The past year has been filled with challenges as well as excitement for the culinary industry, and through it all, I have been glad to deliver you the news that matters to you. Part I of this ProChef SmartBrief special year-end report aggregates the most important trends, stories and events of 2008. Part II, which will hit your inbox Thursday, will take a look at what's in store for 2009.

Still savoring some incredible dishes and dining experiences, I look back on the past year and it's clear that the industry was plagued by the challenges of food safety and the economy. Still, the industry quickly learned to innovate and piggyback on once-niche trends. As the locavore mentality hit the mainstream, chefs reached out to farmers and even cooked together at the source. Buying local became commonplace. Meanwhile, whole grains and pomegranates made headlines, as nutritious, and sometimes exotic, ingredients entered the kitchen. 

In 2008, the college officially introduced its third campus, The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio. It also added professional-development classes highlighting Latin American cuisine and even joined the call to go green by eliminating up to 18,000 disposable cups a week in student dining rooms. Through it all, the CIA celebrated the successes of its students and alumni.

And now, here's what was most important to you in 2008.