FIT Symposium

Jacques Pépin

Born in 1935 in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, near Lyon, Pépin began an apprenticeship at 13 and subsequently worked in Paris, ultimately serving as personal chef to three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle.

After moving to the United States in 1959, Pépin first worked at Le Pavillon, an historic French restaurant in New York City. From 1960 to 1970, he was director of research and new development for Howard Johnson’s. At the same time, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Columbia University.

He is the author of 32 books. Pépin released his seminal text, “La Technique,” in 1976 and his autobiography, “The Apprentice,” in 2003. More recently, “Quick & Simple,” published in 2020, offers classic and timeless recipes for polished and satisfying meals with minimal prep and cleanup. His newest work, the 2022 New York Times-bestselling “Art of the Chicken,” celebrates the humble bird through stories, recipes and art.

Pépin is a former columnist for the New York Times, and his articles have appeared in countless food magazines. He is the recipient of honorary doctorate degrees from five American universities, including Johnson & Wales University, and was awarded France’s highest civilian honor, La Légion d’Honneur, as well as the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres and the Mérite Agricole. He has received 16 James Beard Foundation Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. Pépin has a long history with Oceania Cruises. He has been Executive Culinary Director of Oceania Cruises since 2003, almost since the cruise line’s inception, and is credited with helping it achieve its reputation for culinary excellence and style. In 2015, Pépin received the American Public Television’s Lifetime Achievement Award in November and the inaugural Julia Child Award. A longtime close friend of Julia Child, he starred with her in a PBS series called “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home,” which won both an Emmy Award and a James Beard Foundation Award in 2001.

For the past 35 years, Pépin has taught in the Culinary Arts program at Boston University, and he served as dean of special programs at the International Culinary Center in New York City for 30 years. In 2016, he realized his dedication to culinary education by forming the Jacques Pépin Foundation with his daughter, Claudine, and son-in-law, Rollie Wesen. The Foundation partners with community kitchens that offer life skills and culinary training to adults with high barriers to employment.

Pépin continues to cook, teach, paint, write, play pétanque, make videos, and live with joie de vivre. In 2020, he began shooting an IACP award-winning video series, “Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home,” with now more than 300 entries.

Since 1975, he has called Madison, Connecticut, his home, and still resides there with his beloved dog Gaston, surrounded by friends and family.

Farmer Lee Jones

Farmer Lee Jones always wears his trademark overalls and red bowtie to symbolize his commitment to regenerative agricultural practices.

Since creating the Chef’s Garden over 35 years ago, he has remained tirelessly committed to ensuring that the family’s 300-acre farm remains one of the most innovative and pioneering in the world. In addition, he has stayed focused on fostering a nuanced conversation with chefs in our industry who look to the farm to grow vegetables that are as aesthetically pleasing on the plate as they are flavorful to the palate.

Farmer Lee Jones works alongside brother Bob Jr. on the farm, and both are inspired daily by what they learned from their father, Bob, Sr., affectionately known as Mr. Bob. This, in turn, allows them to inspire The Chef’s Garden team to perpetually discover innovative ways to become more sustainable while at the same time producing the highest quality ingredients possible. He is committed to rediscovering, saving, and telling the stories of the unique heirloom products grown on the farm.

Jones has been profiled in conjunction with The Chef’s Garden in such prestigious publications as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Newsweek and the Washington Post.

Morning sessions are in the HAC Amphitheater unless otherwise noted.

7:30AM

Continental Breakfast

9AM

Welcome Remarks

Dean Jason Evans, Ph.D.
College of Food Innovation & Technology

9:15AM

Demonstration: Perfect Handmade Soba

Chef Akiya Ishibashi
Juu-Go, Kyoto, Japan

Akiya Ishibashi, chef-owner of Juu-go in Kyoto, Japan, demonstrates the purity in preparing hand-cut soba. Chef Ishibashi is known for growing, processing and preparing his own buckwheat, which he transforms into beautiful noodles.

10AM

Feature Presentation: A Life in the Kitchen

Jacques Pépin '10 Hon.

Culinary icon Jacques Pépin is equally valued and beloved by both professional chefs and home cooks. He has been working in professional kitchens for more than 70 years. In that time, he has published 35 books, filmed hundreds of hours of culinary demonstrations for television, and won 14 James Beard awards, among many other accolades. He discusses his extraordinary professional evolution with JWU Providence Professor Rollie Wesen.

10:50AM

Panel Discussion: Farming the Ocean to Feed a Growing Planet

Briana Warner, Barton Seaver and Tyler Issac

In this interactive panel discussion, three prominent experts on ocean sustainability will share their perspectives on ocean-based animal and plant aquaculture:

Briana Warner is the president and CEO of Atlantic Sea Farms of Biddeford, Maine, a leader in sugar kelp and sea vegetable production. Her work has been recognized by the New York Times, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum.

Chef Barton Seaver is the author of 7 books on seafood. He serves as the Healthy and Sustainable Food program director at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Health & the Global Environment. He is widely recognized as a leading seafood and marine aquaculture authority.

Tyler Isaac is the aquaculture program manager for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s renowned Seafood Watch program — the most influential seafood rating system in the U.S. Isaac travels the world assisting seafood producers with continuous improvement projects as part of Seafood Watch’s goal to help consumers and businesses make choices for a healthy ocean.

Noon

Lunch Hour

Enjoy a catered lunch from Easy Entertaining; participate in a Culinary Arts Museum tour and book signings.

1:40PM

Feature Presentation: Feeding America

Farmer Lee Jones

Farmer Lee Jones always wears his trademark overalls and red bowtie as a symbol of his commitment to regenerative agricultural practices. Ever since the early days of The Chef’s Garden’s creation over 40 years ago, he has remained tirelessly committed to not only ensuring that the family’s three-hundred-acre farm remains one of the most innovative and pioneering in the world, but to fostering a nuanced conversation with the chefs in our industry who look to the farm to grow vegetables that are as aesthetically pleasing, flavorful and nutritious. Join as we discuss The Chef’s Garden history, regenerative farming and the benefits to the environment and our health.

2:20PM

Hungry for a Sustainable Future

Eve Turow-Paul

Eve Turow-Paul will speak about the why behind today’s biggest food trends and the role of chefs in creating a more sustainable food system. Attendees will walk away from the session with a deeper understanding of the impact of current events — from COVID-19 to the digital age — on the human experience and how that shows up in the ways people choose to spend their discretionary time and income. In addition, Turow-Paul will outline ways that today’s top trends can be leveraged by chefs to create a food system that’s better for us and the planet.

3:10PM

The Great Debate: The Challenges and Benefits of the Modern Agriculture, Plant-Based and Sustainable Seafood Industries

Kyle Foley, Jessica Patrolia, Alexa Gagosz and Jason Evans, Ph.D.

This moderated debate featuring representatives the local food system, K-12 foodservice, food policy and food education will focus on food system challenges, priorities and opportunities for better outcomes.

4PM

Break

4:15PM

Innovation Lighting Round

Hear Colavita USA and major players in the food and beverage space describe exciting innovations around sustainability, sourcing and product design currently playing out in their systems.

5:15PM

Daily Wrap-Up

Jason Evans, Ph.D.

5:30PM

Cocktail Reception

Music by Matt Byrnes.

7:30am

Breakfast

9am

Welcome Remarks

Dean Jason Evans, Ph.D.

9:15am

Recapturing the Catch: The Ikejime Method of Butchering Fish

Branden Lewis, Ed.D., CEC, Hirotsugu (Hiro) Uchida and Kate Masury

Rhode Island fishermen have long struggled with the high perishability, high competition — and, for specific local species, underappreciation of their catch. A unique collaboration between JWU, the University of Rhode Island, and Eating with the Ecosystem is introducing community stakeholders to the Japanese technique of ikejime, a method of killing fresh-caught fish that preserves and maintains the product quality and expands the window of marketability. This demonstration will showcase ikejime techniques and student-driven recipes, data collection and research. The ultimate goal is to build a more resilient, profitable, and sustainable RI seafood economy.

Hiro Uchida is a professor in the University of Rhode Island’s department of Environmental & Natural Resource Economics. Kate Masury is the executive director of Eating with the Ecosystem, a nonprofit that promotes a place-based approach to sustaining New England’s wild seafood.

10am-Noon

Morning Breakouts & Demonstrations

Choose your session:

HAACP Basics

Ted McCall, Ed.D., Bridget Sweet, LP.D. and Ruben Morawicki, Ph.D.

Develop your understanding of the history and the basics of HACCP. This session will outline the process for HACCP plan development and approval. Attendees are welcome to bring any processes they believe require variance or HACCP approval from their regulatory agency.

Nduja and Zampone and Gabagool, Oh My!

Mark Estee

Nduja, zampone and gabagool are not only fun to say, but they can also teach us about preserving traditional methods of preparation. Mark Estee will demonstrate the step-by-step process for making these classic Italian specialties and share some of the history behind their traditions.

Exploring Coffee’s Sense of Place: A Coffee Cupping and Industry Discussion

Jecinda Wilson

Join this coffee cupping as we explore the concepts of terroir in coffee. Taste diverse coffees, from rare varietals to those from unique geographic growing regions. We’ll discuss the environmental and human impacts that impact the flavor profiles of coffee. We will also look at the trends on the horizon. This interactive session is tailored for enthusiasts and beginners alike.

Modern Chocolate and Pastry

Gonzo Jimenez

During this interactive demo, Chef Jimenez will cover all topics of chocolate, from the basics of cultivation and sourcing to pre-crystallization and its use in modern pastry techniques. Incorporating textural aspects of petit gateaux into a layered cookie and applying the custom mold technology of a showpiece in a chocolate bar are just a few examples of the products you will get to see and taste. He will discuss the importance of marketing and storytelling in the chocolate industry through an eye-catching presentation.

Cloud-based Kitchen Management Systems

Harper Robinson, RATIONAL ConnectedCooking Product Expert

This interactive workshop explores how successful food service operators utilize the power of the internet to deliver consistency and food safety across multiple serving outlets. It is designed to introduce cloud-based kitchen optimizations that streamline daily routines and allow for customizing your facility to specific menus while driving quality.

Noon

Lunch

1-3pm

Demonstrations

Choose your session:

Shaping the Future Through Food Stories

Megan J. Elias

Food speaks. On a material level, it tells a story about its composition and the conditions that enabled its existence, growth and maturity. On a personal level, it expresses our knowledge and our care: what we can do with what we have. And on the cultural level, it tells us about traditions, histories, constraints and imagination. In this session, Boston University’s Megan Elias will explore how to tell food stories and what innovations we can find in storytelling. Drawing on the insights and methodologies of food studies, we will practice telling our own food stories and come away with tools to conceptualize new food futures.

Perfecting Handmade Soba

Akiya Ishibashi
Juu-Go, Kyoto, Japan

Learn the art of hand-cut soba in this interactive session designed to inspire simplicity through sustainable agriculture, technique and attention to detail. Chef Ishibashi, owner of the world-renowned Kyoto restaurant Juu-Go, will demonstrate and guide participants in making soba and what to serve as accompaniments.

How Tradition Leads to Wine Innovations

Associate Professor Marc DeMarchena

Wine regions worldwide have synergized change by building upon age-old methods. This tasting session will explore how global wine-making traditions have embraced innovation to create new styles and expressions — often with beautiful results. Join us for an interactive tasting focusing on refreshing sensory evaluation skills, connecting tradition to innovation, and reflecting on how tradition can spark new approaches.

Boutique Plant-Based Pastry

Professor Lauren V. Haas, MS, CHEP, Culinary Institute

Embark on a journey through fresh and seasonal ingredients during this immersive, hands-on session led by Chef Lauren Haas. Learn how to create plant-based boutique tarts, chocolate tablets, and cookies while expanding your pastry expertise with valuable insights into plant-based ingredients and techniques. Sample recipes include pistachio-strawberry tart, buckwheat double chocolate cookie, blueberry yuzu tart, pistachio-cherry tablet, and chocolate peanut praliné tart.

Culinary professionals have a reputation for being independent and driven, and their work frequently demands a head-down work ethic favoring autonomy over community. The third edition of JWU Providence’s Food Innovation & Technology (FIT) Symposium brought together a diverse group of chefs, activists, makers and creators to network and collaborate.

Building Culinary Community at the FIT Symposium

Johnson & Wales University’s College of Food Innovation & Technology (CFIT) held the second FIT Symposium, a virtual gathering of the food industry’s top thought leaders, in March 2022.

Watch a playlist of individual panels below. (You can scroll through the panels by clicking the button marked “1/11” in the upper right corner of the screen.)

Panels included:

• Culinary Nutrition Defined
• Food Safety Evolution
• Future Focused: Leveraging Trends to Shape the Industry
• Leading Women: The Entrepreneurship Journey
• Reaching our New England Food Vision
• Peak Performance: Fueling the Modern Athlete
• Innovation from Curiosity
• Focused on Food Justice
• Keynote: Evolution of a Chef
• Growing a Grainshed
• Closing the Gap: Cannabis & Your Overall Health

The 2021 FIT Symposium examined the curve balls, unexpected challenges and potential for massive change that 2020 threw the industry’s way. Veteran restaurateurs Emeril Lagasse ’78, ’90 Hon. and Aarón Sánchez served as keynote speakers, sharing their own lessons learned, while Champe Speidel ’00, ’16 Hon. of Persimmon (Providence, RI), Paul Kahan of One Off Hospitality Group (Chicago, Ill.), and Lindsay Tusk of Quince (San Francisco, Calif.) traded war stories and wisdom from an unprecedented year of upheaval and adaptation.

Watch their thought-provoking discussions below, and catch up on the takeaways in this post-Symposium wrap-up.