The Culinary Insider - November 8, 2010 (Vol. VIII, Issue 24)

Five Chefs Earn Coveted CMC®

Five chefs from Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire and West Virginia joined the elite group of chefs known as Certified Master Chefs® (CMC®) following an eight-day cooking exam, sponsored by McCormick For Chefs, at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y., Oct. 23–30, bringing the current number of CMCs in the U.S. to 66. Congratulations to Brian Beland, CMC; Daniel Dumont, CMC; Robert Mancuso, CMC; Richard Rosendale, CMC; and Brian Sode, CMC, AAC.

We sincerely thank our exam sponsor, McCormick For Chefs, the apprentices, and the CMC administrators and evaluators, without them this exam would not have been possible. We also thank all the CMC candidates, as each of them displayed tremendous courage and the qualities of a chef that make us proud. More

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Place any online order now and be entered to win a $500 Happy Chef gift card. You will be automatically entered each time you place an order at happychefuniforms.com. SIMPLE AS THAT! LEARN MORE >

Allergen Awareness: The Peanut Edition

Being knowledgeable about today’s rise of peanut allergies is important for chefs and food producers. It is imperative that chefs know what foods typically contain peanuts and list those that do not on menus for the consumer. In addition, creating a variety of peanut-free dishes may help your business if you consider that 1.5% of the U.S. population, or approximately 4 million people, have a peanut allergy.

Read more in Allergen Awareness: The Peanut Issue, November’s “Culinary Nutrition News,” sponsored by French’s Foodservice and provided through a partnership between ACFEF Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University.

Finding Ice Machines too Expensive? Try Diningware that Chills Itself

Ice machines have been great to produce various ices to serve cold food in hotels and restaurants. Yet even for the best ice machines, monthly cost of purchase and maintenance remain high. The new Vidacasa Cold Food Display System stores frozen iThermo coolant material underneath its porcelain plate, and keeps chilled food fresh at 32 °F–39 °F for up to 6 hours. Time to consider retiring you ice machine! More

The Best Energy and Water Saved is That Which is Never Used

As chefs, we know that to make a profit we have to watch our food and labor costs. But what about energy and water? This month in Sustainability Corner, Chris Koetke, CEC, CCE, dean of culinary arts, Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, speaks with Richard Young and Kong Sham from Food Service Technology Center, about small changes you can make that yield big benefits.

Canadian Beef Presents at Local Chapter Meetings

FACT: Canada has the most stringent beef grading standards in North America resulting in quality you can count on.

Invite the Canadian Beef Team to your next ACF Chapter meeting and we’ll serve-up everything you need to know about the Canadian Beef Advantage along with some delicious samples.

Learn how we can add some flavor to your next meeting.

Create a Signature Paella Recipe

Grand Prize $1,000
In the mid 19th century, paella, as we know it, was created near Valencia, Spain. At lunchtime, field workers made a meal in a flat pan over an open fire that consisted of rice and whatever ingredients they could find, usually snails and vegetables. Today, there are as many versions of paella as there are cooks in Spain.

ACF members are invited to submit an original “signature” recipe for paella made with Minute Rice, white or brown. From the regional recipe submissions, four competitors from each ACF region will be selected to compete at their respective 2011 ACF Regional Conference. Learn more and apply by the deadline.

Grilled Cheese Grows Up

Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board

Grilled cheese is a favorite option on children’s menus, but it doesn’t have to be limited to those ages 12 and under or nostalgic patrons. Many chefs place a more grownup version of grilled cheese on their menus, using adult-friendly ingredients and tweaks. Creating a more sophisticated grilled cheese is easy.

Marc Forgione, a chef competing on the Food Network’s “The Next Iron Chef” and chef/partner at Marc Forgione, New York, menus a Marcelli soft pecorino, black pepper brioche, fig jam and micro arugula grilled cheese sandwich. Read more about how chefs prepare grilled cheese sandwiches with an assortment of high-quality ingredients in The National Culinary Review’s Nov./Dec. issue. Not a subscriber? Purchase.