Recap: SICE Awards Ceremony honors culinary graduates

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The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education Awards Ceremony is held to honor students who have completed the Culinary Arts; Restaurant Management; Baking and Pastry; Personal Chef; or Craft Brewing, Packaging, and Service Operations programs. Students must complete all requirements by the end of Summer Semester 2019 to participate in the Awards Reception.

The 2019 Secchia Institute for Culinary Education Awards Ceremony took place Tuesday, April 16.

Congratulations to all our culinary students, staff, and faculty – you did it!

GRCC’s Culinary Medicine team to present at Lansing conference tomorrow

GRCC collaborates with Spectrum Health on Culinary Medicine (CM), a discipline which seeks to engage health care professionals and patients in the importance of food as a tool in achieving optimal health. As a result of this partnership, Dr. Werner Absenger of GRCC’s Secchia Institute and Dr. Kristi Artz of Spectrum Health will be presenting at the 35th Annual Developmental Disabilities Conference tomorrow, April 17, in Lansing, MI.

The title of their presentation is “Culinary medicine: A healthcare model to provide simple, inexpensive, nutrient dense, home-cooked meals for persons with ID and DD.”

Poor nutrition-related health habits are considered health risk factors for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and children and youth with special health care needs. CM empowers clinicians and patients with knowledge of nutrition and culinary techniques. In hands-on CM classes, participants learn to prepare delicious food that is consistent with real-world budgets and time constraints.

Congratulations to Drs. Absenger and Artz, and to everyone who has helped make this collaboration such a success!

Raider Salute to Chef Bob Schultz, culinary students for making Make a Wish magic in the kitchen yesterday

HUGE Raider Salute to Chef Bob Schultz and GRCC culinary students Sidney Hyde, Amanda Barnett, and Tom Brown from the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education – this amazing crew shared their talents with Make-A-Wish Michigan and a very special “wish kid” now known as Chef Forrest.

The 5-year-old chef, with parents Nicole and Bo, attended the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education yesterday and learned how to prepare Mexican cuisine.

The visit to GRCC was the last stop in a week-long adventure for Chef Forrest, who prepared meals and desserts in West Michigan eateries.

Thank you Chef Schultz, Sidney, Amanda, and Tom for helping make Chef Forrest’s wish come true – you rock!

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Final episode of ‘Cooking with Angus’ this Sunday

After over 100 episodes, the Cooking With Angus TV series created by the GRCC Secchia Institute for Culinary Education will soon release its final episode. Featuring chefs from all over the world and graduates of the program in Grand Rapids, the final episode goes back and forth between Scotland and the USA showcasing an emotional, cultural, and deliciously compelling picture of Chef Angus’ career.

Sunday, February 24, 2019, at 5 p.m. on ABC 13.

‘Cooking with Angus’ approaches final episode

After over 100 episodes, the Cooking With Angus TV series created by the GRCC Secchia Institute for Culinary Education will soon release its final episode. Featuring chefs from all over the world and graduates of the program in Grand Rapids, the final episode goes back and forth between Scotland and the USA showcasing an emotional, cultural, and deliciously compelling picture of Chef Angus’ career.

Recap: ‘Cupcake Wars’ students present a sweet take on Dr. Seuss

 

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Bakery students took a mental vacation from the cold last Thursday to heat up the kitchens in GRCC’s third annual “Cupcake Wars” event. Students worked in teams to create over-the-top cupcakes which they then presented in elaborate, Dr. Seuss-themed dioramas. Teams prepared, baked, and decorated cupcakes from 7:30-10:30 a.m., and judging began at 11 a.m.

Here are this year’s winners in all categories:

• Best overall cupcake: Horton’s Whos – Kortni Dicks, Laura Kersten, Kris Poleski
• Best display/presentation: Gio and the Pussycats – Gio Toffolo, Alison Dopke, Katie Courtney
• Best packaging: Horton’s Whos – Kortni Dicks, Laura Kersten, Kris Poleski
• Overall highest score: Gio and the Pussycats – Gio Toffolo, Alison Dopke, Katie Courtney (the second place team was only 0.5 points behind – the closest competition yet!)

Congratulations to GRCC’s 2019 Cupcake Wars winners and to all of the students who worked so hard to create these amazing displays!

Partnership with Knickerbocker – New Holland brews support for scholarships

GRCC is proud of its community partnerships! The craft brewing program of GRCC’s Secchia institute for Culinary Education teamed up with The Knickerbocker — New Holland Brewing in Grand Rapids and created a special brew – the appropriately named “Syllabus.” New Holland named the Secchia Institute the brewery’s Community Tap for November, with a portion of sales benefiting GRCC students. Last week, The Knickerbocker team presented President Bill Pink and Chef Werner Absenger, Secchia Institute for Culinary Education program director, a check for $1,000 for scholarships for students in the craft brewing program. They were joined by professors Jacob Brenner and Amanda Harper of the Fountain Hill Brewery.

Recap: GRCC Cooks features Appetizers

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Participants in the December 3, 2018, GRCC Cooks Appetizers class explored tapas, small plates, canapés, and game day favorites with Josef Huber, Corporate Executive Chef at Amway Hospitality Corp.

Future classes include Seafood, The Perfect Steak, Korean BBQ, and more!

Future class descriptions and registration are available on the GRCC Cooks page.

Recap: German nonprofit Studentenwerk Dresden visits GRCC

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Grand Rapids Community College on Wednesday hosted three guests from Studentenwerk Dresden. Studentenwerk is a German non-profit entity receiving subsidies to provide student support services for several universities in Dresden.

The service includes housing, childcare, counseling, financial aid, and international student services.

The visit is part of an ongoing exchange with Grand Valley State University, which asked GRCC leaders to show the visitors the critical roles a community college plays in its community.

The guests met with Provost Laurie Chesley, Associate Provost Tina Hoxie, Dean Michael Vargo of the School of Arts and Sciences, Dean Amy Mansfield of the School of Workforce Development, and Eric Mullen, associate dean of enrollment management and financial aid.

Stops on their tour included the Secchia Institute for Culinary Arts and the Fountain Hill Brewery, the Laboratory Preschool, the Academic Advising and Transfer Center, Student Life, the Enrollment Center, and the Thompson M-TEC.

Recap: Making Friends and Food at GRCC’s First ‘Seasonal Cooking’ Event

The GRCC Foundation and Secchia Institute for Culinary Education hosted a new seasonal cooking experience last Thursday – “Seasonal Cooking: A physician, a farmer, and a chef walk into a kitchen…”

This GRCC Foundation friend-raiser gave guests time to experience GRCC as they never have before, beginning the evening in the Pietro and Regina Amphitheater, followed by time spent cooking together in the Secchia Institute for Culinary Education kitchens, and ending with dinner and discussion.

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Thanks to everyone who helped make this Seasonal Cooking event such a wonderful experience!

Fountain Hill Brewery Opens Today, Hours and Dates for Fall and Winter

The Fountain Hill Brewery will be open from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday evenings on the dates listed below:

Fall 2018:

• September: 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27
• October: 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31
• November: 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 28, 29

Winter 2019:

• January: 23, 24, 30, 31
• February: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
• March: 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
• April: 3, 4, 10, 11

Want to receive the latest updates about the Fountain Hill Brewery? Join the Friends of Secchia Institute for Culinary Education e-Club.

You can also follow the Fountain Hill Brewery on Facebook.

GRCC In the News, 10-5-17

GVSU to host forum on supply, demand of health care jobs
10/4/17  Grand Valley Lanthorn
Grand Valley State University’s Office of the Vice Provost for Health is hosting The Health Care Talent Pipeline, a panel discussion on the supply and demand of jobs in the health care industry and how higher education institutes can meet the needs of employers and employees in the field.
… The panelists include Norman Beauchamp, dean of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Laurie Chelsey, provost of Grand Rapids Community College; Pamela Ries, senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Spectrum Health; Wanda Stokes, director of the Talent Investment Agency for the state of Michigan; and Maria Cimitile, GVSU provost and executive vice president for academic and student affairs.

The 30 Best Culinary Schools
10/3/17  TheBestSchools.org
Plenty of us enjoy cooking, but few take it to the professional level. For those who choose to go pro, the culinary industry presents a large job market with lots different options for employment and specialization, as well as mobility. However, while getting into the industry might not be difficult (there is always a need for dish washers and table bussers), working your way up to head chef or restaurant owner isn’t such a clear path.
… 18. Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College (Grand Rapids, Michigan)  The Secchia Institute for Culinary Education is part of Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), a public, not-for profit institution.
TheBestSchools.org Releases Its Ranking of Best Culinary Schools
10/4/17  WTOC.com
TheBestSchools.org, a leading online publication for ranking schools and degree programs, has now published its ranking of “The 30 Best Culinary Schools.”
… Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, Michigan

 

 

Photos: The Heritage Lunch Menu – Winter 2010 Semester

GRCC’s student-run Heritage Restaurant is operated as a lab environment for the college’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education.  Every semester, the menu changes and offers new and enticing epicurean delights.

For a full slideshow, click here.  For more information (including hours, menus, and directions/reservations) visit www.grcc.edu/heritage