The Root of Farm-to-Table at The Culinary Institute of America

New Farm-to-Table Concentration at the CIA gets to the Root of the Philosophy

 

Legendary Chef Larry Forgione Teaches Students "It's a Way of Life"

Larry Forgione

Legendary Chef and Culinary Director/

Co-Founder, American Food Studies: Farm-to-Table Cooking –

Larry Forgione has been called “The Godfather of American Cuisine” for his role in changing the way Americans eat today. He embraced the virtues of our national cuisine and used only seasonal, local ingredients, beginning the entire “Farm-to-Table” movement. So when The Culinary Institute of America was developing its American Food Studies: Farm-to-Table Cooking curriculum, it was only natural that the college teamed with Chef Forgione, who became the program’s co-founder and culinary director.

Today he guides students through their farm-to-table studies and their hands-on experience at The Conservatory at Greystone, a student-led restaurant open to the public. The remarkable career of this legendary chef has been highlighted by many accomplishments and accolades. After graduating from the CIA and then working in some of the best kitchens in Europe and America, Chef Forgione opened An American Place in 1983, earning three stars in The New York Times.

 Both the CIA and the James Beard Foundation have named him “Chef of the Year,” and his alma mater presented him with an Augie Award for his far-reaching influence as a “Pioneer of American Cuisine.” Also, Life magazine named him one of the “50 Most Influential Baby Boomers.” An American Place received the prestigious Restaurants and Institutions Ivy Award and induction into the Nation’s Restaurant News Fine Dining Hall of Fame. And Chef Forgione’s American Place cookbook won a James Beard Award for “Best American Cookbook” in 1996. In addition, he has provided his unique culinary expertise as a consultant for numerous hotels and restaurant groups. - See more at:

About The Conservatory at Greystone

The CIA’s American Food Studies: Farm-to-Table Cooking is a conservatory-style educational model for students who want to be part of a community working to create healthy, sustainable, and delicious food systems.

Led by culinary director and legendary chef, Larry Forgione, students will begin a journey to learn the concepts of environmental stewardship, food ethics, and facilitate the exchange of ideas as they explore these vital topics.

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.

Over the course of the semester students will taste and cook their way through the CIA’s farms and kitchens. At the end of each week, a student-led Farm to Table restaurant is open to the public featuring menus with an emphasis on freshness, seasonality, local availability, and simple preparations.

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.