Comments on my Practicum in Japan (by Anya Keefe)

It all started with a single question: “Chef Marco, when you lived in Japan, did you ever try kaiseki, the meal developed to accompany the tea ceremony?” Little did I know that my question would lead to three months of ‘hotel research’ in the pastry kitchen of the Odawara Hilton Resort & Spa in Odawara, Japan. Click here for the full story…

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Terra Nova Schoolyard Project

NWCAV is pleased to support Chef Ian Lai as he continues to develop and expand the Terra Nova Schoolyard Project. This non-profit project connects elementary and high school students with the earth, the community around them and agriculture at large. Students learn to grow, monitor, harvest and eat nutritiously on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The 5000 square feet of program space is provided by the City of Richmond in a 63 acre rural park in West Richmond. Many of our professional culinary and pastry students participate at the Schoolyard Project as an extra curricular activity on the weekends. Chef Ian Lai recently spoke at the North American Food Security Conference and delegates were able to visit the farm site. For more information please visit www.esy.8k.com

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Attention Serious Foodies

We are please to announce a new schedule of amateur classes for the Serious Foodie starting in January. Please click on the class names below for course descriptions & registration information:

S.F. Culinary Basics – eight Monday evenings, starting January 22nd
S.F. Pastry Basics 1 (various) – four Saturdays, starting January 6th
S.F. Pastry Basics 2 (chocolate) – four Saturdays, starting February 3rd
S.F. Pastry Basics 3 (cake decorating) – four Saturdays, starting March 10th
Taste of the Tropics Kids class – January 27th

Other exciting classes will be posted to our NWCAV Events Calendar as dates are confirmed. Watch for S.F. Advanced Culinary later in the year, as well as 1-day “world cuisine” classes!

Keep in mind that we also host great private parties! Perfect for a corporate team building event, birthday party or any other excuse to bring together friends, family & colleagues in a creative & educational manner.

Give the gift of cooking - Gift Certificates are available in any denomination!

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We need your feedback!

NWCAV is considering offering a Part-Time Professional Culinary certificate program in the future. It would be a condensed version of our current full-time program, and would emphasize hands-on techniques intended for those with a professional interest in “the industry”, and for those who simply want to take their personal skills to a professional level. Classes would run 2 days per week (one mid-week evening & one weekend day) for 12 consecutive weeks. The cost would be approximately $3500 (including tuition, text, tools & uniform). Please respond by email with your comments (pro or con).
chefs@nwcav.com

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BC Chefs' Association 2nd Annual "Salon du Chocolat" Competition

For the second year running we participated in the chocolate competition highlighting local Pastry Chefs, students & aspiring pastry chefs. This year’s competition attracted 56 entries from Vancouver, the Lower Mainland & even Alberta & Ontario. Familiar names such as the teams of Thomas Haas fine pastries, the Pan Pacific Hotel & Lumière Restaurant, to name just a few, raised the bar of this year’s competition. Several Culinary Schools such as Vancouver Community College, Art Institute/Dubrulle & Northwest Culinary Academy participated, and our Pastry Chef Marco Röpke was one of the judges. We are proud to say that our own Professional Pastry & Bread Making student, Monique Choptuik, captured a silver medal in the plated dessert competition! Utilizing excellent single-plantation chocolate from Michel Cluizel, Monique’s creation consisted of three components: figs in financier batter, black currant sorbet on a linzer cookie with a sugared hibiscus flower & lime & a dark chocolate mousse with hibiscus jellé on a devil’s food disc with hazelnut success sponge covered in a chocolate glaze (see photos inset). Congratulations Monique!

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