillCollege
www.WalnutHillCollege.edu
Where Are They Now?
Samantha Kincaid Pastry Chef High Street, Fork & a.kitchen + bar
Christine Paciello Pastry Chef Jones A Stephen Starr Restaurant
Samantha Germani Assistant Restaurant Manager Lacroix at The Rittenhouse
Maria Schmidt Chef de Cuisine Garces Restaurant Group
Patricia Smith Owner/Pastry Chef Foam Floaterie
Danielle Amabile Pastry Chef Oyster House
Olivial Portelli Executive Pastry Chef Morimoto
Kevin Reading Chef/Owner Abbot's Grill
Angela Cunningham Catering Sales Manger Wyndham Philadelphia Hotel
Josh Grapski Chef/Owner Root Gourmet, Nage, Big Chill Surf Cantina
Nahum Jeannot Executive Chef Goodwinhouse Baileys Crossroads
Want To Tell Us Where You Are Now? Email Us At: MainDishMag@walnuthillcollege.edu