CHOP program serves as format for ProStart students to hone their presentation skills

In partnership with Ochsner Health System, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF), through two Jefferson Parish ProStart schools—Bonnabel Magnet Academy and Grace King High School—are participating in the Cooking-up Healthy Optionsand Portions (CHOP) program. CHOP is an after-school cooking program designed to teach middle school students to prepare healthy meals and feel more confident in the kitchen. 

"ProStart students meet with middle schoolers for 90-minutes each week and conduct demonstrations designed to explore healthy substitutions and teach them how to prepare meals for themselves and their families," said Alice Glenn, LRAEF Executive Director. "The younger students have the opportunity to learn from our ProStart students knife skills and safety, food safety, proper measuring and calculations, meal planning, boiling, simmering, sautéing and baking."

Ochsner’s Community Outreach staff has revised and created recipes that show students they can still eat their favorite foods and be healthy at the same time, just by making a few small changes. CHOP acts as a compliment to the LSU AgCenter’s Smart Choices nutrition program and is offered to students who have already participated in that program. The program’s goal is to enable students to translate the information they learn into tangible skills that can make healthy eating a habit. 

“ProStart students serve as skilled mentors for these younger students,” said Glenn. “It is our hope that our ProStart students will inspire them to take an interest not only in eating healthy, but in the restaurant industry as a career option in the future.” 

Vermilion Bay Sweet White Shrimp Gumbo Pack First Louisiana Certified Wild Seafood Product

In Cajun country it is all the about gumbo, especially seafood gumbo. Experienced chefs, at home or in restaurants, know a key ingredient in a seafood gumbo is having a proper sized fresh Louisiana wild caught shrimp with a fantastic flavor – guaranteed.

To meet an ever-increasing demand for fresh, quality gumbo-sized shrimp, the Port of Delcambre and Delcambre Direct Seafood program have introduced the first product in the state carrying the “Certified Authentic Louisiana Wild Seafood” – the Vermilion Bay Sweet White Shrimp gumbo pack. The 70-90 count (pieces per pound) is the perfect size for a wide variety of uses including gumbo, fettuccini, po’boys and pastas.

 

“This Louisiana Certified Wild Seafood product is the first step in elevating the Louisiana Seafood Brand to the status achieved by the Idaho Potato or Alaska Salmon,” said Ewell Smith, executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, whose organization partnered with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to establish the program. “The Vermilion Bay shrimp retail gumbo packs will open doors for others to follow.”

The  project, conceived by Louisiana State University Agricultural Center ( LSU AgCenter) and Louisiana Sea Grant marine extension program, was designed to bring a locally branded product to the marketplace.

“Vermilion Bay Sweet White gumbo shrimp pack will contain no sodium tripolyphosphate or STP,” explained Thomas Hymel of LSU AgCenter/Sea Grant. “STP is a chemical that is widely used in the seafood industry in raw frozen product as an aid to prevent product moisture loss during the thawing process. We wanted this shrimp pack to be just like if you bought the shrimp fresh off the boat and peeled them yourself … with nothing added but shrimp.”

“Boutique” Project

The demonstration project was based on an idea that small “boutique” processors across the state could benefit from the farm-to-market movement, where local products are sought.”

Great American Seafood Cook-off: 4-H Edition 2013

Sensational Seafood – The Healthy Way!

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board and LSU AgCenter invites 4-Her’s from across the country to show off their culinary prowess at the 3rd annual Great American Seafood Cook-off:4-H Edition high school 4-H competition on Sunday, August 4, 2013, at the Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Eight teams of two to four contestants will compete for the title of 4-H Kings/Queens of Seafood.  The theme for this year’s event will be “Sensational Seafood – The Healthy Way.” Competitors will prepare dishes that highlight USA Domestic Seafood in a healthy way.  Dishes must contain 500 or fewer calories per serving. 

This contest is geared for high school (9^th-12^th grades) 4-H youth, who are interested in pursuing a career in the food service industry and have a general knowledge of cooking and food safety practices in the kitchen. The goal of this competition is not only to highlight the exceptional skills of 4-H youth from different states focusing on nutrition, food safety and presentation skills, but to promote workforce development by giving youth an up close and personal view inside the food service industry.

 

This contest promotes positive public awareness of the importance of consumers using fresh seafood at home with their favorite recipes to support the seafood industry. The contest will also highlight recipes that are healthy and easily replicated at home. Participating teams are also encouraged to include their state commodities in the dishes they present.

Not only will participants compete on the same stage as the professional chefs, but they will be given the opportunity to tour local farmer’s market venues in New Orleans and also sample some of the wonderful cuisine for which New Orleans is so famous. 4-H youth participants will have the opportunity to take a close look into the world of culinary arts by exploring both back-of-the-house operations as well as the front-of-the-house, where the chefs and service staff make magic happen.

       
The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board will give the first eight teams to register $500 to assist in travel costs.    

The winning team will take home the title of GASCO: 4-H Kings/Queens of Seafood and also receive awards from the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, Louisiana 4-H, and National 4-H. 

For more information on this event, or to enter a team from your state, please contact Quincy L. Cheek with the LSU AgCenter at qcheek@agcenter.lsu.edu or 318-767-3969 or 318-623-5217.    

Social media and politics

By Wendy Waren

Tuesday’s Presidential Election had citizens spouting off at the mouth something fierce. Opinions and memes were being posted well in advance of Tuesday’s showdown, but the gloating and poor sportsmanship following the announcement of the next president were just downright polarizing—even more so than we’ve seen in recent months. 

One Louisiana Restaurant Association restaurant member was lambasted by a customer on his personal Facebook page for sharing his thoughts on the state of the nation and one candidate’s lip service given to fixing our country’s problems. He reminded the customer that this was his personal page and that on his business page he refrained for sharing his political beliefs. That didn't stop his Facebook friends, who sided with him, from piling on in his defense. 

As the dust settles from the Nov. 6 hoopla, I've been contemplating whether or not some of these individuals who are cheering or commiserating actually participate in the political process other than occasionally casting their vote. Professionally, I spend a great deal of time working within the political arena. It takes time, dedication, commitment and conviction to stand up for the rights of an industry. Personally, I get involved by calling, writing letters and encouraging others to be heard on issues important to them. It’s time consuming no doubt. 

This week I was asked to speak on behalf of a program that I spend my Saturdays volunteering for, 4-H, administered by the LSU Ag Center. The entire budget was eliminated from New Orleans Mayor Landrieu’s 2013 proposed budget and after more than two hours sitting in on the New Orleans Council’s Budget Hearings, I learned that there was an error and we were not on the agenda. 

A key city official even said to me, “This happens all the time. It’s the way it goes.” I was floored at his defeated and rather nonchalant attitude after I spent time preparing and waiting for my turn at the podium, which ultimately never came. Could this be the reason more citizens don’t take part in the process? Probably. Should citizens take it lying down? No. 

My disappointment was evident. I wanted to pull out my phone and start sounding off with Facebook status updates and tweets, but I reminded myself, that in light of all of it, I needed to remain positive and focused, and remember who my online friends are—they are restaurateurs, media, politicians, family and friends. The same applied with me commenting on the Presidential Election. 

In real life it’s also important to remember that although someone may look like you, they may not have the same political beliefs. I heard from countless people this week that “We’re totally screwed,” or “We won, isn’t that great?” I keep my political convictions to myself for a reason. Voting is personal to me. 

Sometimes the situation warrants reserving the right to keep your mouth shut.