Named one of the Ten Best Cookbooks of 2008 by both NPR and The Boston Globe, A Master Class is a tribute to New England's culinary heritage, brimming with over 200 recipes created by the chefs at NECI.

More than just recipes, this must-have collection also includes suggestions for plating and presentation, wine and beverage pairings, and chef's notes.

NECI Alumni Price, $22.00 (plus tax and shipping). Order online at NECIStore.com. Enter ALUMNI in the special instructions during checkout for your special alumni rate.

All profits from your purchase benefit the NECI Scholarship Fund, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation serving students of New England Culinary Institute.

Susan Sokol Blosser

NECI is pleased to announce the 2009 Graduation Speaker, Susan Sokol Blosser. Dr. Blosser has a BA from Stanford University, a Masters in the Art of Teaching from Reed College, and an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from the University of Portland.

She is co-founder and company president of the Sokol Blosser Winery in the Willamette Valley's Dundee Hills, Oregon. She also is a founding member of the Oregon Wine Marketing Coalition. She is only one of a handful of Oregon women presiding over a winery. Because the Blosser family is intensely eco-conscious, the founding principle for farming her land is sustainability. The wines produced are "super premium" and "ultra premium" and include wines distributed throughout the United States and Canada and sold primarily to high-end restaurants.

A wine pioneer and environmental leader, she was recently awarded the Women for Wine Sense Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also recipient of the City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development Best Practices For Sustainability Award and Sunset Magazine's 2007 Green Award. In addition she is an officer of the Oregon Wine Advisory Board, a trustee of Marylhurst College, a founder and board member of the Oregon Chapter for Social Responsibility, and a director of the Oregon Environmental Council.

In 2006 her memoir At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating A Winery, An Industry, And A Life was published. She is also author and co-author of several other books, including her most recent, Gracious and Ruthless: Surprising Strategies for Business Success.

by Karen Nevin, Director of Alumni Relations

Here's my first opportunity to meet the great alumni at NECI! I will be at the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show at our booth #1886 from Sunday, November 9 through Tuesday, November 11. Please stop by to visit! Check out what NECI is up to including our new Hospitality Institute providing programs to meet workforce training needs. Buy a signed copy of "A Master Class" and visit with Chef Michel and yours truly, your new Alumni Director!

Will you be spending time at the show? Would you be willing to help at the NECI booth for a few hours? I am looking for help! Anyone who can give us a hand will get a pass to the show. Please contact me directly if you are able and willing (karen.nevin-at-neci.edu).

Though we do not have any alumni social events planned, if you have an idea or would like to help organize an impromptu gathering let me know. I am sure we can pull something off!

I can't wait to meet as many of you as possible. See you at the show!