Drexel culinary program heats up

In a kitchen on Drexel University's campus in January, notable chef/mad scientist Shola Olunloyo stood before a rapt crowd of professionals and culinary students, extolling the uses of a blast chiller.

He showed off its potential for juicing strawberries ("the only other way I know is with a centrifuge"), and transforming Brie ("Any cheese can now be grated. That's what temperature allows you to do.")

The demonstration was part of the Philly Chef Conference, which, in its second year, has become a locus for networking and continuing education in the industry. That so many top chefs spent their days off talking shop there was one indication of Drexel's gravitational pull.

Just as Drexel spent the last decade breaking out of its commuter-school identity, it's now reimagining its culinary program, with the goal of incubating an influential new school of hospitality and sport management.

"We want to be a convener," said Jonathan Deutsch, director of what's currently called the Center for Hospitality and Sport Management (the two fields are often linked because both are service industries dealing in perishable commodities, whether it's sushi or seats at a ballgame). "We want to be useful in more ways than just supplying talent. We want people to come to us just as they would an agriculture school, or a school of public health."

When Deutsch came aboard two years ago, it was a different story.

He often heard people say, "I didn't know Drexel had a culinary program."

Now, word is getting out - and he's making a case for a different kind of culinary education.

"If you want to learn to cook, there are cheaper ways to do that," Deutsch said. "If you want to dig deep into the science of food, the history, the culture, if you want to do product development for food companies and nonprofits, solving real world problems, then you need to be at a university."

To that end, Deutsch has introduced a slew of new programs, including a student-run research-and-development facility, Drexel Food Lab, and a Restaurant Lab whose first client is celebrity chef Carla Hall.

Deutsch changed up the faculty, bringing in professors and an advisory board with strong industry ties.

And, he's been hustling support from the Drexel cartel that's already dominating Philadelphia's restaurant scene: Alumni include Marc Vetri (who studied business, not cooking), Chip Roman (who got his first gig through fraternity connections to Vetri), Joshua and Colleen Lawler of the Farm and the Fisherman, Brian Lofink of Kraftwork, Natalie Maronski at Volver, and Greg Garbacz of Sbraga, among many others.

Deutsch said it's paying off: The center raised more money in the last year than in its programs' cumulative history. And culinary enrollment has more than doubled (to a still-modest 87 students).

Ellen Yin, owner of Fork and High Street on Market, and a new addition to the advisory board, said that's welcome news.

"I just read in The Inquirer that there are 70 new restaurants opening this year. To find people to fill all those positions who are qualified, you need somebody in the area to take the lead on that. Temple has a great hospitality program focused on hotel and sport management, and so does Widener. I think it's great that Drexel is taking on this niche," she said.

Yin is already benefiting: Drexel senior Ally Zeitz works in her bread department, and plans to stay on after graduating.

Zeitz said Drexel has opened up more opportunities than she would have imagined. She is also student-manager at the Drexel Food Lab, where on a recent visit, students were fine-tuning recipes for Cook for Your Life, a website for people affected by cancer, and revising burger formulations for a confidential client. Peter Schoemer, a junior who works at Vernick Food & Drink, was developing a braised celery heart for produce marketer Race West.

Deutsch and his staff have been working all of their connections to bring clients into the lab and to help students find work.

Michael Traud, the center's hospitality and tourism program director, introduced Zeitz to the High Street team, drawing on his network from jobs at Osteria, Vetri and Zeppoli.

"The cooks that I worked with are now head chefs at restaurants. The servers I worked with are now general managers and directors of operations at restaurant groups. To be able to connect with them and bring them into the classroom has been very positive," Traud said.

Vetri is now teaching a master chef class, walking students through pasta, whole-animal cooking, and other skills. Students and alumni prepared a special dinner alongside chef Kevin Sbraga. And Drexel has entered a partnership with the Garces Group to provide students with internship-like opportunities.

Those programs come alongside a renewed emphasis on business skills, including required courses on hospitality law, software, accounting, management, marketing and even food styling. A business minor is required.

Roman - who opened his first restaurant, Blackfish, four years after graduating - said his culinary education at Drexel was helpful, but his business education was even more so.

But although Roman is a straightforward Drexel success story, Deutsch concedes that there are other, more complicated, ones.

"We do have a number of big-deal chefs who were with us for a time and never completed their degree," he said, mentioning Sbraga, La Divisa's Nick Macri and Junto chef MacGregor Mann. "Talented chefs have a lot of energy and curiosity, but they don't sit still well. They'd rather be in the industry than studying."

The Food Lab, Chef Conference and master classes are attempts to overcome that and let students do both, he said: "I'm trying to break down that school-industry divide."

Makes 6 servingsEndTextStartText

1 15-ounce can butternut squash or pumpkin puree (or 2 cups freshly pureed squash or pumpkin)

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

About 50 wonton wrappers

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, sliced

1 bunch sage

1 cup pasta cooking water

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup hazelnuts, choppedEndTextStartText

1. In a bowl mix together butternut squash (or pumpkin) puree, ricotta cheese, sage, nutmeg, and salt.

2. Sprinkle a layer of flour on a work surface. Working in batches, place wonton wrappers in a row. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling on each wrapper. Brush around the filling with water. Top with another wrapper. Press the wrappers together around the filling, removing the air and sealing them. Using a medium circle cookie cutter, cut out each ravioli. Using a fork crimp the edges making a nice design and sealing them. Place on a floured baking sheet and place in the freezer. Repeat this for all of the wontons.

3. Boil a large pot of water with 2 teaspoons of salt in it. Once boiled add the frozen ravioli and cook for about 4 minutes. You may need to cook them in batches depending on the size of the pot. Do not crowd the pot.

4. To make the sauce, heat a pot on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Once it is hot add the shallots and sage. Once the shallots are caramelized and soft, add the pasta cooking water and maple syrup. Stir until a creamy looking sauce appears.

5. Add the cooked ravioli directly to the sauce. Add the hazelnuts and stir together.

Per Serving: 1,095 calories; 31 grams protein; 170 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams sugar; 33 grams fat; 41 milligrams cholesterol; 2,358 milligrams sodium; 8 grams dietary fiber.

Makes 4 servingsEndTextStartText

4 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons chocolate protein powder

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/4 cup agave nectar EndTextStartText

1. In a small sauce pot, heat almond milk on medium low heat. Add protein powder and cocoa powder and whisk until powders are combined with the milk.

2. Add the agave and stir. Heat until warm and serve.

Per Serving: 218 calories; 22 grams protein; 28 grams carbohydrates; 17 grams sugar; 3 grams fat; no cholesterol; 214 milligrams sodium; 3 grams dietary fiber.

Makes 4 servings

EndTextStartText

For broth:

1 quart vegetable stock store bought or homemade

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, sliced

1 teaspoon miso

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 jalapeno pepper, sliced thin

For soup:

1 (6 ounce) package rice stick noodles (see note)

1 half carrot, sliced very thinly

1 leek, julienned

1/4 cup sweet corn, off the cob

2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced very thinly

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

EndTextStartText

1. In a medium saucepan, heat stock to a simmer. Stir in the miso and soy. Steep the ginger and slices of the jalapeno in the broth for 5 minutes and then strain if desired. If you like spicy food, simply leave them in.

2. Separately, in a medium-sized pot, boil rice noodles until still al dente. Transfer noodles to bowls.

3. Garnish noodles with chopped vegetables and cilantro leaves.

4. Bring broth to a boil and pour directly over the noodles. The boiling broth will lightly cook the vegetables. (see note)

Note: Rice sticks cook in a trice. If you're worried about overcooking them, soak them in boiling water until they are just al dente, and let them finish in the soup.

If you are on an antimicrobial diet, cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes in a little of the broth before adding them to the noodles.

Per Serving: 130 calories; 7 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams sugar; 2 grams fat; no cholesterol; 1,061 milligrams sodium; 2 grams dietary fiber.EndText

215-854-5053

@samanthamelamed