Chef Mark Mattern, MBA, CEC

Getting ready for the Spring Quarter at the Art Institute of Jacksonville. The quarter starts April 6, 2009. We are off for good friday and Easter on April 10th (Friday) LONG weekend! Students please pick up your degree audit and scheudle time to meet with Chef Mattern to plan your scheudle.

Chef recipes should be taken with a stone of salt From time to time I'll be offering chef recipes that I think you might enjoy. But it needs to be said that chefs are notoriously bad at scaling recipes to a manageable serving size, say converting a recipe that serves 60 to one that serves 6. It's not always simple math. Chefs also take a lot for granted. They assume basic knowledge of the home cook, and they underestimate the literalness that some readers approach a recipe. I once published my recipe for limoncello, which calls for lemon peels to soak in a jar of grain alcohol for up to two weeks. I had dozens of queries from readers wanting to know if the jar should be covered or not. So recipes from restaurants must be taken with a grain of salt, or, as the case may be, a fistful of salt. Take this one, which I received in a mailer from the Sanctuary condominium family of restaurants recently. Red Sangria One jug of red wine 7 quarts simple syrup 2 oz. peach schnapps 4 fresh ...

The dinning lab will open to the public in the Fall quarter! The name of the room is still being explored as students form all majors and arts are creating creative ideas that shows the "culinary exploration and world cuisine" theme. The hours will begin running Wednesday- Friday form 11- 2 for lunch. The menu will offer a gourmet lunch for about $20.00 or less. All the tips and gratuity collected for our student service are placed in a student scholarship and needs fund. So support our restaurant and support our culinary students as they, learn, explore, discover, lead, serve, and share the culinary arts!

Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full... They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.' The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the...

Chef, Restaurant Owner Killed On Bicycle JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The employees and regular customers of a Southside restaurant are mourning Johnnie Jones, who died Wednesday night after he was struck crossing Atlantic Boulevard on his bicycle. Jones, 52, the executive chef and owner of Genesis Cafe on Old Kings Road, died after he was hit by a pickup truck about 8 p.m. near the intersection of Holmesdale Road in St. Nicholas. Jones was taken to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Police announced Thursday morning that he died. Police said Jones pulled out from the median in front of an oncoming pickup truck. Investigators said the pickup had a green light and did not have enough time to avoid hitting Jones. Story continues below ↓ Detectives said there was no indication that either the driver or the bicyclist involved was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Police said because the driver of the pickup truck had the right of way, he would not be charged....

We have a need dinning lab. The view is awesome. The china impressive, and we are ready to cook. The graphic design students are thinking up logos and names. Our interior design students are thinking of way to make the room more inviting. What are your thoughts? Got any name ideas? Post your thoughts...

Food & What It’s Good For: apples Protects your heart prevents constipation Blocks diarrhea Improves lung capacity Cushions joints apricots Combats cancer Controls blood pressure Saves your eyesight Shields against Alzheimer's Slows aging process artichokes Aids digestion Lowers cholesterol Protects your heart Stabilizes blood sugar Guards against liver disease avocados Battles diabetes Lowers cholesterol Helps stops strokes Controls blood pressure Smoothes skin bananas Protects your heart Quiets a cough Strengthens bones Controls blood pressure Blocks diarrhea beans Prevents constipation Helps hemorrhoids Lowers cholesterol Combats cancer Stabilizes blood sugar beets Controls blood pressure Combats cancer Strengthens bones Protects your heart Aids weight loss blueberries Combats cancer Protects your heart Stabilizes blood s...

Just think, it wasn't too long ago when herbs were simply a substance added to food to improve its flavor. Today about one-third of all Americans use herbal supplements to improve their health. In fact, the sales of herbal preparations nearly tripled between 1994 and 1998 increasing from 1.6 billion dollars to 4 billion dollars in sales. For quite some time herbs were considered an obsolete form of medicine and pushed aside in favor of chemically produced drugs. Most people don't realize that half of the drugs used today are artificial recreations of natural plant derived chemicals. For example, Aspirin is nothing more than the chemical imitation of salicin, a substance that comes from the bark of the white willow tree. So why are herbs suddenly becoming so popular? It is because people are starting to learn that pharmaceutical drugs are not the wonders that they have been touted as. Many drugs are now becoming useless thanks to overuse and the constant adaptation of pathogens ...