Legendary Chef Larry Forgione Teaches Students
"It's a Way of Life"
Media Contact
Tyffani Peters
Media Relations Specialist
707-967-2322
t_peters@culinary.edu
St. Helena, CA – The
Culinary Institute of America has launched a new program that allows students
to study farm-to-table cuisine with legendary chef Larry Forgione at the
college's California campus, the CIA at Greystone. The American Food Studies: Farm-to-Table Cooking concentration brings students from the CIA bachelor's degree management
programs in Hyde Park, NY to the epicenter of the farm-to-table movement in
Northern California.
Visitors to
the CIA at Greystone will reap the rewards of the students' culinary lessons as
they dine on their creations at The Conservatory. This student-led "crop-up"
restaurant will be open to the public Friday and Saturday nights, beginning
August 2 and 3, in the Williams Center for Flavor Discovery on campus. The
multi-course tasting menu will focus on seasonal ingredients that are grown and
harvested by the students. The cost per person is $65, and reservations can be
made by calling 707-967-2300, or at The Conservatory
at Greystone's page on www.opentable.com.
This 15-week
travel component of the CIA's Farm-to-Table Cooking concentration is a
conservatory-style, hands-on educational model for students who want to be part
of a community working to create healthy, sustainable, and delicious food
systems. Led by the program's culinary director and co-founder, Chef Larry
Forgione, students will begin a journey to learn the concepts of environmental
stewardship and food ethics, and facilitate the exchange of ideas as they
explore these vital topics. Forgione, who graduated from the CIA in 1974, is
hailed as "the godfather of American cuisine," and has been credited with changing
the way Americans eat today by embracing the virtues of our national cuisine
and using only seasonal, local ingredients. He has worked in some of the best
kitchens in Europe and America, and in 1983 opened An American Place, which
earned three stars from The New York
Times.
"I want
students to learn the phrase 'farm to table' is not just a tag line or a marketing
ploy," said Forgione. "I want them to learn it's a way of life. Only at the CIA
will they get the chance to work with some of the greatest names in American
food and develop an increased awareness about creating fresh food made with
sustainable ingredients."
Over the
course of the semester (15 weeks), students will receive a hands-on education
on three CIA farms, where they will work with Forgione and Farm Manager
Christian Dake, previously a farmer for the Baker
Creek Seed Company and a founder of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Festival. The
CIA farm locations at Deer Park Road, the Charles Krug Winery, and on the CIA
at Greystone campus will be hands-on learning labs where the students will
plant, nurture, and harvest ingredients.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image
Chef Larry
Forgione during The Culinary Institute of America
Leadership Awards at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on Thursday March
29, 2012. (Photo Credit: CIA/Michael Nelson)
View hi-re image >
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent,
not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with majors in
culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary science, as well as
certificate programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. As the
world's premier culinary college, the CIA provides thought leadership in the
areas of health & wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines &
cultures through research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 45,000
alumni that includes industry leaders such as Grant Achatz,
Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Johnny Iuzzini,
Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi. The CIA also offers courses for
professionals and enthusiasts, as well as consulting services in support of
innovation for the foodservice and hospitality industry. The college has
campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena, CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore.
# # #