Press Release

Asian Food Summit in Columbia, Mo., Brings Internationally Known Chefs and Local Restaurants Together for a Tasty Community Event

Save the date--ACF Central Missouri Chapter Hosts First Ever Culinary Summit Nov. 11

St. Augustine, Fla., November 5, 2008 - The American Culinary Federation (ACF) Central Missouri Chapter will host the first ever Asian Food Summit at the University Club on the campus of the University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo., Tuesday, Nov. 11, from 11:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m. The summit is free for ACF members and $20 for the public. At night, Asian cooking experts will host a multi-course dinner at the University Ballroom on campus from 6-8:30 p.m. The dinner is also open to the public, but separate tickets must be purchased to attend.

Several local restaurants and vendors will be represented and host food samplings, including Bangkok Gardens, Peking Restaurant, Jina Yoo's Asian Bistro and Sunshine Sushi. There will be dynamic cooking demonstrations during the day highlighting Asian foods, cooking techniques and the history of Asian cuisine.

"This is a rare opportunity for mid-Missouri to experience a cross of nationally and internationally known chefs, along with the local restaurants and businesses that are fundamental to the restaurant industry," said Daniel Pliska, CEC, executive chef, University Club, Columbia, Mo., and event organizer. "Our focus for the event is not only to highlight local chefs and vendors, but to give food enthusiasts the opportunity to witness top-tier chefs just beyond their front doors."

Schedule of events

• Local restaurants' food demos and samplings: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
• Cooking demonstration with Khai Duong: 2-2:45 p.m. Duong is a pioneer of modern Vietnamese cuisine and has been featured in Gourmet, Bon Appetit, InStyle and USA Today. He will prepare crispy shrimp wrapped with smoked bacon and seared rare beef with green plantin and tamarin sauce.
• Asian cooking demonstration with Chinese Master Chef Bill Sy, CEC, AAC: 3-3:45 p.m. Sy has won numerous awards, including an ACF President's Medallion and his chapter's Chef of the Year Award. He will prepare mandarin chicken dumpling and orange flavored chicken wonton soup.
• Asian multi-course dinner prepared by world-famous Asian chefs: 6-8:30 p.m., at the University Ballroom. Featured chefs are Duong, Sy, Bryon Grant and Jim Murray, CEC. Separate tickets must be purchased to attend the dinner.

Inspiration for international food summits came to Pliska while traveling in Central America. Witnessing the local cuisine firsthand, he wanted to find ways to bring home international flavors and apply them in his cooking. The Culinary Institute of America's Worlds of Flavor® conference also inspired him to bring a food summit to Missouri that focused on interesting and inspirational international cuisine.

"We hope to see the amount of enthusiasm, interest and support from the community rise exponentially for future summits," Pliska said. "We want the culinary event to parallel those in Chicago or New York, and we want to give chefs the motivation needed to tell the rest of the country that we too contribute to the culinary revolution of America.

Future summits will display Latin American cuisine, foods of the Mediterranean, and French regional cooking and French provincial cooking.

The Asian Food Summit is open to the public, chefs, students and foodservice professionals. It will be held at the University of Missouri, 704 Conley Rd, 107 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, Mo., 65211. The summit is from 11:30 a.m.-3:45 p.m., is free for ACF members and $20 for the public. This includes all food sampling, demonstrations and guest speakers. Guests can purchase their tickets upon arrival.

The Asian multi-course dinner will take place at the University Club Ballroom (located in Alumni Center) from 6-8:30 p.m. The cost for the dinner is $25 for ACF members and $40 for the public. The public can purchase an all-day pass at the discounted price of $50. For reservations and information, call the University Club, (573) 882-2586.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 21,500 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.

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Media is invited to attend. Call Chef Daniel Pliska or Byron Grant at (573) 882-2586 to register for press credentials.

Contact: Leah Spellman
Public Relations Specialist
American Culinary Federation
(800) 624-9458, ext. 113
lspellman@acfchefs.net

Daniel Pliska
Executive Chef
The University Club
(573) 882-2586
pliskad@missouri.edu

• Asian Food Summit in Columbia, Mo., Brings Internationally Known Chefs and Local Restaurants Together for a Tasty Community Event