Yellow, red, white and sweet onions all bear different qualities and thus require different approaches to maximize their exquisite flavor and texture contributions to a dish.

By Robert Danhi

Many dishes begin with cooking an onion, but why? Because no other ingredient adds subtle sweetness and bolsters other flavors at the same time quite like an onion. In fact, the type of onion, the way it’s cut and the way it’s cooked all affect the flavor and texture of a finished dish in dramatically different ways. So, when you set out to create a new dish or you just want to tinker with an old favorite, pay special attention to the onion.

Types of Onion
While leeks and scallions can play a delicious role in cooking, globe onions of all kinds—yellow, red, white, sweet—and shallots are more assertive and versatile in cooking.

Yellow onions are all-purpose. Readily available and inexpensive, I use them more than any other type. They have the strongest flavor of all globe onions, so they are best when cooked. They’re usually my first choice for stocks and broths.

White onions retain their firm texture. They're a bit milder than yellow onions, so they can be eaten raw (in a salsa or on a hamburger), but they're also strong enough to hold up under heat. I especially love how white onions hold their shape and texture when sautéed.

Robert Garlough’s goal is for graduates to become a source of intense pride to the Middle-Eastern kingdom’s foodservice and business communities and the college’s programs to be respected worldwide.

Laureate International Universities (LIU) announces longtime hospitality educator Robert Garlough, MS, HGT, has been appointed founding executive director of the new Laureate Tourism & Hospitality College of Excellence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was most recently president of The Culinary Group, a consulting firm to the foodservice and culinary-education community. Prior to that, Garlough served as the founding program director for the Hospitality Education Department (renamed the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education) at Grand Rapids Community College, where he worked for more than 30 years.

Garlough assumes his position during a time of great expansion and investment by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has instituted a multi-billion-dollar plan to build and operate “Colleges of Excellence” for Saudis seeking vocational-technical educations in a variety of skill areas. The KSA is embarking on one of the largest vocational and technical education reforms in the world, increasing its capacity from currently 110,000 students to more than 400,000 students by 2020.

A multi-stage tender process has been launched to select the best training providers for setting up and operating 26 new colleges in the kingdom. These colleges will be independently run by international providers and regulated, funded and overseen by the Colleges of Excellence Corporation on behalf of the Saudi government. New college buildings are provided, built with state-of-the-art designs and providing space for up to 2,000 students.

For the first time, researchers and campus visitors can now schedule appointments to view.

After years behind closed doors, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) archives and special collections is now available for public viewing. The Archives and Special Collections room is located in the Conrad N. Hilton Library on the CIA’s Hyde Park, N.Y. campus. It houses materials from the college’s history, a collection of more than 30,000 menus from 80-plus countries dating back to 1855, and a rare books collection.

The treasures include a history of the college written by cofounder Frances Roth, handwritten recipes by famous chefs given to Craig Claiborne on his 70th birthday, and a menu signed by legendary late 19th/early 20^th-century chef Auguste Escoffier. These and other items, along with a selection of rare books, were on display at a grand opening held at the library on Jan. 21.

The archives and special collections are available to researchers and campus visitors by appointment. Learn more about the archives at ciachef.libguides.com/archives. To schedule an appointment, contact Nicole Semenchuk at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or 845-451-1270.

A roundup of predictions for this year from the most respected sources.

Courtesy of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts

Consumers didn’t increase their visits to restaurants in 2013, but when they did visit they spent more. Indeed, consumer spending was up 2% over a year ago, driven by growth in average check size. What does 2014 look like in terms of foodservice patronage? Where will Americans eat, and what and how will they choose to eat when they dine out?

The Kendall College School of Culinary Arts in Chicago keeps its finger on the pulse of menu and dining-out trends, and for 2014 consulted three leading global information companies—plus the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot culinary forecast that surveyed nearly 1,300 members of the American Culinary Federation—to compile the biggest predictions for the foodservice industry in 2014.

Fast Casual Grows Fast
If last year was a struggle for full-service restaurants, casual dining and midscale/family dining, the fast-casual segment continued its growth trend in 2013, with traffic up 8% in the year ending September 2013 compared to same period a year before, according to The NPD Group. Says Mintel, new fast-casual concepts focusing on customization, quick service and convenience are gaining customers who are willing to pay more for better quality and healthier foods. Better-burger chains, health-focused concepts and made-to-order pizza restaurants are on the rise.

This special-edition flavor forecast commemorates McCormick’s 125th anniversary with predictions for such trending flavors as chamoy sauce, cassava flour and tea.

Hunt Valley, Md.-based McCormick & Company, Inc., a global leader in flavor, unveils its McCormick® Flavor Forecast® 2014: 125th Anniversary Edition.

The report, developed annually by McCormick experts around the world —including culinary professionals, trend trackers and food technologists—highlights five top food trends and more than a dozen emerging flavors that will inspire creative and delicious menu innovations for years to come. First launched in 2000, this Anniversary Edition explores how today’s unparalleled connectivity is driving faster-than-ever adoption of new trends and tastes around the globe.

“Today’s expectation when dining out is about exceptional taste experiences, so this Anniversary Edition can be an inspiration point for foodservice professionals,” says Megan Ford, vice president of sales  and marketing, US Industrial Group, McCormick & Company.