IN THIS ISSUE

1. Fourth of July: Salute to America's Pitmasters
2. Employer Interview Tip: The Phone Interview
3. Wattleseed in the Northern Hemisphere
4. Women Chefs and Restaurateurs Presents
5. Ask the Sommelier: Caitlin Stansbury of The Lodge Steakhouse, Beverly Hills

1. Fourth of July: Salute to America's Pitmasters
Whether pork or beef, wet mop or dry rub, barbecue is a favorite of American diners and chefs alike. Celebrate this Fourth of July with barbecue recipes from some of the nation's top pitmasters featured in Peace, Love, and Barbecue, an anecdotal cookbook from restaurateur and pitmaster Mike Mills and his daughter Amy. From ribs to brisket to sausage, Mills and his daughter visited restaurants, stands, and smoke shacks across the country to compile recipes from the legends of the genre, including tips for mastering the art of low and slow cooking.

StarChefs' Barbeque Favorites:
http://www.starchefs.com/features/july_fourth/2006/html/index.shtml

2. Employer Interview Tip: The Phone Interview
Although phone interviews are often used in the business world as a preliminary screening tool, they are rarely employed in the foodservice industry, where culinary skills are valued over presentation abilities. Even so, don't underestimate what a phone conversation, even a short one to arrange an interview, can reveal about a prospective candidate, no matter what position he or she applied to.

When calling an applicant to arrange a job interview, employers are in a particular situation: although it's expected that a candidate be a consummate professional, often applicants are caught unaware and are not prepared to speak to an employer while say, running errands or at the gym. Give candidates a moment to compose themselves, and remember that in this case it may not be what they say as much as how they say it: self-confidence and an upbeat attitude are easily conveyed over the phone.

What if you leave a voicemail? - a likely result, as people are wary of answering calls from unknown numbers. Even a voicemail greeting can reveal a glimpse of a candidate's personality - remember, the applicant offered the phone number as a business-related contact, and should be aware that employers may hear it, whether it's blaring disco beats or a remix of the Macarena.

3. Wattleseed in the Northern Hemisphere
Wattleseed adds a nutty, savory note to Australian cuisine, where the seeds are either roasted and ground or used to make an extract to flavor everything from sauces to coffee and sweets. The spice, made from the pods of the wattle plant, is now appearing on menus in the states, popularized by chefs such as Benjamin Christie and Vic Cherikoff, the Australian chef-hosts of Dining Down Under. At New York's Tocqueville, Pastry Chef Ryan Butler infuses heavy cream with wattleseed to complement the richness of his ricotta and mascarpone cheesecake.

Add an Australian Spice to your Kitchen:
http://www.starchefs.com/features/wattleseed/html/index.shtml

4. Women Chefs and Restaurateurs Presents
On June 29th, Women Chefs and restaurateurs will host their gala event "At the Table New York," a reception featuring the talents of female chefs, winemakers and sommeliers to benefit the WCR Scholarship and Internship program. The dinner and silent auction will be held in New York City's Prince George Ballroom and feature local chefs including Elizabeth Katz of Fiamma Osteria, Patricia Yeo of Sapa, and Ellen Morsky of Public working together to create a five-course menu. New York sommeliers Cynthia Goddeau of Del Posto, Claire Paparrazo of Blue Hill, and Annie Turso of Asiate will pair wines with each course from vineyards run by female winemakers.

Toast the City's Top Female Chefs:
http://www.starchefs.com/events/wcr/html/index.shtml

5. Ask the Sommelier: Caitlin Stansbury of The Lodge Steakhouse, Beverly Hills
How can you use the value of obscure wines to drive sales? What sparkling wines should be on your summer menu? Should a casual dining restaurant decant diner's wines? Growing up as the daughter of a chef, Sommelier Caitlin Stansbury quickly developed a fine culinary palate, but it wouldn't be until she became a waitress in college that she began to refine her tastes in wine, and discovered that she had a knack for blind tasting. Caitlin, a member of the International Sommeliers Guild and the sommelier of The Lodge Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, as well as a wine consultant for several Los Angeles restaurants will now answer your wine-related questions as StarChefs.com Featured Sommelier.

Cork, Plastic, or Screw Top? - Ask Caitlin: http://www.starchefs.com/wine/ask_Sommelier/wine.php