CAFE Ep 91 - Leading Educational Change
CAFE Talks Podcast
At a time of uncertainty within higher education, it is refreshing to know that there are knowledge leaders working to define what opportunities stand before us. Artificial Intelligence, education as a service industry, on-line education, enrollment decline, value assessment vs. rising costs, and an audience that doesn’t learn the same way that previous generations did, all combine into a stew of challenge; a stew that needs the right amount of seasoning from educational leaders, faculty members, and potential students. Join Robert (Skip) Meyers, PhD as CAFÉ Talks leads a discussion...
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CAFE Ep 90 - The Artist in Us All
CAFE Talks Podcast
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CAFE Ep89 - Real Life Repetition Leads to True Competence
CAFE Talks Podcast
Everyone learns differently, yet many educational models focus on a standardized approach. To some, a traditional college education sets the stage for a successful future while for others a trade school is more appropriate. With respect to culinary education there is little argument over the value of a hands-on approach and the importance of real-life experiences. Evolving from the early apprenticeship model, culinary schools have been very successful at teaching the “why” associated with skill development and only with the addition of “how” experiences such as on-campus restaurants,...
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CAFE Ep.88 - In Service of the Potato
CAFE Talks Podcast
We may think that a protein is the center of the plate for most restaurant menu items, but based on popularity, variety, and pure satisfaction – the potato reigns supreme. From baked, mashed, hash browns, roasted, and scalloped to the mighty French fry, people love potatoes. Idaho produces nearly one third of all the potatoes available on the U.S. market. The “spud” state offers a perfect environment for growing exceptional potatoes, especially the classic russet. The volcanic soil, desert climate with more than 280 days of annual sunshine, and a commitment to 100% irrigation make Idaho...
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CAFE Ep 87 - Teaching not to forget - An International Experience
CAFE Talks Podcast
To understand the history and traditions of a country, to walk the vineyards and farmlands, enjoy the aroma of Prosciutto di Parma hams hanging through a long cure, to slice into a wheel of 24 month aged Parmigiana, or savor the deeply rich, tangy, and slightly sweet flavor of barrel aged balsamic – this is a real education. Walk through ancient Rome and feel the energy of a thousand years of societal evolution, to be in the presence of skilled craftsman who built this country of Italy over dozens of generations and step into the trattorias that are the centerpieces of Tuscan villages with...
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CAFE Ep 86 - No Child Hungry
CAFE Talks Podcast
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE – This is what drives chefs and cooks – we want to use our craft to have an impact on how people feel, act, interact, and enjoy life. A well-prepared plate of food is the ultimate vehicle for expressing our feelings, our heritage, our belief in humankind, and how we inherently want to bring joy to other’s lives. For some, that plate of food is hard to come by. Food insecurity and a lack of understanding how to prepare and present wholesome food for a balanced diet remains one of the greatest travesties in our country and around the world. Chefs can have an impact on...
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CAFE Ep 85 - Make My Day - Cooking with Heart
CAFE Talks Podcast
Chefs have always served an important role in bringing people together and brightening their day. Cooking and a plate of food is comforting and part of a wellness regiment, but it can be so much more. It is a form of expression and a vehicle for storytelling, a way for people to connect, and a perfect vehicle for setting aside or embracing our differences. When chefs understand these ancillary opportunities then a whole new perspective on the craft comes into play. Join CAFÉ Talks for a chat with Chef Adam Ochs whose experiences in clubs, grand hotels, and fine dining restaurants...
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CAFE Ep 84 - The Wine Experience
CAFE Talks Podcast
We lift a glass of wine and toast the wonders of a life well lived. In its color we see the care of the winemaker, its bouquet – the influence of terroir, its texture, the purity of the grapes from its humble beginning, and the experience the joy of being with those with whom we share it and the artistry of the craftsman. To a chef, wine is the most extraordinary friend to his or her work on the plate, the exclamation points to the flavor coaxed out of beautiful ingredients. Wine must be discovered, relished, cherished, and understood to fully enjoy the story that it has to...
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CAFE Ep 83 - Every Leader Needs Followers
CAFE Talks Podcast
Manage, Lead, Coach, Repeat – a tried and true process that sets the stage for success in any business. Managers and leaders, although not always the same person, are the facilitators of business success, but it is the followership team that provides the fuel for this to occur. It is a leadership mindset designed to inspire, listen, mentor, and unify that must permeate a team if the end goals of an organization are to be met. The manager may keep the organization within the guardrails of performance, but it is the leader/follower relationship that provides a vision and the “why” for...
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CAFE Ep82 - Embracing the Benefits of Change
CAFE Talks Podcast
It’s a brave new world where what was once comfortable is now unpredictable. So many of the models of prediction that we used in restaurants and in culinary education, no longer work or work as well. The need for a great restaurant experience and the demand for qualified cooks and chefs has rarely been better, yet addressing needs, making decisions, and solving problems seems impossible at times. Chefs need the right tools in a changing marketplace – tools designed to function well in a less predictable environment. Tools that can help a chef with concept development, menu design, recipe...
info_outline Most would agree that chocolate is the ultimate comfort food. No matter your state of mind – chocolate makes things better. In fact, Chef Alain Ducasse stated: “Everywhere in the world there are tensions: economic, political, religious. So, we need chocolate.” Pastry chefs are admired and even revered, but the chocolatier is on a whole other level of awe. Chocolate stems from an agricultural product “cacao” and exhibits the same complexities and variances as grapes and wine. Those who master its secrets hold the key to culinary happiness. Join CAFÉ Talks Podcast for a comforting interview with Pastry Chef and Chocolatier, Josh Johnson of Guittard Chocolate as he takes us on the journey of a cacao bean to its destination as chocolate in a professional kitchen. “Chocolate is ground from the beans of happiness.”
-Terri Guillemets (quotation anthologist)