When
it comes to culinary accomplishments, there’s very little that Chef
Michael Carmel’s hasn’t done during his 26 years in the hospitality
industry. With college degrees and graduation from the CIA under his belt,
he has taught and managed culinary programs at Roosevelt University and Kendall
College to name a few. We at the Honey Board know Chef Carmel as the energetic
and enthusiastic Culinary Director of the Culinary School at the Illinois
Institute of Art, where he develops and implements the curriculum, develops
new education programs and hires and trains faculty and staff. When not involved
in the day-to-day operations, he trades his toque for the marketing, public
relations and accounting hats also outlined in his job requirements.
In addition to the demands of his job, Chef Carmel is a dedicated and distinguished member of the American Culinary Federation, earning both Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator status and participating in the creation of several ACF chapters in the Chicago area. On the national level, he chairs the ACF Education Services committee. To keep his finger on the foodservice pulse, Chef Carmel also consults with foodservice clients, troubleshooting restaurant openings and developing menu concepts and recipes.
Since meeting Jami Yanoski, the Honey Board’s marketing manager, at a Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) event, Chef Carmel has broadened both his honey knowledge and the honey curriculum at the Illinois Institute of Art, culminating with a staff training day at Honey Acres, a Wisconsin-based honey packer and processor. Leveraging his honey experience, Chef Carmel is currently organizing a honey recipe competition for Fall 2004 which will pair off Chicago ACF members with student chefs.
Chef Carmel was invited to present a program on honey baking basic to a honey industry meeting in Chicago. There, he shared several recipes from his honey repertoire, including an elegant "Lemon Curd with Blueberry Honey" and a zesty "Jalapeño Cornbread" enhanced with Buckwheat honey and served with "Buckwheat Honey Butter." Having learned to appreciate the nuances of varietal honeys, Chef Carmel recommends using local honeys as a signature ingredient. “When creating a recipe, every chef looks for both distinctive flavor and good balance. Even a small amount of honey works to unify and harmonize a dish.
Lemon Curd with Blueberry Honey
Yield:
8 (4-inch) tarts
(about 2-1/2 cups lemon curd)
4 |
whole eggs |
2 |
egg yolks |
3.5 |
oz. Blueberry honey |
1/2 |
cup lemon juice |
|
Zest of 1 lemon |
7 |
oz. butter |
|
Pinch salt |
8 |
baked 4-inch tart shells |
|
sweetened whipped cream, as needed |
|
fresh blueberries, as needed |
|
mint leaves, as needed |
In top of non-corrosive double boiler over simmering water, whisk eggs, yolks, juice, zest, honey and salt until custard is thick and creamy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and gradually mix in butter until thoroughly incorporated. Pour into tart shells (about 1/3 cup in each). Cover and chill at least 2 to 3 hours.
For each serving to order: garnish tart with whipped cream, blueberries and mint leaves.