An assistant professor of hospitality management/culinary arts at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently presented a workshop at the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association's annual Food and Beverage Conference.
Penn College's Chef Paul Mach presented a session titled "Pennsylvania Beer Versus Wine and Sustainable Tapas" with Robert Oeler, sommelier at the Nittany Lion Inn. The two led an interactive discussion on Pennsylvania wines, beer and food-pairing techniques.
The fourth annual conference, dubbed "Shift Your Focus," was held Feb. 23 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College.
The conference closed with a "Pennsylvania Palate" contest among invited Pennsylvania hotels. Each hotel chef was paired with a Penn College culinary arts and systems student who assisted the chef in creating a featured menu item with accompaniments. The teams were told what protein they must use and given three hours to complete their task.
Mach is a Certified Hospitality Educator, designated by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, and the recipient of the Veronica M. Muzic Master Teacher Award, the highest honor accorded to a faculty member at Penn College. He is co-host of the college's popular public television cooking series "You're the Chef."
Mach has presented seminars at many regional restaurants, the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. He has taken his students and cooked for thousands at 23 Kentucky Derby and Breeder's Cup events, as well as the most recent Ryder Cup at Valhalla Country Club in Louisville, Ky.
To learn more about academic programs offered by the School of Hospitality at Penn College, call 570-327-4505 or visit online .
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