The Academy of Culinary Arts offers special dinners created by alumni, and open to the public. at Atlantic Cape Community College.
Opened in 1981, Mays Landing’s Academy of Culinary Arts (ACA) — now a division of Atlantic Cape Community College in Hamilton Township — has grown to become a respected source of talented culinary professionals both locally and throughout the world.
Just under 3,000 students have passed successfully through the school’s doors — 29,000 square feet of space with eight teaching kitchens, classrooms, a computer lab, banquet room, restaurant and bake shop — in the college’s M building.
Here’s a couple of cool facts most people may not know about the ACA. First, since 2009, students have been utilizing both an exterior herb garden and a renovated organic greenhouse to provide their own ingredients. This helps expose future culinary graduates to several other aspects of the food production industry on a first-hand basis. Second, Strudels, the on-campus mini-bake shop, offers a selection of the Academy’s overflow products — artisanal breads, muffins, pies and cakes — for sale to the public.
Among the most notable graduates of ACA are Bill McCarrick (1984), former executive pastry chef for Harrods of London; Marvin Woods (1985), cookbook author chosen by First Lady Michele Obama to lead the Let’s Move! national wellness campaign against childhood obesity; Michael Schlow (1987), contestant on Top Chef Masters, a James Beard regional award winner, and owner of Boston’s Radius and Via Matta restaurants; and acclaimed local resident Deb Pellegrino, executive pastry chef at Harrah’s/Showboat.
In celebration and recognition of that 30th anniversary milestone — see more in last week’s feature story — the college has recently begun to undertake a series of five-course evening meals featuring the cuisine of prominent local alumni chefs.
Careme’s, the school’s student-run, on-campus gourmet facility, serves as the locale. All events are open to the public at a cost of $30 per person. If interested, contact Danays Alvarado for reservations at 343-5623.
First up was Jay Hoppen, a class of 2003 grad and chef/owner of the Stone Harbor BYOB Jay’s on Third. That initial event took place on Wednesday, Nov. 9, beginning with pan-seared scallops served atop roasted carrot puree, coriander and thai chiles along with pickled carrots, cauliflower and ginger.
Hoppen’s second course was a roasted golden beet salad with chevre crème and Asian pear. A seasonal risotto followed, augmented by shiitake and crimini mushrooms, asiago cheese and fennel pollen. A duo of pan-seared duck breast with yam puree and croquettes made from crispy leg confit combined with pistachio was then plated with Brussels sprouts and lingonberries.
The meal concluded with a French chocolate cream accompanied by an olive oil crumble, vanilla bean crème fraiche, Malden sea salt, apricot gelee and a cocoa tuille.
On Monday, Nov. 21, Stephen Serano (1996) of Avalon’s Café Loren will author his own dinner, clearly designed with more than a few knowledgeable nods to local seasonality. The menu commences with one of those selections, an apple-parsnip soup, roasted chestnuts and spiced red onion syrup.
His second course is a pan-roasted halibut with pancetta pea risotto, ginger carrot sauce and grape tomato chutney. Then, cumin and coriander-scented tuna with curried chickpea salad, cucumber gazpacho, lime yogurt, shaved radishes and micro wasabi greens. In a course traditionally reserved for meat, Serano doesn’t waver: braised short ribs with roasted Idaho potatoes, truffle pear puree, anise-infused dried fruit compote pommery celeriac “noodles” and red wine glace de viande. Dessert is planned as a chocolate lava cake with mocha crème anglaise, fig ice cream and toasted pistachios.
Later in the year, Michael Williams (1992), executive chef at Borgata’s pan-Asian emporium Izakaya, will present a meal on Wednesday, Dec. 7. The finale of the program comes on Monday, Dec. 12, with Mike Stollenwerk (1999), chef/owner of Fish, Little Fish and Fathom Seafood House restaurants in Philadelphia.
Another upcoming special event is the facility’s 15th annual Beaujolais Nouveau wine celebration on Friday, Nov. 18. This follows the annual release of Beaujolais, at one minute past midnight on the third Thursday of each November. Held in conjunction with the local chapter of the gourmet society Chaine Du Rotisseurs, there are a limited number of tickets available.
Those lucky enough to attend should expect authentic French country fare and desserts, along with samplings of several different varieties of the fresh, light, simple red wine. The cost is $60 and reservations are available through Kelly Connor at 340-4552 or e-mail kconnor@tropicana.net.
Harvest Market on Route 9 vends sandwiches, pizzas, grilled items, salads and extraordinary baked goods — specifically, bagels. Big, puffy rounds in about a half dozen varieties, including an absolutely out-of-this-world sunflower seed version that you are unlikely to encounter at many other places.
A tiny, mid-central Cape May County community, Ocean View — situated on the mainland side of Sea Isle City — has never exactly been known as a hotbed of culinary innovation and creativity.
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