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October National Call – Heather Kolakowski
October 26, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
Plant Rich Diet: Tempting Your Tastebuds – Using the Flavor Wheel to Focus on Taste with Heather Kolakowski
Thanksgiving and winter holidays are approaching, with lots of cooking on the burner. Knowing how important reducing food emissions is to reaching our climate goals, how might we create tasty plant-based dishes for our family and friends? In this national call, Heather Kolakowski, formerly food and beverage manager for the Four Seasons Hotel (in DC and Jackson Hole WY, not the infamous Four Seasons in PA) and currently Cornell Hotel School lecturer, will guide us in exploring ways to enhance plant-based dishes through the five senses, with a focus on taste. Learn about the process of taste testing and the flavor wheel. Identify simple ways to boost the flavor of plant-based foods, with a focus on seasonal ingredients and basic culinary techniques. You will be equipped to cook up delicious meals during the holidays while contributing to climate goals.
 Heather Kolakowski is a lecturer in food and beverage management at the School of Hotel Administration (SHA) and Associate Director for the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures. She teaches several food and beverage courses, including Restaurant Management and Nonprofit Social Enterprise and Food Justice. She is also the faculty advisor for Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC), the student-run hospitality showcase conference which allows students the opportunity to put theory into practice while taking on leadership responsibilities each spring. She is the recipient of the 2017 Kaplan Family Distinguished Faculty Fellowship for her dedication to service learning.Kolakowski has also taught at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Her courses included Beverage Operations Management, Spirits and Principles of Mixology, Advanced Principles of Service in Hospitality Management, Introductory Table Service in the dining room of St. Andrew’s Café, and Formal Hospitality and Service Management in the American Bounty Restaurant on the CIA campus. These front-of-the-house classes review the principles of fine service and hospitality in a restaurant setting, emphasizing customer service, beverages including wine and spirits, restaurant trends, and sales. In addition to her service classes, she has also taught the elective Women in Leadership. A 2000 graduate of SHA and a 2002 graduate of the CIA, Kolakowski returned to her culinary alma mater in 2008 after serving as food and beverage manager for the Four Seasons Hotel Company in Washington, D.C. and Jackson Hole, WY. Her additional professional experience includes assistant manager for the Peninsula Grille in Warrington, PA, and teaching assistant at both the CIA and Cornell University. Awarded an MBA at SUNY Empire State College in December 2013, Kolakowski is also a member of the Women’s Foodservice Forum, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, the United States Bartender’s Guild Association, and the Cornell Hotel Society. Kolakowski is a Certified Hospitality Educator (CHE) and certified TIPS responsible alcohol service instructor. |
