Update: CHIC Organic Garden

Chef John Fuente and his students are totally "digging" the garden. Chef's students prepared a squash blossonm stuffed with bleu cheese and served withtomato coulis...he also used cucumbers and herbs freshly harvested from the thriving garden...Weather has been great and cooperative,but the bunnies are a little too aggressive. I had to resort to some homwgrown concoction of cloves, cinnamon to ward them off.

ICES Convention St Charles, Illinois

Late last year, Mark Seaman, who served as one of the judges for our Gingerbread Competition asked us to lend a helping hand in the construction of the Illinois show cake for the International Cake Exploration Society. I immediately agreed, and Mark delivered the fondant, styrofoam and wooden board for the project. We started working on the project in February, I believe, with the help of a lot of students. This week, the annual convention started at the Pheasant Run Resort and will continue on until Sunday, Aug 2. We also helped set up the tiers, made hundreds of rocks, wrapped black eyed susan stems, cattails, served as gophers, and whatever necessary to finish.

The tiers were designed to represent all of Illinois, from the corn fields, to the violets (Illinois state flower)to the Elgin Joliet train line, the jazz instruments, the Fox River, the prairie landscape, and the Chicago skyline.

Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day

The Cook County Circuit Court Clerk's Office asked us to do a demo on the Take your Daughters and Sons to Work Day. We had about 60 4th to 6th graders attend the cupcake decorating demo on the 10th floor of the Daley Center on Randolph, downtown Chicago.

Mary Anselmo and Aquila Thomas were in charge of the event and helped us through the heavy security of the building with some of our not so police friendly tools.

The Kids all had a great time even if they were not particularly fond of the Swiss buttercream.

CHIC Garden Club Bake Sale

For the students, by the students, of the students.....continuing to be self reliant and understanding the need for financial responsibility and sustainability, the CHIC garden Club conducted a fundraiser to help establish the garden on the north end of the building. The students, instructors, with the help of Chef Juanita's angels, produced, wrapped and bagged, sold and marketed cookies, easter bunnies, cupcakes, baguettes and dinner rolls, etc....

It was a tremendous success, way beyond our expectations. We had hoped to make at least $300 to cover topsoil, compost, seeds, bone meal, blood meal, chicken wire (vs the rabbits) and white picket fencing. And we made $850. We were kidding around that with this money, we can hire a landscaper....just kidding.

CHIC Urban Parking Lot Garden Paradise

Groundbreaking

Armed with shovels, spades, rakes and ready for action muscles, instructors, staff and students broke ground for what should be a promising organic culinary garden. Mixed with a butterfly sanctuary, the garden is being dug up right in the middle of what once was one of Chicago's toughest neighborhoods, in the CHIC parking lot, now CHIC, hip and very urban.
After digging for a while, we soon realized the muscles were not ready for the very thick grass on the north side of the school, and we ran off to Home Depot to rent a rototiller. The garden right under the admissions window was a breeze, but the other side across the way was really tough, so we decided we will cover it with about a foot of topsoil to kill the grass. This area gets full sun and this will be the vegetable garden. We plan to install at least six different tomatoes, six types of basil, at least 4 kinds of peppers, zuchini, cucumber, beans, oriental vegetables and but of course, thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, some mint. I am even trying to get roots on a store bought lemon grass.
After the back breaking hard labor, Chef John bought the group some Bari subs and Chef MIke brought some soda.
This week, we will amend the soil with store bought topsoil, some manure from the horse farm , compost, peat moss and perhaps some bone meal or blood meal. for some slow released food. BY next week, we hope to plant.
Thanks to evrybody who came and participated. Bill Mustari, Chef John with Matthew, Michael and Alexander, Chef Mike Skufca, Emily Johnson, Sala Schweiger, Tabitha tattone, Daniel Crum, Andrew, Gerry McCarthy

ACF Central Regional Conference

Le Cordon Bleu North America is a sponsor in this year's ACF Central Regional Conference. Chef Christian Faure, MOP, flew in from Ottawa just for the ocassion. I was given the honor of introducing him. Here wasmy little speech:

Good Morning. Welcome to the ACF Central Regional Conference.

Our guest this morning, Chef Christian Faure started his interest in Cooking and Baking at an early age of 6, preferring to hang out in his mother’s kitchen than playing with the neighborhood kids.

Chef Christian started his apprenticeship at age 14, started competing at 18 and soon after earned his position as chef de station at the House of Dallayou.

Chef Christian’s list of accomplishment is staggering. He opened successful pastry shops Victorinne, Citronelle and Sesame in Paris. He managed the Centrale Patisserie for the Flo Prestige in Paris and later Flo, Nice.. He was also Executive Pastry Chef of the Grand Hotel of the Cape Ferrat and the Royal Hotel Riviera

Chef Christian has also has worked alongside many culinary giants including Alain Ducasse and Mario Muratore at Hotel de France in Monaco, where he also oversaw the events of the Palace of Prince Albert of Monaco. Chef also opened the Royal Hotel of Lebanon and was also Executive Corporate Pastry Chef of Circle Management of Lebanon.

In 1997, Chef Faure obtained the supreme title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France, glacier, the best worker of France from then French president Jack Chirac.

Just a few days ago, Chef was honored by the Government of France and bestowed the title, Knight of the Order of Agricultural Merit at a ceremony hosted by the Ambassador of France to Canada.

In 2006, after working for 30 years all over the world. Chef Faure accepted a position with Le Cordon Bleu International to inspire, to teach young talent, the long standing culinary excellence associated with The Le Cordon Bleu Schools and to help maintain and respect the traditions of French gastronomy.


Please welcome the Executive Pastry Chef of Le Cordon Bleu International and most importantly, a very good friend of Le Cordon Bleu Chicago, Sir Chef Knight Christian Faure, Meilleur Ouvrier De France, Glacier.

LCB Chicago Photo Shoot

For the launching of CHIC's new name, Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts, Chicago: a photo shoot was scheduled for wallscapes and catalogs. I was asked to produce a few plated desserts. Chef Mike Skufca helped out with a few croissants and danishes from his laminated dough class. My student Raylissa Morales came to help with my prep.