The Culinary Insider - June 21, 2010 (Vol. VIII, Issue 13)

ACF Chefs Attend Chefs Move to Schools Kickoff June 4 at White House

The American Culinary Federation sent 60 chefs from 24 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to attend Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools kickoff press conference at the White House, June 4. Chefs joined the 600 plus others, including Rachael Ray, Marcus Samuelsson and Tom Colicchio, to learn about the new initiative, which is part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign. Learn more and sign up to participate in Chefs Move to Schools.

ACFEF Chef & Child Service Day

The ACFEF Chef & Child Foundation will hold its first national service day for low-income families July 31 in Anaheim, Calif., where ACF chefs will conduct nutrition demonstrations and educational activities in the community. Sign up, or call (904) 484-0202 for information.

Bravo Pilot Seeking LA Chefs

Can you cook under pressure? Do you live in the Los Angeles area? If so, the American Culinary Federation invites you to apply for a new chefs’ pilot on Bravo. Once you have applied, e-mail pr@acfchefs.net so ACF can keep track of its chefs who have applied. Good luck!

Keep Your Kitchen Cool with Happy Chef’s “Cool Coat”

Our Sports Mesh Cool Coat is now available in 4 popular colors for as low as $14.95! Re-designed for improved breathability and comfort. Vented mesh on back, front, shoulders & under arms make it the perfect way to stay COOL in the kitchen. SHOP NOW!

Earn a $75 CSC Written Exam Credit

Candidates taking the new ACF Certified Sous Chef (CSC) written exam Aug. 3 at the ACF National Convention, Anaheim, Calif., will receive a $75 credit toward their certification fee. Register online. To prepare, take the practice exam, with the same type of questions and weighting as the actual exam. Learn more.

Share Your ACF Chapter’s Success Story

Chapters to Present at General Session
ACF National President Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, wants to promote one chapter from each region to introduce our events theme, Power of Connection. The four selected chapters will have approximately five to seven minutes at the ACF National Convention General Session to present the creative ways their chapter is building and retaining their membership. Examples include giving back to the community, interactive meetings, activities, successful membership drives, etc. Submit your chapter’s story to lmckown@acfchefs.net by July 1.

This is a wonderful opportunity to share your successes and all your chapter has accomplished while furthering the mission of ACF and increasing its membership. Please note, ACF is unable to provide financial support for a chapter representative to attend convention.

Açai & Goji Berries

There seems to be a surplus of hype around “superfoods,” especially exotic berries such as açai and goji, which promise a heaping dose of antioxidants. The açai berry has been highly praised as the new superfood, because of its powerhouse punch of nutrients. The goji berry is believed to enhance agility and longevity. Read more about these berries in Açai & Goji Berries, June’s issue of Ingredient of the Month, by the ACFEF Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University.

ACE Refresher Webinars

Because of the overwhelming success of the 2009 ACF-Approved Certification Evaluators (ACE) Refresher Webinar Series, three webinars will take place this year on July 13, 4–5:30 p.m. EST; Sept. 28, 1:30–3 p.m. EST; and Dec. 7, 3–4:30 p.m. EST. There is no charge to participate, and they satisfy the refresher requirement for maintaining ACE status. The ACE Refresher course will not be offered at the national convention, so plan ahead to participate in a webinar.

Calling ACF Educators!

The Foodservice Educators Learning Community (FELC) offers educator certification in an 8-week online course that covers theories in classroom management, assessment practices and course construction. This program offers 64 CEH’s from ACF once completed and course registration is available at the beginning of every month.

The FELC is a professional membership association for culinary arts and hospitality educators. Visit www.foodED.org for more information on CFSE certification and benefits of membership. Certification is available to FELC members only.

Green Restaurant Saves $20,000 Annually

Meet Denny’s operator Joey Terrell in the latest Sustainability Corner article by ACF and Kendall College. Terrell recently opened Denny’s first green restaurant, and his costs for building the store were equal to traditional construction, but he’s saving $20,000 a year in utilities compared with other equal-sized units. Chris Koetke, CEC, CCE, dean of culinary arts, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, in a recent conversation with Terrell, found out that whether you’re thinking about new construction or retrofitting, Terrell has some tips that can make a big difference. More

Trisha LeBlanc Wins Be Like “Mike”

Trish LeBlanc of Indianapolis, a culinary-arts student at the Ivy Tech Community College-Central Indiana, Indianapolis, was named winner of the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Be Like “Mike” contest and will shadow ACF National President Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, at the 2010 ACF National Convention, Aug. 2–5, in Anaheim, Calif. More

ACF Culinary Team USA

The Journey Continues
ACF Culinary National Team USA successfully held its first training session, hosted by Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, N.C., June 7–9. View the photos of the team hard at work and read about it in the upcoming July/August issue of The National Culinary Review.

ACF Chefs de Cuisine Association of California, ACF Professional Chefs and Culinarians of the Heartland and ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon student teams will compete in hot- and cold-food tryouts during the 2010 ACF National Convention, Aug. 2–5, in Anaheim, Calif. The winning team will represent the United States as ACF Culinary Youth Team USA.

ACF Regional Conference Competition Winners Face Off at National Convention

Best of luck to the 2010 ACF regional conference competition winners as they prepare to face off against their regional counterparts for national titles at the 2010 ACF National Convention in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 2–5.

Great American Dine Out Webinar

Learn what’s new in this year’s Great American Dine Out toolkit and what makes the program easy and successful for participating operations. Share Our Strength is hosting the second in a series of Great American Dine Out webinars, June 23, 3–3:30 p.m. EST. Ray Blanchette, CEO, and Robin Ahearn, SVP of marketing, Ignite Restaurant Group, lead the discussion. Register

Maple Leaf Farms Recipe Contest

Enter Maple Leaf Farms’ The 2010 Discover Duck Chef Recipe Contest by the Sept. 10 deadline. Recipes must include a Maple Leaf Farms duck product and may be submitted for any menu part. The grand prize is $5,000; second is $3,000; and third is $1,500.