New Look
Well, it seemed time to get modern and use a program to manage the growing email list, so as they say, here goes nothing. I don't exactly know what I'm doing. Your feedback is appreciated.
Milestones Reached in February
Wow, it is hard to believe but we reached our 2000th student, 5000th certification, 1500th HACCP and 1000th MCFE all in the span of the last month. This since I did my first Symposium at the Coast Guard Academy in 2004. My hat goes off to Master Chief Chuck D'Amico, who started it all by asking me what IFSEA could do to provide training for Coasties at the Academy. And the rest, as they say......
Navy Voucher Program Grows
Thanks to my pushing and the assistance of so many military friends, the Culinary Specialists have gotten 23% of all the certification vouchers gotten by everyone in the Navy, 19% came through the Symposiums and I guess the other 4% were by ACF - not sure, just know not me. Over 2300 credentials earned by Navy through me under this program. And now, Hospital Corpsmen are eligible to take the food safety courses - so everyone tell your HM friends to get their CPFM and CHM certifications. They may inspect the galleys, and they are the recipient of our foodborne illness patients, so they should know, and it should help them get jobs after the Navy.
Army Program Works For Symposiums?
I await the word any day, but it seems that the new Army AVOTEC will pay just like the Navy does. The key was for us to be listed on the Army COOL web site and we are, so tick tock we wait for the news. Stay tuned, soldiers around the world await the great news.
Upcoming Locations
Well we keep adding exciting locations - heading to Sigonella, Sicily, Japan, Guam, the White House, Secretary of the Navy's office, four two-week blocks in Hawaii coming up. Colin Sendall has joined the team , with Frank Cocheo, so we can now do three in one week which we do have coming up. |
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Specializing in Food Service  TrainingThe company is owned and operated by Ed Manley, MCFE, CHM, CPFM, a career Naval Officer, hospital food service director, President of IFSEA for 18 years and a graduate of the hotel school at Cornell University. Visit My Website click here |
First lady emphasizes fresh foodsWhen Michelle Obama visited Miriam's Kitchen, a Washington soup kitchen that serves fresh foods, she urged people to serve similar foods to their families and the needy in their communities. It's a stand that many are applauding. Said the editor of Gourmet: "Clearly Mrs. Obama is making a point. She thinks communities across the nation deserve to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables." The New York Times
Military Culinary Competition 2009
Plans are now underway for the next great event at Marine Barracks in Washington, DC. Plan to arrive on Friday, September 25 for a day or orientation and training and then enjoy the competition on Saturday. As part of Oktoberfest, we will have almost 10,000 people to watch you cook. Last year's Coast Guard team is anxiously awaiting their two-weeks at Disney training experience, while those who got the $1000 and $500 prizes for 2nd and 3rd place are no doubt wishing they had saved some for these tough times. 20 teams are available, or you can come as an individual and we'll put you together with others. Sign up now at www.ifsea.com and select Military and then Military Culinary Competition.
McDonald's, the only Dow Jones Industrial Average stock besides Wal-Mart to close 2008 with a gain, isn't resting easy. Its executive heir apparent, Ralph Alvarez, is rethinking the construction of new outlets and trying to take more of the coffee market from Starbucks, while cutting gas hogs from the company's vehicle fleet. The COO spends much of his time traveling to McDonald's restaurants around the world, sometimes hiding behind a hat and dark glasses, to test operations. The Wall Street Journal (free content)
IFSEA Conference in AtlantaLots of great education, networking, trade show, military awards, and you can take the MCFE test at the Hilton in Atlanta, April 2-5. My wife Judy did a fantastic job with a new record of 125 booths, and let me throw another networking thank you to Jerry Thornton with Government Food Service; he is our biggest booster. Showcasing military chefsA contest ending Friday showcases the skills of military chefs. The complicated dishes being served and judged a la "Iron Chef" are a far cry from the MREs eaten in the field. The Washington Post
Assessing what diners are looking forIt's time to move away from menu "upselling," an industry watcher says, and toward assessing what your customer wants. A Hooters executive offers an example: On a hot day, instead of just asking diners what they want, a server might say, "Boy, it's a hot day today, who could use a cold beer?" Briefing Online
The year of the sliderWith diners paying more attention to their health, as well as their wallets, mini-foods are growing more popular. Burger King has added sliders to its menu, and PF Chang's has added mini-desserts. The Orange County Register (Calif.)
What do all those green-packaging words mean?There are a host of packaging products that claim to be sustainable, and QSR breaks down what each of the buzz words means. Compostable and recyclable packaging relies on takeout customers to compost or recycle, while "biodegradable" doesn't mean much on its own. Products that are recycled are the best bet. QSR Magazine
Pearson Education Publishes My BooksAgain, showing that networking works, FS1 James Swenson (www.militarychefs.com) put me in touch with Pearson, which was looking to gain a big presence in the growing HACCP trend. As a result, Food Safety 101: KISS - Keep It Safely Simple is our new food safety book from Author Ann Anders. It is bound with the HACCP Implementation Manual. If you remember the IFSEA Hotline last year where you look at the magazine one way it was Hotline, flip it over and it was the Military Awards Program Book. We did the same with these two books. Also re-published is the Restaurant Manager's Guide. We will launch the books with a special invitation dinner at the Food Safety Summit in DC and will have them at the IFSEA Trade Show. www.pearsoned.com
Why "free" works as a business modelDropping a price to zero -- even if the previous price was only a penny -- is so powerful that it bends the demand curve. "Suddenly demand shoots up in a nonlinear fashion," Wharton professor Kartik Hosanagar says. What Adobe strategists, cosmetics makers and nightclub managers know is that the power of free can boost sales of related products -- or of the same product but to a different population. Knowledge@Wharton (free registration)
Top 10 tips for restaurateursChicago Tribune's Phil Vettel gathered 10 tips for restaurants to follow. Among them: Keep regulars happy; pay attention to basic service; and pay attention to feedback. "We're doing all kinds of things not to eliminate jobs. We train people to be able to fill in at another restaurant where it's busier. By being flexible and doing that, you preserve people," Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises' Rich Melman said. Chicago Tribune
Love it or hate it, cube steak is backWhether you call it a cutlet or chicken-fried steak, the cube steak is back, if a bit controversial. In her ode, Kim Severson talks to people who love it, but also to those for whom it brings back bad childhood memories. The New York Times
Rare wines for a stealRestaurants that once had a hard time getting their hands on cult wines are finding them readily available -- and at bargain prices. And for diners, that means their money goes further on the wine list. Los Angeles Times
For pastry chef, dreams are about dessertKelly James, pastry chef at Pittsburgh's Sonoma Grille, talks about staying creative in the kitchen. "I think about it and dream about it constantly," she says. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
You can get a daily email from the Culinary Institute of America with tips on what's hot in the culinary field.
Restaurants can make some simple changes to surviveThe San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer says restaurants have plenty of room for service improvements. Some suggestions include: Give everyone at the table a drink list, put someoneexperienced and friendly at the door, and reconsider some of your drink prices. San Francisco Chronicle/Between Meals blog | |
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