Copeland was one of three children, raised by his single mother and extended family. He never finished high school, but got his start in the food industry at an early age, working as a soda jerk. By 18 he had his own Tastee Donut franchise.

Before his 30th birthday, Copeland opened his first chicken restaurant in New Orleans. It failed, and he went back to the drawing board to adjust his recipe. The following year, in 1972, Copeland tried again, with a restaurant bearing the name Popeyes Mighty Good Fried Chicken. Within 20 years he owned or franchised over 800 Popeyes.

Although Copeland went on to lose most of his Popeyes when he filed for bankruptcy after buying a competing chicken chain, that didn’t stop him.  He opened Copeland’s of New Orleans, a chain that has expanded to 9 states, and owned several other restaurants, hotels, comedy clubs, and even a food processing company at the time of his death.

What can chefs-in-training learn from Copeland’s life? While he may have taken his secret spice blend recipe to the grave, Copeland’s example reminds us of the importance of using mistakes as an opportunity for learning and growth. May he rest in peace.

Insurance policies for body parts are no longer reserved for models and musicians. The Associated Press reported in Forbes this week that one of Europe’s foremost winemakers and tasters, Ilja Gort, had his nose insured by Lloyd’s of London for 5 million Euros. While insuring a nose might seem outlandish to some, Gort’s policy is actually not the first of its kind. In 2003, British wine taster Angela Mount took out a policy for 10 million pounds ($20.1 million; Euro12.7 million) to cover her senses of taste and smell. Although many people, especially chefs, depend upon their taste buds and nose to create culinary masterpieces (and earn a living), few can afford to protect themselves against an accident that could leave them without a way to smell or taste the foods they cook.

However, according to an article in Reader’s Digest, there are a few things you can do in your everyday life to keep your senses sharp.

The suggestions from the experts include the following advice:

• Stay active – research suggests that your sense of smell is more effective after exercise.
  
• Keep yourself hydrated – a dry mouth adversely affects your ability to taste.
  
• Check out your medicine cabinet- many common pharmaceuticals have side effects that can impair your senses.
  
• No smoking – with every inhalation you’re damaging smell and taste receptors.
  
• Keep your airways clear – try using a Neti pot or saline solution to remove obstructions and moisten your sinuses.

According to the organization’s mission statement, the Chefs Collaborative values local food in an effort to support a more sustainable food supply. An ambitious vision statement directs their activities:

“As a result of our work, every chef in the U.S.A. will be aware that food purchasing choices affect the environment and our communities.”

How do they hope to achieve such an idealistic and inspiring reality? Chefs Collaborative (CC) offers information about sourcing local ingredients and sponsors chef trainings (most recently in the Boston area) on topics such as how to break down a whole pig. In addition, CC is active in the Renew America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) coalition, to encourage members to use regional animal breeds and produce varieties in their kitchens. Finally, through a program called Seafood Solutions, CC educates chefs on the complex issues surrounding the fishing industry to help them make sustainable choices.

Interested in joining this high-minded group? Next month’s Earth Dinner, organized by CC and Organic Valley at participating restaurants around the country will be one opportunity to meet other culinary professionals working on these issues over a delicious and environmentally-friendly meal.

Millions of varieties of seeds, from banks all over the world, are being collected for the Global Seed Vault, according to an article in Sunday’s New York Times. The Vault, which is run by the Global Crop Diversity Trust, is an attempt to protect one of humankind’s most valuable resources from extinction or destruction.

While farmers around the world used to practice seed-saving techniques, increased mechanization, trends toward to monoculture, and climate change have changed the face of traditional agriculture, and are leading to the loss of heirloom plant varieties. At stake are more than just a few kinds of carrots or squash, however. Agricultural scientists worry that as the world’s crop diversity vanishes, the few existing varieties could be completely wiped out by diseases, pests, or changes in weather patterns, leaving us with a food crisis similar to the devastating potato famine in Ireland in the1800s.

 Of course, from the chef’s perspective, agricultural diversity is always welcome – just think how the subtle differences in tomato varieties can affect your favorite sauce recipe. While it’s nice to know that a vault in Norway is protecting the precious gems of genetic diversity, why leave this important work to just one organization? We can all play a role in keeping our food supply safe – an easy way to start is by buying produce from small, local farms.

An all-chocolate room was unveiled in Manhattan on Tuesday — a pre-Valentine’s Day creation complete with furniture and artwork made of the sweet stuff.

“It’s the perfect bit of sin,” said Ali Larter, star of TV’s “Heroes,” of the Godiva chocolate “pearls” that are her private daily indulgence.

More here.

According to the Times, tests done on bluefin tuna being sold in restaurants and markets in the Big Apple indicated that the levels of mercury often exceed standards set by the Food and Drug Administration.

Restaurant and market owners are faced with the decision of whether to test the fish they sell (as Wegman’s supermarkets and Legal Seafoods have done for the past few years), or leave it to consumers to make their own dietary choices.

Whatever your opinion on the issue, it highlights the growing need for chefs and food service professionals to be informed about public health concerns and be prepared to make a decision if necessary. And you thought that perfecting your souffle-making technique would be the most complicated part of a culinary arts career!

I recently received an email from Hotel boutique about a hot new restaurant in Montreal. Here are the details.

Bringing a well-established reputation for excellence from Quebec to Montreal
Restaurant Laurie Raphaël at Hotel Le Germain Montreal is attracting a sophisticated crowd these days, so naturally Trend G wanted to let you know all about it.

From the moment you arrive, you’ll find yourself in an environment that’s “made in Quebec” – from the dishes to the decor. The highly contemporary setting, created by designer Jean-Pierre Viau, is imbued with Quebecois charm.

Local flavour
The restaurant offers a warm, relaxed ambience, attentive service, an exceptional wine list and, above all, authentic dishes from Daniel Vézina’s kitchen. To make the most of the menu during one meal, guests can sample a selection of Quebec regional specialties in appetizer format.

Homemade products and exclusive handicrafts
And proving that good things come in twos, there’s also the Laurie Raphaël boutique! You can obtain a huge range of homemade Quebecois products, as well as a variety of exclusive dishes created by local artisans.

Laurie Raphaël Montréal
2050, rue Mansfield | Montréal (Québec) | Canada | H3A 1Y9
Tél. : 514 985-6072 | Téléc. : 514 985-6070

Review the biographies of the ten chefs chosen in 2007 and a few things stand out. For one thing, you don’ t have to own a restaurant in New York City to get noticed. Steve Corry, owner of Five Fifty-Five in Portland, Maine (population 230,000) made the list last year, and April Bloomfield was the only New York-based chef among the ten. (She was also the only woman on the list, which suggests an ongoing gender imbalance among professional chefs).

Another trend that stands out is the growing focus on local, seasonal, and organic ingredients that is becoming par for the course in many fine dining restaurants. Of the ten short biographies, six mentioned the importance local, organic, or seasonal products play in the kitchens of these young culinary artists.

Finally, it’s fascinating to see the varied backgrounds represented by this small sample of the up-and-coming in the world of food. Some came into the profession via the traditional route of culinary school, while others gained experience working under well-known chefs both nationally and abroad.

In a few months the 2008 list of winners will be announced. While you may not be ready to enter the candidate pool this year, play your culinary cards right and someday you, too, could make the list, which has included now-famous chefs such as Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Todd English and Nobu Matsuhisa.

If you follow the news in the world of chocolate, you know that tumbling profits for chocolate giant Hershey are continuing. While declining sales may be a problem for big candy makers, gourmet chocolate makers enjoyed $2 billion in sales in 2006, according to a recent article in Business Week.

Monica Elliot, of Monica’s Chocolates , offers an inspiring success story to any chef aspiring to confectionary greatness. Elliot, who received some culinary training in her native Peru, taught herself to make chocolates from library books when she found herself without a job in rural Maine. Five years later, she does a brisk business from her website, to clients nationwide.

Elliot believes that the chocolate business is accessible to anyone. “You have to have patience – and enjoy the craft. Creativity is also necessary so you can make up your own signature recipes, ” advised Elliot in a phone interview.

While starting your own business can be a daunting prospect, a chocolate-based enterprise offers the benefits of low overhead costs and these gourmet treats are best when made in small batches, making them an ideal candidate for small-time confectioners.

Need more fuel for your sweet aspirations? Take some culinary courses. Formal training could provide you with the tools you need to get your chocolate enterprise off the ground.

There’s a job opening at the hottest startup in Silicon Valley that doesn’t require applicants to know the first thing about computers. The catch: You have to know the difference between béchamel and espagnole.

Facebook, the social-networking Web site with a $15 billion valuation, is hiring a corporate chef. The position looks like a winning lottery ticket for the culinary wiz who gets the job: Google’s corporate chef retired a millionaire shortly after the search engine went public.

The ideal candidate should have “knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation” and, because it’s a startup after all, a “high sense of urgency,” according to the job description.

The Executive Chef is responsible for the leadership of the kitchen by managing and overseeing the activities of the entire kitchen as well as menu development and food quality through purchasing organic products, multi-cultural cuisine, kosher foods, etc. This position is also responsible for recipes including menu item presentation, lunch, corporate, and catering events. He/She is expected to maintain high standards by establishing food specifications and adhering to those specifications via recipes, portion control, presentation, safety and sanitation. This position is full-time and located in Downtown Palo Alto.

Here’s the full posting, via the tech gossip site Valleywag