The French Culinary Institute Takes Top Honors at James Beard Awards

NEW YORK, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The James Beard Foundation honored The French Culinary Institute's book, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts, and Alexander Roberts '93 with James Beard Awards on May 3 during a gala ceremony at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. Continuing to receive recognition from the most respected authorities in the industry, The French Culinary Institute made headlines just last month when it was awarded the 2010 IACP Award of Excellence in the Vocational Cooking School category and the 2010 IACP Cookbook Award for The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts at the International Association of Culinary Professionals Gala Award Ceremony held in Portland, OR.  

Winner of the 2010 IACP Cookbook Award and 2009 NY Book Show in the Special Trade, Cookbook category, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts is the latest book to capture the school's 25 years in culinary arts education. It offers time-tested instruction and inspiration to bakers of every skill level based on The French Culinary Institute's world-renowned curriculum developed under the direction of the school's Dean of Pastry Arts, Jacques Torres.  The French Culinary Institute also won a James Beard Book Award for The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine in 2008.

Alexander Roberts '93 of Restaurant Alma in Minneapolis was also recognized with a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest.

The annual James Beard Foundation Media & Book Awards Dinner, honoring the nation's top cookbooks, food journalists and culinary broadcast programs, took place on May 2 in New York City, hosted by Bravo's Top Chef Masters host Kelly Choi and Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods host Andrew Zimmern. The Awards Ceremony and Gala were hosted by Food Network star and James Beard award-winner Alton Brown and James Beard Outstanding Chef award-winners, Lidia Bastianich and Wolfgang Puck. The event honors the winners of the Restaurant and Chef and Restaurant Design and Graphics awards categories, as well as the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, America's Classics, Humanitarian of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Established in 1990, The James Beard Foundations Awards recognize excellence and achievement in the culinary profession.  The theme of this year's Awards was "The Legacy Continues," a tribute to the enduring impact of the standards of culinary excellence set by James Beard himself and all the talented professionals who keep those traditions alive.

About THE FRENCH CULINARY INSTITUTE

The French Culinary Institute, located at The International Culinary Center in New York City, teaches the protocol, language and techniques upon which all Western cuisine is based. The FCI offers a rigorous six-month program by day and nine-month program by night for those who seek quality, intensive culinary and pastry arts education in a condensed period of time. The school also offers a career track in bread baking. Its extensive roster of Advanced Studies programming for those of all skill levels covers a wide array of disciplines including food writing, wine and beer studies, restaurant management and culinary technology. The FCI's time-tested hands-on Total Immersion(SM) method of instruction taught by the industry's best informs all of its curricula, including its intensive consumer courses designed for serious amateurs. In 2007, The Italian Culinary Academy, sister school to The FCI, opened its doors. Both are located at 462 Broadway, New York, NY, 10013. For more information, please visit www.frenchculinary.com or call (888) 324-CHEF.

SOURCE The French Culinary Institute