Two students’ winning dishes featuring Mexican avocado were enjoyed by attendees of CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference.

Mexico is the leading source of fresh avocados in the United States. To celebrate the versatility and goodness of Mexican avocados in foodservice, Avocados From Mexico (AFM) hosted a recipe competition among students enrolled in the two schools that served as sites for CAFÉ’s 2013 Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., in June: Johnson & Wales University, N. Miami campus, and Miami Culinary Institute at Miami Dade College.

Dilia Capuzzo, representing Miami Culinary Institute, won with her Avocado Crème Brûlée. Her goal was to create something tropical, summery and cool to say “Miami.”

Ruben Santa-Robles, representing Johnson & Wales University, wowed judges with his Mediterranean Avocado Flatbread, which paired creamy avocado with the complementary tastes of salt from prosciutto and brine from capers.

Both dishes were served at the welcome reception on June 20, eliciting delight from conference guests. (Recipes with accompanying photos may be downloaded using the links below.)

AFM is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mexican Hass Avocado Importers Association (MHAIA), formed for the purpose of advertising, promotion, public relations and research for all stakeholders of avocados from Mexico. Under agreements, MHAIA and the Mexican Avocado Producers & Packers (APEAM A.C.) have combined resources to fund and manage AFM, with the intent to provide a focused, highly effective and efficient marketing program in the United States. AFM is headquartered in Denver.

Photo:Students Dilia Capuzzo from Miami Culinary Institute and Ruben Santa-Robles from Johnson & Wales University won the recipe contest sponsored by Avocados From Mexico at CAFÉ’s 9^th-annual Leadership Conference in Miami, Fla., June 20-22.

DOWNLOAD, Avocado Crème Brûlée

DOWNLOAD, Mediterranean Avocado Flatbread

At the inaugural Menus of Change™ summit co-presented by the CIA in June, experts in foodservice, health science and social change presented information on topics relevant to what today’s health- and environmentally conscious consumers expect from corporations, foodservice operators and business leaders.

Attendees at the inaugural Menus of Change™ leadership summit, which opened June 10 in Cambridge, Mass., are examining the future of food and the challenges facing our country in terms of health, healthcare and our food systems.

Co-presented by The Culinary Institute of America and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), Department of Nutrition, the Menus of Change program and accompanying annual report (www.menusofchange.org) provide a “GPS” for today's foodservice executives at a time when the food industry is being reshaped by concerns about obesity and healthcare costs, how food is produced and sourced, and declining global resources.

“It has been exciting to see the leaders from different sectors—foodservice, the environment, nutrition science and business—interact with such drive and commitment,” says Dr. Tim Ryan, CMC, president of the CIA. “Menus of Change is helping them find common ground at the intersection of some of the most pervasive issues that face our industry and our world, and we are setting a meaningful course of action toward solutions.”

Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar honors the diversity of South and Central America and the Caribbean by representing several regions on the menu, overseen by executive chef Joseph Tis. Although applications and flavors are authentic, the menu must have broad appeal. After all, just what does Latin food really mean?

By Lynn Schwartz

It’s hip. It’s sassy. It’s Latin. Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is a smash hit and expanding—opening its next location in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area in early August.Executive chef Joseph Tis will be overseeing a menu that features an American interpretation of the vibrant flavors of Central and South America and the Latin Caribbean, with a special nod to the cuisine of Cuba.

This is nuevo Latino, a mix-and-match culinary style, which is at once familiar, exotic and diverse. But many Americans mistakenly assume that Latin means Tex-Mex, requiring Tis and the Paladar team to coax the less-adventurous diner to try something besides a chicken taco.

Introducing a New Cuisine
Latino Americans are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. Like Latino culture and music, the flavorful foods are gaining popularity, even with those Americans who cannot pronounce pupusa, ropa vieja or chimichurri.

The awakening is similar to other cuisines that have been adopted into American mainstream culinary habits. Mexican food is now viewed as commonplace, and it was not so long ago that Chinese food only meant chop suey and fortune cookies. Paladar is among the pioneers, basing its restaurant concept on an up-and-coming and still-evolving fusion cuisine. “We create our dishes by blending and borrowing from a wide variety of traditional Latin recipes,” says Tis. “It’s our own spin.”

Paladar (the name is taken from paladares, a Cuban term for small, home-based restaurants) opened its first location in Cleveland in 2007. The owners are not of Latin descent, but are galvanized by the cuisine’s diverse flavors and creative spirit.

Recognizing and respecting differences among people is characteristic of our industry, and a reality in most workplaces. In the classroom, honoring differences also creates a positive environment where everyone is welcome and feels safe and included.

By Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT

Last month, we discussed ways to promote diversity in our classrooms, a continuing challenge for many of us, especially when it involves more than just focus on different foods, in itself a great activity. This month, we will discuss honoring and celebrating differences—moving beyond recognizing diversity to making special notice of ways in which people are distinguished, one from another.

Reasons for Honoring
There are many reasons to honor individual differences, not the least of which is making the classroom a positive environment where everyone is welcome, everyone feels safe, and everyone feels included. In addition, honoring differences is characteristic of this industry, and a reality in most kitchens, restaurants and hotels. And as a way of contributing to the growth of the profession, we need to role model accepting and honoring differences.

Several Strategies
In trying to honor differences, I practice three of four different strategies: learning and using students’ correct names, remembering and mentioning particular details of their lives, publically recognizing aspects of their lives, and organizing groups that recognize the range of differences.

From opening and staring into a hot oven until the inside temperature plummets to reasons not to overcrowd a frying pan, Chef Weiner discusses how to successfully teach some hard-to-learn rules in the culinary classroom. For one common practice among students, however, he still seeks a solution.

By Adam Weiner, CFSE

In June I had the privilege of attending CAFÉ’s Leadership Conference in Miami. There are two reasons I love the conference: 1) the seminars and 2) the out-of-seminar discussions.

Let me share with you one of the out-of-seminar discussions that a group of us had at the breakfast table. The topic is particularly appropriate since many of you will be reading this at the start of your school year. What Is the Hardest Thing to Teach New Culinary Students? Here is our top 10 list:

1. Tasting
This is really two categories. Tasting as you cook, which is somewhat easy to drill into new students’ cooking routines. The other is far more difficult: getting people to taste the foods in the first place. I have many students who think I am trying to kill them by giving them a piece of beef that is cooked less than well done. Don’t even ask what they say about ceviche! I have had a little success with tough love: “This is what we are serving. If you don’t want to eat it, that’s fine.” However, if you do this better, guard your pantry and walk-in because they will try to make their own food, thinking you won’t notice.