June 2, 2009

• The Man Who Changed Iowa’s Diet

  Today Robert Anderson runs the Iowa Culinary Institute (ICI), a prestigious academy within Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Ankeny. Some 225 students progress toward a culinary degree while competing for eight full ride internships in France. Another 40 to 50 students are expected to enroll this year in the school’s new wine program. Like the finest vintage wines, ICI required decades of good stewardship and aging.

  When Anderson first came to Iowa in the early 1970’s, avocados, kiwis and nectarines were still considered exotic here. Dessert menus were limited to “cake or pie” and appetizers to “shrimp cocktail, canned fruit cups or tomato juice.” That was the culinary state here when DMACC lured Chef Robert, from the worldly Officer’s Club of the United States Air Force Academy and the five star Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, to initiated the college’s Hospitality and Culinary program.

  “In 1974, ‘culinary’ was a new term. There were some good Iowa restaurants, which I would call comfort food. But nothing like the bistros we have in town now. Coming from the Broadmoor and the Officers Club gave me a lot of background in international foods and I brought that to the school. I am from the Midwest, so I do understand the culture,” Anderson recalled.

  He began a siege of that culture’s provincial attitudes.

  “I was not able to use wine or anything with alcohol. The first time I bought wine they wanted to put salt in it, so no one would drink it,” he laughed adding that things changed often by necessity. For instance, in the institute’s early days butchering was an essential part of a student’s education. Anderson would buy beef, pork and lamb by the side. Today, it is all pre-cut by processors.

  “I guess, all in all, everything is much easier than in the 70’s. But the people are more demanding in quality, rather than quantity when they go out to eat, ” he concluded.

  The culinary school grew gradually after beginning with just three students in its first year. A decade later, it reached a significant milestone by serendipity. Des Moines established sister city status with France’s Loire valley city of St. Etienne in 1985. A year later, two members of St Etienne’s chefs association visited Des Moines with the state’s economic development council.

  “Robert decided we’d try to bring them directly to the school. In 1987, the school was able to establish a direct exchange with St. Etienne’s culinary community, thanks to what became a seven year grant from Tone’s Spice Company. In 1994, Tone’s was sold and the out of town owners weren’t interested in continuing the support,” recalled Jim Stick, Dean of Sciences & Humanities at DMACC.

  Stick explained that in 1995, France Year inaugurated an annual series of international focuses on different cultures at DMACC. Cuisine was used to expose students to a more cosmopolitan points-of-view, whatever their discipline. That upgraded the image of Anderson’s department and inspired the Friends of French Chefs, a fund raising group that supports the prestigious culinary internships in France. Student-produced gourmet dinners exposed more Iowans to culinary trends.

  That raised awareness of the culinary school. Applications began exceeding the number of openings the institute could accept. The school is a serious bargain. A five semester degree program costs Iowans about half what similar degree costs at a comparable college in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and an eighth of the price at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. As the word got out, it attracted a more cosmopolitan student body. Students have come from Spain, Canada, Brazil, Lebanon, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Tibet, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos and half a dozen countries in Africa.

  “We’ve found that one student comes here and turns into our best recruiter. We had a student from Tibet and that turned into six, mostly from his same family. We’ve had similar things happen with students from Costa Rica, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia,” Anderson recalled.

  In 2005, new DMACC President Robert Denson upgraded the culinary department image by doubling the staff and the size of the teaching kitchens with a $2 million remodeling. Denson added state-of-the-art wireless and plasma technology to a demonstration lab that now seats 75, up from 40. Air conditioning was added because, unlike many other culinary colleges, Anderson’s program lasts five semesters, including summer. Enrollment doubled and a two year waiting list was accommodated.

  Denson then dramatically moved the culinary school from the College of Trade & Industry to the College of Science & Humanities. It then partnered with Kirkwood, Indian Hills and Northeast Iowa Community Colleges to create a viniculture program and hired the state’s first university oenologist.

  The school entered a coalition with Drake and Grand View to allow DMACC students to take one course a semester at those four year colleges while paying DMACC’s lower tuition. Another partnership with Iowa State University allows DMACC students access to ISU dorms, academic advisors and sports/activity passes. These alliances facilitated the transfer of DMACC culinary credits to four year Hospitality degrees at Iowa State, or Service & Management degrees at Grand View Business College.

  Finally Denson brainstormed a new image by changing the name to “ici.” That means “here” in French and is an acronym for Iowa Culinary Institute. With input from the French and graphics departments, he also created a new logo accentuating the French connection, by dotting the lower case “i’s” with French chef’s toques.

  “This made sense, ICI is a place, a learning community,” explained Denson, adding that the move to Sciences & Humanities facilitated tie -ins to the general academic core, with speech programs, French, etc..

  “Robert (Anderson) has created something that is far bigger than an academic program, it is an institution. So the name change made literal sense and we hope it brings due national recognition,” Denson summed up.

  “It takes time to generate a quality program which I believe we are. But it took a President of DMACC to recognize and support what we are doing here,” Anderson remarked with appreciation.

  Teacher’s Pride

  Robert Anderson has a closet full of awards and titles: Certified Executive Chef (CEC); Certified Culinary Educator (CCE); the American Culinary Federation’ 2008 Educator of the Year; DMACC Distinguished Teacher of the Year; Greater Des Moines Culinary Association’s Chef of Year, twice; Honorable Order the Golden Toque; and the Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs. But he believes teachers are best judged on the accomplishments of their students. If that’s the case, the jury on Robert Anderson is a grateful state of diners.

  One of Anderson’s first students, David Detmer, went on to head the state’s second oldest culinary academy at Kirkwood Community College. Another, George Formaro, is now the owner/chef of Centro, South Union Café, Django and Gateway Market, all revolutionary culinary experiences for Central Iowans.

  “I knew George was going to be a great chef because he was in love with cooking and completely obsessed with food, all the time,” explained Anderson. Those two students are just the tip of the ice sculpture:

  Hong Willer is owner/chef of Café Shi, a fusion café in Ames that is always rated among the best Asian restaurants in Iowa.

  Terry Boston is Executive Chef of Des Moines Golf & Country Club.

  Dan Dixson is Chef de Cuisine at Sage in Windsor Heights, one of just three restaurants nominated for Anthony Bourdain and Michael Ruhlman’s Golden Clog Award as the nation’s best restaurant not located in a culinary center.

  Jeff Strahl is chef at the Glen Oaks Country Club.

  Kurt Chausse is chef at The Café, an Ames restaurant with a national reputation.

  John Weiler is Executive Chef at Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar, West Des Moines’ all prime steakhouse.

  Steve Heller is chef at Aunt Maude’s, an Ames restaurant that has also produced Eric Ziebold, one of the nation’s top chefs now in Washington, D.C.’s CityZen.

  Nick Illingworth is Chef de Cuisine at Bistro Montage, Des Moines’ first French bistro and considered one of the state’s very best restaurants.

  Trevor Feuerhell and Jeff Russell are chefs at Pur Foods, the nation’s leader purveyor of special meals for famous diet programs.

  Liz Kreuger, formerly at Trostel’s Greenbriar, is manager at Blackbird, which makes most every critic’s list of Chicago’s top five restaurants.

  Shelly Young owns Chopping Block in the Chicago Merchandise Mart and runs “Cooking Boot Camp” for culinary professionals.

  Matt Pearson is Chef de Cuisine at Torocco, a hot new Italian restaurant in Johnston.

  Nick Middleton is master curer for La Quercia of Norwalk, the nation’s top prosciutto maker.

  Jeff Duncan is general manager of Trostel’s Dish, which was named Cityview’s Best New Restaurant of 2006.

  Ephraim Malag is executive chef of the Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City.

  Chris Ranallo is owner/chef of Ranallo’s in Ankeny.

  Hal Jasa is founder of Underground, Inc., Des Moines first underground restaurant experience.

  Like several other students of Anderson, Scot Bailey, formerly of Trostel’s Greenbriar in Johnston and AJ’s in Altoona, has returned to culinary school. He’s now at the Culinary Institute of America and will intern next year in France.

  The French Connection

  Each January two chefs from the Association des Cuisiniers de la Loire (ACL) visit the Iowa Culinary Institute (ICI) for two weeks as guest lecturers. They demonstrate classical French techniques to ICI students and also plan the menu for the two January gourmet dinners that students prepare. DMACC also partners with the Des Moines-Embassy Club to provide an internship program for French students. Since 2002, ACL has sponsored a culinary competition, la Trophée des Cuisiniers, for culinary students in the St-Etienne area. The top two students and the winner’s teacher all win trips to Des Moines and a cooking internship at the Embassy Club. Club manager Michael LaValle promotes this exchange with several special French dinners, always including the students’ winning recipes as part of the meals.

  Each May, eight ICI students visit France, spending twelve days traveling to culinary centers and taking a cooking class at Paris’ Cordon Bleu before visiting the Loire Valley to serve two week culinary apprenticeships in restaurants of chefs from the ACL. 

  “You have no idea what that experience does for us and for our resumes,” explains former apprentice Hal Jasa, owner/chef of Underground, Inc..

  The majority of these interns return to Central Iowa to work, so it’s no mere coincidence that Des Moines boasts several of the best French restaurants in the Midwest – La Mie, Le Jardin, Bistro Montage and Django.

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