The Culinary Insider - December 6, 2010 (Vol. VIII, Issue 26)

ACF Culinary Team USA Places Third and USACAT Places Sixth at the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup 2010

Both ACF Culinary Team USA and the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team (USACAT) successfully represented the United States and American cuisine at the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup 2010 international culinary competition. ACF Culinary Team USA took third place overall in the national category with gold medals in the hot-food portion and cold-food display. USACAT placed sixth overall in the military category, winning a gold medal in cold-food and a bronze medal in hot-food. Congratulations to both teams! Relive their journey through daily updates and photos by ACF members and John Oesch Photography.

ACF Culinary Team USA thanks their families, employers, ACF chapters and members, and sponsors for their continued support on their journey to the 2012 Internationale Kochkunst Austellung or “culinary Olympics.” The next stop is the American Culinary Classic presented by the ACF and taking place in conjunction with the 2011 ACF National Convention, July 22–26, in Dallas.

2011 “What’s Hot” Chef Survey Reveals Hottest Restaurant Menu Trends

The National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot” survey of more than 1,500 ACF professional chefs reveals that local and hyper-local sourcing, healthy children’s meals, sustainable seafood and gluten-free cuisine will be among the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2011. In addition, chefs said that mobile food trucks and pop-up restaurants will be the top operational trend in restaurants next year. More

On the drink menu, micro-distilled spirits is the top item, with nearly three-quarters of the chefs ranking it as a hot trend. Other alcohol items high on the list include locally produced beer and wine, culinary cocktails, food-beer pairings and beer dinners. More

The National Restaurant Association and ACF thank those chefs who participated in the survey. Congratulations to John Rifkin, CEC, of Fairless Hills, Pa., winner of the $500 American Express gift card drawing.

SHOP, ORDER & WIN $500

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Ingredient of the Month: Pomegranates

While pomegranates have been cultivated in Mediterranean countries since ancient times, today they are also grown throughout Asia, Africa and India, as well as California. Roughly the size of a large orange, pomegranates comprise a leathery skin that ranges from deep pink to rich red and surrounds hundreds of sweet-tart seeds. Separated by bitter, cream-colored membranes, the edible seeds can be eaten as a fruit, used to garnish sweet and savory dishes or pressed to extract the juice. Learn more about pomegranates by reading December’s “Ingredient of the Month” presented by ACFEF Chef & Child Foundation and Clemson University.

New Scholarship Opportunities

Two new scholarships are available from the American Academy of Chefs (AAC) for high school students accepted to Baltimore International College (BIC). AAC and BIC have partnered to offer two yearly scholarships of $2,500 per year for four years, a total of $20,000, which will be applied directly to the winners’ accounts at BIC. Applications are due March 31, 2011, and scholarship money will be applied in the fall 2011 semester. More

Chefs and Sommeliers Collaborate to Create Notable Food-And-Wine Matches

Tuna on French toast with Riesling. Baby octopus and Greek salad with Pinot Noir. Unusual? Perhaps. Delicious? Absolutely. And these are just two of the pairs recommended when we asked chefs and their sommeliers to match signature dishes with wine-list favorites. Read the article, “Pair Off,” in November/December’s issue of The National Culinary Review. Not a subscriber? Purchase a subscription.

NRA Accepting 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award Submissions

Applications are being accepted until Jan. 11, 2011, for the 2011 National Restaurant Association (NRA) Restaurant Neighbor Award. The award honors restaurant companies that have gone above and beyond in giving back to their communities. Every year, four national winners receive $5,000 to continue their charitable works. Apply