A Day to Celebrate Food

by Kimi Ceridon

Student Kimi Ceridon recaps October 24th’s Food Day Event in Boston.

Food Day comes but once a year. With no gimmicks, costumes, bunnies or men in red suits, Food Day in the United States not only celebrates the foods that sustain us but also encourages people to think about their diets and get involved in the policies that impact the food system locally and worldwide. The October 24^th celebration grew out of the internationally recognized October 16^th World Food Day celebration which honors the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization, a UN organization aimed at eradicating hunger, malnutrition and poverty.

This year, Food Day Massachusetts began with a Food Day Eve celebration at Babson College and continued with an official kick off at the Massachusetts State House the following day.

Babson’s Food Day Eve Event was served up in “five courses”. The first course started the day off with Andrew Zimmern, Gail Simmons and other panelists telling their own food stories. While Zimmern is probably best known for his television show “Bizarre Foods,” there was nothing bizarre about his commitment to addressing issues of social justice and the food system. In Zimmern’s personal food story, he told how his thinking about the food system has evolved over the years. In recognizing Babson’s leading role in entrepreneurship, he proclaimed that entrepreneurs would save our planet. Following the morning’s panel discussion, the second course was a locally sourced meal set among a group of food entrepreneurs introducing their products. There was everything from Fedwell homemade dog food to Pure Maple Water to egg-free mayo from Hampton Creek and many more.

The third course had four food entrepreneurs crowd source ideas to address their toughest challenges. It also never hurts to get advice from successful entrepreneurs like Simmons, Zimmern, Tom Ryan of Smashburger and Chef Adam Melonas of Chew Lab. The fourth and fifth courses were squarely aimed at looking at careers in the food industry, and a panel of food industry professionals gave insights on how to get a job in the industry. The day closed with a final panel featuring some of Boston’s most prominent restaurateurs telling their own stories about navigating a food-related career.

Food Day in Massachusetts officially commenced the following morning at the Massachusetts State House. The rainy morning could not dampen the spirits of the crowd gathered in the great hall. In keeping with Food Day’s goal of raising awareness about food policy, the kick off event was centered on the Massachusetts Food System Plan. Food Day represented one of the first milestones for the Massachusetts Food System Planning Team where they reported on outcomes from the statewide listening sessions that occurred earlier in the year. Since the last time Massachusetts had a statewide food system plan was in 1975, there was a lot to be told.

Aside from the Massachusetts Food System Plan, the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources Commissioner, Gregory C. Watson, offered a rousing speech outlining the many food-related reasons Massachusetts residents have to celebrate. In keeping with the World Food Day theme, “Family Farming: Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth,” Watson outlined how family farms in Massachusetts are leading in innovation saying, “Our real strength stems from our ability – more than that – our willingness to integrate old and new – traditional and innovative.”

In what would be his last Food Day as Massachusetts State Governor, Governor Deval Patrick took the podium. He further recounted the efforts of his administration in making Masssachusetts a leader in farming, agriculture and food policy before proclaiming October 24^th Food Day in Massachusetts.

While Food Day was October 24^th, there are many ongoing celebrations. Find a celebration near you at FoodDay.org.

Get Hired or Die Baking

by Leigh Shaplen

Student Leigh Shaplen shares her path to finding a food career, as well as some handy tips. She is currently residing in California while finishing her MLA in Gastronomy.

at the summer culinary lab

Ten hours after packing up my life in Boston and moving back home to San Francisco I am in route to Napa for a job interview. I am amazed by the drastic change in my surroundings. This is farm country and a far cry from yesterday’s home at the foot of Fenway Park.

I was unsure how exactly my degree in Gastronomy would help me get the restaurant marketing dream job I’ve been seeking my entire life. I entered the job market with a plan. I developed a 15 second pitch about my graduate work (I wasn’t sure anyone would give me 30 seconds, so I kept it short). I gave my speech to anyone who would listen: “I’ve been learning from some of the world’s top sommeliers, cheese mongers, food anthropologists, and journalists. I’ve been cooking alongside some of Boston’s most prominent chefs.” As it turns out a lot of people wanted to listen.

I conducted the majority of my job search through LinkedIn. I kept an excel document with every position I applied to. There are 62 jobs on the list. I tried to submit applications for 3 opportunities every day. I researched the companies and its employees. I sent a personalized note following up on each application, and this tactic worked for my interview in Napa. When sitting down with the Director of human resources she thanked me for reaching out directly.

I spread the word about my job search. I decided to embrace it rather than hide from it. I emailed 30 friends and family members letting them know about my goals and thanking them for keeping me in mind. More often than not, I got replies with very fruitful leads. I took interviews for jobs I didn’t want and when asked about my dream job, I was honest. The conversation shifted to how they could help me get that job instead. I said yes to anyone (and that means anyone) who offered to help. I traveled for interviews on my own dime, which included buying cross-country plane tickets. I read the San Francisco Chronicle Food Section and cut out the pictures for inspiration. I found Gastronomy graduates in San Francisco and had a lot of coffee dates (I don’t even like coffee). I started sending thank you notes sealed with a fork and spoon stamp to develop some personal branding.

The fork and spoon stamp

My network has grown exponentially, and I’m joining a food marketing networking group with new friends. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with two “celebrity” chefs, a bunch of industry leaders, and have had lunch at Twitter. The tech company’s complimentary made-to-order, breakfast, lunch, and dinner food mecca spans two floors and is a gastronomic heaven.

When I wasn’t interviewing I baked. When all else fails I turn to food. Sound familiar? I made a lot of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with too much butter and froze the dough. Whenever someone went out of their way for me, I baked a stack of cookies and delivered them in a green plastic strawberry basket wrapped in cellophane, a trick food writing instructor Sheryl Julian taught me. Needless to say, people went wild for the thin, crispy cookies with soft centers. I’m calling them the “get hired or die baking” cookie and am willing to share the recipe.

A month and a half and five interview rounds later, I received a job offer in Napa. The offer letter cites my graduate education in Gastronomy as part of a unique combination of skills. I think I’ll accept and eat the rest of my get hired cookies. I’ve earned them.