Baking Buzz

Baking Buzz
Baking Buzz keeps you updated on the latest news in the baking industry. Updated every Friday, the stories work with our member publication, “Beyond Baking,” to bring you the latest industry news. Clicking on the underlined type in navy throughout this page will take you to various links!

If you have news you want to share or have any questions about 'the Buzz,' please email bakingbuzz@wibakers.com.

MARCH 5, 2010

WBA & MEMBER HEADLINES
Wisconsin Restaurant Expo takes place next week!
We're packing up at the office for the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, which will be held March 8-10 at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee. We are excited to bring competitions and demos to the show floor again this year. On tap this year:

* The Bakers Best Seal of Excellence (with new categories in 2010!)
* The 4-B Bash, our member event, held March 8 at Major Goolsby's (note we have changed it to Monday night - the menu is set and we are ready!)

* Ashley Vicos from TLC will be here all three days and will lead some decorating sessions you can sign up for! Her sessions include: Sculpted Cake Designing, All That Glitters - Fast & Fun Fondant Techniques, and Making it Easy to Make Custom Cakes. She has made some beautiful cakes that you may have seen on TV. We are very excited she will be joining us this year! She helped plan the programming for the classes, so you know they will be informative.

* WBA Board member Art Bartsch will speak on Green Business Initiatives on Tuesday morning.

Click here for the complete registration form to sign up for our programming and competitions!

For all the details the 2010 Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, visit www.everythingfoodservice.org.

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WBA member has mixer for sale
Are you in need of a new mixer? One WBA member may be able to help you out! Derek Van Alstyne from Sweet Creations Village Bakery in Slinger, Wis. is selling a 20-qt. mixer with all attachments (including the grinder). His asking price is $2,000, firm. Please call Derek at (262) 644-7949.

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Food & Wine event planned at Milwaukee Area Technical College March 8
The students, faculty, and staff of the Milwaukee Area Technical College Culinary Arts, Baking, Hotel/Hospitality, and Meeting & Event Management programs cordially invite you to an upcoming event at the college. Here are the details:
A Five Star Food & Wine Event, featuring nine food stations, and silent auctions and raffles will cap off the evening
Date: Monday, March 8, 2010
Time: 5 - 8 p.m.
Silent Auction: 5 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Milwaukee Area Technical College, 700 West State St., 6th Floor Conference Center
Ticket Price: $45 in advance, $55 at the door
Special Guest Chef, at the Risotto Station: Come and meet Suzanne Schlicht, MATC Culinary Apprentice Graduate and finalist on this past season's Hell's Kitchen (which appeared on Fox TV). During her apprenticeship, Suzanne worked for Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro and now works for Cesar's Palace Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.
Menu: Seven action stations and ready-to-eat food
This year, an exciting evening of student-prepared cuisine from France, Italy, Asia, and Latin America, as well as a carvery and assorted sweet & specialty pastries station, will be enhanced with a variety of paired wines.
Ticket price includes four tickets for wine/beer and soft drinks Additional beverages available for purchase. For more information, or to purchase tickets please visit http://fivestar.matc.edu or call Liane at (414) 297-6535. All proceeds raised assist Hospitality students and faculty (Culinary Arts, Baking, Hotel/Hospitality, & Meeting and Event Management) with scholarship and continuing education opportunities.

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Our next Bakers Forum is April 13
Think spring! Our next Bakers Forum is at Valley Bakers Cooperative Association April 13. They have planned a great lineup for this event, with a 12:30 p.m. start time to accommodate all the activity. Below are the details about the event.

April 13: Valley Bakers Cooperative Association

Address: W6470 Quality Dr., Greenville, Wis.
Details for the April 13 Forum (please note the earlier start time)
Topic-“Food Safety & Sanitation Best Practices”
12:30-Opening comments-David Schmidt
1:00-2:00-Glenn Goldschmidt, Equipment Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection-division of Food Safety. Topics will include the following: Regulatory Requirements, Equipment Review and Design, Facility Requirements, construction and design ideas.
2:00-3:00-Tom Svitak, Central Region Director-American Institute of Baking (AIB) Topics will include: Third party audits, types of audits and the differences between them, inspections, certified and non-certified audits and inspections.
3:00-4:00-Tom Paris, Regional Manager-Spartan Chemical & Mike Fisher, Business Development Manager-K-Tech Cleaning Systems. Topics will include: How to use chemicals and cleaners, and why? Types of cleaners that are available and why is sanitizing so important, PH, acids, detergents, properly dilution of chemicals and SOP’s. If you were not able to attend the Food Safety & Sanitation seminar on Jan. 20, 2010, held at Valley Bakers, now is your chance!
RSVP to the WBA Member Services Center if you plan to attend.

Other 2010 Bakers Forums

May 11: Clasen's European Bakery, Middleton, Wis.
Oct. 19: Manderfield's Home Bakery, Appleton, Wis.
Nov. 2: Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee

Looking ahead: 2011 Bakers Forums
Feb. 8: Madison Area Technical College, Madison, Wis.

Contact the WBA Member Services Center if you are interested in hosting a Bakers Forum in 2011. We need hosts for the following months: January, April, May, October and November.

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INDUSTRY HEADLINES (and other news you can use)
Sanitary Design Workshop - second session being offered
As announced by the American Bakers Association: This workshop will be held June 23-24 in Downtown Chicago. A group of GMA member companies - The Bama Companies, Cadbury, Campbell's, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Heinz, Kellogg's, Kraft, Land O'Lakes, Nestlé, the Quaker Oats and Frito Lay divisions of PepsiCo, and Sara Lee - have begun working together to educate others about food safety. (More)

Larry Mize to headline Paul Abenante PEC Golf Tournament at 2010 ABA Convention
As reported by the American Bakers Association March 1: The American Bakers Association is pleased to announce that Larry Mize will serve as the tournament pro during the 2010 Paul Abenante PEC Golf Tournament on March 16 at the ABA Convention, March 14-17, in Boca Raton, Fla. (More)

The French Pastry School brings chef instructors together for FENI
Culinary educators gather at The French Pastry School for the 12th Annual FENI Summit
As reported by The French Pastry School Feb. 22: Pastry and culinary educators from around the country gathered in Chicago at several venues including The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago to participate in the 12th Annual Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) Summit. The event was produced by Chef Educator Today magazine and Talcott Publishing. (More)

FULL STORIES
Sanitary Design Workshop - second session being offered
As announced by the American Bakers Association: This workshop will be held June 23-24 in Downtown Chicago. A group of GMA member companies - The Bama Companies, Cadbury, Campbell's, ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Heinz, Kellogg's, Kraft, Land O'Lakes, Nestlé, the Quaker Oats and Frito Lay divisions of PepsiCo, and Sara Lee - have begun working together to educate others about food safety. At the Equipment & Plant Design Workshop for Allergen/Pathogen Control, representatives from these companies will present practical, proven approaches to cleaning, sanitary design, equipment layout, and personnel requirements that utilize verifiable, economically sound, and HACCP-supported processes.

Click here for the full details of the workshop.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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"Larry Mize was a popular and beloved figure on the PGA tour," said ABA President and CEO Robb MacKie. "He is a great example of someone who succeeded against the odds especially by winning the 1987 Masters Tournament in a most extraordinary way. I can't thank enough our allied members who are sponsoring Mr. Mize."

At the 1987 Masters, Mize was tied with Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman after four rounds. Ballesteros was eliminated in the first hole of the playoff. On the second playoff hole, Mize’s second shot landed well off the green. It appeared that a birdie would be impossible, and that even making par might be difficult. Meanwhile Norman's second shot landed on the edge of the green, giving him a potentially makeable birdie putt. On his third shot, Mize hit an incredible 140-foot chip shot, giving him the birdie and Masters’ green jacket. Mize’s win was particularly exciting because he is an Augusta native and worked the scoreboard at Augusta National as a teen.

The Paul Abenante PEC Golf Tournament is designed as a fun event for golfers of all abilities to join in support of ABA’s political education activities. The proceeds of the tournament are invested in critically important activities such as ABA’s Rise to Action grassroots Web Site, congressional directories and high profile speakers. It also is a fun way for bakers and suppliers to conduct some informal networking.

"Even for a hacker like me, the opportunity to meet and learn from Larry Mize is the chance of a lifetime," said ABA Chairman Chip Klosterman, Klosterman Baking Company. "I encourage all the attendees, especially the bakers, to support this fun and worthwhile event during the Convention."

The 2010 ABA Convention promises to be the premier industry event of the year. The theme of "Leading in Times of Change" reflects the economic and political challenges facing the country. The convention speakers and presenters will provide the tools the industry needs to help lead the industry and the country to overcome the current economic conditions. ABA’s Annual Convention will bring together hundreds of leaders from America’s baking businesses and their suppliers for four days of networking, idea exchange, and working sessions. Registration is open to both members and prospective members. More information may be found at www.americanbakers.org.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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From Feb. 12-15, nearly 200 culinary and pastry instructors from around the country participated in various educational and networking events in the culinary hub of the city of Chicago to further their commitment to taking education to new heights. The French Pastry School’s instructors have participated with FENI in previous summits, and a new offering to this year’s summit were master classes in pastry and baking offered at The French Pastry School at City Colleges of Chicago.

Classes taught at The French Pastry School included both demonstration and some hands-on learning, exploring topics such as chocolate tempering, decorations, showpieces, and candy, sugar decorations and showpieces, the art of rolled fondant, designing special occasion cakes, gum paste flowers, wedding cake piping and decorating, artisan breads, and French petits fours. Among the Chef Instructors leading these courses for the FENI participants were Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., Master Cake Artist Mark Seaman, John Kraus, Laura Ragano, and Master Baker Jonathan Dendauw.

"FENI gives us and all culinary educators a great opportunity to learn from each other," said Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer, Dean of Student Affairs at The French Pastry School. "Meeting together in this way and sharing ideas allows us to elevate the level of culinary and pastry instruction all across the country."

In addition to the pastry classes, FENI participants were further edified by a lecture on leadership given by Chef Charlie Trotter. A presentation sponsored by Fishnick was given on promoting energy efficiency and environmental awareness, and a silent auction was held to benefit For the Love of Chocolate Foundation which awards scholarships to deserving applicants of The French Pastry School. The auction raised more than $3,000 to benefit the foundation. During the awards ceremony on the evening of Feb. 14, Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer was awarded a medallion "to honor his continued dedication to FENI over the years," said Daniel von Rabenau, FENI Executive Director and Publisher of Chef Educator Today magazine, "The medallion symbolizes Jacquy's creative and continuous efforts to enhance the quality of culinary education."

Participants anxiously await The French Pastry School’s expansion and renovation of facilities, and the new L’Art du Gâteau – The Professional Cake Baking and Decorating Program, as well as ongoing Continuing Education classes. The French Pastry School looks forward to participating with FENI once again at next year’s Summit in Chicago, February 19-21, 2011.

About The French Pastry School
The French Pastry School is a premier international institution of pastry arts education. Superb instruction, superior equipment, and top quality ingredients enable the co-founders and Academic Deans, Chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer, and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F., to uphold an exceptional educational facility for pastry and baking. The French Pastry School’s team of award-winning instructors has grown to a faculty of twelve renowned instructors, including Master Baker Jonathan Dendauw, Pastry World Champion Dimitri Fayard, Della Gossett, Bob Hartwig, Pastry World Champion En-Ming Hsu, Joshua Johnson, John Kraus, Laura Ragano, Master Cake Artists Nicholas Lodge & Mark Seaman.

The French Pastry School offers the rare opportunity for students to learn the art of pastry in an intimate setting, being personally mentored by masters in their field. Students’ skills are finely honed through hands-on practice and repeated exposure to the best pastry techniques, tools, and ingredients. Our programs are ideal for anyone from the career changer to the professional to the novice.

About FENI
The primary purpose of the Foodservice Educators Network International is to provide a focal point for culinary educators to network, and better prepare for those they educate and influence. Through Chef Educator Today Magazine and the annual FENI Summit, culinary educators and others allied to the field have a continuous opportunity to expand their culinary knowledge, present papers, as well analyze the latest technical and theoretical concepts. FENI brings together the culinary industry's most innovative chefs, award winning culinary educators, and dynamic personalities to enhance the teaching skills, motivate, and develop communication among those attending the annual Summit. FENI acknowledges the dedication of its past members, Sponsorship and Institutional Partners, the funding of Talcott Publishing and the leadership of its Executive Director, Daniel von Rabenau.

About For the Love of Chocolate Foundation
For the Love of Chocolate Foundation provides scholarships for qualified students in the specialized training of the pastry arts. The foundation awards scholarships to students of L’Art de la Pâtisserie program taught by The French Pastry School for the City Colleges of Chicago. For the Love of Chocolate Foundation promotes commitment in pastry arts education for individuals looking to change careers, as well as individuals who have shown potential in the culinary field but who have no formal pastry education.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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How to develop an employee handbook
As reported in the BeneCo of Wisconsin HR Source newsletter March 3: A useful tool for any growing compnay is the employee handbook ,which outlines your polices on harassment, discrimination and discipline, and can serve as a shield in the event an employment claim is brought against your business. A handbook can also communicate your vision of the company to employees, and provide exact details on how you expect them to perform their jobs, treat customers and carry out the company's goals.

Click here for more information on this topic.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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Volunteering can bring rewards even in the workplace
As reported in the BeneCo of Wisconsin HR Source newsletter March 3: Volunteer work offers mental health benefits and may even help you perform better in your paying job, the results of a German study show. The study included 105 people who worked an average of five days a week and who spent an average of 6.7 hours per week volunteering in activities ranging from fire departments to church groups.

Click here for more information on this topic.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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RBA plans Webinar March 10
As announced by Retail Bakers of America: We Challenge You to Increase Your Sales at least 10 percent in 2010! Cash in on RBA's new 10-in-10 Program by registering for this Webinar and participating in the challenge. Your free registration automatically enters your bakery in the sales challenge program. The first 20 bakeries to register will receive a special 10-in-10 tee signed by Coach Joe Gibbs! Visit www.retailbakersofamerica.org/10-in-10-sales-challenge for more information. ONLY RBA RETAIL BAKERY MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 2000, XP Home, XP Pro, 2003 Server, Vista
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4 (Tiger®) or newer

Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/405941299
Not a RBA Member? Sign up for membership today by calling Aleksandra Syska at (703) 610-0241 or click here to visit the Web site.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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News from The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance
As reported in The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Focus newsletter Dec. 28, 2009: The headline read: The $2.7 billion state deficit no one told you about. Click here to read more on this topic from The Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance. Founded in 1932, WISTAX is a nonpartisan public policy research organization that seeks to teach and inform state citizens.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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Your chance to learn from the pros at ABE 2010
Don’t miss your chance to learn from top cake decorators who will be teaching hands on classes at the Atlantic Bakery Expo in Atlantic City on March 21-23. As part of the education program sponsored by the Retail Bakers of America, top decorators, Ron Ben-Israel, Roland & Marsha Winbeckler, Linda Shonk and Mike Terry will be teaching 4 hour, hands-on classes designed for decorating professionals. Register now at www.abe2010.com because class sizes are limited.

Sunday, March 21 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ($200 Fee)
Cake Sculpting: Basics and Beyond
By Roland & Marsha Winbeckler
Learn from the masters of cake sculpture. The Winbeckler's will share their
knowledge on which cakes and icings work best for sculptures, how to shape
and sculpt cake, and how to create the details that make their sculptures
"come to life." Each student will sculpt and decorate a basic cake sculpture
(with no internal stand) during class.

Monday, March 22 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. ($200 Fee)
Air Brush Techniques
By Roland & Marsha Winbeckler
Roland and Marsha will teach you how get the most from your airbrush and how
to create special effects on your cakes. Students will learn how to operate
and care for the airbrush, what exercises to practice to gain better
control, and how to cut and use custom stencils. Class will be a combination
of demonstration and hand-on with the airbrush. Students will leave class
feeling more comfortable with the airbrush and ready to use many designs and
techniques learned in class.Roland and Marsha Winbeckler have been a husband/wife decorating team for 25
years, and both were decorators and instructors prior to meeting. They teach
professional cake decorating classes around the U.S. and have also taught or
demonstrated in Canada, Jamaica, and Australia. They have both taught at the
Wilton School in Chicago, and Roland also taught at the prestigious Culinary
Institute of America in New York.
Roland was a double gold medal winner at the World Culinary Olympics held in
Frankfurt, Germany, and was inducted into the Cake Decorating Hall of Fame
in 1992.
Roland and Marsha have appeared on the Food Network and TLC's Ultimate Cake
Off. They are both authors of cake decorating books and DVDs and have each
written articles for trade magazines. Marsha was the editor of two
international cake decorating newsletters for many years. Together they own
and manage CakeSuppliesPlus.com, from which they offer classes and sell
their books, DVDS, and other decorating supplies.

Tuesday, March 23 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ($300 Fee)
Sugar Paste Flowers
By Ron Ben-Israel
Ron Ben-Israel will demonstrate his latest decorating techniques. This class will be covering all stages of the sugar Rose, as well as techniques for filler flowers that require no cutters.
Named the King of Cakes by Modern Bride magazine, Ron Ben-Israel have been a favorite among celebrities and the style-conscious since 1993. A popular guest on TV, Ron often appears on Martha, the Late Show with David Letterman, and the Food Network. His cakes have been featured in The New York Times, New York magazine, In Style, and Vogue, among others.
Ron has received numerous gold medals and awards in culinary competitions, and shares his passion, techniques, and secrets with the students of the French Culinary Institute in New York. His students there complete an intensive hands-on, six to nine months’ classic pastry program. In that professional setting, Ron teaches the fine points of cake decorating.

Sunday, March 21 8:00 a.m- 12:00 pm ($200 Fee)
Fun Figures with Buttercream
By Mike Terry
Mike Terry will teach you how to Figure Pipe. He has a fresh way to look at it along with insight on figuring out figures. Frogs, Alligators, Fish, Clowns and more...
Mike Terry is a pastry artist instructor with more than 25 years experience. He has demonstrated at industry events such as the International Baking Industry Expo, Retail Bakers of America,International Dairy Deli Bakery Association, and the ICES. He was a pastry artist for the 1999 U.S. Open and spent 14 years as a regional trainer for a leading bakery manufacturer. Mike recently competed in TLC’s 'Ultimate Cake-Off’

Monday, March 22 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. ($200 Fee)
Fondant Techniques (Session A)
By Linda Shonk
Learn how to work with fondant. Learn tips and tricks to improve your productivity. Session A will focus on basic fondant techniques.

Tuesday, March 23 8:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. ($200 Fee)
Fondant Techniques ( Session B)
By Linda Shonk
Learn how to work with fondant. Learn tips and tricks to improve your productivity. Session B will focus on more advanced fondant techniques.
Linda Shonk is the developer of Choco-Pan rolled icing and an A.C.F. certified Executive Pastry Chef. Linda has owned and operated both retail and wholesale bakeries since 1974 and is a highly sought after culinary instructor. She teaches students at Sweet Art, Inc. (her place of business in Indianapolis) and Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. She travels around the United States giving classes and seminars on a wide variety of topics and techniques. She has also been a guest instructor at Indiana University, Purdue University, International Sugar Art in Atlanta and Cal-Java International in Los Angeles. Linda has received many awards and much praise for her work as a culinary artist, including A.C.F. gold, silver, and bronze medals and the prestigious Concepts-In-Food award. In addition to her work as an instructor, Linda has appeared on Food Network Challenge, and her Choco-Pan product has made an impact on the rolled icing market and has shattered the stereotypes of rolled fondant in general. Linda recently competed as a team member on two TLC’s 'Ultimate Cake-Off’ competitions with Norm Davis and Mike Terry.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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What's in Store 2010 available through IDDBA
As reported in the February 2010 issue of the IDDBA Dairy-Deli-Bake Digest: You don't need a crystal ball, a giant research department, or hours of time to answer the above question. You just need IDDBA's What's in Store 2010 trends report. The report tracks supermarket deli, foodservice, bakery, cheese, and refrigerated dairy case product data and trends. And, if that's not enough, check out the consumer buying behavior, demographic trends, and random weight deli and bakery sales data. Each IDDBA member receives one copy as part of their membership, but frequently buy extra copies for key staff and customers. T he cost is $99 for IDDBA members, $399 for non-members (plus S&H). Call Jeremy at (608) 310-5000 to order.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

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A SPECIAL NOTE...
Efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti
We have all seen the devastation that has occurred in Haiti following the earthquake that hit Jan. 12. If you are wondering how you can help, see the link below. You also can contact your local Red Cross chapter to see how you can help.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake

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