Embracing the Future

By Michael Ty, CEC, AAC

This month, we launch the inaugural digital issue of The National Culinary Review, and for those of you who are receiving it digitally, I hope this method of communication meets your expectations. This project has been in the planning stages for almost six months, and considerable research went into choosing the user-friendly format.

Those of you who were not sure what digital NCR would look like and how portable your magazine would be are invited to view this inaugural issue and see how easy digital NCR is to navigate. Go to the ACF Web site homepage and click on the green box on the right that says, “Take a look inside NCR’s digital debut!” We think you will enjoy this format, and hope that you will join the majority of our membership receiving NCR digitally. Remember, you will receive digital NCR sooner and, most importantly, you are helping to save the environment as we decrease our printing/mailing carbon footprint.

U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition

Last month I was invited to attend the 35th annual culinary arts competition for the military at Fort Lee, Va. This is the first time that I have attended the event, but I have heard much about it over the years. It is the largest single sanctioned ACF competition, and brings together more than 250 competitors in one location, with more than 24 military teams representing all five branches of the military. It offers every conceivable competition that we have in our competition manual, from a cold-food salon to pastry and from student and student team to a nutrition competition, as well as the traditional hot-food competition.

At Fort Lee, left to right: Brig. Gen. Karen Le Doux; CW4 Russell Campbell, CEC; and Michael Ty, CEC, AAC.

The competition is open to the general public every day. In cold-food competition, two teams display each day of the seven-day event, and those displays are showcased for two days. In addition, each day two teams compete in the field-kitchen competition. Tickets are sold for those interested in tasting the food prepared by the military installation teams using Army field equipment. Many generals and admirals are in attendance, supporting their team members and rooting for them to win “Culinary Installation of the Year.”

Currently, most teams competing are from the U.S. Army, but as Fort Lee becomes the central training facility for basic foodservice training for all five branches of the military, we will see more participation from the other branches.

I toured the Army’s training facilities at Fort Lee, and saw plans for the expansion that will take place in the near future.

The Army has committed to place 1,184 ACF apprentices in the coming year. Apprentices will receive initial foodservice training during an eight-week stint in culinary arts at Fort Lee, and then will go to their respective installations to complete the ACF apprenticeship program.

ACF Culinary Team USA

As many of you are aware, the ACF Board of Directors reconsidered ACF Culinary Team USA’s opportunity to compete in the world forum of competition. After reviewing comments from both sides and following in-depth discussions with former members and our current Team USA manager, Steve Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC, we have come to an agreement to move forward.

It’s still a complicated situation. Team USA, ACF and team members must work together to ensure that the team has the funding to go all the way to Erfurt, Germany, in October 2012 to compete in the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA). Many of you have sent e-mails of support to the team, and we will call on you to assist us in raising the needed funds to make Team USA truly financially self-sufficient. We will make every effort to drive the team’s success, but at the end of the day, your board of directors has a fiduciary responsibility to protect members’ assets. Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, HGT, AAC, is the board liaison and will assist Chef Jilleba and the team on the road to success.

We ask those with opposing views and those who express passion for the team to step up to the plate and help us in moving forward with Team USA 2012. This includes many of you who have had the opportunity to benefit as past team members. It’s time to join together and give back to a part of ACF that has been good to you during your culinary years.

On the Road

Finally, last month I was traveling on ACF business, attending two of our regional conferences in Hershey, Pa., and Indianapolis; visiting Fort Lee for the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Competition; and being part of an accreditation site visit in Manila, Philippines.

ACFEF accreditation site visit to Center for Culinary Arts, Manila, Philippines: Front row, left to right: Chef Kim Santos, continuing-education program manager, Center for Culinary Arts; Judith Imperial, human resources manager, Cravings Group; Jenny Pico, purchasing manager, Cravings Group; David Bearl, CCC, CCE, educator, ACFEF accreditation team; Marinela G. Trinidad, CEO/general manager, Cravings Group; Susana P. Guerrero, president, Cravings Group; Charmaine Montalla, student affairs manager, Center for Culinary Arts; Chef Melissa Sison, academic programs manager, Center for Culinary Arts; Dr. Veritas F. Luna, managing director, Center for Culinary Arts; and Bernadeth Urbiztondo, deputy financial controller, Cravings Group. Back row, left to right: Peter Kimball, accreditation manager, ACFEF; Michael Ty, CEC, AAC; Anne Certeza Palmares, public relations/corporate relations manager, Center for Culinary Arts; and Agnes Manalaysay, officer in charge, marketing, Center for Culinary Arts.

Those of you who have had the opportunity to be involved in a site visit for accreditation know the amount of preparation it takes to make sure the submitted self-study is validated. Conducting such a site visit abroad requires additional diligence, because as we look at the accreditation standards, we need to view some of them from the perspective of the particular country where the program is located.

Last month, I mentioned we were “the envy of the world.” This includes our accreditation program. Outside the U.S., we are currently in three countries—Peru, Philippines and Switzerland—and Bermuda. We have received inquiries from several other international schools, even a high school program in Taiwan that sees the value of becoming accredited by ACF. This is a testimony to our organization, and we should all be proud of what this program brings to us.