06/12 From Culinary Adventures to Wine Controversies

Fast living and the need for quick fixes, has brought a great demise to the culinary skills of Americans, with many young people having no ability to cook unless it's in a box with instructions.  Our first guest has devoted her life to tackling this problem.  Lili Rollins, has forged a career in all things culinary - global adventures, television, education and ....bread.  Now she has responded to the huge need in the US to get kids back in the kitchen, through classes at Air Force Bases, and classes to instill passion for cooking in her local schools.

We then welcome Master Sommelier, Peter Granoff back to the show, to demystify some controversies on wine, and bring some new light to expand your wine world!

Lili Rollins
Lili's Culinary Adventures

Lili with a basket of Bread from her
favorite bakery, The Feel Good Bakery
in Alameda.

Lili Rollins, Principal at Lili's Culinary Adventures has been a food professional for over 20 years. Based in Alameda, Ms. Rollins started her cooking career as an assistant in Martin Yan's Cooking School. As her passion for food and cooking grew, she took her talents with her to Danville where she became the Director of Cooks N Books, a cooking school. Over the next several years she found herself working on a local TV show called, "The ShortCut Cook", creating and running the R.S.V.P. Cooking School and becoming the representative for the Capezzana Wine and Culinary Center in Italy and Lili's Culinary Adventures came into being.

Since that time Ms. Rollins has continued her passion for the culinary arts through her continuous culinary education and involvement in the San Francisco Professional Food Society, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Bread Project.   The Bread Project still thrives, bringing underprivileged people the skills to enter the food service and bakery industry, through training and outreach, with their own cafe in Emeryville.

More recently, seeing a need to teach children cooking basics, Ms. Rollins became an instructor for CHEF-K (Culinary Health Education for Kids) where she teaches a five-day program to the youth at Air Force Bases across the country.  She also took her Culinary Adventures into the kitchens of two Oakland Public Schools where she has developed her own program to teach children basic cooking techniques and to instill the passion for food that has been instilled in her by many wonderful professionals along her way.

Matters of Wine with Peter Granoff, M.S.

The topic of corkage is a one that is hugely controversial and makes for lively discussion.  Peter will shed light on the reasoning behind corkage fee in restaurants, and give us the low down on what the fee actually covers. 

 

Next we'll do battle over the dilemma of wine closures.  Are you a "cork-purist", a "screw-cap-convert" or do you like the new boxes and pouches?  We'll see what Peter has to say and some of the science behind the transitions. 

  

Greece is suffering from it's tragic economic crisis and not only is tourism and quality of life suffering.  Peter brings us the story of Greece’s wine industry, which was on the cusp of a revival when hit by the crisis.

Peter Granoff, M.S.

Co-Owner, Oxbow Wine and Cheese Merchant

In 1991 Peter Granoff was the 13th American to earn the coveted title Master Sommelier, and is one of the 16 Americans to date that have earned the Krug Champagne Cup by passing all three parts of the exam on the first attempt. He is active today as an examiner and lecturer for the Court of Master Sommeliers Introductory, Advanced and Masters level programs. In 1991 Peter also received the James Beard Foundation Sommelier of the year Award.

In January of 1995 Peter and his brother-in-law Robert Olson, a software engineer, launched Virtual Vineyards, an ecommerce pioneer and the first US entity to sell wine on the Internet. According to Wells Fargo Bank, Virtual Vineyards was the first business ever to process a secure credit card transaction over the Internet. It was also the subject of a Harvard Business School Case Study, and was cited in numerous business and e-commerce marketing journals & texts as a pioneer during that heady (headless?) era. The company had a good six-year run and grew to $28 million in annual sales before what Peter calls “the dot.com era of ludicrous expectations” caught up with it.

Prior to Virtual Vineyards Peter spent 25 years in the hospitality industry as a food & beverage director, wine buyer, sommelier, bartender, waiter, box schlepper, dishwasher, and busboy, including two years in the Burgundy region of France, and a year with a Relaix & Chateaux hotel in Switzerland. He even “faked it as a chef” on several occasions. He is active as a speaker, panelist, judge, and educator in numerous consumer and industry settings, and has presented at professional wine and e-commerce conferences at American universities such as Harvard, Wharton, Rhodes, and UC Berkeley, and as far away as Switzerland, France, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

In 2002 Peter joined the Adjunct Faculty at the Culinary Institute of America’s new Professional Wine Studies Program, and was an active instructor until the demands of his latest business ventures forced him to take a hiatus.

Since 2003 Peter has been co-proprietor of Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant & Wine Bar in San Francisco’s acclaimed Ferry Building Marketplace. In January of 2008 Peter and his current business partners opened Oxbow Wine Merchant & Wine Bar, and Oxbow Cheese Merchant, in the newly created Oxbow Public Market in downtown Napa, California. These three businesses benefit from Peter’s accumulated business experience, down to earth perspective on wine, great sense of humor and thoroughly gray hair.

www.fpwm.com • www.oxbowwinemerchant.com • www.oxbowcheesemerchant.com

Twitter: @oxbowwine • @oxbowcheese • @fpwm

6/05 Baker & Banker Restaurant Owners with TwoXSea Founder at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco

Restaurateurs Lori Baker and Jefferey Banker of the renowned Baker & Banker Restaurant and Bakery join us tonight to talk about their paths to meet and then to start their own restaurant and adjoining bakery.  

Their passion for quality, locality and sustainability have led them to have many close relationships with purveyors. One of these, Kenny Belov, who started TwoXFish, and Fish Restaurant and retail in Sausalito, joins us to talk about fishing for the good of the oceans, the fishers, and our own health.

We broadcast this week's show at the serenely beautiful Hotel Kabuki, Baker & Banker's preferred local hotel where they recommend guests stay when dining with them.  Bathed in a zen-like, 'East-Meets- West' calm and exquisite decor and gardens, this hotel offers guests an escape within minutes of international-class shopping, dining and San Francisco sights. 


About Baker & Banker –
http://www.bakerandbanker.com/

1701 Octavia St. San Francisco, CA 94109,

Ph: (415) 351-2500.
Email: info@bakerandbanker.com

Baker & Banker is a collective culinary idea, some 12 years in the making. Like most culinary couples, Pastry Chef Lori Baker & Chef Jeffrey Banker had dreamed of owning and running a restaurant for about as long as they had been together.

Early in their marriage, Jeffrey was a line cook at the Meetinghouse, an earlier incarnation of their current space. It was over the course of Lori’s many visits to the space that the two both fell in love with the building. Eventually (and in the subsequent decade or so that followed) they would refer to the space simply as “our restaurant”.

The pair came dangerously close to settling on a handful of other spaces, but thankfully fate intervened in the nick of time, and the two learned of the availability of “their restaurant”, at 1701 Octavia.

Since opening its doors in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco in December of 2009, Baker & Banker has become a beloved neighborhood space and a destination dining spot.  With over 30 years combined cooking experience, Chef Jeff Banker and Pastry Chef Lori Baker, both in their mid-thirties, share a common subtle complexity in their cooking elevated by attention to detail and technique.

The Food:

Combining their love of serious food & warm hospitality, they have opted to serve upscale dishes at reasonable prices, in an easy & comfortable setting. Sourcing virtually every ingredient direct from local farmers, and drawing significant inspiration from countless years of combined local kitchen experience, the food is perhaps best described as a small expression of the San Francisco food scene from which it was conceived. It is strictly market-driven and varied in cultural influences.

The Chefs:

Lori....

Lori Baker is the Pastry Chef/Owner of her debut restaurant, San Francisco’s Baker & Banker.  Opening the restaurant in Pacific Heights with her husband and Executive Chef Jeff Banker in December 2009, the two have been warmly welcomed to the neighborhood and quickly built a reputable profile in the Bay Area.  In August 2010, Lori launched the bakery adjacent to the restaurant.  Here she works to provide both sweet and savory items, as well as creating all the fresh breads and desserts for the restaurant.

Lori grew up in Cincinnati and went on to graduate from Johnson & Wales cooking school in Rhode Island. With an inherent love for baking reflected in her surname Baker, Lori moved to San Francisco to realize her dream of working as a Pastry Chef.  She later went abroad to intern at L’Angolo Dolce in Lucca, Italy and extended her education at cooking school along with a stage at Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium.

Returning to San Francisco, Lori went on to work as the pastry chef at EOS, Home, Slow Club, Gordon’s House of Fine Eats and Bizou and pastry assistant at Postrio, Fifth Floor under Laurent Gras, and later Bix.  It was here in 2000 that she met Jeff Banker, her future husband.

Following her work at these esteemed San Francisco restaurants, Lori went on to teach as a professor of pastry at The California Culinary Academy.  During this time she and Jeff began to dream about opening their own restaurant and set out to find a space in which they could realize their vision.  Finding the former location of Quince, Lori and Jeff discovered it was the perfect spot to execute both a restaurant and bakery to each further their culinary creations.

As Pastry Chef at Baker & Banker, Lori creates a selection of imaginative and decadent desserts. The dessert menu might include Bartlett Pear Crisp with Brown Sugar-Pecan Streusel and Amaretti Ice Cream; Hot Spiced Butterscotch with Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows, Olive Oil Fleur de Sel Biscotti and the famous XXX- Triple Dark Chocolate Layer Cake.

The bakery in turn produces fresh breads, scones and muffins, as well as cookies such as the brown-butter chocolate chip cookies and specialty cakes. Giving guests a truly personalized experience, Lori works at the bakery by day and then greets guests in the evening in the restaurant’s dining room.

The team

Jeff...

Jeff Banker is a chef by training whose early stints include Patina in Los Angeles and Postrio in San Francisco. He was more recently Sous Chef at Acme Chophouse and Bix, Executive Chef for three years at Home Restaurant, Guest Chef at the popular Mission Street Food, and he also staged at (Michelin three-star) Lucas Carton in Paris while attending Le Cordon Bleu on a scholarship awarded by the IACP.

After graduating high school, Jeff proceeded to take a year off before starting at Cal Poly Polytechnic State University, where he majored in Hotel & Restaurant Management. After three years of industry experience, he moved to Newport Beach to work at Pascal then continued up the coastline to work at Patina in Los Angeles.

Wanting to go abroad, Jeff moved to Venezuela where he lived for a year and a half, before returning to San Francisco at age 23.  Upon his return, Jeff began working at well known Bay area restaurants beginning with Postrio.  Assured of his desire to be in the kitchen, Jeff continued as the sous chef at Acme Chophouse and Bix.

To strengthen his culinary skill set, Jeff staged at Lucas Carton, a three star restaurant in Paris while attending Le Cordon Bleu on a scholarship awarded by the IACP.  In 2003, he returned once again to San Francisco as the Executive Chef at  Home restaurant, where he and Lori continued their work together. The pair learned an immense amount while being involved with the restaurant for three years, during which time   Home opened their second restaurant on Union Street.  Following his experience in these prestigious restaurants, Jeff spent time as a private chef for high profile clients on the Peninsula for two and a half years.  Both Jeff and Lori have also filled in at their friends’ restaurants Nopa and Delfina in the area.

At Baker & Banker, Jeff creates local and seasonal New American cuisine.  Playing on global ingredients and influences, many of the dishes stem from his travels to France, Italy, Southeast Asia, and beyond.  Compiled to create an ever-evolving menu with French technique and worldly influences, Baker & Banker provide guests with an intimate experience in the brasserie-style interior.  Both Jeff and Lori can be seen exiting the kitchen to mingle and create an extra-personalized touch for restaurant guests.

Kenny Belov, Sausalito, CA –

Innokenty Belov was born in Moscow, Russia in 1976. His family moved to the United States when he was five years old, and at 17 he was introduced to the world of ocean fishing in Florida. After moving to San Francisco in 1996, he left a career in professional photography to develop a new concept in environmentalism—a socially responsible restaurant with a soul focus on sustainability.

Kenny brought his tremendous passion and generosity to the food and beverage offerings of SalmonAID. He insisted that each restaurant providing food at SalmonAID take a pledge that they would never serve farmed salmon again – from this Fish or Cut Bait was born. Kenny now travels around the country educating restaurateurs and their patrons about the benefits of wild salmon and the economic and environmental damage brought about by salmon farming. In 2004, “Fish” in Sausalito, California opened its doors. Kenny’s commitment to local fishermen and true sustainability has created a unique entity combining waterfront dining with an ongoing commitment to consumer education about the state of the ocean and the truth behind sustainability.

Kenny and his Wife, Eden, live in Petaluma, California, with their dog, cat, three chickens, and two children—Isabella and Oliver—whom he has convinced, will still have healthy oceans and fish to eat when they grow up.

About TwoXSea

http://www.twoxsea.com

What you buy and when you buy makes an enormous difference to our oceans. The sources not only come from healthy fisheries, but they are also caught with the strictest standards of catch methods. These methods we have chosen do not deplete the resource, take unwanted by-catch or harm habitats. As the seasons change so should our buying habits; intelligent management of each fishery is based upon scientific evidence of how much each one can yield. Choosing fish that is in-season gives each species the time to fully recover from our demands for food.

All of our seafood is sourced from the fishing community directly, and there are no other wholesale operations or middlemen. More importantly, there are no tall tales about what the product is, how it was caught and whether or not it is truly sustainable. We are committed to a long term view of this renewable resource, and this list represents a diligent and honest assessment of what we must do to save the oceans for future generations, and provide fair wages and respect for the men and women who work so hard to fish in a responsible manner.

Where to Stay!

http://www.jdvhotels.com/kabuki/

Experience a calm and serene ambiance through Hotel Kabuki’s unique blend of eastern and western influences.  Centered in San Francisco’s historic Japantown, Hotel Kabuki provides a cultural backdrop.  Combined with the Fillmore neighborhood, this quintessential location offers the best in world-class shopping, international cuisine, and exciting night life.

05/29 Beyond the Kitchen - Getting Back to our Roots.

FARM DINNERS ARRIVE IN NAPA VALLEY THIS SUMMER

New Organization Aims to Support Local Farmers, Help Rebuild Local Food Systems

Beyond The Kitchen, a newly formed organization in Napa Valley, challenges participants to get reconnected with the sources of their food.  Chef and Founder William (Bill) Heubel has recruited several top local farmers and food artisans to create a summer series of ten different farm tour dinners that invite you to dine out, way out, as events take place directly in the fields of where your food was just harvested.  Some of the notable farms participating in this premier season include the likes of Big Ranch Farms and Boca Farm (both in Napa), Full Table Farm in Yountville, and A Preservation Sanctuary in Calistoga featuring the exquisite Buckeye Chicken.  Local food artisans include Clover Stornetta Farms, Rancho Gordo, Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company, and Model Bakery. The venues are always changing as diners are introduced to different farmers and their philosophies.

Highlights include an exclusive farm tour by the host farmer, farmstead made Italian cream sodas, local wine from some of the best wineries, French pressed locally roasted coffee, and an open kitchen that allows participants to watch and engage in Heubel’s four-star preparations.  A total of five courses will be served family style, all prepared by this Bay Area chef.  As dusk approaches, kerosene lanterns will be lit to carry the early evening into the night.

When asked why he wanted to start such an organization, Heubel replies:

            “There’s a general disconnect between people and their food sources.  We don’t know who grows our food or where it comes from.  It’s my genuine desire to bridge that gap and introduce diners to the fantastic, hardworking people who cultivate our land and sustain us.  It is these people who are the heroes.  These are the people that deserve our recognition and through purchasing direct from them, we help sustain a healthy local food system and support our local family farmers.”

Tickets are $125 per person per dinner and can be purchased online at www.beyondthekitchen.net.  A portion of the proceeds generated from Beyond The Kitchen farm dinners will go to support Connolly Ranch, a Napa based nonprofit organization that connects local area youth with nature through hands-on environmental education and nutrition programs.

A native of the California Bay Area, Heubel earned his Associate of Occupational Studies degree in Culinary Arts from the California Culinary Academy in 1993. He has over 20 years of four-star restaurant experience. 

###

If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with William Heubel, he can be contacted at 707-295-7454 or emailed at bill.heubel@beyondthekitchen.net.

Farmers and Cooks United for a Sustainable Future

The world is changing. Rapidly. More and more as a society, we are preferring to eat food that is whole and unrefined. The days of factory farming are fading as we are moving into a post-industrial era. We are realizing that our poor eating habits have been affecting our health and well being in a tragic way. This is no longer a movement. This is a revolution. Local farmer's markets are popping up at a dizzying rate. We are returning to tradition with the understanding that our grandmothers and great grandmothers had it right. Family meals, eaten together at the table, made from what was available locally at the time and in season with nutrient rich ingredients. Trendy terms like "locavore" and "sustainable" are merely words that are used these days to describe how we used to live, eat and socialize. There's something special again about being a farmer. A sense of pride, of stewardship. Young Americans are getting back into farming. It's the new cool. And I, as a Chef and an American, could not be any happier. Join me in celebrating all that is good with the new revolution…

Host, Stephen Andrews (standing on left) with tonight's guests. From left:
Juston Enos, Bill Heubel, Judd Wallenbrock and (seated) Bob Pallas

The Beneficiary....

Connolly Ranch

http://www.connollyranch.org/

Located just a short drive from downtown Napa, Connolly Ranch is a rich reminder of Napa County's agricultural past. These 12 acres serve as the Connolly Ranch Education Center, providing dynamic, hands-on education programs in an outdoor setting for children and the community.

The mission of Connolly Ranch is to connect kids with nature through farm-based environmental education programs. Here they learn about farm life, the role of farm animals, the concepts of ecology and sustainability along with an appreciation for nature. They also learn about organic gardening, the sources and benefits of healthy foods and an understanding of how nature works to sustain us.

Bob Pallas

Connolly Ranch Executive Director
and Chairman of the Board

Bob received his BBA from Western Michigan University with a major in Marketing and minors in Economics and General Business. He is the former President and founder of Pallas Advertising; and Vice President/Management Supervisor of J. Walter Thompson Company. Former board President of the Hamilton Family Center; current board member and past President of Summer Search North Bay; and former Chairman of the Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County. Bob joined Connolly Ranch in 2005. In 2010 he was named Outstanding Nonprofit Employee of the Year.

A Supporting Farmer....

Full Table Farm

http://www.fulltablefarm.com/

Mindy and Juston are the husband and wife team behind Full Table Farm. Located just down the road from Thomas Keller's "The French Laundry", they can be found selling specialty produce and mainstays at the local farmer's markets. They both started farming as a way to simply grow their own food to sustain themselves. This grew into what they have today. They both are truly wonderful people and are excited to be a part of two of our dinners this season. They take great pride in how little they do to their garden in spite of all the hard work they put in. I've heard stories of vacuuming up pests by hand. Now this is dedication! They can tell you the history of each piece of produce. So if you’re curious, just ask. They'll be providing the bounty for both the July 28th dinner at Connolly Ranch in Napa and the September 1st dinner at a location as yet to be determined.

FULL TABLE FARM is a very small husband and wife run farm just south of Yountville. While we both grew up in Northern California, we made our home in the Napa Valley at the end of 2009. With our first summer upon us, after three years in San Francisco, we were excited to be able to plant and grow our own food, a giant step up from our five small pots with herbs and a pretty sad cherry tomato plant. Our enthusiasm for planting fresh vegetables coupled with the wonderful fruit trees we inherited led to more produce than two people could eat. It was time for a back-up plan. Every table in the house was full, and we began giving fresh fruits and vegetables to everyone we met. Mindy canned for days on end and we were spending hours combing through cookbooks looking for new ways to cook or preserve our bounty. In the midst of a tidal wave of heirloom tomatoes, we asked "should we restrain ourselves next year?". Only to resolve, that it has been so much fun and so rewarding that we can only think of planting more. Sure that half acre of lawn looks pretty serene, but I can think of so many things that taste so much better. Our only alternative was to start a "farm". It is more like an over sized garden at this point, but who knows where we will end up. We hope that you enjoy the fruits of our labor as much as we enjoy being able to provide them.

A Supporting Winery

Signorello Estate

Judd Wallenbrock,

Consulting General Manager

About Judd…

Judd digs soil - both literally and figuratively. Taught in his college soil science classes that "there is no such thing as dirt - just misplaced soil." He's always subscribed to the philosophy that great wines are born of the soil - where the vines are planted is critical to the quality of the wine. A graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Agri-Business, he's been
getting dirty for a long time.

Judd is a 31+ year veteran of the wine business. His background is unique in that he has worked in all aspects of the industry - including retail, restaurant, sales, marketing, and winery general management. He is recognized as a creative, passionate and respected leader in the industry.

After spending the last seventeen years as an executive for three highly reputable wineries and consulting several more, he was excited and prepared to start his own winery. "My passion is in the enjoyment of wine, my expertise is in building strong wine brands, and my heart is in philanthropy. Miraculously, the three paths merged, and Humanitas was born."

Judd lives in the heart of Napa with his wife and three children.

About Signorello Estate….

Ray Signorello Jr. began his journey as winemaker and vineyard owner in the Napa Valley during the mid 1980's. Ray, born in San Francisco, California, moved to Vancouver, Canada where the Signorello family continues to maintain a home. Ray divides his time between Napa, San Francisco, Vancouver and business related travel. Ray's father, Ray Sr., initiated the vineyard project during the mid 1970's by purchasing the 100-acre estate located on the Silverado Trail in the beautiful Napa Valley. Ray Sr. worked side by side with Ray Jr., establishing the winery's reputation for excellence until his passing in the fall of 1998.

No Turning Back

Signorellos' original plan was to grow quality grapes to sell to existing wineries, but the harvest of 1985 changed this plan into a new level of evolvement. The bountiful crop allowed Signorellos to custom crush the excess grapes. This opportunity demonstrated what fabulous wine their vineyards were capable of producing. The project continues to grow, as do the spectacular 42 acres planted in several different varietals. Ray's continuing effort represents the invested energies that created this reality from a dream.

In 1986 the Signorellos began the second phase of the venture, this was the building of the main winery structure. This beautiful building is used for barrel storage, wine tasting and retail sales. Along with the building of the winery, wine production was expanded to include Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. By the end of the 1980's the Signorello family was thoroughly committed to making wine as well as growing grapes.

The decade of the nineties proved to be pivotal for Signorello Estate. In 1990 the first planting of red varietals began on the property- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah.

What brought the Signorellos to the Napa Valley was the romantic side of wine making; growing grapes, working the land, and enjoying the wine country lifestyle of camaraderie, good wine and great meals. While the Valley lifestyle is a very real part of the business, there is a serious responsibility to making a dream become a reality, both father and son realized this fact early in the endeavor.

This venture was a dream; now it is reality. We have enjoyed every moment of it, and we look forward to continuing on to make quality wines from the Napa Valley!

5/22 Diabetes 101 and the Evolution of American Food Service

Diabetes, obesity and many other chronic health conditions are on the rise in the USA.  It's somewhat surprising, as you'd think our growing knowledge into prevention of these conditions would be causing healthier living practices.  Two organisations are tackling this problem head on with different strategies:

The Culinary Institute of America hosts regular conferences and programs aimed at instituting healthy change in all areas of food service, from fine dining to large chains, retailers and kids programs - even education of doctors and health professionals into practical and enjoyable healthy eating strategies.

Clinic Ole in Napa is working one on one to educate a growing population group afflicted with rapidly increasing diabetes rates.

Chef Scott Samuel
Chef Instructor
Culinary Institute of America

Scott Samuel is a chef-instructor and the conference chef for The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Chef Samuel also leads the Greystone Gardens programs, which provides seed-to-table experiences for CIA students at the campus’ 2-acre garden. A graduate of Washington State University’s hotel and restaurant administration program, he apprenticed under Christophe DeGouix at Gerard’s Relais de Lyon in Seattle and under Thomas Keller at the French Laundry. Chef Samuel worked in a number of kitchens and was the original chef for Seattle’s Brie & Bordeaux, a combination wine and cheese shop and open-kitchen, 30-seat bistro. In 2000 he helped open the Waterfront Seafood Grill and later helped re-open the acclaimed Herbfarm in Woodinville, WA. Prior to joining the CIA he taught at the Seattle Culinary Academy and through his own company, which provided private classes in clients’ homes. (Napa Valley, CA)

Worlds of Healthy Flavors:
Bringing Together the Best of World Cooking and the Latest in Nutrition Research

Worlds of Healthy Flavors is a groundbreaking educational initiative launched in September 2004 by The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Harvard School of Public Health—Department of Nutrition. This annual invitation-only three-day leadership retreat is designed to help volume foodservice operators expand options for healthy menu choices within their businesses and on behalf of their customers.

Produce First!
American Menu Initiatives

Produce First! is a one-day invitation-only retreat immediately following Worlds of Healthy Flavors. Produce First strives to spark the imagination of chefs and foodservice operators in bringing produce front and center in new menu development. Drawing inspiration from the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean, Asia, and Latin America as well as from innovation across the United States, this program asks that instead of thinking about produce last in the menu development process that menu developers think of it first.

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives:
Caring for Our Patients and Ourselves

Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives is a continuing medical education (CME) conference bridging nutrition science, health care, and the culinary arts. This annual gathering of physicians, dietitians, and other healthcare professionals; hospital, insurance, and other healthcare executives; and healthcare foodservice directors and executive chefs is held every Spring at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.


Greystone Flavor Summit:
The Art of Flavor in the World of High-Volume, High-Quality Dining

The Greystone Flavor Summit, co-presented by the CIA at Greystone and Food Arts Magazine, is a three-day invitational leadership retreat that brings together each year a select group of top food and beverage directors, corporate and executive chefs and other experts in American foodservice to explore, discuss, and taste their way through a stimulating, critical set of flavor and related kitchen and dining management issues.

Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids:
A National Initiative to Improve the Health of Children and Young People Through Food Education, Culinary Strategy and Flavor Insight

Healthy Flavors, Healthy Kids is The Culinary Institute of America's health & wellness initiative focused on advancing healthier food choices in children. This initiative includes an annual three-day invitational Leadership Summit held at our San Antonio, TX campus, focusing on culinary insights and actions around K-12 school foodservice, but chain and other restaurant kids' menus, campus dining, and the family food environment are also being examined.

 

Kathy DeMaggio, RD, CDE

Community Health Clinic Ole

Director of Planning and Education

Kathy with her son and husband
prepare thanksgiving

I began my career in hospital dietetics, the first few years in San Francisco and then moved to Napa and started working at Queen of the Valley Hospital in 1982, where I provided medical nutrition therapy and eventually specialized in diabetes education.   I also joined the new team working at the Healthy Moms and Babies program in 1986.  After 15 years at Queen of the Valley, I was ready to  expand into public health so moved into a  managerial position at the Solano County Public Health Department, overseeing a team of Registered Dietitians who provided diabetes education for underserved patients.  After 10 years in Solano,  I was pulled back to Napa to begin working with the newly formed Children and Weight Coalition as well as Community Health Clinic Ole and the Healthy Moms and Babies program again. After several years of providing nutrition and diabetes education, I moved into management and am now the Director of Planning and Education where I oversee the nutrition and diabetes education programs in the clinic as well as three departments (Healthy Moms and Babies, Case Management and Education,  and our Medical Records team).  I feel so very lucky to be working at Clinic Ole at this time and am especially lucky to be working with our new CEO, Tanir Ami and all of the wonderful providers and staff.

About Clinic Ole

Community Health Clinic Ole (Clinic Ole) was founded in 1972 to provide health care to the resident and migrant agricultural workers in Napa County. With no County hospital and no County-provided primary health services, these low-income, uninsured individuals had nowhere to go for affordable health care. We began providing health services with volunteer physicians and staff from St. Helena and Queen of the Valley Hospitals in a small room above La Luna Market in Rutherford. Today, Clinic Ole is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and the only not-for-profit community clinic in the County. We provide health care to 25,000 patients annually. We charge for services on a sliding fee scale, based on federal poverty guidelines. We provide primary and preventive medical care, including behavioral health services. In addition to our main clinic in the Napa Valley Vintners Community Health Center (Napa), we have medical clinics in St. Helena and Calistoga. We also provide weekly clinics at Napa’s two homeless shelters and we oversee a clinic for students at Napa Valley College.

1141 Pear Tree Lane, suite 100

Napa CA  94558

707-252-6541

http://www.clinicole.org/