Farewell KofC Cohort 26!

Long time no post! Thanks for being so patient, Kitchen of Champions blog followers. We have had a lot of activity within the KofC program the past couple weeks. Here is a taste of what we have been up to:

Last week, the students of Cohort 26 prepared an extravagant graduation feast with the help of Guest Chef Elka Gilmore. They did a trial run of the meal at the beginning of the week to practice both the cooking techniques and ServSafe practices involved.


The actual graduation ceremony was on Thursday evening, March 24th. The keynote speaker was Mark Everton, General Manager of the Waterfront Hotel at Jack London Square. The students and culinary staff went all out to serve what may have been the best graduation meal in the history of all SVDP graduations! Each student prepared their signature dish, and no guest left with an empty stomach.


For the final day of class, the students and staff took a field trip to Holy Names University in Oakland. The students got a grand tour of the kitchen and dining hall facilities, and everyone was treated to lunch. It was a great way to spend the last day together as a class.


Congratulations Cohort 26, you guys are great!

We are almost finished recruiting the next class which will start April 4th. Stay tuned for updates!

Kitchen of Champions Update

Sorry for the infrequent blog updates, folks! We will be keeping the blog alive but please head over to our Facebook page to hear a more steady stream of consciousness from the Kitchen of Champions Culinary Training Program. Thanks for the continued support!
Kitchen of Champions on Facebook!

The Culinary Scoop Covers the Kitchen of Champions

http://www.theculinaryscoop.com/2010/12/kitchen-of-champions-culinary-training-program-serves-up-success/

Kitchen of Champions on NPR

Cy Musiker of KQED came to SVdP today to take a gander at our culinary job training program. Here is that gander:

Guest Chef with Luka's Taproom

Chef Jacob Alioto of Luka's Taproom worked with our Kitchen of Champions trainees last week to prepare what some have said is our finest meal yet. We raised a bit of money to offset the large cost of our program and gave Culinary Cohort 25 another Guest Chef experience.

Dig the 5 course menu:

Bresaola w/Arugula & Parmesan
Persimmon & Chicory Salad w/Citrus, fromage blanc & pomegranate vinaigrette
Cioppino w/Dungeness Crab, Squid, Clams, Mussels & Shrimp
Braised Short Ribs w/Mashed Yams, Brussels Sprouts & Orange Gremolata
Orange-Cardamom Creme Brulee w/Chocolate Dipped Short Dough Cookies

*some photos courtesy of ferronlandia

Mock Interviews

Last week we hosted 18 of our closest employers, community partners, friends, board members and colleagues to participate in...

MOCK INTERVIEWS !!!1!1!!

It was an excellent session where each trainee was interviewed for 15 minutes by 4 consecutive interviewers. Interviewers were given the same template but each had their own twist based on professional and personal experiences. Trainees were evaluated and we had a group discussion afterwards. It was one of those experiences that led to trainees talking about it during their breaks and even after they were released for the day, and that's what it's all about people!

 

Field Trip: Epicurean Group at Holy Names University

Today we ventured out to the Oakland hills for a tour of the Epicurean Group's kitchen operation at Holy Names University. Epicurean prides themselves in using the freshest ingredients, highest quality foods, making everything from scratch and providing an excellent customer experience with every meal. We look forward to kicking it with Chef David and Chef Rafa again very, very soon!