IN THIS ISSUE

1. The Results are in: StarChefs.com Salary Survey 2005
3. StarChefs.com Inaugural International Chefs Congress - A Kitchen Without Borders
3. JobFinder Interview Tip: Interview Questions
4. LA Rising Stars 2006: What Makes Them Shine
5. States V. The FDA : The National Uniformity for Food Act
6. StarChefs.com Featured Sommelier Jenny Benzie, CWE
7. For One Night Only! - StarChefs Rising Stars Shine in Boston, April 5th

1. The Results are in: StarChefs.com Salary Survey 2005
The results from StarChefs.com's 2005 salary survey reveal that executive chefs' salaries are on the rise, that men hold a greater percentage of upper-level kitchen positions than women, and that while a restaurant's waitstaff may clock a 40-hour work week, the sommelier works an average of 55. Salary averages are just one aspect of our findings-age, education, gender, ethnicity, and geographic location are among the many factors that comprise the complexity of salary distribution in the industry. With over 2000 responses from both the front and back of the house, the StarChefs.com salary survey reveals income and employment statistics that provide a window into the economics of the hospitality industry.

How Does Your Position Measure Up?
http://www.starchefs.com/features/editors_dish/salary_survey/index.shtml

3. StarChefs.com Inaugural International Chefs Congress - A Kitchen Without Borders
Don't miss what promises to be the most important professional culinary event in the US this year! StarChefs.com's International Chefs Congress is a two-day culinary symposium where the world's most influential chefs will share their knowledge and present the latest techniques and culinary concepts to their chef peers. This is the first event of its kind in the US, and StarChefs.com invites you to be a part of culinary history! The event will take place September 19 & 20, 2006 in New York City at Covenant House.

For more information visit http://www.starchefs.com/events/icc/2006/index.shtml

3. JobFinder Interview Tip: Interview Questions
While traditional interview questions that address a candidate's past experience and education may help an interviewer decipher a candidate's resume, they often provide little insight into an applicant's real-life work habits or persona. Rather than risk the cost of replacing a new hire, employers should pose additional questions that help to asses how well an applicant will perform within the dynamic of an established team.

Once the introductory stage of the interview is over, it's wise to avoid the overuse of open-ended questions such as "Tell me about yourself," and instead ask more investigative questions that challenge an applicant's expectations such as:

- Why have you decided to leave your current position?
- If you continued in your current position, where would you be in one year?
- If you could change one thing about your current company's polices, what would it be?

Continue by asking questions specific to real-life situations that may befall someone in the available position; if possible cite a past example such as, "Often the sous chef may be called upon to step up and lead the kitchen in the unexpected absence of the executive chef. How would your management skills allow you to take control of the situation?"
In closing, consider returning to something more general that allows the candidate one final chance to impress you by asking a direct question, such as "Why should we hire you?" Offering the applicant an opportunity to provide a summation of their ambition and talents will highlight what the candidate sees as his or her best qualities, and provide a solid foundation for applicant evaluation.

4. LA Rising Stars 2006: What Makes Them Shine
Although StarChefs.com raised eyebrows in 2004 with our first LA Rising Stars awards, this year no diner could argue that Los Angeles still deserved its reputation as a "see-and-be-seen" restaurant town. With a new focus on neighborhood dining, Los Angeles' up-and-coming chefs have given the proven combination of top ingredients and professional service their own LA spin. From organic fine-dining to macrobiotic take-out, the StarChefs Rising Stars in Los Angeles for 2006 showcase the simplicity of California ingredients with a new fresh and refined LA style.

Glimpse the Future of LA Dining:
http://www.starchefs.com/features/editors_dish/rising_stars/2006/la/index.shtml#top

5. States V. The FDA : The National Uniformity for Food Act
The National Uniformity for Food Act, which would create a national uniform standard for the labeling of food packages for interstate commerce, is the center of a hot new debate in the food world. On one side of the bill is the National Uniformity for Food Coalition, which contends that all states should have the same level of food safety and all consumers should be aware of uniform warning standards. On the opposing side are consumer organizations which fear that this new legislation would wipe out 200 stricter state laws. Currently under review by a Senate committee, the National Uniformity for Food Act has already been passed by the US House of Representatives, and may soon affect consumer labeling on goods like fish, dietary supplements, and produce.

Consider the Debate from Both Sides:
http://www.starchefs.com/features/food_debates/national_uniformity/index.shtm

6. StarChefs.com Featured Sommelier Jenny Benzie, CWE
Although she once considered studying the sociology of wine drinking in graduate school, it was the grapes themselves that captured Jenny Benzie's attention and led her to the Virgin Islands where she would become a student of wine, earning her Court of Master Sommeliers certification and honing her tasting skills. Her experience earned her the position of sommelier at Café Boulud in Palm Beach, where she presides over a list that focuses on wine from France and the United States. Now as the featured sommelier on StarChefs.com's "Ask the Sommelier," Jenny answers readers' questions about wine pairings, proper decanting, and beginning a wine collection.

Red, White, or Rosé? - Ask Jenny Benzie:
http://www.starchefs.com/wine/ask_Sommelier/wine.php#qaform

7. For One Night Only! - StarChefs Rising Stars Shine in Boston, April 5th
Next Wednesday StarChefs.com will return to Boston to honor the culinary professionals selected as the city's Rising Stars 2006. The Rising Stars tasting gala will feature the signature dishes of up-and-coming culinary stars from Boston's top restaurants, such as Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Foam and Beet Paper from Salts 's Chef Gabriel Bremer and Chef Rick Billings's Frozen Blood Orange Capsule with Bitter Almond Cream from Clio. Cap off your evening with bar chef John Gertsen's Spiced Crème Brulée from No. 9 Park.

Tickets are Still Available! Join StarChefs and taste the future of Boston Dining:
http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2006/boston/html/menu.shtml