Chef Mark Mattern, MBA, CEC

NORTHFIELD, Ill. (March 22, 2010) – Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Food Network star Paula Deen have teamed up to host the Real Women of Philadelphia online community and casting competition. The campaign includes an online casting audition for cooks to show off their best Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipes by submitting their videos to www.PaulaDeen.com/RealWomen, with 16 lucky home cooks becoming finalists and getting a chance to compete in a live cook-off in Paula Deen’s home town of Savannah, Ga. Four cooks will be named the Real Women of Philadelphia – each earning a talent contract for $25,000, the chance to host their own weekly online cooking show on www.PaulaDeen.com/RealWomen and the opportunity to be featured in a cookbook that highlights the community’s favorite cream cheese recipes – including appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts. http://newteevee.com/2010/03/23/paula-deen-and-eqal-seek-real-women-for-kraft-contest/ http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/mediacenter/count

Freelancing discussion in the Culinary Arts Join Chef Mattern and Melanie from career services for a open discussion on how to freelance and network during your culinary journey. When: May 3rd: 12:00 Noon in the dining lab What: Snacks will be provided Freelancing discussion in the Culinary Arts Who: Chef Mattern and Melanie Why: Learn the tools to capitalize on the 8 nodes of networking to create a powerful career path. See you on Monday

Join Chef Mattern on July 17th and learn how to cook for patience with PKU The main phenylketonuria treatment is a strict diet with very limited intake of phenylalanine, which is mostly found in protein-rich foods. Doctors used to believe it was OK for a person with PKU to stop the diet in adolescence, but today, doctors recommend sticking to the diet for life. A safe amount of phenylalanine differs for each person. Your doctor will determine a safe amount through regular review of diet records, growth charts and blood levels of phenylalanine. Frequent blood tests will monitor PKU levels as they change over time, especially during childhood growth spurts and pregnancy. In general, the idea is to consume only the amount of phenylalanine that's necessary for normal growth and body processes, but no more. Which foods to avoid Because the amount of phenylalanine adults can safely eat is so low, it's crucial they avoid all high-protein foods, including: Milk Eggs Cheese Nuts Soybean

The Strict Enforcement of Proper Appearance in Our Industry How do you feel about the strict enforcement of appearance in our industry? Anyone who's spent a day in culinary school can tell you that the restaurant biz always prizes good appearance on the job. Industry rules often dictate not just what we wear, but also how we maintain our bodies. Many establishments enforce strict rules for jewelry, facial hair, tattoos, haircuts, and piercings. The Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City recently put a call out to a handful of people in the industry who are responsible for hiring at their businesses. The group was and made up of chefs, GMs, culinary school instructors, and others who deal with fresh culinary employment everyday. Here are some of their thoughts on kitchen appearance... "I like to refer to tattoo sleeves as the $30,000 marker. Most cooks who have them will never make more than that. At our club all tats are required to be covered and if they are belo