The Culinary Insider - August 10, 2010 (Vol. VIII, Issue 17)

2010 ACF National Convention Wrap-up

ACF Regional Conferences The 2010 ACF National Convention, hosted by ACF Orange Empire Chefs & Professional Cooks Association, held in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 2–5, was a success. The event offered an array of professional development, networking and food functions.

The trade show had more than 110 exhibitors and culinary competitions. At General Session, Michael Ty, CEC, AAC, ACF national president, cooked alongside Sam Choy, owner of Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch and Crab, Honolulu, and Dr. Janey Thornton with the USDA delivered an inspiring message about the value of childhood nutrition and how chefs can make a difference. More than 450 guests attended the American Academy of Chefs Dinner, which recognized the Academy’s annual award winners and inductees.

A sincere thank-you to our sponsors and exhibitors, whose support was instrumental to our success.

Experience the Power of Connection again or for the first time with our day-by-day diary and video clips. Photos will be posted on Flickr.

Congratulations to the competition winners and all the competitors for a job well done and the ACF and American Academy of Chefs (AAC) award recipients and honorees, as well as the 22 members and six honorary members inducted into the AAC.

U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions

Michael Matarazzo, executive chef, Bear Mountain Inn, Bear Mountain, N.Y.; ACF National Chapter

ACF National Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Splenda®

Andreas Proisl, executive pastry chef, Isleworth Country Club, Windermere, Fla.; ACF Central Florida

ACF National Chef Educator of the Year, sponsored by Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America

Jeffrey Brown, Ed.D., CEC, CCE, associate professor, The Collins College of Hospitality Management at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Calif.; ACF Southern California Inland Empire Chefs & Cooks Association

ACF National Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.

Daniel Gorman, line cook, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter, Inc.

ACF National Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.

ACF Chefs and Cooks of the Catskill Mountains, students at the State University of New York at Delhi, Delhi, N.Y.: Chase Devine, Julie Hernandez, Kenneth Liranzo, Joseph Michaud, Sarah Thurgood and Victor Sommo, CEC, coach.

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

Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, AAC, executive chef, American Food Systems, Inc., Burlington, Mass.; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

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

Kendall College, Chicago, all members of ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.: Allison Chikos, Erika Giffin, Sarah Roberts, Jacqueline Wallner, Edward Whitney and Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE, coach.

ACF National Championship featuring the Freedom Chef Challenge, sponsored by Christopher Ranch and Five Star Gourmet Foods, Inc.

U.S. Army: Sgt. Matthew Flemister and Sgt. 1st Class Rene Marquis, CEC, PCEC, CCE, CCA, AAC

One-Pot Win A Lot Cooking competition, sponsored by ACF and Riviana Foods, Inc.

Louis Chatham, CEC, AAC, executive chef, PCI Gaming, Atmore, Ala.; ACF Choctaw Chapter

Make it Mini - a Dessert Trio competition, sponsored by MARS Foodservice

Curtis Smith, culinary instructor, Spokane Community College, Spokane, Wash.; ACF Chefs de Cuisine of the Inland Northwest

ACF Leadership Award

Sgt. Maj. David Turcotte, CEC, AAC, executive chef, U.S. Army, Fort Lee, Va.; Old Dominion ACF Chapter

ACF Industry Partnership Award

Canada Cutlery, Inc., Pickering, Ontario, Canada

ACF President’s Medallion Recipients

  • Bobby Moghaddam, CEC, CCE, AAC, director of hospitality management and culinary arts, Riverside Community College, Riverside, Calif.; ACF Southern California Inland Empire Chefs & Cooks Association
  • Joseph Poon, chef/owner, Joseph Poon Chef Kitchen, Philadelphia; ACF Philadelphia Chapter
  • Linda Rosner, CEC, culinary-arts director/instructor, Lexington College, Chicago; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
  • John Schlaner, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Grantville, Pa.; ACF Professional Chefs Association of South Jersey
  • Barry Young, CEC, chef-instructor, Columbus Culinary Institute, Columbus, Ohio; ACF Columbus Chapter

Cutting Edge Award Recipients

  • Richard Dingle, executive chef, Hershey Lodge, Hershey, Pa.; ACF Harrisburg Chapter
  • Michael Finch, CEC, executive chef/director, Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, Pa.; ACF Harrisburg Chapter
  • Todd Gray, executive chef, Equinox, Washington, D.C.; ACF Nation’s Capital Chefs Association
  • Chief Warrant Officer 4 David Longstaff, CEC, AAC, food advisor, U.S. Army, Oviedo, Fla.; Old Dominion ACF Chapter
  • David Prows, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Costa Vida, Sandy, Utah; ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc.
  • William Ramsey, CEC, CCA, executive chef, Casino Pauma, Pauma Valley, Calif.; ACF Chefs & Culinarians of San Diego
  • Hubert Schmieder, retired, Lafayette, Ind.; ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter
  • Michael Smith, CEC, corporate executive chef, Custom Culinary, Inc., Lombard, Ill.; ACF Northern New Jersey Chapter

2010 National Chapter of the Year

ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

ACF Immediate Past President’s Award

Karl Guggenmos, AAC, university dean of culinary education, Johnson & Wales University, Providence, R.I.; ACF Rhode Island Chapter

ACF Achievement of Excellence Awards

Chef & Child Foundation Michael Ty Endowment Fund

Thomas Trevethan, CEPC, pastry chef, Paris Las Vegas, Las Vegas; ACF Chefs Las Vegas

Chef & Child Foundation True Spirit

Nancy Russman, program coordinator, culinary-arts program, Jefferson Community & Technical College, Louisville, Ky.; ACF Kentucky Chapter

Chef & Child Foundation Little Oscar Award

  • Central Region: ACF South Bend Chefs and Cooks Association
  • Northeast Region: ACF Long Island Chapter
  • Southeast Region: ACF Kentucky Chapter
  • Western Region: ACF Chefs & Culinarians of San Diego

AAC Chair’s Medal

John Kaufmann, CEC, AAC, retired, Antioch, Ill.; ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Inc.

AAC Joseph Amendola Award

John Hui, CEPC, AAC, corporate pastry chef, Pebble Beach Resorts, Pebble Beach, Calif.; ACF Chefs Las Vegas

AAC Chef Good Taste Award

Friedrich Gitschner, CMC, AAC, chef/owner, Gitschner’s Productions, Houston; ACF Professional Chefs Association of Houston

AAC Sharing Culinary Traditions Award

Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC; executive chef, Union League Club of Chicago, Chicago; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.

AAC Lt. General John D. McLaughlin Award

Roland Schaeffer, CEC, AAC, HOF, retired, St. Augustine, Fla.; ACF Pittsburgh Chapter

AAC Lawrence A. Conti, CEC, AAC, HOF, Chair’s Achievement Award

Anthony Graffeo, CEC, AAC, retired executive chef, Saugus, Mass.; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

AAC Culinary Hall of Fame

AAC Honorary Culinary Hall of Fame

Frederick Dame, HAAC, HBOT, HHOF, vice president of sales, Heirloom Wine Group, Foster’s Wine Estates, San Francisco

AAC Culinary Hall of Fame Celebrated Chef

Charlie Palmer, hospitality entrepreneur, chef and hotelier, New York

ACF Culinary Youth Team USA Named

Congratulations to the ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon youth team on being named ACF Culinary Youth Team USA. Team members are Brittney Cummings, Maddie Cutts, Edalyn Garcia, Reilly Meehan and Alfonso Mendoza. Randy Torres, CEC coached the team to victory. It was a tough competition among the ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon, ACF Chefs & Culinarians of the Heartland and ACF Chefs de Cuisine Association of California teams. Duties of the new youth team began immediately with team members hosting a meet-and-greet at the ACF Gathering Spot at the ACF national convention’s trade show Aug. 4.