The Culinary Insider - March 29, 2010 (Vol. VIII, Issue 7)

ACF Central Regional Conference

The 2010 ACF Central Regional Conference, hosted by ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter, took place in the auto-racing capital of the world, Indianapolis, March 26–28. Terms known widely by locals and race fans alike took on a new meaning during the conference, such as an apron no longer meant a paved portion of a racetrack separating the racing surface from the infield.

From start to finish, the conference was nonstop for the more than 400 attendees. Central Region Vice President David Russell, CEC, AAC, offered his usual combination of humor and ACF business during season 5 of “Cooking Today” at General Session, and motivational speaker Charles Marshall wove the Taste Success conference theme into his inspirational message, “Shattering the Glass Slipper.” Guest chef Duke LoCicero of Café Giovanni in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter shared his insight on the recovery of the Big Easy, where the 2011 Central Regional Conference will be held.

A sincere thank you to our sponsors and exhibitors, whose support was instrumental to our success, and to the AAC for donating $1,000 to the ACF Central Region Student Team winner to assist with national convention travel expenses. Congratulations to all the award recipients and competitors.

Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions

J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Pastry Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Splenda®

Nguyet Nguyen, pastry cook, The Westin Crown Center Hotel, Kansas City, Mo.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Chef Educator of the Year

Timothy Meyers, CCC, CCE, chef-instructor, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

Student Chef of the Year, Sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.

Brett Jacobs, apprentice, Elcona Country Club, Bristol, Ind.; ACF South Bend Chefs and Cooks Association

Chef Professionalism Award, Sponsored by Minor’s®

John Reed, CEC, CCA, owner, Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award

Gregory Wozniak, CEC, AAC, retired, Milwaukee; ACF Chefs of Milwaukee Inc.

Student Team Regional Championship, Sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.

ACF Louis Joliet Chapter, Joliet Junior College: James Bingham; Matthew Cappellini, CC; Lindsey Cizewski; Molly Meehan; Lauren Mulvey; and coaches Kyle Richardson, CEC, CCE, AAC; and Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE

Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, Sponsored by American Technical Publishers

Kendall College, ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.: Allison L. Chikos; Erika Giffin; Sarah Roberts; Jacqueline Wallner; Edward E. Whitney; and coach Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE

ACF Central Region Chapter of the Year

ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

ACF Central Region Chapter Achievement Awards

• ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Inc.
• ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
• ACF Louis Joliet Chapter
• ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter
• ACF of Iowa
• ACF South Bend Chefs and Cooks Association

ACF Central Region President’s Medallions

• Charles Duit, CEC, AAC, food service director, Buckner Retirement Services–Calder Woods, Beaumont, Texas; Texas Chefs Association
• Jim Lund, CEC, ACE, executive chef, Rational USA, Montrose, Minn.; ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter
• Paul Santaularia, CEC, CCE, culinary-arts instructor, Northland Career Center, Platte City, Mo.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
• Charles “Eddie” Wilson, executive chef, Clabber Girl Corporation, Terre Haute, Ind.; ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter

Cutting Edge Awards

• Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, director, Texas Chefs Association, Dallas chapter, Hurst, Texas; Texas Chefs Association
• Luis Fernando Mojica, student, Elgin Community College, Elgin, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
• Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, executive sous chef, Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, East Lansing, Mich.; ACF Capital Professional Chefs & Cooks Association of Greater Lansing
• Lindy Robinson, dean, business division, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Rene Roncari Senior Chef Humanitarian Award

Bernard Urban, CEC, AAC, chef-ambassador, Ben E. Keith Co., Conroe, Texas; Texas Chefs Association

One-Pot Win A Lot, Sponsored by Riviana

Robert Stricklin, CEC, AAC, executive chef, College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Mo.; ACF Springfield/Branson Chefs Association

Make-It-Mini Dessert Trio, Sponsored by MARS Foodservice

Jennifer Kelm, apprentice, Lake Quivira Country Club, Shawnee Mission, Kan.; ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Ferdinand Metz, CMC, WGMC, AAC, HOF, Receives Prestigious NRAEF Award

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation awarded renowned chef and longtime ACF member and former president Ferdinand Metz, CMC, WGMC, AAC, HOF, with the Michael E. Hurst Lifetime of Achievement in Education Award for his indelible contribution to restaurant and foodservice education as an educator. The award honors the devotion to educating and enhancing the lives of young people that characterized Michael E. Hurst, a respected and successful operator and firm advocate of industry education. More

Receive your FREE 2010 Catalog Featuring the Latest Styles in Chef Apparel

Be one of the first to get a copy of Happy Chef’s New Catalog. Over 90 pages full of affordable, quality chef coats, pants, hats & more. Products, along with special deals, can also be found online at happychefuniforms.com. New Catalog, New Products, New Lower Pricing…Same Great Quality, only at Happy Chef®.

You’re Making Strides Toward Sustainability in the Kitchen, Why Not at Home, Too?

View the April issue of The National Culinary Review, our inaugural digital version.

• You’ll receive it up to two weeks sooner than the print version
• Accessible on PC, MAC, iPhone
• Works from your browser
• User-friendly, vivid images, clear text
• Linked table of contents, articles, ads
• Save for offline reading
• High-quality printing
• Keyword search of current/archived issues
• Bookmark pages/articles
• Share via e-mail, blogs, social-networking sites

ACF student and junior culinarians and international members will automatically receive the digital version. Choose digital and help save the environment as we decrease our carbon footprint. ACF members login to go digital. Nonmembers subscribe at the e-Store.

Save Energy. Save Money. It’s Simple.

You can be the most talented chef ever, but you need to be profitable to be successful. Energy efficiency can help you reach your goals without compromising the quality of your guests’ experience, and it’s one of the few things in the kitchen that is totally within your control. Read the first of a monthly series on sustainability provided through a partnership between Kendall College and ACF.

ACF Culinary Team USA

THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN
The selection for the national ACF Culinary Team USA 2012 is in the final stages, with the hot-food tryouts taking place at Elgin Community College, Elgin, Ill., April 10. Meet the candidates.

Don’t forget May 31 is the deadline to apply for ACF Culinary Youth Team USA. Youth team tryouts will take place at the 2010 ACF National Convention, August 2–5, in Anaheim, Calif. More

Sweeteners Exposed

The American Heart Association suggests that women should consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar daily, while men should consume nine teaspoons or less per day. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that people limit their added sugars to no more than six to 10 percent of total calories. These recommendations fail to go into detail on the types of sweeteners available and their possible effects. Are they all the same? Find out by reading April’s issue of Culinary Nutrition News, Sweeteners Exposed, sponsored by French’s Foodservice and provided through a partnership between ACF Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University.