Program you graduated from: Elite Diploma de Cuisine from the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE
Graduation year: 2019
Job: Owner of SMC Catering Company
Personal motto: “Never quit on yourself and always follow your passion. You’ll never know where it’ll take you! “
Chef inspiration: My earliest memory of wanting to be a chef came when I made bread for my family at the age of 6. My mom dad & brother we’re all gathered around and there was pure excitement. That’s when I realized that food is a celebration!
Prior to culinary school: I obtained a degree from the University of Houston BBA in entrepreneurship, and an employee in Corporate America for a while but always felt drawn back to the culinary field.
Most important thing I’ve learned from CIL: The artistry of food is so inspiring! You’re only limited to your imagination. From conception to implementation, it’s just amazing to see what can be done.
Lab experience: Being able to connect with my team daily gives me so much more confidence and makes me feel as if I’m as valuable part of something greater. My team and I have a great time together and work like a well-oiled machine.
Post graduation: To completely redefine what SMC Catering is capable of doing. To implement the awe inspiring techniques & ideas from world class chefs is very exciting.
Best food experience: Being part of a catering team that catered a wedding at which Michelle Obama, Sasha Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, the mayor of D.C., Atlanta & more was truly the highlight of my culinary career. I’ve also catered for the Houston Texans Organization, as well as being featured on KPRC Houston, the WB Channel 39 Houston, Fox 26 with Isiah Carey,& as a food consultant & food stylist by the TLC Network.
Favorite food &beverage: Mediterranean is my favorite because it encompasses so many different flavors from various regions due to the proximity of the countries in that area. Fresh fish, fresh produce all lend to the beauty and simplicity of great food for me. Malbec, Shiraz & Pinot Noir wines are my favorite!
Best meal: Wow I simply cannot limit the wonderful local & global experiences I have had! I know that they have all encompassed great people, food prepared with love & care and fantastic wine.
Favorite restaurant in Houston: We are so privileged to have a global meltdown pot that you can go to an upscale fine dining restaurant one day and go to a local establishment with a few threadbare chairs and still have a fabulous experience. But Nobu ,Masraffs, Phoenecia are all gems!
Thanks for sharing your story with us Daisy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a chef. I remember in 5th grade we had a career day and I got my picture taken in a chef uniform. It was when I was 15 when I decided what kind of chef I wanted to be, a Pastry chef. I took Wilton courses and started learning basic cake decorating. Around that time Ace of Cakes aired on tv and I was hooked with the whole cake world! After graduating high school early, I wanted to go to The Culinary Institute Le’Notre, however, my parents couldn’t afford it and I ended up going to San Jacinto College at 17. At first, I started with Culinary classes because Baking and Pastry wasn’t an option then. Within my first year, I accepted a College Internship at Walt Disney World. I moved to Florida to work for Disney, I fell in love with Florida so much I decided to move there. I transferred all my classes over to their community college and to my surprise, they offered baking and pastry so I switched majors and started all over again. I worked for Disney World part-time, worked at a Cookie Shoppe full time AND went to school full time. After two years of living in Florida, I got homesick and decided to move back to Houston. I transferred all my classes once again and started over for the third time.
Once I was back in Houston and back in school, I had a bad experience with a class and was discouraged from continuing my education. Four years later, after getting married and having my first child, I decided to finish what I started, but unfortunately, I had to start all over AGAIN. This time, I decided to go back to where I originally dreamed of going, The Culinary Institute Le’Notre. Two years later, I FINALLY graduated with my Baking and Pastry degree and could finally call myself a pastry chef. This is one of my biggest accomplishments in my professional life since it took almost 10 years. Within those ten years, I always baked for family and friends here and there. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I decided that working for the man was not for me and I pursued my home business head on.
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not! I have struggled every step of the way, from not being able to afford to go to school, to having to take time off during the birth of my second child. I felt I had it all going for me when I was finally in Culinary school, but then, I got pregnant and was forced to take time off. I was not going to let that stop me what so ever. My daughter was only two months old when I went back to school. I was nursing her at the time, and I would have to take breaks in between classes in order to pump milk for her and leaver for the babysitter. Not only was I dedicated student, but a dedicated mother as well.
We’d love to hear more about your work. I am a home-based bakery. I make cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cake pops, pretzels, and Rice Krispies. I mainly specialize in custom cakes and cookies and I’m known for having amazing sugar cookies. As a company, I am most proud of being able to produce my customer’s visions into edible art. My passion and dedication are what sets me aside from others. I know that custom cakes and cookies can be expensive, and I try to be a little bit more affordable. I do this because I love what I do and I’m not trying to get rich off of it. I’m a small business trying to pay for my children activities like ballet and tae kwon do classes not make riches.
Is our city a good place to do what you do? Yes. Due to the diversity and size of our city, there’s always a celebration of some kind that needs baked goods.
For its 20th birthday, the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE® received two beautiful birthday presents from:
“NICHE.COM“ ranked us #1 in America. They rank all colleges in the U.S from nursing, computer science, art, international relations, religious study, etc. Their ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the US Department of Education, the US Census, the FBI and the students and alumni surveys.
“COLLEGECHOICE.NET” ranked us Best Culinary Arts Degree. They craft their rankings by using proprietary methodology, based on advanced metadata aggregation and analysis.
The CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE® deserves to be number one also thanks to its:
Flexible schedule with three shifts per day to choose from (week of four days).
85% “hands-on” kitchen lab classes.
Life-long matching assistance to Alumni.
Lowest student-chef ratio of 12 to one average.
Students not having to clean pots and pans.
Meal tasting classes daily.
15 full time top notch international chef instructors.
Students recreation longes with free pastry, tea, coffee and fruit bar.
Employees stockholders.
Alain & Marie Lenotre. A Legendary Name for your Culinary Arts College
Alain and Marie Lenotre are the founder of the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE® in Houston. The Lenotre family is regarded as one of the greatest culinary name of France. In 1975 Alain Lenotre, created the chef school, Ecole Lenôtre, in Paris. He developed the Lenotre Pastry Shop franchise internationally.
He is a certified pastry chef, candy maker, and Ice Cream Maker. From 1972 until 1982, he was the General Director of Lenotre Paris.
In 1998, the couple opened the international, CULINARY ART INSTITUTE LENOTRE® in Houston. In 2019, it was RANKED NUMBER ONE CULINARY ARTS COLLEGE IN AMERICA.
In 2010 Alain was awarded by the French Government with the Order of Merit.
Alain volunteers generously to many French associations in Texas. Also in 2018, Alain was honored with the medal of the French Senate.
Marie is the author of “Appetites”, a charming memoir that recounts her love story with Alain and their struggles establishing their institute in the United States. The book also illuminates the saga of the Lenotre in French culinary history.
Marie Lenotre was appointed director of CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE® when it opened in 1998. Understanding the importance of education for aspiring chefs, Marie Created the Culinary Endowment & Scholarship in 2001 to help deserving students thrive in a culinary career. It was renamed the Gaston Lenotre Scholarship in 2009 as a tribute to Alain’s father, who passed away that same year. The fund has disbursed almost $1 million in tuition scholarship to date.
Together, Alain and Marie Lenotre have brought the traditions and excellence of the Lenotre family to the USA, helping young man and women pursue their dreams.
Tears of joy were seen on stage, smiles all around, and with great enthusiasm, we are proud to say congratulations to our new CIL Alumni! With inspirational speeches given by our own students and after months of hard work, it was finally time to say farewell to our 110th graduating class. It is our honor to welcome our students on this new journey as a Chef and to remind them our doors are always open for you. Visit us, let us know how things are going and if you need work, remember, we offer lifetime job placement assistance!
Congratulations everyone and thank you for making this day special!
Cy-Fair High School senior Sara Mendez hugs her mother after winning first place in the Advanced Culinary division of the CFISD Cupcake Battle for her black forest cupcake. Mendez won Best Presentation the previous two years before earning first place at the competition, held Jan. 11 at the Berry Center.
Jan. 14, 2019—Mia Campos of Cypress Falls High School and Sara Mendez of Cy-Fair High School won first place in their respective competition divisions at the third annual CFISD Cupcake Battle, held Jan. 11 at the Berry Center.
The entire competition featured more than 50 entries from 12 CFISD high schools. Industry professionals from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts, CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE®, Acosta Food Service, as well as current and retired culinary teachers from neighboring school districts joined CFISD staff members in serving as judges for the competition. The judges graded the cupcakes for overall taste and design, while other categories included Best Cake, Best Frosting, Unique Flavor, Most Technical Technique and Best Presentation.
Falls High School junior Mia Campos poses next to the KitchenAid mixer and other prizes she won after placing first in the Culinary I division of the third annual CFISD Cupcake Battle for her orangedreamsicle cupcake.
Culinary students prepared cupcakes the week leading into the competition at their home campuses and set them up at the Berry Center to be judged. Top-three places were awarded in both the Advanced Culinary Arts (second-year students) and Culinary I categories. Winners received prizes including KitchenAid mixers, cupcake pans, cake decorating kits and other seasonal items donated by partners H-E-B and Randall’s.
Mendez, a senior, placed first in the Advanced Culinary division with her black forest cupcake. Cy-Fair High School junior Noah Jasikfinished second with his carrot cupcake, while Cypress Ridge High School senior Patrick Billette placed third with his Boston cream cupcake.
“It was very unexpected,” Mendez said. “I’ve won presentation awards two years in a row, so this is a big improvement for me. I didn’t think my cupcake would stand out from all the others in the Advanced group that competed.”
Norma Elletson of the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE® was among the judges for the third annual CFISD Cupcake Battle, held Jan. 11 at the Berry Center. She was joined by industry professionals from Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts and Acosta Food Service, as well as current and retired culinary teachers from neighboring school districts and CFISD staff members. The cupcakes were judged for overall taste and design, while other categories included Best Cake, Best Frosting, Unique Flavor, Most Technical Technique and Best Presentation.
Campos, a junior, placed first in the Culinary I division with her orange dreamsicle cupcake. Cy-Fair sophomore Jasmine Porterfinished second with her Samoa mocha cupcake, while Cypress Ridge junior Brenda Eguizabal placed third with her cinnamon pecan cupcake.
“This is really encouraging,” Campos said. There are a lot of traditional activities and the academics, but these competitions go to show that you can literally do anything you want to do. If you want to be a baker, you can achieve that and this program pushes you to do what you love.”
More than 50 entries comprised the third annual CFISD Cupcake Battle, held Jan. 11 at the Berry Center. Competitors in both Culinary I and Advanced Culinary Arts (second-year students) participated in separate categories, with cupcakes judged for overall taste and design in addition to subcategories for best cake and frosting among others.
The following Culinary I students won subcategory awards:
Best Cake – Fairrelle Laymon, Cy-Fair (lemon supreme cupcake);
Best Frosting – Victoria Jones, Cypress Woods (peanut butter cupcake);
Most Techincal Techinque – Eileen Irvin, Cy-Fair (red velvet cupcake);
Best Presentation – Makayla MacPherson, Cypress Ranch (chocolate raspberry cupcake).
“Every year, these students continue to step up their games,” said Mark Williams, career and technical education (CTE) coordinator. “We had 50-plus cupcakes and with the flavors and styles – it was amazing what the kids were able to do. They never cease to amaze me. I’m fortunate to have this group of students and teachers.”
Winners at the third annual CFISD Cupcake Battle were (from left) Cypress Ridge junior Brenda Eguizabal (Culinary I division third place); Cypress Woods senior Victoria Jones (best frosting); Cypress Lakes sophomore Dalayna Fridge (unique flavor); Cypress Falls junior Mia Campos (Culinary I division first place); Cypress Ranch junior Makayla MacPherson (best presentation); Cypress Ridge senior Patrick Billette (Advanced Culinary division third place); Cy-Fair sophomore Jasmine Porter (Culinary I division second place); Cy-Fair juniorFairrelleLaymon (best cake); Cy-Fair senior Sara Mendez (Advanced Culinary division first place); Cy-Fair senior Eileen Irvin (mosttechincaltechnique); and Cy-Fair junior Noah Jasik(Advanced Culinary division second place).
Cypress Ranch High School junior Makayla MacPherson earned Best Presentation for the chocolate raspberry cupcake display at the third annual CFISD Cupcake Battle.
Tears of joy were seen on stage, smiles all around, and with great enthusiasm, we are proud to say congratulations to our new CIL Alumni! With inspirational speeches given by our own students and after months of hard work, it was finally time to say farewell to our 109th graduating class. It is our honor to welcome our students on this new journey as a Chef and to remind them our doors are always open for you. Visit us, let us know how things are going and if you need work, remember, we offer lifetime job placement assistance!
Good morning, Graduates, CIL staff, and family members. It is a great honor to stand before everyone today delivering this farewell. My name is Kevin Avery and I am here to receive my degree in baking and pastry arts. I would like to begin by saying congratulations to the 42 students graduating with me today because we all know, “The struggle was real”. I think I speak for the entire class when I also say “Thank you” to anybody that supported the graduates sitting before me today, whether it was a family member giving moral or even financial support, or a chef that pushed somebody to the extreme because they saw potential. I know I wouldn’t be standing before you today if it weren’t for you.
I have learned a lot in my time here at the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE®, but there is one thing that stuck more than the rest. It was a recipe, a recipe that many of you are familiar with because it is used quite common amongst all of our chefs whether cuisine or pastry. I like to call this recipe humble pie, and today I’m going to share that recipe with everyone:
*First you are going to pre-bake your dreams and set them to the side for later use.*
Then, you are going to take 1 cup of your Imagination, and 1 cup of your inspiration and sift it directly into 2 cups of your pride. Then, you are going to add a sprinkle of your confidence and stir as you gradually pour in all of your heart.
Next, you are going to take this hard work, and feed it directly into your chef, slowly, allowing enough time to fully process. (Warning: operating a chef requires special training, and can be hazardous if not handled with care!) Your chef will completely shred your hard work while mixing it with an equal amount of critique and spit it back out to you all at once. This step is highly important and must be followed precisely or you will not get the desired results.
Finally, pour your feedback into your pre-baked dreams, top it off with 8 ounces of red wine and sit for a while in a quiet place until everything has settled inside. Chill and enjoy.
Today we graduate, but we do not stop learning. Our diplomas and degrees do not exempt us from advances in our industry, they don’t shield us from society’s opinions and outlooks. They do not relieve us of the need for credibility, and they do not automatically place us at the top of our leagues. If this school has taught me anything, it is that you earn your right to wear the title “chef” and you do that through time, dedication, perseverance, and a little slice of humble pie from time to time.
I don’t know about the rest of the graduates, but for myself, today is such a bittersweet day. I finally get relief from a headache I have had the past two years, and I’m almost certain that Jocelyn and Robert feel the same way because God knows I’m not easy to please. But, at the same time, I am leaving a place that has created so many wonderful memories, and brought so many unexpected wonderful people into my life. Today we close one chapter in our story and we begin another. Today is about you and your success, so as you grasp this moment in time, cherish it, share it with those that mean the most because moments like this are typically only once in a lifetime. As you walk across this stage, stand tall, and shine bright like the stars you all are and most of all celebrate your success, cause let’s be real… tomorrow, we go back to reality where it’s not all smiles and graduations. Congratulations Graduating class of 2018, and best of luck to everyone in your future endeavors…..
Today, our students had the opportunity to learn how to sharpen their knives, to care for them, and how they are made a with a demo by Chef Chris Parker.
Mercer knives are used in 90% of North American culinary academies because of their reliable quality and durability, making them one of the most recognized names in the industry.
Thank you Chef Chris for the insightful information and don’t forget to visit the Boutique for Mercer products.
It is an honor for CIL to congratulate Juanita Garza and Haley Bobbitt who received the 2018 Les Amis D’Escoffier Scholarship of $1,200 each, which will be matched by The CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE®. We are very proud of you! Also, thank you Les Amis D’Escoffier for this great opportunity you give our students.
Mr. Alain Lenotre delivering the matching check from CIL to Haley Bobbitt.
Mr. Alain Lenotre delivering the matching check from CIL to Juanita Garza.
For more information on scholarships: Financial Aid Office Phone- (713) 358-5052 Email- [email protected]
« Il ne s’agit pas juste de manger et boire. Mon thème, c’est la culture et le voyage », glisse Alain Lenôtre, à la table du restaurant d’application de son Culinary Institute. Le fils du célèbre pâtissier normand Gaston Lenôtre a fêté, en septembre 2018, les 20 ans de son école de cuisine basée à Houston (Texas).
D’Eleonore à Alain Lenôtre
Une success story à la normande qui prend ses racines dans l’Eure, à Pont-Audemer, où son père a commencé comme traiteur. « J’y ai toujours des attaches, de bons amis dans le Roumois, qui étaient les fils de ses clients », confie Alain Lenôtre, qui a hérité du talent de sa grand-mère Eleonore, une des premières femmes chefs françaises, et de son père Gaston Lenôtre, un des plus grands noms dans le domaine de la pâtisserie.
Numéro 1 aux USA
Pendant 20 ans, il travaille au côté de son père en tant que chef et directeur général adjoint de Lenôtre Paris, puis développe les franchises de l’entreprise familiale dans le monde. Cela l’amène à Berlin, Tokyo, Rio, Djeddah au Koweït et enfin à Houston.
Après le rachat de la maison mère par le groupe Accor, Alain et son épouse Marie se mettent à leur compte en 1984 et fondent à Houston une chaîne de 6 pâtisserie-boulangerie-café-restaurant, un service traiteur et de vente en gros. Les profits réalisés leur permettent de créer en 1998, le Culinary Institute de Houston, un institut d’art culinaire, boulangerie et pâtisserie devenu numéro 1 aux Etats-Unis. « C’est aussi le seul à être la propriété d’un français », souligne le pâtissier, fier de ses racines et attaché à une certaine « excellence à la française ».
Excellence à la française
Une philosophie qui se retrouve à tous les nouveaux du Culinary Institute Lenôtre, comme en témoigne son staff composé de 15 Chefs dont 14 Français. Parmi eux, beaucoup d’anciens Chefs à la retraite, qui viennent ici transmettre leur savoir faire. « C’est une école française et il ne faut pas oublier que la fondation de la cuisine occidentale trouve ses racines dans l’Hexagone », martèle Alain Lenôtre, incollable sur l’histoire de ses ancêtres. Ses élèves doivent d’ailleurs apprendre, au choix la langue de Molière ou celle de Cervantes.
Plus que la technique, à l’école de Houston, on enseigne une culture. Les 4h30 de cours quotidiens sont obligatoirement assortis d’une initiation au goût et à un atelier de dégustation de vins. « Il est hyper important de former leur palais, car tout cela est très exotique pour eux ! », insiste Alain Lenôtre, dont 15% des étudiants viennent du monde entier.
« Tous nos employés sont actionnaires »
Ouvert en 1998, le Culinary Institute est passé de 6 à 300 élèves formés chaque année. L’établissement est devenu une belle entreprise de 70 salariés avec une philosophie bien particulière. « Depuis 6 ans, tous nos employés sont actionnaires, ils détiennent 22,7% du capital de l’entreprise. Cela nous oblige à leur donner des cours de gestion pour leur montrer que s’il y a du vol ou du gâchis, chacun devra payer à hauteur de 22,7% ». Le natif de Pont-Audemer a également opté pour des classes réduites afin d’assurer un enseignement de qualité à ses Chefs en devenir. « Il y a huit à neuf élèves par classe en moyenne. C’est du vol de mettre 25 élèves avec un seul professeur, comme le fait la concurrence », juge Alain Lenôtre, perfectionniste hyperactif également visiteur de prison, à l’origine d’une association de visite aux détenus français.
Lever le pied
A 73 ans, le Normand tente de lever le pied et prend « une semi-retraite. Avec l’actionnariat, l’un des objectifs est de responsabiliser les salariés et de les fidéliser. Un jour je passerai la main à des personnes de confiance au sein du Conseil d’administration ».
Histoire, peut-être, de revenir plus souvent sur ses terres natales qu’il aime arpenter, en féru d’histoire, de Honfleur aux plages du débarquement en passant par Lisieux.
