Fantastic voyage. (Industry Spotlight).

INSPIRATION AND DRIVE CAN TAKE SHAPE IN A VARIETY OF FORMS THROUGHOUT a lifetime. It can take people on journeys that they never thought they would choose or in the case of Thomas Gumpel, journeys that are predestined. Chef Gumpel knew early in his life that the kitchen was where he wanted to be full time. Because he has worked in kitchens since he was a teenager, he feels a kinship with both food and his co-workers. He also regards the kitchen as a safe haven, a place that reminds him of home and family.

After working many years in the industry, Chef Gumpel chose to further his culinary career beyond that of being an accomplished master baker and pastry chef; he decided to share his passion for knowledge and baking with aspiring chefs. A 1986 alumnus of The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Gumpel is currently the Associate Dean of the Baking and Pastry Arts degree programs at the school. Joining the CIA faculty in 1995 as an instructor for baking and pastry arts, he's taught at both the college's main campus in Hyde Park, NY, and at the continuing education branch in St. Helena, CA. Aside from developing curriculum as well as initiating and implementing new programs for the school, Chef Gumpel still has occasion to teach Adult Education bread baking classes for the school. And as if he weren't busy enough, one of his most recent projects has been as content leader for an all-inclusive CIA-based Baking and Pastry book due out in the fall of 2003.

As captain of the three-person U.S. Baking Team, Chef Gumpel assisted in capturing the Grand Prize at the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie in February of 1999. Although proud of this monumental accomplishment, Gumpel is even prouder that the team's victory has brought about a heightened awareness of and a positive exposure to the baking industry in this country.

Chef Gumpel is not only an inspiration to aspiring culinarians but also to those who have been in the industry for many years. His sound advice to those going into the field is based on vast experience, hard work, and a bold vision of the future. In his words, "It's important to stay ahead of the trends, [and] look for what's over that next mountain and past that next wave.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY?

It's an interesting story, really. You'd think I'd have come from a long line of bakers and pastry chefs when, in fact, I come from a long line of cardiologists and nurses. Having a father as a cardiologist and being a son who wanted to become a cook and a baker, well, you can just imagine discussions becoming pretty turbulent at times. My goal was to go to cooking school while my father's goal for me was to attend either military or medical school. It took awhile to convince him that becoming a baker or pastry chef could actually be a viable career option.

My first job in the industry was when I was fourteen years old working at an Italian meatball grinder shop. My father thought it was a great after-school and summer job, but I was actually starting to build a foundation for my career, not really knowing it at the time. What I did know, though, was that I felt comfortable in the kitchen. At that point, I was definitely more comfortable in the kitchen than in the classroom. I then moved on to another establishment to work as a baking and pastry chef assistant, and that's when I really started to feel the love of it.

MANY CHEFS SAY THEIR MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS WERE INFLUENTIAL IN GETTING THEM INVOLVED N FOOD. WAS YOUR MOTHER A PART OF THIS EQUATION?

She definitely was a great influence. I grew up in a family often kids, so my mother was always preparing and serving food, three times a day for twelve people or more. Friends of the family were always finding their way into our kitchen. So, it was very natural for me to be around food. Being one of the younger kids, hanging out in the kitchen was a good way for my mother to keep an eye on me. I like to credit her with my introduction to the kitchen and the comfort that comes from spending time there. But I also think it is important to mention my wife, Marie, when it comes to positive influences and inspiration. She's been by my side throughout most of this journey. Her support has been unwavering and, luckily for me, after all of these years, she's still my biggest fan.

WHAT MADE YOU EVENTUALLY DECIDE ON ATTENDING THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA?

I saw an article about chocolate in an issue of National Geographic that included information about curriculum at the school. The school had, and still does, the reputation of being the 'Harvard of Cooking Schools.' This set very well with my father. I then started to make connections through work, [and] subsequently applied and got accepted about a year after finishing high school. Mind you, I was a baking and pastry person at that time, not what I affectionately call a 'fry cook.' There were no formal baking and pastry schools in the United States, so I took the chance of attending The Culinary Institute of America and going through their culinary program, which is twenty-one months, simply to experience six weeks of baking and pastry. So, 1 waded through the carcasses of beef, the frying of french fries, and the sauteing of meats just to get to the baking and pastry section of the program.

Though my experience at school made me fall in love with baking and pastry even more, the experience also had me looking at a couple of instructors that eventually were my inspiration for coming back to the school to teach. Their advice to me was to try to get as many varied work experiences as possible and to specialize in as many jobs within the baking and pastry realm as possible, [and] then come back to teach.

WHAT DREW YOU BACK TO TEACHING AT THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA?

I felt and still feel that it is the best cooking school in the world. I truly believe that and it just made sense to go with the best. The good thing about being in education is that you're constantly around young people who are always talking about their careers, their goals, their dreams. As educators, you find yourself telling the students to live their dreams. There are many educators that speak this rhetoric who aren't living their own dreams. It dawned on me that it's important to take care of myself, as well as the students and their careers. I think things can become problematic when educators fail to keep up with their own professional growth. This is the only way an institution can move forward.

I'm not saying that carrot roses or a pineapple tree carved out of a pepper is the worst thing in the world, but you just wouldn't be as successful doing those things today. So, it's important for educators to look towards trends and cross-cultural influences, realizing that we're not only putting cooks into the industry; we're adding well-rounded adults. We approach today's education very differently from that of ten or fifteen years ago. I think we approach it from a more holistic point of view by showing students that there is more to a culinary career than cooking. We offer them other opportunities such as food writing, food photography, teaching....

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GET INVOLVED IN COMPETITIONS?

Over the years, I had listened to a friend of mine that was involved with competitions talk about his experiences. He did it merely for accreditation and his affiliations with organizations such as The American Culinary Federation. The thing that struck me most about our conversations was that in the time period he spent developing his work for competitions, whether it was a one or two-year period, he learned more in that short time period than he had in his whole career. I felt this really was more about the journey and not necessarily about the destination. So, I decided to enter the 1992 Culinary Olympics and got to see and feel firsthand what this journey was all about. It was incredible to me that in the two years it took to perfect a platter frill of pastries to be presented in Germany, I had learned how to expertly work with sugar, chocolate, and plated desserts- each had to be flawless.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO COMPETE IN THE COUPE DU MONDE DE LA BOULANGERIE (WORLD CUP OF BAKING)?

I started seeing flyers around the industry for the competition, that's sponsored by the Bread Bakers Guild of America, in late 1997. I looked at the three categories that were involved, which were bread baking, viennoisserie, and an artistic piece. I remembered my thoughts about previous competitions where I used them as a vehicle to learn and hone my skills. I then looked at what category I was weakest in and chose to apply for the artistic piece of the competition. I thought that even if I only got through Regionals and Nationals, those weaknesses that I had would become strengths. During the course of the two year preparation for the World Cup, I got stronger in the other two categories demanded by the competition by working with tremendous that were also part of the team--Robert Jorin and Jan Schat. Winning the Grand Prize in all three categories is what earns you the World Cup. This win gave a lot of credibility to the quality of bread baking, and baking in general in this country, as it was never take n seriously before this.

SINCE TWO OF THE PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM WERE AND ARE EDUCATORS FOR THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA, DO YOU THINK THE WIN LENDS ADDITIONAL CREDIBILITY TO THE SCHOOL?

It does lend credibility to the school, but I think it's more important for the school to be proud of the fact that they put resources into two individuals and have helped them to be successful. But from a thirty-thousand foot view of the industry, if the win does well for the industry, increases consumption and an awareness of quality bread, then that's even better.

HAVE ANY PHILOSOPHIES BY WHICH YOU WORK AND LIVE?

I've never been much for personal philosophies. And I have to say that I've never been a very organized person in my life. As I get older, I'm starting to see that this journey that I've been on really has had some direction. I just didn't know on a daily basis that I was going to do this with my life. I simply went with my heart and knew that it would take me down a good road. But I think the things that I live by have less to do with typical responses to this question such as " I use only the freshest of ingredients." I recently went to a local Farmers' Market and walked away from there without purchasing anything. There were some nice products available but nothing that actually inspired me. My reason in going to this market weekly is more of a social one. I think the people side of this industry is just as important as the food side. For example, if I'm making bread in my barn by myself, that's great. But if I'm making bread with you or others, that's incredible. To me it's more about the relationship wi th those I'm working with and that everything is hitting on the right cylinders. I think the social aspect of this is the biggest part of the industry--the whole dining experience, not just the food. I'd say this is more about the way I live rather than a philosophy.

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NAME: Thomas Gumpel

HOME: Rhinebeck, NewYork

OCCUPATION: Associate Dean of Baking and Pastry Arts and Educator: The Culinary Institute of America.

MOST VIVID FOOD AND WINE MEMORY: My favorite memory involves stopping by Lionel Poilane's bakery in France and picking up a couple of loaves of incredible bread, then traveling throughout Europe pairing the bread with great wine and cheese.

MOTTOES BY WHICH I WORK AND LIVE: Eat good bread. Teach your children to eat good bread.

IF I WEREN'T INVOLVED IN FOOD: I'd be an emergency room doctor in an extremely busy hospital, up to my elbows in blood every Saturday night.