The BC Chefs Table Society met for the last summer meeting Monday afternoon at the beautiful open dining room of NU Restaurant.  It was the best turnout we’ve had to date.  It was also a very fruitful meeting, lots on the agenda, with two guest speakers, and many pending issues to resolve for the summer.  But, this being a table of successful chefs, we accomplished the full agenda in a very short period of time – getting things done in limited time is one of our prime professional survival traits.  Plus, many crafty ideas were proposed and basically finalized that puts the society in very good standing indeed for the fall and down the road.  This society began with nothing, yet we walked away realizing much has been built and more is to come.  That’s another instinctual talent of ours:  give chefs little and we’ll turn it into a feast.

I cannot help but be impressed when I see a group of put-your-head-down practical chefs in one room.  Besides the brain power, there’s an intense energy to focus on information in its most boiled down practical terms. When our guest from the Pacific Prawn Fisherman’s Association spoke about their continuing relationship with the Society to inform and connect the consumer about our coastal fish, these chefs not only demonstrated a genuine interest to be a conduit for excellent, accurate, and vital information, they articulated their well-informed opinions most impressively.  Words like “commitment” and “mindset” were carefully chosen to represent the Society’s care for the products that sustain their profession.

For a person who started as an academic and entered the culinary profession with apprehension, I can now confidently say that cooks and chefs are indeed smart minds.  They’re smarter than 20 years ago.  They have to be.  Their “mindset” has shifted in a positive way, especially when it comes to ingredients. 

Yet when it comes to the next generation of cooks, our mindset has not changed much.  The one word I wish one day I will never have to hear is “kids” when referring to culinary students.  All - and I mean all – of the industry, from chefs to media, still refer to my students as kids.  When I’m asked “How are the kids doing?” I never know if they are referring to my sons or my students.    I’ve always seen the word to spell bad news.  As a parent of 18 and 21 year old young men, calling them kids would spell disaster.  Not only would they not talk to me, but, much worse, they’ll never leave home.  It’s simply counter-productive.  The average age of students entering culinary schools these days is 24 years of age.  Perhaps today’s chefs are unaware of this. 

I’ve been wanting to bring the “kids” thing up for some time now with my colleagues, but I really do not think the industry is yet ready for a new “mindset” when it comes to culinary students.  I know for sure it will change one day.  Fish was just fish a couple of decades ago, and now it’s a socio-political topic demanding mature dialogue and sophisticated terms like “sustainability”, “eco-management”, “endangered”, and so on.  It will make me happy, most happy I must say, when the day comes that my NWCAV students are referred to as adults, as fine men and women.  It will perhaps ensure that they are treated like adults, and the payoff might well be they will work like adults.  This field needs fine young men and women, not kids.  I wouldn’t want a generation of “kids” taking over for the fine work adults have already done. 

Trying to eliminate the “K” word,

Tony Minichiello

Instructor to adults

The most difficult, challenging topic for me to teach is pasta.  Getting students to understand the essence of pasta is extremely difficult because most, the vast majority, have been lead astray.  Getting students to get off the dry vs fresh track is nearly impossible, taking much effort, a Joe Pesci attitude, and time.  Eventually the students get to experience authentic pasta and are forever changed when it comes to that particular food.

But I’m looking forward – very soon, in fact – to the day when I can simply direct the students to some homework, and not just reading, but video.  Not just any video, but a well crafted script, with detailed and meticulously shot techniques, all logically and wisely editing, all detailing the essence of pasta, where it comes from, how it’s made, how to dissect quality, how to make it at home, cook it properly, what to do, what not to do, why, what happens when you make a mistake, how to prevent it, fix it, etc.

The module on pasta filmed in the kitchen studio at Rouxbe took a whole week, with hours of narrowing down the writing to its essence, shooting the key critical points with the best angle, cleverly, creatively, and then hours of editing and in the sound room.  By the end, every one of the Rouxbe team, from camera, to sound people, to editors, were pros at pasta, elevated to an Italian understanding of pasta…FOREVER.

Though it still took the physical experience to be convinced of this, the video does my job in 20 minutes, rather than hours.  Video, if well scripted and performed, is the tool of the future for any culinary learner.  Watch for the Rouxbe culinary school. (http://blog.rouxbe.com/rouxbe-cooking-school-sneak-peek/) It will change the way you cook and eat.  Period!  

Tony

On the first day of class, within the first hour in fact, we put our students in groups and ask then to list the qualities that best define a professional cook versus a professional chef.  This is to eliminate any illusion that the focus of our school is not to create chefs, but cooks, and more specifically, students on their road to becoming professional cooks.  Amazingly, they do an accurate job of being quite real about this, eliminating any need for the school instructors to pontificate the reality of the industry (you know, that speech every industry chef believes no one has ever heard before).  So our students are asked to put into words what they feel they need to bring to the table AND what they feel a chef should bring to the table.  The following is a list of what they concluded, in no particular order:

Cook:  Hard-working, disciplined, hungry for knowledge and skills, consistent, persistent, team player, motivated, committed, organized, loyal, punctual, multi-tasker, stress management, good communicator, clean, humble.

Chef:  Leadership, passionate, good coach/teacher, respectful, disciplined, inspirational, graceful under pressure, loyal to cook’s development, organized, quality-conscious, open-minded, integrity, patient, available, professional at all times, humble.

Impressive, if you tell me.  It saves us 3-4 weeks of putting our students through a reality check.  They do it themselves…and nice to see the media hasn’t skewed their perspective and sensibilities. I only hope they can live to that standard.

Tony Minichiello

Humble Culinary Instructor who spilled clarified butter and split his beurre blanc today…a great day, nevertheless.

Today we started day 2 of the new class talking about knives.  I’ve changed it up in the last couple of terms from the past, ever since I saw Alton Brown’s Youtube video on how to sharpen a knife.  He states, emphatically, never, ever to sharpen your own knife, that even professionals don’t.  Well, last term we decided to take an opposite approach and emphatically convicned our students that you are not a true professional, a true craftsman until you’ve sharpened your knife to a razor’s edge with your own hands on a stone.  If the Japanese and European chefs can do this, why can’t we.

The results proved quite successful.  We had the best class I’ve ever taught produce professional standard cuts - at least at the industry starting level.  This term I am focused on improving the results even further, and I am convicned that the sooner I get all of the students to properly and professionally sharpen their knife with their own hands, the sooner that pride will empower them to do magic with their most important tool.

I hope craftsmanship comes back with a vengeance in our field, as it has slipped in favour of style and glory.  One thing I do know, the good ones that survive, that remain, that keep doing it with passion and commitment, know their craft and know how to get better.

Tony Minichiello, Culinary Instructor

This term, more than any, I was privy to more details of every individual student.  I have always had an interest in the life of all my students for the simple reason that I connect to their very choice of work.  I am a believer that it takes a certain person – “good people”, as I like to call them-  to want to cook as their métier. Reflecting upon this, I am certain the reason is very simply the fact wannabe cooks believe it’s best to do something with all the passion and love one possesses. 

I’d like to share my view of these very fine people, for somehow they are not given the appropriate respect and attention they deserve.  Firstly, they are committed and , likewise, very passionate people.  They work hard, knowing even harder work and challenging wages await them.  Though many of my industry colleagues refer to them as “kids” (which I protest and correct them immediately), they are in fact some of the most mature people I know.  They are civilized, caring, thoughtful, team players, and honest -  literally salt of the earth.    

Graduation is an uneasy feeling for me.  I know these fine people must learn to persevere, take good care of themselves, be strong, organize their priorities, and basically survive the first 2-3 years.  The industry sometimes will take good care of them, and sometimes it will try to take advantage – too many businesses survive this way.  My hope is that one day cooks – the 99% of the people who prep and cook your food when you dine out, not the chefs – are treated by media and the general public with the respect they so deserve.  Long ago I entered this industry disillusioned, but fortunate to find myself with some really good people to keep me going.  I still feel our industry has a hell of a long way to go, and hope lies in the fact that each term I know there are very fine people going into the field with the vision, guts, and integrity to create change.  These students fuel my passion, my work, my métier.  Thank you.

Forever loyal,

Tony Minichiello

The “reality” of becoming a professional cook is the same old story no different than “when I was your age, I had to walk 3 miles to school, in the snow, uphill both ways.”   I hear it all the time, it’s well documented in culinary “reality” biographies and TV, pontificated by chefs and instructors alike. 

No doubt there is a reality culinary students must understand and compromise with when committing to this career:  it’s hard work, it takes patience and persistence, time, and incredible focus, even personal sacrifice to do one’s work very well.  But times have changed.  Those entering this field are no longer 14-16 years old - wide-eyed, malleable and dependent kids.  Can’t call the majority of them “kids” anymore as most going into this field, especially in North America, are in their 20’s, well-traveled, informed (and connected), bright (many with post-secondary education), independent (thus with their own living expenses), and willing change-agents (to borrow from Bill Clinton).  So that old story that if you want to make it in this industry you’ll have to make total sacrifices, work crazy hours, and receive little pay because that’s the way it was, has been, and will always be -  that doesn’t jive anymore.

What is needed, soon, is a paradigm shift.  I’m of this Barack Obama wave:  we can do better.  What is needed, soon, is fair pay, fair treatment, organized and structured training within the industry to keep employees, and responsible media.  In other words, the industry leaders need to assess the “old reality”, stop the denial, and create a new one - one that is fair to all, moves forward, and invites bright young people to commit positive energy for the better future of the hospitality industry that feeds so many people every day.  The public’s responsibility is to demand quality changes:  don’t forget, it’s people, not an industry, that cook your food and feeds you any time you decide not to feed yourself, and quality, cost, and health all go hand in hand.

Tony Minichiello, Culinary Instructor

You get attached to students as if they are your “own”. First they hang on to your every word, getting clogs just like you, sharpening stones just like you…soon they test you, changing a few ingredients here and there, before you know it, like “teens” they don’t want to hear from you too much and you have to let go (graduation day)…a few weeks/months pass, then they come back to say hi, see what’s for dinner (in our case lunch) tell us about their lives and sometimes you are a fly on the wall and see how much they’ve “grown up”.
That is what happened to me last night at the Chef’s table society fund raiser dinner at the Opus Hotel in Yaletown Vancouver. 7 of the better known Vancouver chefs joined 60 guests for dinner, the food , a 7 course dinner was prepared by their sous chefs, assisted by culinary students like Willie, John, Jorge and Slavita from the Academy.
One of these sous chef was our very own Hugh from Aurora Bistro. Hugh graduated from the Academy 2 1/2 years ago and after a few observations at the bistro was hired by chef/owner Jeff Van Geest. Since then we have seen Hugh off and on. Last night I was that fly on the wall, observing him , noticing how much confidence he has gained, maturity and how organised he was. With aplomb he “directed” the platting of “his” dish a coq au vin on hand-made egg parpadelle noodles, yes it was good and well seasonned, but I knew it would be. Hugh knows how to cook good food. What I was impresssed with was his focus and composure to prep/execute and orchestrate one of the 7 courses for a crowd of “who’s who in Vancouver” paying $250.00 for the dinner.
So like a proud parent, I shook his hand, told him it was a job well done and that I was proud of him and without lingering too much in front of his peers (not wanting to embarass him), I left into the night.
PS for more students stories visit out Blog under Food and Industry talk.
Chef Christophe

A lot of long hours & effort from the Academy’s Pastry Chef  Instructor Tim Muehlbauer & the current Professional Pastry & Bread students were rewarded last weekend at the 2008 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival.

A popular feature event at the festival is the “Vintners brunch” held at the Vancouver Convention Center. Approximately 20 hotels, restaurants, catering outlets & schools catered to 500 guests. The guests are free to “roam” around the room & try food from as many booths as their stomach can handle.  Each of the 20 participating businesses are given a wine to pair with either a savoury or sweet item appropriate for a brunch. 

Production of 500 portions of this dessert started on Friday & completed on Saturday.
This enriching experience was topped by being awarded the “best food & wine pairing” honour out of the 20 competitors - a great feather to place in anybody’s cap, especially for these soon to graduate Professional Pastry & Bread students.
Congratulations to all!

Chef Christophe
Owner, Chef Instructor

My class & I were given the task of pairing a dessert with the Mission Hills, Reserve, Riesling Ice Wine.  As a group we tasted the wine & identified the flavour profile.  Honeysuckle, lemon/citrus, green apple, elderberry, syrupy are some of the connections we made.  The main rule of pairing a dessert & wine is that the wine must be sweeter than the dessert. With that in mind, we came up with some great ideas & decided upon this dessert:

Fireweed Honey Mousse, Almond Dacquoise, Nougatine Biscuit Sponge, with a Lemon-Thyme Sable, & crème anglaise.

Not only are the flavours important to consider but also the textures of the different components, the techniques & eye appeal all come together to give an overall flavour of the dessert.

It takes years to develop a great palette & this was a great lesson to start teaching & understanding the difference between the “palette” compared to the skills & techniques needed to make a dessert.  There are many things to consider when creating food.  A trained palate can coordinate; orchestrate all the other skills & techniques needed to be creative & come up with new ideas.

Not only was this a good lesson in developing our palates but a lesson in preparing volume, as we made 600+ pieces.  Every piece must be consistent/perfect.  Attention to detail is a must.  Preparing the dessert, transferring the dessert from the school to the hotel, portioning & plate presentation are all critical elements.

On the day of the event, as a class we set up the booth.  Greeted the customers & had the opportunity to sample wine/food pairings from the other participants.

It was a great experience for all  & I look forward to participating again next year with the 2009 class.

Congratulations team & thanks for all of your hard work!
Chef Tim

At NWCAV we like to keep in touch with our graduates, and to follow & support them in their careers. We put out the call to our alumni for their input on this post, and here’s a diverse sampling from the multitude of responses we received.

ADAM

I graduated from Northwest in April 2005 after completing both the Professional Culinary and Professional Pastry and Baking courses.  After graduation, I was afforded the opportunity to complete a practicum placement in the pastry kitchen at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver.  From the Pan Pacific I moved to spend a year at Terra Breads, learning the art of artisan bread production.  With a desire to get back in the kitchen, I now find myself working as Pastry Chef at the Watermark Restaurant on Kits Beach.  Since starting at the Watermark, I have competed in, and won, the 2007 Belcolade Chocolate Competition; designed my first dessert menu; and learned how to more effectively manage the pastry department in a restaurant kitchen. 

Feeling confident and inspired by my chocolate competition victory, I am working towards opening a chocolate shop in the near future. In the meantime I leave February 17, and I’ll be spending 4 days in Barcelona, followed by a week in Belgium working at Belcolade in their chocolate centre, then I’m off to Valrhona to do a course in ‘gourmet pastries’ being taught by Christophe Adam from Fauchon, and I’ll finish up in Paris, getting back just in time for Easter, a new menu, and another summer on the beach at the Watermark (http://www.watermarkrestaurant.ca/).

I will stop by the school sometime before I leave. Hope all is well with everyone a the Academy, and I’ll see you soon.
-Adam

TARYN

Hello all,

My name is Taryn  Wa. I graduated from both the Professional Culinary & Professional Pastry & Bread Making programs in 2005.  Since then I have worked in a couple fine dining establishments to hone my skills. I also had the chance to work as a Sous chef for the Fusion Fare show on channel M.  “I currently run my own catering company ‘The Savoury Chef’ ( www.savourychef.com). We target multi-course dinner parties and cocktail parties. We supply light-savouries to ‘The Urban Tea Merchant’ located in Park Royal on a weekly basis. I have also started selling a product for the retail market titled ‘Seasonal Confiture Collection’, which is a great accompaniment to cheese and meat platters.  One of my most significant career highlights to date has been to orchestrate 8-10 course meals where the client has left the entire menu up to me, with no budget!

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The professional culinary students today did their mid-term practical exam, and performed quite well.  Yet, there was one aspect of their performance I would have liked to see… or hear, I should say.  We emphasize the importance of the knife till we’re blue in the face so the students realize the importance of this defining tool as THE springboard to their career.  What I didn’t hear enough was that wonderful pinging sound of a knife honed on a steel.  I am convinced that had they gathered their ingredients and started honing while staring down their carrots, shallots, mushrooms, rutabaga, celery and leek, those ingredients would not have stood a chance.  

The steel gives the cook an edge in many ways.  The obvious is it gives your knife more authority to cut through food.  More importantly, I think, it gives you a warrior’s attitude to use your knife with authority.

Tony Minichiello, Culinary Instructor

p.s. Check out this knife honing instructional video from our partner Rouxbe:

I had a great day yesterday, teaching both the professional students in the day and the serious foodie students in the evening.  So good in fact, I thanked both classes for the opportunity to have a good day’s work.

 A couple of months ago I dined with students who had helped me with my foodie classes at Fuel Restaurant.  The staff, without a doubt some of the best in the city, put together for us a 6 course meal - A SEPERATE 6-COURSE FOR EACH ONE OF US, that is, and with the musical plates, we had a 30 course experience!  The students were impressed, to say the least.  But the most impressive moment was when the kitchen came to our table to THANK US for the opportunity to make the experience memorable.

Just a couple of weeks ago, my teaching colleague, Chef Christophe, had one of those work days where he grabbed the bull by the horns and taught the charcuterie day at a most intense pace and with incredible enthusiasm.  He pushed the students that day, and they responded.  He ended by demonstrating a headcheese - it doesn’t get better than that.  At wrap-up, he thanked the students for a wonderful day.  

Chef Ian always ends the week thanking the students for a wonderful week - mind you, that always depends on how much the students put into it, but thankfully he almost always ends his week’s wrap-up on a positive note.

There’s something powerful about thanking the people around you who make your work worthwhile, especially when your energy is focused to doing them a service.  Those in the hospitality industry that understand this are the successful - and lucky - ones.

Tony Minichiello, Culinary Instructor

I remember once (in the early 90s) asking a culinary graduate (from another school) starting in her first week of industry experience,to make me a couple of litres of béchamel sauce.  She knew what it was, but did not know how to make it.  Worse was her next line:  “Isn’t it an old-fahioned, passé sauce anyways?”  I was a bit stunned, stupefied, confused, and at the same time annoyed by that comment.  I needed the béchamel to give a lentil moussaka I was making that wonderful binding texture.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to explain the virtues of this classic mother sauce for my present purpose.  I did have the time to point out to her, however, that if I didn’t have 2 liters of béchamel in 30 minutes, her position in the kitchen would be passé.  I pointed out the cookbooks on a shelf to guide her, but her attitude was still one of resistance.  It appeared she was convinced that she was too hip for our kitchen.

A wonderfully, well made béchamel is still a beautiful thing.  And it has its place.  The drawback is the fact its made with flour.  Anything with flour, whether a veloute or a demi glace, was discouraged by the Nouveau chefs of the ‘60s and ‘70s.  So bread, pasta, and pastries are fine, but sauces with flour are forbidden, for they supposedly leave an aftertaste and undesirable texture.  Again, if made well, a béchamel and veloute can be divine, with no flour taste.  In fact, if allowed to simmer properly, the flour proteins in the roux act to purify the sauce much like the proteins in egg whites do for a consommé.  A demi reducing with a brown roux (the true Espagnole) actually finishes with clearer flavours than one without (let’s not be foolish and believe that Escoffier never thought of reducing a brown stock to a demi without a brown roux…sometimes modernists are wishful thinkers). 

Flour is cool.  Butter is cool, as is duck fat.  Duck fat is even cooler because it’s a through-back, as is an all-carbon French knife.  The original 6 hockey jerseys will always be cool.  I thought I was cooler than all my teachers and those old fart industry chefs when I graduated from culinary school.  Then  again, I never thought I was cooler than my grandmother, which means my sense of cool was wishful thinking. 

Tony Minichiello, Culinary Instructor  �