At any educational institution, lunch is an important time for the students. Not only is it a time for sustenance, but also a time for socializing with fellow students. At César Ritz Colleges Switzerland, lunchtime at their in-house 'McRitz' is all that and more! Not only are the meals healthy and interesting, but also, students prepare and serve the meals as part of their learning development. Additionally, students can join the Chef's table, imagined by the Culinary Arts Academy. One of the Culinary Arts students, Charles Delvaux, explains further.

Every Wednesday and Thursday during the 2011 winter term, the second year Culinary Arts students gastronomically visit a part of the world with a special focus on culinary fusion under the guidance of Chef Cortland. This always takes place at the demo kitchen that is so well equipped, it also comes with a camera that films the cooking area so that students and guests can see the preparation, cooking processes and techniques used on two, large flat screen monitors. They can also ask questions to the chefs in front of them.

The culinary themes range from anywhere around the world whether it be that found in South America to that in the Far East. Recently, the menu was based on dishes offered in Korea, Japan and China including such delicacies as sushi and teriyaki. In the past, menus have also included dishes from North American, India and various African countries.

Once the meals are ready, students then can 'dig in' and enjoy what they have seen prepared. Then, after lunch, they further help the learning process by filling out an evaluation form that is combined with the evaluation from the professional chefs involved. This feedback is very important for the young chefs who every day improve and get closer to their dreams of becoming professional chefs. The food is excellent and the decoration amazingly creative. Compliments to the chefs!

Charles Delvaux (Luxemburg), Foundation Degree Culinary Arts student

Inspired by Tim Burton´s famous movie, Chef Urs Schneiter took his 2nd term Culinary Arts Academy students to see one of Switzerland´s most jealously kept secrets: the art of chocolate making.

There are many chocolate producers in Switzerland, such as Lindt, Camille Bloch and Cailler. We chose to visit the house of Villars, which celebrated its 110th birthday last year.

Villars chocolate factory
The students arrived in Fribourg and visited the old brick factory shop in search of the company´s newest and most exquisite creations. The General Manager of Villars and his sales team greeted the students and gave them a brief history of the company and chocolate making. While chocolate is produced in many parts of the world, the Swiss are very particular when it comes to quality and taste. The key to successful chocolate is choosing the right mix of cocoa beans from around the world (predominantly from Africa and South America), and controlling the temperature of the chocolate to give it its physical characteristics and shine.

From the roasting to the packaging, every step of the process is carried out within the walls of the ancient house. At Villars, everything possible is produced in Switzerland; even the auxiliary ingredients necessary to the production, such as sugar and milk, are from local farm producers. The machines used for the assembly lines, some from before the 1940s, have created many chocolate bars.

The Swiss, who are the world´s largest consumers of chocolate (12 kg per person per year compared to only 2 kg for the Japanese), are proud of their top-quality national product.

Charles Denervaux

Find more about Villars Chocolate Factory >>

On Monday 28th February, the second term Culinary Arts Academy students, accompanied by Head Chef Muller and Chef Cortland, visited "Le Trinquet" restaurant and "Gate Gourmet" which is the world's largest independent provider of catering services for airlines and railroads.

At "Le Trinquet", the students were given a tour of the business operations and kitchen production by Chef Marc Patry, who formerly worked at César Ritz Colleges for over 10 years. "Le Trinquet" restaurant works with GastroSuisse in the city of Geneva as a formation institute for unemployed people who are interested in improving their professional skills in food operations. They prepared a three-course lunch which the students enjoyed. The first course was a tomato-mozzarella salad, followed by a paillard of beef and a poached apple covered in puff pastry as dessert. The second term student, Charles Denervaux commented, "The presentation of the dishes was flawless, but certain products were a bit out of season. Overall it was a satisfying experience."

After thanking the team for their time and effort, the Culinary Arts students continued to "Gate Gourmet" at Geneva airport.

This aircraft catering company is present in five continents and 27 countries. Gate Gourmet serves 227 million meals per year and has 107 production kitchens all over the world. This group provides products and services for companies, such as Swiss International Air Lines and easyJet. The high standards of hygiene are one of their major priorities: every visitor was given a hat, overcoat and plastic shoe-cover in order to follow the strict sanitary norms of this company. Sales manager Dominique Tharin gave the students an excellent an informative tour. The taste, appearance and weight of every dish are controlled by hundreds of standard recipes. At the end of the tour, the students had the opportunity to ask the Unit Manager Tommy Foehn questions. Many students showed interest in following a career in airline catering.

Find more about Gate Gourmet >>

There were no seats left in the dining room when Jules Metzger, the Banquet Manager, welcomed the guests for the dinner on Friday 26th February. The Culinary Arts Academy students had worked hard to prepare the food for the Scandinavian theme night. Jack presented the special Icelandic menu, surprising the guests with some rather unusual dishes.

Arni Solonsson, our representative in Iceland and César Ritz alumnus, plus eight of our Icelandic students now studying in Brig, together with Mrs Marga Cretton were among the guests. As the menu was being presented, Marga decided that she was no longer hungry! The Icelandic students were very amused by the expression on her face, while Arni assured her that these dishes would not be served. Luckily he was right: the food was delicious and was nothing like the "special" dishes on the menu. The food was of a high quality and very much enjoyed by everyone there. The entertainment was also excellent, starting with a "straw water drinking" competition (using secretly broken straws), where the winner was judged not on quantity but on speed. This was followed by the choice of the best dancer, and the evening ended with a great Karaoke competition.

However, one of the "special" dishes was served as a treat after the dessert, reserved for those who were either curious or brave enough to taste it: small pieces of raw shark accompanied by a strong Icelandic alcohol: the "brennivín". Others present, but less brave, were able to sample the "brennivín" without the shark.

Chef Denis Martig was recently in Thailand, where he held a five-day advanced pastry course in Chiang Mai on behalf of César Ritz Colleges. Later, in Bangkok, Chef Martig participated in a charity event for the flood victims in Thailand.

A total of 14 professionals attended the course in Chiang Mai. The course started with an introductory lecture on European pastry. The differences between countries were explained in detail because of the strong influence of geographical location on flavours and ingredients.

The idea was that the participants would follow the demonstration given by Chef Martig and them bake cakes themselves. The participants had the opportunity to learn about many traditional French pastries, such as the St. Honoré cake, Opéra cake and Chocorêve cake. It was then time to revisit some Swiss classics like the Zugerkirschtorte, Bundnernusstorte, St. Moritz tart and the famous Black Forest.

Baking for flood victims
Each group produced two kinds of cakes, pleasing and surprising Chef Martig by their professionalism. The last day of the course was especially enjoyed by all the participants, as it was dedicated to chocolate candies and chocolate showpieces.

The feedback given by the participants, who gained a lot of insight into European pastry cooking, was extremely positive. Chef Martig himself was very satisfied by the event, brilliantly organized by César Ritz Colleges' official representative in Thailand. On his way back, Chef Martig participated in a chocolate demonstration in Bangkok to collect funds to repair damage caused by the floods in the country. Chef Denis Martig is famous for creating the wedding cake for the legendary American singer Elvis Presley, at Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.

Find more about Chef Denis Martig >>

The FBK ("Schweizer Fachmesse für Bäckerei- Konditorei- und Confiseriebedarf") is the only fair specializing in articles for bakery and pastry in Switzerland held annually, this year from January 23th to 27th, in Bern. An average of 30,000 people attended this fair each year from different sectors of the industry. Over 200 exhibitors presented their products for all kinds of needs.

The exposition is an obligatory meeting point for professionals of the sector and has shown the economic importance of this traditional craft. Among all the professionals, students of the Culinary Arts Academy, under the guidance of Executive Chef Alain Müller and Pastry Chef Urs Schneiter, had the opportunity to attend the fair.

Within its four main halls, the students had the choice to visit all kind of stands, including: Exhibitors presenting classic and new machinery and tools of each size for various uses, for small and medium sized productions. Pastry and bread booth, different foods could be tasted. Chocolate producers exhibited their newest creations. Packaging providers for pastry boxes, glass bottles, menu designs. Many other products were represented, such as cash machines, cleaning products, furniture, even life insurances were offered!

Swiss Chocolate Master show
However, the main draw of the fair was undoubtedly the Swiss Chocolate Master show, which qualified one person to take part at the World Chocolate Championship. Six candidates from all over Switzerland came to the capital to test their skills as chocolatiers among each other and in front of a 12 person jury composed of Swiss professionals. At the end of the two day competition, Claudia Schmid, confectioner for the famous Sprüngli, Zürich, emerged victorious. The second place was taken by another woman, Pilar Ricciardi, leaving the male competition to round up places three to six. The students who were lucky enough to taste the creations certainly did not disagree with the jury´s choice.

Find more information about the FBK conference >>

Chef Alain Müller, Culinary Arts Academy Executive Chef was invited to be part of the jury for the 44th annual gastronomic contest organized by world famous Taittinger Champagne.

The "Prix Taittinger" was held at the prestigious Lausanne Palace & Spa hotel and presided over by Mr Clovis Taittinger, Deputy Export Director of Taittinger Champagne. This competition attracts talented chefs from all over the world who must follow a standard recipe.

This year, "Filet de Bondelle à la Neuchâteloise" was one of seven recipes which the competing chefs transformed into an exquisite dish. The contest provides a perfect opportunity for the participants to demonstrate their creativity, skill and passion for food.

Taittinger Champagne
This event has a famous name and a worldwide reputation. Each year, hundreds of participants apply to compete with the best professionals from the industry and show their creativity and talent. The competition was created in 1967 in honour of Mr Pierre Taittinger, founder of the Champagne house, who had a great love of gastronomy and was interested in promoting traditional French cuisine.

Recognition of great expertise
Chef Müller was once more invited to be part of the expert panel of judges at this prestigious culinary competition. This is a clear recognition from the industry of Chef Müller's experience and expertise. Chef Müller has worked for over 16 years at César Ritz Colleges and at the Culinary Arts Academy, where he has played a fundamental role in leading this successful programme.

Find more information about the Taittinger Champagne Gastronomy contest >>

The Culinary Arts Academy students took part in a culinary competition specially designed to challenge them. Working in pairs, they had to shop with an allocated budget, design and prepare their own menu.

To challenge the students to work under pressure and to think like managers, Chef Alain Müller set specific rules for the competition and the shopping excursion: Prepare a three-course menu in two hours, with a budget of 20 CHF.

The students were taken to the farmers' market in Lausanne, where they had two hours to buy the ingredients needed for their menus. Chef Müller explained to them about the seasonality of different ingredients, and specialities from the region. This information turned out to be very important!

After creating a menu and shopping for all the ingredients, the group of young chefs returned to the Culinary Arts Academy to prepare their menus.

Two hours to win!
Not much time was given to create a complex meal, and in fact only two groups were able to finish their menus on time. The colour, flavour, and presentation of the three-course meal was evaluated. The purpose of the competition was, however, about showing the students how to work under pressure, for them to learn about time management and to enhance the team spirit!

A challenging activity that will certainly remain in the students' memories!

As part of the Culinary Arts Academy programme curriculum, the students take part in several industry visits. The latest one took the students to the famous Villars chocolate factory.

Among the Culinary Arts Academy students visiting the Villars Swiss chocolate factory this Fall, Susana Selle from Guatemala shares her experience with us. Susana is currently finishing her third term and she is looking forward to her internship at the prestigious Hotel Parc des Eaux-Vives, starting in January 2011.

“When I was told that as part of our pastry class we would have the opportunity to visit a chocolate factory, I couldn’t have been more excited. Even more so when I found out it was going to be Villars, one of the best in Switzerland.

As a culinary student with a special interest in pastry, chocolate has always been something I adore. The fact that you can melt the chocolate with butter, simply add egg yolks and whisk it to thicken it up and have such a perfect and amazingly delicious creation, is something that I have always found mesmerizing.

The visit was all I expected and even more! We were able to see everything from the raw materials to the finished product. The final chocolate tasting gave added value to this unforgettable visit. It was a perfect day!”

Susana Selle (Guatemala), Higher Diploma in Culinary Studies

Find more information about Chocolat Villars >>

Working as a team, Culinary Arts Academy students and the Service students made one of the most important Oenology events of this year in Switzerland a moment to remember.

On the first weekend of September 2010, the Vinea Association (Swiss wine association) organized the largest Swiss open air wine fair in Sierre, Switzerland.

Vinea invited as guest of honour the wine “Châteauneuf-du-Pape” from Les Côtes du Rhône France. The historical Valais winery chosen this year was Albert Mathier et fils located in Salgesch, Switzerland.

César Ritz students in the Historical winery of Albert Mathier et fils
Albert Mathier et fils is an historical family winery with 80 years of family wine tradition. Albert Mathier et fils uses an ancient Georgian method of fermentation in seven clay amphora directly imported from Georgia and buried following old traditions of wine elaboration.

In order to present this excellent ancient technique, now implemented in Salgesch Switzerland, Mathier et fils chose César Ritz Colleges to organize a very special event.

Well-known international journalists in the domain of Oenology and Gastronomy were invited to a fine wine tasting, to visit the vineyards and to a presentation these amphora.

Professionalism and Hard Work of César Ritz service and Culinary Arts students
Surrounded by vineyards this was the perfect place to taste this great wine and discover the combination of this traditional technique with the Swiss grapes from the canton of Valais.

The aperitif was served in the wine cellar by our service students. Wine and “Plats de Terroir” Valaisans were offered followed by a creative buffet menu.

Graced with wonderful weather, the event continued at the terrace of “Le Chalet des Vignes de Vignon”. The Culinary Arts Academy students prepared the food at school and made the last arrangements at the chalet. Included in the cold buffet was a delicious beef, tuna and scallop trio tartar, smoked salmon roulade and melon with air-dried ham. The hot buffet was composed of many delicious dishes such as prawns in red curry, duck confit money bags and morel and truffle cappuccino. The César Ritz students gave this event an added value with their professionalism and good service attitude.

"The attitude of the students was very positive. They showed all the time good motivation, initiative and friendliness."
Mr. Albert Mathier

Find more information about Vinea Swiss Association >>

The Culinary Arts Academy chefs are passionate professionals. Among these is Chef Müller, head of our Culinary Arts Programme, who was recently awarded the title of Chef Rôtisseur by the exclusive “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” for his hard work and contribution to the international professional culinary world.

In tribute to the visiting 15 members of the St-Gallen delegation (“Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” - Bailliage de Suisse), the second term Culinary Arts students under supervision of Chef Müller, Chef Cortland and Chef Urs created a remarkable menu, which certainly delighted all the guests present. We were privileged to receive the “Bailli Régional du Valais”, Monsieur François Recordon. Motivated by a real-life experience and these important guests, the students showed interest and enthusiasm during their performance for this event. The final product was very positive and the students were happy and proud of their hard work.

Hands-on practice at the Culinary Arts Academy students
Advance planning was required for this excellent menu with its mix of flavours and perfect combination of colours and textures. The surprise “amuse-bouche” was a perfectly seasoned summer truffle risotto, followed by a colourful papaya salad on fine Tataki beef. The creative main course was pork mignon wrapped in air-dried ham, accompanied by veal sweetbreads, potato-coated poached eggs and roasted onion purée. The finishing touch was a delicious chocolate coulant with an unexpected blue Roquefort cheese filling. Some of the wines on the menu were: Dole Blanche “Le Bosset” 2009, Cynoir “Le Bosset”, 2008 and Malvoisie “Le Bosset”, 2006.

A special menu for our very special guests!

More information (in French) >>

Culinary Arts Academy Executive Chef, Alain Müller was recently honoured and invested as a member of the famous “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” during a traditional ceremony at the prestigious Montreux Palace Hotel.

It was an enjoyable weekend for the Culinary Arts Academy Executive Chef, Alain Müller who was recognized by his peers of the “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” and made Chef Rôtisseur. Chef Müller was inducted to the “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” in the traditional way with a sword and swore to honour the culinary and table arts. The association’s aim is to promote gastronomic values and encourage the development of the culinary arts. These goals are fulfilled by the organization of seminars, reunions and events for members and their guests. Over 100 new members were welcomed at the event, in the presence of several celebrity chefs including Anton Mosiman and Irma Dütsch.

The “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” is an international gastronomic society dedicated to bringing together members from around the world who appreciate wine, cuisine and fine dining. In 1291, Louis IX created a corporation of the finest cooks of France, which is the model followed by the “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” when it was founded in 1950.

From June 4th to 6th 2010, students from the Culinary Arts Academy of “César Ritz” Colleges invited the local community to “Savourez le Monde” (Taste the world) with a unique restaurant event as part of their final exam, with all the proceeds going to a local charity “Terre des Hommes”.

Temporary or “pop-up” restaurants have become very fashionable across Europe and so when the opportunity arose to run an event here on the Bouveret campus the students jumped at the chance to showcase their skills!

A real team effort
Students from the second year of the Culinary Arts Academy provided the culinary direction and delivered a gourmet menu, combining cuisines from Mexico, Africa and Asia. Whilst students from the Higher Diploma and Bachelor programmes were on hand to ensure a high level of service was maintained throughout the three-day event.

Fully booked restaurant
This event was a fantastic platform for students to demonstrate their skills learned since they started their courses at the Culinary Arts Academy and the perfect occasion for the local community to experience the “César Ritz” dining room. The event was very successful, with all the tables booked out in advance for the three day of opening. In total over 180 people accepted the invitation and experienced some delicious dishes such as Springbok skewers, Mexican Cerviche and Indian Tikka Masala dishes. The blending of flavours and the touch of exoticism definitely delighted the local community.

Culinary Arts Academy Executive Chef, Alain Müller, was honored to be part of the jury of HUG’s 7th annual challenge “Tartelettes Phantasia”.

Along with other well known chefs such as Chef Oskar Marti and Chef René-François Maeder, Alain Müller travelled to Lucerne, where HUG, the famous high-quality pastry company organized the 7th edition of “Tartelettes Phantasia”. This year was Chef Müller’s sixth participation in the competition’s jury.

On his way to Lucerne, Chef Müller had the privilege to spend time with The Swiss Culinary National Team, savoring the cuisine of Friedrich Zemanek, team captain.

“Tartelettes Phantasia” is a competition aiming to bring out the chef’s creative potential. The chefs are challenged to find the best creation and the most decorative gastronomic plate presentation. The competition is looking for the magic talent to convert a dish into an innovative appetizer and a dessert plate! The competition is divided into two categories: apprentice and professional chefs.

The winners of both categories (apprentices and professionals) received the opportunity to travel to Florida for 10 days to the Notter School of Pastry Arts to experience Chef Ewald Notter’s creativity. Chef Notter is a former culinary Olympic gold medalist and world champion. He was also awarded the title of Pastry Chef of the Year in 2000.

The competition was featured in the “Salz und Pfeffer” gastronomic magazine. To read the full article (in German) >>

Official HUG website >>

Foundation Degree leading to Bachelor Degree in Culinary Arts to be launched in October.

After many months of planning the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland (CAA) will launch a Foundation degree in Culinary Arts validated by Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in the UK. This qualification will lead directly to a Bachelor of Arts degree (Hons) in Hospitality Management with Culinary Arts. The validation committee from MMU visited the CAA, on the Bouveret campus of “César Ritz” Colleges (CRCS), in the last week of May and were very impressed with the facilities available to the students. The committee felt the programme for the students had an excellent balance between professional and academic development and were amazed at the very high level of culinary expertise displayed by the students within the programme. The committee also made a special note of the great dedication displayed by the highly qualified and experienced staff and commented very positively on the strong links with industry which the college maintains and the very strong links with the alumni through more than 30 active chapters.

The first intake for the Foundation Degree in Culinary Arts will commence in the Fall Term starting on October 4. Students who successfully complete the programme will continue to receive the Higher Diploma in Culinary Studies as well as the Foundation Degree validated by MMU.

Our second year Culinary Arts Academy students recently had the pleasure of learning with famous Swiss pastry chef and chocolatier, Denis P. Martig, just one of our renowned industry professionals who consult to “César Ritz” Colleges and the academy on a regular basis.

In-depth demonstrations and chocolatier theory were followed by the students getting some real hands-on experience of making chocolate confectionary in the form of truffles, tempering, molding Easter egg creations and chocolate house construction. They simply sound too good to eat!

During Chef Martigs career he has prepared deserts and wedding cakes for the rich and famous, if you would like to find out more about his fascinating career and celebrity clients check out his website:

www.chefdenismartig.com

Javier Muñoz Calero, graduated in 2000 from the “César Ritz” Hotel Management Programme in Le Bouveret, before following his passion for cooking with the Cordon Bleu School in Paris. Recently appearing in several Spanish magazines, Javier has become a bit of a Celebrity Chef.

After having been very successful in the Belaunde 22 tapas restaurant, he opened in February a very special restaurant, the t.a.r.t.a.n. (yes, a very Scottish interior) which quickly became one of the most fashionable places in Madrid. A journalist from the “Critica Madrid Comer” named it a “Ver y ser Visto” place where people meet to see and to be seen. Javier also features in magazines like Harpers etc. as well as on TV, where he demonstrates his favorite recipes.

“My time at “César Ritz” Colleges taught me a lot about living with people from different nationalities, learn and accept different points of views, and to become sensitive for the values of details. The awareness of details was a real eye opener, especially in our service course, where we experienced what effect a small difference can make.”
Javier Muñoz Calero

www.unrestaurantellamadotartan.es

So you are passionate about food, but do you want to photograph everything you eat? Alex Lee a former student of “César Ritz” Colleges obviously felt the need to document his diet! Find out more about this curious new phenomenon in a recent New York Times article…

More on the New York Times article >>

Recently, Chef Alain Müller, Culinary Arts Academy Executive Chef, was invited to participate in a series of events at Oklahoma State University (OSU), known as the Distinguished Chef Series Event. This event brings top Chefs to campus, allowing OSU students and faculty to work hand in hand with the Chefs who share their skills with them. Hosted by OSU’s School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration College, this popular event celebrates this year its 18th edition, inviting each year Chefs and restaurant owners that have made significant contributions to their profession. Chef Müller worked with Chef Philippe Garmy and the students to produce a gala dinner for about 240 guests for this event. The event was a great success, receiving a long standing ovation!

Tasting for the cause
While at Oklahoma State University, Chef Müller was asked to be part of the expert jury in the second edition of the prestigious “Cochon 555” event held on campus. “Cochon 555” stands for 5 Chefs, 5 pigs and 5 winemakers and is an event traveling through 11 cities in the United States, promoting heritage breed pig diversity by inviting five top Chefs to prepare their own interpretation of a heritage breed pig. Chefs also had to prepare a sweet dessert made of heritage breed pig. One inspiration even included chocolate with crisp bacon! Chef’s preparations were then noted by the panel of guests and professional judges based on criterions such as utilization, presentation and overall best flavour. In total, each judge ate about 1 kilogram of delicious meat!

Heritage breed pigs are known for their rich and hearty taste, distinct marbling, bacon flavours and creamy fat.

And the winner is…
Chef Scott Romano of Charlie Palmer at the Joule in Dallas, TX prepared a Wiener schnitzel with spätzli to win the competition and was awarded the title of “Prince of Porc”. This competition however remains friendly as it was created for a cause: Saving rare breeds. Chef Scott Romano will therefore join all the other winning Chefs from around the country to participate in the Grand Cochon final on 20 June 2010 in Aspen, Colorado.

While at Oklahoma State University, Chef Müller confirmed that a group of students from different universities including OSU will once again come to “César Ritz” Colleges in Le Bouveret in June for a European summer experience. This summer experience includes practical kitchen and wine classes, demonstrations and industry visits.

More on the Distinguished Chef Series Event >>

More on the “Cochon 555” >>

On 13 March 2010, three 2nd year Culinary Arts students together with 13 “César Ritz” Hotel Management students took a field trip into the darkness at Blindekuh in Basel, in the German part of Switzerland.

Blindekuh is a restaurant concept that launched in 1998 to promote the culture of blindness, and mutual understanding between sighted and the blind people.

The familiar becomes the unknown
There was nothing dark about the reception at Blindekuh. Led by our lovely waitress, whom we were informed is blind, we past a thick black curtain and officially entered the dining room. We were unable to see anything. Initial feelings included, claustrophobia, anxiety and fear. We were experiencing something we had never experienced before.

Once we were led to our table, we were shown with our hands where our cutlery and water glasses were so we were able to self-orientate. In order to make the experience more special and exciting, all of us decided to order the surprise menu, which included a three-course menu that was only revealed to us at the end of the meal.

Sensory evaluation
In a regular restaurant, we eat with our sight before we taste with our palates. We know when the food is arriving because we see it. In Blindekuh, we knew the food was coming because our other senses started working over time. The smell of food arriving was the start of the lengthy discussion over the two-hour dinner about what we were eating.

Finally, the menu was revealed to us. Many of us were pleased that we guessed the right ingredients and others rolling in laughter of the ridiculously off track dishes we thought it was. Was the food fantastic? It was good. How was the experience? It was priceless. Is it a place to visit again? Definitely!!

Michelle Lee (Singapore), 2nd year Culinary Arts student

Executive Chef Alain Müller of the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland will act as guest chef at the April event of the Distinguished Chef Scholarship Benefit Series which will take place at the Oklahoma State University in the USA.

The Distinguished Chef Series Benefit is an educational component for the students of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration at the Oklahoma State University. Chefs and restaurant owners who have made significant contributions to their profession are invited to the campus to share their skills with the students for their professional development.

On 8 April 2010 Chef Müller will manage the banquet for 250 guests and assist the Oklahoma State University culinary students in preparing the menu for this event.

The Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland together with the Institut Hôtelier “César Ritz” in Le Bouveret has a strong link with the School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration at the Oklahoma State University. As part of their summer programme, students from the USA come to the Institut Hôtelier “César Ritz” in Switzerland to participate in specially designed culinary workshops and visit artisan suppliers.

Event's webpage >>

Dining at the Chefs table has become extremely fashionable, it’s a unique dining experience where VIP guests are seated at a table, located in the kitchen of a restaurant. The guests are served a themed tasting menu prepared and served by the head chef. Guests are encouraged to interact with the chef and discover the hidden secrets of the cuisine world.

The Chefs Table is an innovative addition to the syllabus for second year students at the Culinary Arts Academy, it integrates many different skills from preparing the themed tasting menus, right through to being the head chef for each event and managing a team of sous chefs. The Chefs Table forms an important part of the content for the International Cuisine, Classical to Fusion course for students on the Higher Diploma in Culinary Studies. So far this term these promising young chefs have discovered and presented cuisine from Latin America, North America , Africa and Asia.

A truly global gastronomic experience!

Every Wednesday and Thursday the Culinary Arts Students get to practice their fine dining skills on staff and students at the Le Bouveret Lake Geneva campus. It’s a fantastic opportunity for these budding chefs to gain real experience in creating exciting menus and preparing dishes under tight time constraints with hungry guests waiting!

Students are briefed to create a balanced and nutritional menu which consists of freshly baked bread, a starter, main course and dessert. And that’s not all… at the end of each dining experience the guests complete a questionnaire evaluating each dish on its taste, colour, presentation, temperature and portion size. It is this practical application of skills learnt in the demonstration and Escoffier kitchens that highlights the true benefits of the Culinary Arts Academy programmes.

Make sure your reserve a table for your next visit to Le Bouveret!

On 27th November the Culinary Arts Academy hosted a fund-raising gala dinner for the members of the Association Chablais Gourmands.

The Association promotes local products and facilitates direct sale from the producer to the consumer. The 109 guests, members of the Chablais Gourmands and guests from Port-Valais enjoyed a five-course-menu prepared by Chef Müller, his team and the Culinary Arts students.

The food and wines were carefully selected from a range of products available through the Chablais Gourmands members. A wonderful evening was had by all thanks to the skills of the Chefs and their students who clearly demonstrated excellence with passion.

As part of the Culinary Arts Academy curriculum the students visited the Igeho Fair in Basel, accompanied by their instructors. This is an important event on the hospitality sector calendar.

Platform for the Professional Caterer
Taking place every two years, Igeho is an international exhibition for hotels, catering and extra-domestic consumption and this year it was held at the Messe Basel from 21 to 25 November 2009. This event is the largest and most important exhibition for the hotel and catering industry in Switzerland and its neighbouring countries.

The fair presents the latest in restaurant and catering equipment, it also features Swiss and European food products as well as wine tasting opportunities. This year, the focus was on organic, fair trade and regional products for the catering sector.

“The fair was wonderful. I saw the next generation of environmentally friendly kitchen equipment, I also learned more about all the different kinds of knives available.”
Michaela Stocker (Switzerland), 1st term Culinary Arts student

Project Preparation
Further to this visit each of the 1st term students on the “Product Knowledge & Food Handling” course prepared a project about a food product which drew their interest at the fair, whilst the 2nd term students on the “Introduction to Kitchen Management” course, prepared projects on how to plan the layout of a kitchen.

www.igeho.ch

November was a big month for the Culinary Arts Academy, so on 20th November we decided to celebrate the new promotion right here in Bouveret.

The aim of the day was to communicate the new Culinary Arts message to both staff and students, in a fun and creative way. Both staff and students enjoyed the chance to see what the college is promoting, with the movie teaser playing in the reception and César lounge and plenty of brochures and hot chilli decorations to spice up day.

A dedicated team from housekeeping made fantastic decorations and put together a great display of culinary materials. Events like this demonstrate how we live our some of our core values of teamwork, effective communication and respect for others. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved for their hard work.

During our summer vacation to Wyoming and South Dakota, my wife and I made a short stop over at the Amangani Resort in Jackson Hole to visit a Culinary Arts Academy graduate, Julio Galo, from El Salvador. Julio is currently working as “Chef de partie” at this secluded, luxury resort.

Mr. Stuart Campbell, GM of the resort attended the 2008 “César Ritz” Colleges Career fair held at UCCR and I attended his presentation. The Aman resorts have about 15 exclusive properties around the world catering for the most discerning clientele.

Julio is excited about his job, acknowledges that he still has a lot to learn, but would like to pursue his career as a chef within the Aman resorts.

Unfortunately the GM, Mr. Campbell, was out of town, but I am sure we will meet again at a career fair at the University Centre “César Ritz” in the near future.

A look at the website www.amanresorts.com will make you dream of the most exclusive Boutique hotels, located in the most impressive natural settings. The dream to be of service to guests appreciating beauty and luxury.

The Amangani Resort is located near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, a 10 hours drive from Denver!

This event celebrated the promotion and going away party of Mr. Eric Barberet-Girardin, General Manager of Aquaparc in Bouveret.

He has been appointed General Manager of two theme parks in Alsace: Le Bioscope and L’Ecomusée. In 2003, Grevin & Cie bought Aquaparc and had appointed Mr Barberet-Girardin as GM. He was previously General Manager at Chateau Valencay, a castle-themed park in France's Loire Valley region.

Participants to the event included staff members and local partners. Mr. Claude Roch, Conseiller d’Etat, Department de l’Education, la Culture et le Sport represented the State authorities. Aquaparc welcomes approximately 300’000 visitors a year since 1999.

>> More on Mr Fournier's blog

What a wonderful world where you can dip your finger into a cookies preparation and taste it. Kids from Vouvry experienced the Culinary Arts Academy for a day with two of our Chefs. Will this kids become famous Chefs around the world? Culinary Arts Academy gave them the first impulsion…

As we arrived, we were greeted by the chef, Martial Breandle, who then took us on a tour of the establishment. We began in the kitchen, where his brigade was hard at work preparing the dishes for the evening's menu. Mr Breandle explained that everything is prepared "à la minute", using the freshest produce on the market. We continued our tour by visiting one of his four wine cellars which date back to the 1400s.

To take part in this typical swiss meal, we had to walk for a while in the beautiful winter scenery of Switzerland. What satisfaction when we could finally sit down in the chalet!

We were able to discover how Chocolats Villars create their specialties. Of the cocoa bean through roasting, we followed all the steps.

We know now part of a well kept secret, the Swiss Chocolate!