November 15, 2010 by Amy.

 The University of New Hampshire’s Hospitality Management Advanced Food and Beverage Class will host the Gourmet Dinner: ‘A Common Table’ on Friday, December 3rd and Saturday, December 4^th. The dinner will take place at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH. Hors d’oeuvres begin at 6 o’clock followed by a six course dinner at 7 o’clock.

The dinners are completely student run and serve as the capstone experience for the Advanced Food and Beverage Management course. The events have been held for over 50 years and have a strong historical presence on campus. The Gourmet Dinner is a time to slow down and get back to the table.

The students prepare the food from scratch and buy local when feasible.Area suppliers include: Beach Pea Baking Co., ciabatta rolls; Brookford Farm, green cabbage, carrots, milk, cream, eggs; Garen’s Greens at Riverside Farm, watermelon radishes, turnips; The Gelato Fiasco, local cranberry sorbet; White Gate Farm, pears; Applecrest Farm, apples; New Roots Farm, rainbow chard, chili sauce; Heron Pond Farm, scallions, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, parsnips; Seaport Fish, haddock, Maine shrimp.

Menu 

Hors d’oeuvres

BLT Crisp

House-cured Pancetta, Rainbow Chard, Tomato Chutney

Brittle

Walnut Brittle, Goat Cheese, Poached Pear

Paella Stuffed Pepper

Maine Shrimp, Saffron, Peppadew Pepper

Pig On A Blanket

House-made Chorizo, Tarragon Mustard, Puff Pastry

Appetizer

Oregon Truffle Mac n’ Cheese

Mornay Sauce, Shaved Truffle

Entrée

Shepherd’s Pie

Local Lamb Dodine, Baby Turnips

Intermezzo

Cranberry Sorbet

Clementine, House-dried Cranberries

Main Entrée

Fish and Chips

Line-caught Haddock, Roxbury Russet Apple Slaw

 Salad

Blue Cheese Wedge

Great Hill Blue Dressing, Radishes, Bacon Lardons

Dessert

Handmade Donuts

Zeppole, Peppermint Fudge, Tawny Hot Chocolate

The students are excited to welcome Executive Chef Evan Mallett from Black Trumpet Bistro and his assistance with menu innovation, along with Dover Wine’s arrangement of excellent wine pairings.

Promising a memorable evening, guests are invited to recapture warm memories of times well spent. Come in from the cold and eat a warm dinner with the company of friends, old and new at ‘A Common Table.’ All leftover food products will be made into “stone” soup by the students Sunday after the dinner and will be given to Cross Roads House in Portsmouth to feed those who also deserve a warm meal.

Tickets for ‘A Common Table’ can be purchased online for $60 per person at www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.

The UNH Department of Hospitality Management combines business fundamentals as well as classes geared toward the service industry sector. Hands-on education proves to be a strong and integral part of the experiential and academic curriculum. The department also offers the first-ever EcoGastronomy Program, which integrates UNH’s strengths in sustainable agriculture, hospitality management, and nutrition to offer a unique academic program emphasizing the interdisciplinary, international, and experiential knowledge that connects all three fields. The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

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October 13, 2010 by Amy.

Students of the Advanced Food and Beverage Management class from the University of New Hampshire Whittemore School of Business and Economics’ Hospitality Management Department are hosting a six-course Gourmet Dinner. Tasteful Contradictions to be held Friday, October 22 and Saturday, October 23, at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH, will begin with a cocktail hour at 6 o’clock followed by dinner at 7 o’clock. The fall dinner delves into the topic of contradictions. Guests will discover everything from contrasting colors and nontraditional beverage pairings to unconventional flavors in every dish.

“The gourmet dinner is a great opportunity for our class to bring UNH and the local community together. This experience is unlike any other in our college career and we are forced to overcome new and exciting challenges which will help us in our future,” states Allison Lowe, UNH Fall 2010 Gourmet Dinner Director of Marketing.

In keeping with a community-minded focus, ingredients from many local farms and vendors are utilized to prepare the menu. Starting with the hors d’oeuvres, Chips and Dip allows guests to experience the finest tempura batter made from New Hampshire’s premier craft brewery Smuttynose, based in Portsmouth, NH. Dipped in the tempura batter, kale and other vegetables also come from the UNH Organic Garden Club.

The delicious rub for the Espresso Rubbed Quail includes maple syrup from Sugar Momma’s Maple Farm, a family owned producer found in Northwood, NH. Maple syrup made the old fashion way, by boiling the sap of local maple trees over a wood fire until thick and sweet, is also infused into the candied beets that accompany. Sugar pumpkins are provided by Coppal House Farm, located in Lee, NH.

Dole & Bailey is providing regional sirloin for the main course through the New England Family Farms program, where they focus on purchasing sustainable meat from area farmers. They are also providing quail for the above course from Vermont.The wintered greens are from Garen Heller of Garen’s Greens for the salad course. The bacon is home cured by Amy Winans, Hospitality Mangement Lecturer with the help of Dan Winans, Director, Dual Major in EcoGastronomy. The pig, from Breezy Hill Farm in South Berwick, ME, was purchased whole to reintroduce whole animal utilization to UNH Nutritional Science and Hospitality Mangement students.

Gelato Fiasco, based out of Brunswick, ME, is providing both the intermezzo and the grande finale for the dinner. In keeping with their business’ motto: “Inspired by Italy. Perfected in Maine,” the refreshing Cucumber Lime Sorbet is being produced in small batches from scratch. A creamy Ricotta Brown Sugar ice cream pairs with the Spice Cake for dessert, using the best ingredients of Maine milk and natural sugar cane.

Milk, cream, eggs and yogurt used throughout the menu are provided by Brookford Farm. The farm is a certified organic farm practicing sustainable agriculture in Rollingsford, NH. Organic farming is more than just a standard - it’s also a philosophy of working with the land.

Tasteful Contradictions Menu

Cocktail Hour

Figs and Creamy Goat Cheese
Balsamic, Fleur de Sel

Chips and Dip
Romanesco, Baby Carrot, Wax Bean, Kale

Watermelon and Pumpernickel Cube
Red, Yellow, Preserved Rind

Pickled Quail Egg
Beet, Yellow Curry

Dinner

Chilled Red Pepper Soup
Mint Oil, Crème Fraiche

Espresso Rubbed Quail
Pumpkin, Beet, Nasturtium

Cucumber Lime Sorbet
Lavender Shortbread

Local Beef Sirloin
Celeriac, Gruyere, Yellow Tomatoes

Wintered Greens
Warm Cider Vinegar, Bacon, Flowering Herbs

Spice Cake
Ricotta Brown Sugar Ice Cream, Pomegranate Syrup

A tremendous amount of thought and creativity went into planning a menu that will surprise and entertain your palate. Please enjoy and remember… it’s the difference that’s delicious!

Tickets for ‘Tasteful Contradictions’ are $60 per person and can be purchased online at http://www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.

The UNH Department of Hospitality Management combines business fundamentals as well as classes geared toward the service industry sector. Hands-on education proves to be a strong and integral part of the experiential and academic curriculum. The department also offers the first-ever EcoGastronomy Program, which integrates UNH’s strengths in sustainable agriculture, hospitality management, and nutrition to offer a unique academic program emphasizing the interdisciplinary, international, and experiential knowledge that connects all three fields.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

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October 11, 2010 by Amy.

Last Saturday, October 2, a dozen local volunteers gathered to celebrate Dover’s annual Apple Harvest Day in a unique way–making apple sauce to ensure the city’s students could enjoy this favorite fall treat. Volunteers from the Dover foodservice team, Slow Food UNH, and UNH’s EcoGastronomy program peeled, sliced, and cooked their way through nine bushels of apples donated by local orchards and retailers, yielding upwards of 25 gallons of apple sauce. While some volunteers were seasoned apple sauce makers, others were learning for the first time how to preserve and enjoy their surplus produce, making it a beneficial project for the volunteers as well as the students. The apple sauce in question will be available to students across the Dover school district as part of the district’s school lunch program in the coming weeks. This project, which was organized with the help of EcoGastronomy and the Dover foodservice team, is the first in a series of projects aimed at increasing the amount and variety of fresh foods available to students and we hope to see these projects blossom and expand in the coming months.Thank you as well to our area apple donors: Saunders Produce, Applecrest Farm, Butternut Farm, and Philbrick’s Fresh Market who purchased two varieties of apples from a local farm for the children.

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September 29, 2010 by Amy.

This Saturday, October 2, join the Dover school food service team as we cook up a giant batch of homemade applesauce for our students’ lunches in celebration of Dover’s Apple Harvest Day. We’ll be using apples donated by area farms and retailers to cook up a favorite fall treat that will be served to students across the district, incorporating fresh, local produce into our school lunches. Students, alumni, and community members are invited to help as we peel, core, and cook our way through cases of fresh apples. Join us starting at 9:00am in the Dover High School cafeteria and check out all the Alumni Homecoming events taking place at the school. For more information, or if you would like to donate apples to this event, please contact Matt Benham at (603) 455-3303 or jmbenham@yahoo.com. We look forward to seeing you there!

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April 1, 2010 by Amy.

The University of New Hampshire Hospitality Management students will host six courses of Tuscan cuisine at the upcoming Gourmet Dinners in April for 200 guests per night. The students have procured such local faire as lamb and mutton, Borealis focaccia, sorbetto and organic salad greens from local farmers and businesses.  

Organized by the hospitality management students at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, Tutto Toscana will be held Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17, 2010, at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH, beginning with aperitivo at 6 o’clock and dinner to follow. 

“Everything Tuscan” will feature famed Tuscan cookbook author Gina Stipo. The theme is representative of Gina’s life in Tuscany as well as her version of traditional Tuscan fare; where her recipes are noted in her latest cookbook Ecco La Cucina. Stipo lives in Siena, Italy where she teaches cooking classes that are focused on the rich culinary traditions and local flavors of Tuscany. She will sign copies of her latest cookbook available for sale at the dinner.  

Wine pairings will be provided by Banfi Vintners, and beer by Smuttynose Brewing Co.  

Purchase your tickets fast!—Saturday night is already sold out. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.  

The event is nonprofit and the class is based on an experiential learning model where the students create and manage the entire event from marketing to menu design.   

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February 6, 2010 by Amy.

The menu is posted on the website www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner . If you have local food available at medium-to large quantity, please contact Amy Winans at amy.winans@unh.edu. For everyone else, join us!-do you dare? 

Enjoy Some Sinful Indulgence at the UNH Gourmet Dinner March 5 and 6 

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire will serve up seven courses of sinful indulgence at two gourmet dinners in March.   Organized by the hospitality management students at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, “Sinful Indulgence” gourmet dinners will be held Friday, March 5, and Saturday, March 6, 2010, at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH, beginning with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres at 6 o’clock and dinner to follow.
The concept of the dinner revolves around the Seven Cardinal Sins. Each course will include locally produced foods and represent each of the sins. The menu will be paired with elegant décor that will transform Stillings into an atmosphere where guests will experience the seven indulgences representing greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, pride, sloth, and envy.
“This event challenges the students of UNH’s Advanced Food and Beverage Operations Management class to design, organize, and direct two gourmet dinners for approximately 200 guests per night. The event prepares students for what to expect in the world of hospitality management beyond the college classroom, and it provides hands-on management experience from the beginning to end of formal event planning,” said Bridget McCartney, marketing manager for Sinful Indulgence. Students have six weeks to plan and execute the dinner, and take on real-world executive management positions in the process, including general manager, chief financial officer, front of the house manager, executive chef, human resource director, and director of marketing.  

Tickets for Sinful Indulgence are $50 per person and may be purchased online at http://www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.  

The UNH Department of Hospitality Management combines business fundamentals as well as classes geared toward the service industry sector. Hands-on education proves to be a strong and integral part of the experiential and academic curriculum. The department also offers the first-ever EcoGastronomy Program, which integrates UNH’s strengths in sustainable agriculture, hospitality management, and nutrition to offer a unique academic program emphasizing the interdisciplinary, international, and experiential knowledge that connects all three fields.  

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students. 

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October 30, 2009 by Amy.

Dover Public School District is trying a new method to communicate positive school food initiatives. UNH Nutritional Science Field Experience student, Erica Siver researches, writes and submits her column titled Monthly Munch to all district school newsletters–most are online editions. The district also posts Erica’s work on the district site and Edline, a parental resource.  

Monthly Munch

by Erica Siver

Dover school food launches forward. The spork is out as dark leafy greens are in! A superior utensil, the fork, is a much needed vessel to get heftier lettuce from plate to mouth. One of our heroic UNH Nutritional Science Field Experience students has been in the trenches with cafe staff, working in unison to assemble a salad bar offered weekly for lunch at Dover High School. The salad excursion will offer healthful greens like spinach, many different vegetable and bean options and a yogurt bar with granola and fruit toppings. The salad bar will be open every Friday. Food service already has a wrap-style bar in place every Thursday and the salad bar is an extension of an ongoing attempt to offer less processed school food. And of note, all schools will be switching to ‘green’ trays and dishes in the next month. The trays are compostable and recyclable. Mark Covell, Food Service Director, is currently applying through the State to institute three after school snack programs. The snacks will be provided to the 21st CCLC Program at Woodman Park Elementary school afternoon program, the General Education Development Options Program at the McConnell Center  and the after school program located at the Seymour Osman Community Center. In total it will provide healthy snacks such as fresh fruits and vegetables, 100% juice products, milk, whole grain crackers and breads for approximately 150 students if approved by the State. Check back next month for more nutritious tidbits.

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October 26, 2009 by Amy.

Durham, NH, October 25, 2009- Mollie Katzen, award winning author of the famed Moosewood Cookbook, embraces the work of University of New Hampshire (UNH) hospitality management students for Simply Southern, a Gourmet Dinner to be held November 20^th and 21^st, 2009. The theme reflects the regional distinction as well as the simple, warm pleasure of fine food and drink, hospitality and good company. Mollie’s newest book get cooking. will be available for sale and a book signing will take place during the cocktail hour from 6 to 7 o’clock in the evening.

Mollie Katzen’s visit to UNH combines the Gourmet Dinners, a campus lunch cooking session with University Dining and book signing. She is also a new member of the EcoGastronomy advisory board—the first dual major of its kind offered in the country.

The students enrolled in the Advanced Food and Beverage Management course embrace the challenge of creating a fine dining, nonprofit venture. The time-honored Gourmet Dinners, dating back twenty-five years or more, give students a glimpse of what is to come after graduation, as they take full responsibility for budgeting, service standards, marketing, sustainable practices and ethics surrounding a high-end event. And the students are expected to develop a theme and menu that will capture guest interest within a targeted demographic.

Six of approximately 20 students are chosen for executive leadership and the remaining become mid-level management. The preparatory experience smoothes the transition as students rise to upper management in hotels, inns, food establishments or other hospitality positions. The executive and management teams dedicate an immense amount of time, nearly 15 hours a week outside the classroom—often difficult for a full-time student.

Simply Southern, The Heart of Hospitality will feature six courses of southern-inspired dishes with local ingredients as available, while capturing the excitement surrounding Mollie Katzen’s visit to UNH.

The dinner will take place at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH, on November 20, beginning with a cocktail hour and book signing at 6 o’clock and dinner to follow. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner .

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September 24, 2009 by Amy.

UNH Gourmet Dinner Provides Industry Experience Beyond Academia with a Local Mindset

Department of Hospitality Management presents first Gourmet Dinner fall semester 2009, to give students the opportunity to showcase fundamentals learned at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics 

Durham, NH, September 20, 2009- University of New Hampshire (UNH) students embrace the challenge of creating a fine dining event on a budget as a nonprofit venture. Every semester, Advanced Food and Beverage students in the Hospitality Management program organize two gourmet dinners that serve between 100 and 200 guests each night.

The experience gives students a glimpse of what is to come in their future after graduation, as they take full responsibility for budgeting, service standards, marketing, sustainable practices and ethics surrounding a high-end event. The exercise is a project that accompanies an intensive capstone lecture. And the students are expected to develop a theme and menu that will capture guest interest within the targeted demographic.

Students in the advanced class are chosen for executive leadership while the remaining class members become mid-level management. The method is preparatory for real life as the students graduate and transition to upper management in hotels, inns, food establishments or other hospitality positions. The executive and management teams dedicate an immense amount of time, nearly 12 hours outside the classroom, which is difficult for a full-time student.

Introductory and intermediate hospitality freshman and sophomores work for the juniors and seniors as servers and beverage attendants. Back-of-the-house kitchen staff, from the hospitality basic culinary course, join the mix for class credit.

“We’re finding team work to be the crucial ingredient to the success of the dinner. When working with a team of different skill levels, you face large challenges especially for an event of this caliber,” notes Executive Chef Kristin Jones.

The first dinner this semester, Season to Remember, a Gourmet Homecoming Celebration will feature six courses of harvest-inspired, local when available, dishes, while capturing the excitement surrounding Homecoming weekend at UNH.

The dinner will take place at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH, on October 9, beginning with cocktail hour at 6 o’clock and dinner to follow. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmet-dinners.

The Department of Hospitality Management at UNH combines business fundamentals as well as classes geared toward the service industry sector. Hands-on education proves to be a strong and integral part of the experiential and academic curriculum.

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April 6, 2009 by Amy.

So many questions were posed at the latest meeting. How best to calculate nutritional information for diabetic students? Does it make sense to raise the cost of school lunch to provide healthy, sustainable options? Where are the parents?This write-up is by Ashley Blake, UNH Nutritional Science graduate and volunteer.

The morning welcomed an eager and enthusiastic group in Dover for the bi-monthly Dover School District Dining Facilities Council meeting. The group met at 9:00 am on Thursday, March 26, 2009 at Horne Street Elementary School. 

Old matters were first on the agenda, starting with discussion around the Guiding Stars program. Concerns were expressed about cost of the program. The annual licensing fee is at about $1,000 per year per school. Mark Covell, School Lunch Program Director, pointed out that the cost of the program would be approximately a nickel increase per hot lunch in order to cover $1,000 per school. Mark would like to raise the cost of hot lunch by $.15 to cover improvements to the current system. When speaking in terms of cost efficiency, this program is well worth the money.  Efforts to apply for grants is still encouraged and appreciated. The ability to receive funds necessary is feasible. 

Questions were also raised about the desire for this program if Dover was already in accordance with national dietary guidelines. However, Dover has just begun the long process of reviewing food labels and progressing towards all that the program has to offer. In regards to how the star labels would be presented to the kids, determination of this has not yet been established. Though, the star labels may be displayed on the serving line.

Will there be a gap in education with the star ratings? This was a valid question brought to the group’s attention. Do the kids really know why they would be choosing a 3-star food over a 1-star food? The education component of the Guiding Stars program cannot be dropped. The schools must continue to educate their students on healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Guiding Stars also provides education as a part of the contract. Dover has also agreed that it will not serve foods without any star ratings. 

As far as parental response, it is difficult to predict. Will parents respond in a positive way to healthier meals for their children? The numbers of meals served cannot be predicted until the changes are made and undergo a trial period. Parents must also receive education regarding the meals being served in the schools, as consistency is important. 

Next, Amy Winans shared about the experience with her UNH Field Experience students in the taste-testing that occurred on March 12, 2009 at the Woodman Park Elementary School. She shared that the feedback from students, teachers, and the kitchen staff was all-around positive. Some attendees at the meeting hope to participate at the two taste-testings that will take place at Horne Street and Garrison Elementary in May.

In regards to micro grants or stimulus grant funds available for school lunch programs, the government passed a $100 million grant for food service equipment, which will be presented in micro grants. Mark hopes to qualify in some way.  However, the guidelines include that there must be 50% of students receiving free and reduced lunches. Out of 500 schools in New Hampshire only around 30 have this program. Dover has one school on the edge of being eligible. Mark put in for a grant for extra allocation for fruits and vegetables for snacks. This is separate from the afterschool snack program, which has so many restrictions. The snacks provided for afterschool cannot be eaten or served until after school hours. 

Concerns with middle schoolers’ snacking habits was brought to the group’s attention. Because the middle school age is a transition age for many adolescents, they are caught between independent and dependent. A lot of parents struggle with this transition and expect (rightfully so!) a certain level of responsibility for their children. As a result, many students forget their snacks and find themselves hungry during snack time. Although there is currently no money in the budget to help with snacks at the middle school level, coming up with grant money for snacks, educating parents, along with letters home to parents are reasonable interventions for this issue.

After old business was discussed, I, a UNH nutritional sciences graduate, gave a presentation on my findings with the nutrition labels of all of the foods served throughout the district. I flagged foods containing trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and indicated opportunities to incorporate more whole grains. I also expressed concern with high sodium content in some meats and canned vegetables.  The presentation was well-received and the next step is replacing the flagged foods with alternatives!

The district will be testing Yo Zone healthy vending in the high school. These vending machines contain organic and natural snacks, which are more expensive than the run of the mill candy bars. The current machines will be eliminated if the Yo Zone vending machines attract students. The big question is: will the students pay more? 

The next Dining Facilities Council meeting will be held on May 21 at Garrison Elementary.

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