Flagstaff, Arizona - March 2004 - While other chefs are bamming it up and hamming it up for home cooks dreaming about their next potluck presentation, Chef Donald Carlson of NAU is dishing out a cooking show of a totally different kind. And though fun-loving, he can be strict!

That's because Carlson's class on the DISH network is Culinary Arts for Managers - for those who suddenly find themselves managing food-service operations without previous culinary training. Folks who probably think Campylobacter is the sequel to Jurassic Park and Listeria is a mouthwash. And there are plenty of them (both managers and bacteria)!
 

Beyond restaurants-in thousands of kitchens across the country-in nursing homes, churches, summer camps, charter schools, daycare centers, and community kitchens-men and women are managing food service operations. And many are "winging it," having never received any commercial food-service training. So now there's a place for the curious manager to go: CAM100 airs on Channel 9411 of the DISH network. Conveniently scheduled on Saturday and Sunday at noon, MST, beginning April 10, 2004, for twelve weeks. And free - A public service of Northern Arizona University, underwritten by Kendall-Jackson wineries. The course will be repeated in early Fall, 2004, time TBA. Managers who would like to earn

Chef Don Carlson Donald E. Carlson is the executive chef of the Garden Terrace Restaurants at the Inn at NAU, a 19-mini-suite property operated by staff and students of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Carlson has served on faculty at Newbury College in Brookline, Massachusetts, and Johnson & Wales College in Providence, Rhode Island. He has also been recognized as an outstanding educator and holds several awards earned in culinary competitions. His professional affiliations include the Boston Epicureans Society, the Culinary Institute of America, the Academy of Chefs and the Escoffier Society.

So - don't know a chinois from a shinbone? A bain marie from a beignet? There's help from Chef Carlson, whether you're a manager or a hobby cook. General viewers who want to know more about what works in the kitchen and why will also benefit from Culinary Arts for Managers.

"Some concepts are so foundational that understanding, say the differences between dry heat and moist heat - can turn your cooking around," says Carlson.

"If you understand what happens to proteins in different heats and environments, you'll do better with your barbequing and you won't be afraid to add scallops or a pot roast to your repertoire," he says. "And that's just the beginning. Wait till you understand sauces!"

The program also includes modules on baking, soups, seafoods, and vegetables.

"People want to add more vegetables to their daily lives, but they get tired of eating them raw or micro-waved," says Galen Collins, associate dean of the School of Hotel & Restaurant Management. "Chef Carlson explains the basic science behind other methods of cooking veggies - caramelizing and roasting, for example. He flings open new doors of flavor that will be appreciated by all audiences - families - or clients and customers."

Collins originated the idea of featuring Carlson on the DISH Network. "Chef's classes are always full and he is one of our most popular professors. He is that rare culinarian who is an excellent teacher as well as an excellent chef. And practical. When you're done with his class, you won't think HACCP is a hassle. You'll know it is a necessity."

HACCP (pronounced "hass-up") is an acronym for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, a self-inspection system that helps increase food safety.

Culinary Arts for Managers-had a soft debut in January, and has already attracted a loyal fan base. More information is available at www.nau.edu/hrm/NAUcooks or by contacting HRM's Vickie Derryberry ([email protected] or 928 523-8346).