Nine
culinary professionals spent the past 30 weeks at The
Culinary Institute of America (CIA),
San Antonio learning about the cuisines of Latin America and
preparing menus with leading chefs from many of the regions studied.
A
graduation ceremony on Saturday, October 27, 2012 marked the
completion of the first class of the college's Latin
Cuisines CertificateProgram.
Graduates then celebrated with a special luncheon at Nao, the newest
restaurant on the CIA's San Antonio campus.
The
Latin Cuisines Certificate Program immersed students in an
in-depth, hands-on exploration of the unique ingredients, culinary
techniques, and cultural traditions that span this rich part of the
world. Studies included the cuisines and cultures from throughout the
various regions of Central and South America and the Caribbean.
Leading
Latin American chefs Pedro Miguel Schiaffino (Peru), Yara Roberts
(Brazil), Eric Calderón (Bolivia), and Hubert O'Farrell (Argentina)
each spent a week as instructors-in-residence, turning the campus
into a culinary conservatory for the study and practice of their
respective cuisines. The final two days of each week included special
menus prepared by the visiting chef and students and served to
customers at Nao.
"As
the first class to complete this program, you represent a new breed
of powerful culinarians who will open windows of
great opportunities for
yourself and those you will work with on the global stage,"
keynote speaker Nelson Millán of the San Antonio Country Club told
the graduates. "This experience is guaranteed to put you a step
ahead of the curve in the food world."
Chef
Millán is a native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He began his culinary
career with Hilton
Hotels, which allowed him the opportunity to
travel the world while honing his culinary skills. He was later a
chef at restaurants, hotels, and clubs in Puerto Rico, California,
Florida, and Georgia before settling in San Antonio.
The
graduation lunch at Nao featured dishes from several of the Latin
American cuisines explored during the students' course of studies.
The
second cohort of the Latin Cuisines Certificate Program
begins in March 2013. Food professionals interested in this
specialization that is rapidly gaining popularity on American menus
can visit www.ciachef.edu/lccp.
