Thomas Recinella, CEC, ACE, AAC, program director for Baker College of Port Huron’s Culinary Institute of Michigan, has been inducted into membership of the prestigious Disciples Escoffier International-USA. 

This premier gastronomic society was founded to honor renowned French chef Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935). Its members are culinary professionals who maintain French haute-cuisine standards, promote relationships between professionals and students, organize culinary events, collaborate closely with schools, and unite all Disciples Escoffier from around the world in the true “Esprit Escoffier.”

“Chef Recinella’s induction into Disciples Escoffier honors his dedication to the culinary arts and his vast contributions to our culinary-arts program,” said Dr. Connie Harrison, Baker College of Port Huron president. “We are proud of his accomplishments and are excited about what his association with this elite gastronomic society will add to our students’ experience while at the Culinary Institute.”

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) is proud to announce that its Certified Executive Pastry Chef® (CEPC®) credential received accreditation through the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) under the Institute of Credentialing Excellence. This is the third ACF certification program accredited by NCCA.

Accreditation by NCCA provides independent validation that the CEPC® program meets or exceeds 21 standards concerning various aspects of the certification program. Accreditation validates the integrity of the program and is a sign of quality. The additional certification programs accredited by NCCA are Certified Executive Chef® (CEC®) and Certified Sous Chef® (CSC®).

As students go to college this fall, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) is offering them exciting new education options. These new concentrations—in beverage management, farm-to-table cooking and Latin cuisines—give students the chance to focus their studies on a particular area of interest in the food world.

Students enrolled in the bachelor’s-degree-management programs at the CIA’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus can choose a concentration that includes 15-credit semesters at the college’s campuses in St. Helena, Calif., or San Antonio, Texas. Visitors to those campuses can reap the rewards of the students’ lessons with new and exciting dining experiences.

“The rapid pace of foodservice innovation is creating new demands for specialized skills and knowledge, and opportunities for students to get this knowledge within their broader education are critical for career success,” says CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC. “Professions develop specialties as they advance—which is very evident in medicine and law. This is also true for the culinary profession, where specialized cuisine and management knowledge are key for restaurants seeking new ways to sharpen their competitive edge and profitability.”

The concentrations expand upon the college’s bachelor’s-degree programs that pioneered culinary-management education in the 1990s.

Students in the Advanced Wine, Beverage, and Hospitality concentration spend a semester at the CIA’s Greystone campus in the heart of California's Napa Valley wine country. Throughout the program, they get an upper-level wine-and-beverage education and study the advanced principles of management as they relate to hospitality and restaurant service.

Kendall Collegeannounced in August that itsaccreditation has been reaffirmed by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for 10 years—the maximum amount of time allowed. In addition, Kendall’s School of Culinary Arts’A.A.S. in Baking and Pastry and A.A.S. in Culinary Arts programs’ accreditations from the AmericanCulinaryFederationEducationFoundation’sAccrediting Commission (ACFEFAC) have been renewed and awarded “exemplary” status. Exemplary status means programs meet the highest possible educational standards recognized by the ACFEFAC.

“HLC’s reaffirmation of our accreditation for 10 years is an endorsement of the quality, reputation and student-centeredness of our programs,” says Emily Williams Knight, president of Kendall College. “In commenting on the strengths of our programs, the HLC team noted, ‘the staff, leadership, advisory and executive board shared a consistent passion for how Kendall is focused on being a student centric organization.’ The team also noted that ‘since the last HLC visit in 2004, Kendall College has made significant—and in some cases exemplary—progress with its institutional and learning assessment processes.’”

OMNI-TV host and associate producer Lucy Zilio visited the Culinary Arts Centre at Centennial College in Toronto recently to take in the sights and aromas of a live kitchen lesson. In a video (110 seconds) on the program’s website, Zilio speaks with chef and professor Samuel Glass about the special focus Centennial’s program places on international cuisine. Visit http://www.centennialcollege.ca/successstory/omnitv-culinaryartscentre to watch the video.

Centennial’s shiny new Culinary Arts Centre is a great teaching and learning facility designed with students in mind. The kitchens are spacious and well lit to ensure the safety of all users working in what can be a busy and creative environment. The teaching is hands-on with students working side by side with instructors, while large-screen video equipment can play back instructive lessons and provide real-time feeds and access to Internet and broadcast content, as well.

Centennial College is Ontario’s first community college, established in 1966. It primarily serves the eastern portion of the greater Toronto area through four campuses and seven satellite locations.

PHOTO: Chef and professor Samuel Glass (r.) of Centennial College in Toronto discusses education best practices with other instructors during the roundtable lunch at the 2013 CAFÉ Leadership Conference in Miami in June.

Chef Reginald Martin, culinary-arts instructor at Westside High School in Houston, Texas, is the recipient of the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s 2013 Educator Excellence Award. Martin has been leading Westside’s program since 2008 and has more than 100 students enrolled in the program. 

The Educator Excellence Award is presented to an educator who has made significant contributions to culinary education through both an unwavering dedication to students and a strong presence in the community using the Texas ProStart curriculum.

“Reggie works tirelessly to provide the most rewarding culinary and hospitality education possible for his students,” says Jerry Walker, TRA Education Foundation chairman and owner of Lunada Tex-Mex Grill, Dallas. “According to his students, he has taught them professionalism, teamwork, ethics and leadership skills. These are skills that they will take with them no matter what career path they pursue.”

Martin is also a successful business owner, and his industry experience and connections with other industry leaders allows his students to engage in unique learning opportunities and gain real-world experience.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by my peers in the education and restaurant industry,” Martin says. “Receiving this award really validates our students’ achievements in the Texas ProStart program. We have worked extremely hard at Westside High School to challenge our students in the classroom through the Texas ProStart curriculum to prepare them for careers in the hospitality and restaurant industry. This award is a daily reminder for me to strive for excellence as I educate the young culinarians that will be the future of our industry.”

The award was presented at the 2013 Southwest Foodservice Expo, June 24, in Dallas. Texas ProStart is an industry-based high school culinary arts and restaurant management program that prepares students for careers. Currently, the program is offered in more than 200 Texas high schools, reaching more than 15,000 students annually.

PHOTO: (l. to r.) Linda Bebee, Texas Beef Council; Don Courville, Auto-Chlor; Reginald Martin; Earl Mulley, TRA Education Foundation chairman.