The Kendall CollegeSchool of Culinary Arts announces the addition of Austin Yancey, CEC, CCE, PCEC, to its adjunct faculty. A lauded chef and educator, Yancey will be teaching Nutritional Cooking and one of Kendall’s Culinary Certificate courses. 

“Kendall College proudly welcomes Chef Yancey to our teaching family,” says Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE, MBA, dean of the school. “Chef Yancey’s wealth of experience and achievement in culinary instruction, professional cooking and formal competition on the global stage—combined with his effusive reach-for-the-stars philosophy and attitude—will continue to advance Kendall College’s distinction as an international leader in culinary education.”

Most recently a culinary-arts instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Chicago, Yancey discovered his love of and passion for cooking as a young boy working alongside his grandmother in her Greenville, S.C., kitchen. There, she introduced Yancey to the wholesomeness and pronounced flavors of naturally raised and harvested ingredients years before farm-to-table cooking and eating became the American ideal.

A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, Yancey started his culinary journey at Caliterra (since closed), the Saddle & Cycle Club and the Zurich Skyline Suite at Soldier Field.

Entries in the 2014 Discover Duck Recipe Contest proved that the possibilities with duck are boundless. Concepts ranging from Latin-influenced entrées to decadent desserts and upscale state-fair favorites captured the attention of judges who awarded more than $19,000 in cash and prizes. Sponsored by Maple Leaf Farms, the annual contest challenged professional chefs and culinary students to produce original recipes showcasing Maple Leaf Farms duck. More than 260 recipes from across the country were submitted.

“This contest gives chefs and culinary students a chance to showcase their culinary talent and creativity,” said Maple Leaf Farms’ director of marketing, Cindy Turk. “Each year we look forward to seeing a lot of innovative and inspired recipes, and we have never been disappointed.”

Duck & Sweet Plantain Lasagna Pastelon captured the Chef Category Grand Prize, earning executive chef Daniel Ramos of Quail Ridge Country Club, Boynton Beach, Fla., $10,000. Chef Dennis Chan of Blue Bamboo, Jacksonville, Fla., claimed the second-place prize of $1,000 with his Peruvian Duck Ceviche.

Additional finalists included Candied Duck Bacon Maple Fried Ice Cream created by executive chef Eric Lackey of Ulele, Tampa, Fla.; Quacker Jacks by lead chef instructor Tom Chamot of New York Wine & Culinary Center, Canandaigua; and Savory Duck Confit Cannoli by production chef Stephen Belin of Georgia Southern University/Lakeside Café, Statesboro, Ga.

The Culinary Institute of America and Half Moon Theatre, the Hudson Valley’s leading year-round professional theatre company, recently announced a new partnership that will bring New York-style theatrical performances to the Hyde Park campus. The CIA’s new 800-seat, state-of-the-art Ecolab Auditorium in the Marriott Pavilion makes it possible for visitors to enjoy a meal in either the The Bocuse Restaurant, American Bounty or Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici prior to experiencing one of Half Moon Theatre’s productions.

The CIA will offer a special pre-show, three-course, prix-fixe menu prior to each performance for $39 per person. As many of the productions will feature food themes, the CIA’s chefs will create unique menus for specific performances, giving diners an enhanced overall experience.

Now entering its eighth season, Half Moon Theatre (HMT) is a Hudson Valley-based company of local actors, directors, playwrights, designers and producers who have also worked extensively in New York, Los Angeles and at regional theaters around the country. HMT has produced world-premiere plays, Broadway hits, an original children’s opera and an annual 10 Minute Play Festival.

Twenty restaurants across the United States were recipients of 2014 Achievement of Excellence Awards from the American Culinary Federation (ACF) this summer. Three of them are on The Culinary Institute of America’s Hyde Park, N.Y. campus: American Bounty Restaurant, The Bocuse Restaurant, and Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici. In addition, nine CIA graduates were honored at the organization’s awards event held during the ACF national conference in Kansas City, Mo., in July.

“Achievement of Excellence Awards are presented to foodservice establishments that go above and beyond to promote the culinary industry and provide customers with a rewarding experience,” said ACF President Thomas J. Macrina, a 1976 CIA alumnus. “The Culinary Institute of America’s commitment to providing hands-on learning opportunities for its students through these restaurants is noteworthy.”

The National Restaurant Association recently unveiled its comprehensive food-handling training guide for Feeding America’s broad network of food-bank employees, agency staff and volunteers. The “ServSafe Food Handler Guide for Food Banking” is a customized program designed to educate Feeding America’s 200 food banks and more than 60,000 agencies on the proper implementation of food handling and safety.

The NRA’s ServSafe team worked together with Feeding America to survey operators within the Feeding America network, conduct focus groups with participation from more than 20 food banks across the country, and tour network agencies and food banks in order to better understand Feeding America’s operations. 

Discover homegrown American lamb stories and recipes to inspire your menu. A new booklet from the American Lamb Board shares information on American lamb from shepherds to chefs across the country. The booklet also includes chef-developed recipes including chorizo-spiced lamb loin and merguez flatbread. To order your fee copy of the booklet, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..