Welcome back to school! Things have been pretty busy and very exciting!

Big news,  three of our very own Baking & Pastry students at COD have swept the Pastry Live National Chocolate Showpiece Championship titles.
1st Place : Nayeli Gallegos
2nd Place : Rachel Dau
3rd Place : Markie Bain
These awards were hard earned and won. Kudos to the three of them and all their very diligent, focused and persistenent hard work! Thank you College of DuPage for all your support!

FYI: Pastry Live is a National Convention and Competition which is held annually in August in Atlanta Georgia. You can look them up on their webpage PastryLive.com

Another win for the Pastry Department: Caitlyn Waite is the recipient of the Les Dames D'Escoffier Scholoarship. The Les Dames d" Escoffier is a prestigious organization dedicated to the advancement of women in the industry. We are very proud of you Caitlyn! Thank you to all that applied as it shows how active our women are here at College of DuPage!


A really exciting opportunity: Emerging Entrepreneurs is an on campus organization looking for 20 students who want to be their own boss and run their own business. If interested in a mentor you can complete an online application at www.cod.edu/emerging_entrepreneur or call Bev Carlson 630-942-2140

One of our very own, Marija Benson, places in the Pastry Chicago Competition in April! Way to represent! Please follow the link to read the details.  exacttarget.com

New Job or Internship Opportunitiy

Please check the Job and Internship page for details and contact info

Jacquy Pfeiffer is coming to COD!

On April 30th, Jacquy Pfeiffer will be visiting College of DuPage for a macaron demo and a signing for his book, "The Art of French Pastry." It will be from 12 - 2 PM in the Amphitheater. No reservation is required and copies of his book will be available for sale at the demo.
Pfeiffer is the co-founder of the French Pastry School in Chicago. He is also recognized in the film "Kings of Pastry." In 2013, he was awarded the Medal of the Centennial Honor by the Académie Culinaire de France. 

Scholarship Updates!

Check out the scholarship page for 2 new scholarships available to students! 
Also, if you are interested in the Advanced Decorative Techniques class, see the "We're Kinda a Big Deal" page for pictures from the class. 

Discover Duck - Maple Leaf Competition

Discover Duck - Maple Leaf Competition for both students and professionals.

Please take a moment to explore this exciting competition opportunity.  
http://www.mapleleaffarms.com/chefcontest/

Chair Yellen Visits COD

On Sunday, March 30th, Chair Janet Yellen of the United States Federal Reserve dined with nine other Federal Reserve members at the student assisted dinner in Waterleaf. The guests enjoyed various courses including a rabbit gnocchi and duck breast with foie gras. Because of Chair Yellen's enthusiasm and support for community colleges, it was a huge honor and privilege to represent College of DuPage to her.

Hotel Event on March 28th

Every year, hoteliers and hotel executives from many independent and branded hotels celebrate together at the annual gala on behalf of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association. This year the event was hosted by the Hyatt Regency downtown, with a dessert table provided by College of DuPage. Thank you very much to the Baking III class for the preparation of desserts for this event. It was a huge success with overwhelming gratitude and satisfaction from all the guests. College of DuPage was represented at this event by Mary Beth Leone, Chef Meyers, Chef Carey, Rachel Dau, and Aldine Martins de Oliveira. 

NRA Show 2014

The National Restaurant Show is back this May running from the 17th - 20th. If you interested in attending the show, see an instructor to receive a form.
If you register by April 4th, the fee is only $49. After that, it increases to $99. Try to attend one day and see new products, recipes, and other new trends developing in the restaurant industry.

Duncan Hines Booth at the NRA Show

Duncan Hines is seeking the help of 21 students for the upcoming NRA Show on May 17, 18, 19, & 20th. The work will involve vegetable salad prep, panini sandwich prep, and fruit tart filling. Be prepared to work in any of these positions. As representatives of the school, the expectations are that you will be on time, dressed in your clean and pressed uniform, conduct yourself in a professional manner, and come prepared with a small knife kit. You will be compensated for your badge, parking, and/or transportation. Please keep all receipts. You will also be paid a $20 hourly rate. 

For more information, go to the upcoming volunteer opportunities tab. 

2014 Pastry Live Student Chocolate Showpiece Competition

Want a way to get your foot in the door in national pastry competitions?
Registration is beginning for the 2014 Pastry Live Student Chocolate Showpiece Competition in Atlanta from August 24-26th.
For more information, please refer to the "Upcoming Competitions" tab.

Update for the Week of February 7th - 14th

Please check the job & internship page on the blog. We have posted a new job opportuntiy.

Pizza Pizza!

On Friday, January 31st, about 60 high school students came to the Culinary and Hospitality Center for a tour and information session about all the Culinary and Hospitality Center has to offer. With the help of student volunteers, Chef Carey and Chef Thielman put on a great pizza demo. 

Fists together, and spring up like a flower.. Now, blossom! 

Some interesting questions that the high school students asked the chefs. 

Thank you to our great student volunteers: Neha, Amanda, Markie, Brenda, and Joey! 

2014 Women Chefs & Restauratuers Conference

Exciting opportunity!
The 21st annual Women's Chefs and Restaurateurs Conference is being held in Chicago at the Intercontinental Hotel on Michigan Ave March 9-11, 2014. The organizers are looking for volunteers to assist chefs, classes and tours.Could be really interesting. You can also check out their web page for exciting details about the program and activities. The direct link to the event is :

womenchefs.org/conference

For volunteer info go to the we love volunteers on the right side of this page.

Please consider judging the FCCLA cake competitions

Students, Please consider volunteering to judge the FCCLA cake competitions. It would be a great experience and would help the future cake decorators of the world! :)
Look on the side tab to follow the link to signup genius.

Check us out!

Check out the new Baking and Pastry Blog. All the information is in the tabs. Subscribe, share, and check-in to continue receiving new information regarding volunteer opportunities, scholarships, and staying current with everything that is going on in the Baking and Pastry Department.