Sherri Stastny, assistant professor of health, nutrition and exercise science, was awarded $500 for her entry in the first National Honey Board Culinary Arts Instructor Competition. She gave a presentation on an evaluation of sweeteners.
Taking their student culinary competition program to the next level, the National Honey Board added the culinary arts instructor challenge this year. Jane Nickles, an instructor at Texas Culinary Academy in Austin, Texas, won the grand prize of $2,500 for her presentation "Daring Pairing: Honey, Stilton and Sauterness." Ezra Eichelberger, an instructor from the Culinary Institute of America-Hyde Park, also received $500 for a comparison of sweeteners and the environmental impact of producing them.
Working with the Foodservice Educators Learning Community, the Honey Board asked members to design a written lesson plan that showcased best practices for teaching honey fundamentals and corollaries in the culinary classroom. Finalists were asked to supply a video presentation to accompany the lesson plan.