The Culinary Insider - Dec. 27, 2007
(Vol. V, Issue 30)
FRONT & CENTRAL - 2008 ACF Central Regional Conference
February 8th is right around the corner, and so are some very
important dates for the Central Regional Conference:
December 31, 2007 - Knowledge Bowl team registration - Downloadable
registration forms are available
January 8, 2008 - Early Registration Discount deadline Register Now and
save $$$
January 25, 2008 - Discounted room rate deadline Reserve your room
online
BBQ & All That Jazz awaits you in Kansas City. The schedule includes
a BBQ competition, BBQ Day with seminars and demos by some of the top
BBQ pros in the business, educational programs and culinary cooking
demos, great meals and networking functions. Don't miss out on this
showcase of the things that the ACF Central Region is famous for--great
food, personal and professional development, and great fun.
NRA predicts continued restaurant growth
The National Restaurant Association predicts a 17th consecutive year
of industry growth in the coming year. This is the finding in the 2008 Restaurant Industry Forecast that was
released on Dec. 12 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.
The research showed that consumers want to eat out more, want a
greater variety of choices and are willing to experiment with new ways
of delivering the transaction.
The study found that American adults buy a meal or snack from a
restaurant 5.8 times a week and spend 48% of their food budget on food
away from home. These encouraging numbers are bolstered by the finding
that 30% of adults say they are not dining in or taking out food as
often as they would like.
Consumers are also willing to try new ways of doing business. Nearly
half said they'd use curbside takeout if offered at their favorite
tableservice restaurant and 54% say they'd use delivery if offered.
Although restaurants have been slow to embrace the technology, 44% of
customers said they'd use an electronic ordering system at their table
if offered and 53% would utilize an electronic payment system at the
table.
A webcast of the NRA's press conference can be viewed at
www.restaurant.org.
REGISTER NOW for the 2008 Regional Conferences
There's still time to register for the 2008 ACF Regional Conferences.
Registration forms are included in the monthly editions of The National
Culinary Review, and the recent Winter Edition of Sizzle magazine. You
can visit the website and download a form, or for instant gratification,
you can REGISTER ONLINE!
With so many options, now is the perfect time to take the leap. Early
Bird Discounts are still available on attendee registration, tradeshow
exhibitor booths, hotel room rates and airfare. Visit us online for more
information on each of the Regional Conferences and the National
Convention. When it comes to Achieving Culinary
Excellence it's never too early to plan.
Central Regional Conference--February 8-10,
2008
Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo.
American Academy of Chefs Dinner, Saturday February 9, Oakwood Country
Club
Southeast Regional Conference--March 1-3,
2008
Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Va.
American Academy of Chefs Dinner, Sunday March 2, Willamsburg Inn
Northeast Regional Conference--April 5-7,
2008
Hilton Netherland Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio
American Academy of Chefs Dinner, Sunday April 6, Hilton Netherland
Plaza
Western Regional Conference--April 19-21,
2008
Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
American Academy of Chefs Dinner, Friday, April 18, The Country Club
National Convention--July 14-17, 2008
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
American Academy of Chefs Dinner, July 13 2008
ACF EVENTS SERIES LOGO APPAREL NOW AVAILABLE
NewChef Fashions, Inc. is the official Logo Merchandising Partner for
the 2008 ACF Events Series. Visit the NEWCHEF Web site and order your
conference apparel today!
AAC Central Regional Conference AAC Dinner
The American Academy of Chefs is pleased to announce its Central
Regional Conference AAC Dinner taking place on Sat., Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.
Executive Chef Mike Storm of Kansas City's prestigious Oakwood Country
Club will host this elegant evening. The cost is $125 per person.
Details regarding reservations and the menu will be available shortly.
In the interim, questions can be directed to the AAC office by calling
(800) 624-9458, ext.102, e-mailing academy@acfchefs.net or faxing (904)
825-4758.
Be a Part of America's official culinary team by supporting Culinary
Team USA.
You may not be putting on your chef coat to prepare a sauce for a
heated culinary competition, but you can still be a part of America's
culinary team in national and international competition by supporting
Culinary Team USA.
Culinary Team USA is in competition mode preparing for the premier
Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA)
International Culinary Art Competition, known by many as the "culinary
Olympics." Team USA will travel to Erfurt, Germany, to match skills
against more than 30 other international teams in October 2008.
Since Culinary Team USA was formed in 1956 it has been a major player
in competitions throughout the world. It won its first
world-championship honor in 1960 and set the standard winning the IKA
hot-food gold in three consecutive competitions from 1980 through 1988.
Its record of excellence at IKA is established with repeated Top 10
finishes, including placing third overall in 2004.
Your corporate or individual contribution will directly influence the
future of the culinary industry in supporting the team's effort to bring
home the gold in 2008.
Corporate sponsorship not only aligns your company with the team, but
provides international exposure and premium brand positioning for your
company through benefits that include advertising, team promotions,
e-marketing and more.
ACF sincerely thanks the following ACF Culinary Team USA
sponsors:
Chef Revival, Club Managers Association of America, Fortessa,
Westchester Country Club
Companies interested in partnering with Culinary Team
USA may contact American Culinary Federation at (800) 624-9458.
INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS MAY BE MADE BY VISITING
WWW.ACFCHEFS.ORG
Forget someone on your holiday list?
The e-Store never closes, so when you visit www.acfchefs.org/eshop feel free to browse through
our full collection of books by celebrated authors. Limited supplies are available.
Ever wonder how to win the war with your picky eater? Concerned about
the nation's childhood obesity epidemic? In the book, Lunch Lessons, Changing the Way We Feed Our
Children (Harper Collins Publisher, 2006); Ann Cooper, CEC and
Lisa Holmes offer some of the answers and insight you are seeking.
Filled with first hand knowledge of school cafeteria kitchens, helpful
ideas for including kids in the kitchen, and ridiculously tasty,
kid-friendly recipes, Lunch Lessons should
be a tool in every parent's culinary arsenal.
For a taste of Miami in every bite, get Norman's
New World Cuisine (Random House, Inc., 1997) by Norman Van Aken,
HAAC, HHOF. This book has everything from cocktails and sunset snacks to
soups and seviches, salads, and paellas. The book is filled with
interesting anecdotes and some very original recipes. After all, who
doesn't want to try Voodoo Beer Steamed Shrimp with West Indian Cocktail
Salsa?
White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents,
One Kitchen (John Wiley & Sons, 2007) by Walter Scheib &
Andrew Friedman is perfect for the cook who enjoys a challenge. The
stories in this easy reading micro-memoir make your want to try the
recipes that your favorite first family enjoyed. From a hectic audition,
to juggling in the media circus, to cooking for the likes of Nelson
Mandela, Walter Scheib's White House Chef is
much more than your average cookbook; it's a truly great read.
SPECIAL OFFER
The National Culinary Review - $19.95
Sizzle - $14.95
Both - $29.95
The National Culinary Review provides the
latest in menu trends, industry news and more. Sizzle is exclusively for culinary students with
articles on trends, techniques, emerging job markets and mentoring.
Subscribe today by ordering online at www.acfchefs.org or by calling (800) 624-9458 ext.
141. Offer applies to subscriptions in the U.S. only, and is valid until
Jan. 31, 2008.
WACS Congress Dubai 2008
The
World Association of Chefs Societies biennial congress brings together
more than 1,000 of the world's leading leisure-industry professionals.
The 2008 congress, hosted by the Emirates Culinary Guild, will be held
at Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre May 12-15,
2008.
Join fellow culinarians at these exciting
events:
- Inaugural Global Chef's Challenge
- Dr. Bill Gallagher Junior Chefs' Forum
- Meat & Livestock Australia Black Box Culinary Challenge
- Hans Bueschkens Memorial Trophy
- Seminars and Workshops
- Dubai International Showcase
ACF offers a travel package from May 8-16, 2008,
that includes:
- Novotel Hotel Dubaisimilar, seven nights
- Breakfast daily
- Airport meet-and-greet, transfers, round trip
- Registration: delegate or accompanying person (delegate registration
includes all meals and events itemized in the official congress program;
accompanying person registration includes select meals and events)
- Shuttle service from hotel to venue, two round trips per day
- City tour of Dubai plus one additional tour to be announced
- Visa for Dubai
- Assistance with airfare to Dubai (airfare not included in
package)
- Taxes and service charges
Junior Culinarians receive a special
rate!
For package prices, reservations or detailed information, contact
Debbie Kelder, CTA, ACF travel services manager, at dkstaug@aol.com or
(602) 466-2294.
ACF Events Goes You Tubin'
Want to learn more about the 2008 ACF Events Series? Check out the
latest ingredients in the ACF pantry, chock full of video clips and
photos from the 2007 Regional Conferences and National Convention. The
video provides a fun and energetic overview of ACF, its programs and
events. Take a look--you might be a star!
King Crab Meat Out of The Shell, Exclusively From Phillips
Foods
Labor-saving Pasteurized King Crab Meat from Phillips Foods is the
first king crab that's all meat, no shell. When caught, king crabs are
brought on board live, then cooked, chilled and brine-frozen at sea. The
king crab meat is then carefully extracted from the shell and
pasteurized with no added liquids or preservatives, maintaining the
sweet taste and firm texture of the meat.
Available in 8-oz. and 1-lb. plastic containers,
Phillips Foods' Pasteurized King Crab Meat allows chefs and operators to
provide diners with an "out of the shell" product in a unique way.
- Impressively packed with large, naturally red leg pieces surrounding
creamy white chunks of shoulder meat
- Delivers an 18-month refrigerated shelf life
- Saves labor and reduces waste
- Cost effective-each pound yields the same amount of meat as 2 pounds
of in-shell king crab
- Ready to eat-fully cooked and 100% usable straight from the
container
- Available year-round
- Process-controlled every step of the way to ensure safety and
quality
Phillips Foods, Inc., based in Baltimore, produced more than 16
million pounds of blue swimming crab meat last year from its
company-owned and operated plants in Southeast Asia. For more
information, visit www.phillipsfoods.com.
