The Culinary Professional By Chefs Draz And Koetke Named Best Book By Cordon D' Or - Gold Ribbon

The Culinary Professional, co-authored by Christopher Koetke, MBA, CEC, CCE, vice president of culinary-arts programs for Laureate International Universities and dean of The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, Chicago, and John Draz, executive research chef of Ed Miniat, Inc., South Holland, Ill., has won the Literature Text Book Culinary Academy Award in the 2009-2010 Cordon d'Or - Gold Ribbon Annual International "Cookbooks & Culinary Arts" Culinary Academy Awards.

Noreen Kinney, founder and president of the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Cordon d'Or - Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards-The Accolade of the 21st Century, will honor Koetke and Draz along with recipients of other award categories at a reception on April 30 at the Don CeSar Resort in St. Pete Beach.

Published last year by Goodheart-Willcox, The Culinary Professional is a landmark introductory textbook developed for students in grades 9 through 12 as well as the first two years of postsecondary training. The 831-page book is designed in a colorful, easy-to-read format offering complete explanations of culinary techniques, identification of the equipment and foods used in a professional kitchen, and an introduction to the knowledge and skills needed to work in and manage a foodservice operation. The book also explores the vast range of opportunities encompassing traditional and emerging food careers.

"As dean of one of the world's foremost culinary schools, I'm reminded daily of the critical need for students to receive proper information and training as early as possible to perform at their greatest potential at every stage in their educations," says Koetke. "Chef Draz and I wrote The Culinary Professional to arm future cooks with a foundation in contemporary cooking and help them launch their careers with confidence earned from fully understanding the basics and their applications to modern foodservice."

According to Kinney, The Culinary Professional stood out among an "excellent response with entries" in the 2009-2010 awards program. Additional highlights of The Culinary Professional include:
� More than 1,000 illustrations facilitating product and equipment identification and step-by-step techniques for essential culinary skills
� More than 160 professional recipes
� Thorough index and glossary of key terms
� Regularly appearing features on history, workplace issues, safety and sanitation, science and technology, culture and cuisine, culinary tips, menu trends and nutrition principles
� Chapter activities on workplace math, problem-solving and critical-thinking challenges, as well as minilabs

Student materials in digital format-including identification and vocabulary activities, math activities, primal-cuts activities, recipes and related Web links, as well as printable common foodservice forms and worksheets-are included on a companion CD sleeved into the back cover of each book. For more information on The Culinary Professional, visit www.g-w.com.

About the Cordon d'Or - Gold Ribbon International "Cookbooks & Culinary Arts" Culinary Academy Awards-The Accolade of the 21st Century
Noreen Kinney, recognized globally as a culinary-arts instructor, author, celebrity chef, restaurant reviewer and culinary judge, established Cordon d'Or - Gold Ribbon in Europe in 1985 for use in her culinary-arts activities. She launched the International "Cookbooks & Culinary Arts" Culinary Academy Awards-The Accolade of the 21st Century program after relocating to Florida in 1995. Members of the Academy annually nominate and vote on awards for Culinary Hall of Fame, Culinary Life Achievement, Culinarian of the Year, Culinary Entrepreneur, Chef of the Year, Cuisine of the Year, Educator of the Year and Cooking School of