Right Place, Right Time

By Michael Ty, CEC, AAC

Read this message, and I guarantee it will help you to maximize your planning for this year’s national convention at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas. We have many gifts and surprises for you, if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Don’t miss the opportunity to be awarded one of these gifts, but to win, you must be present.

The Gaylord Texan’s hospitality promises to be outstanding. Executive resort chef Ty Thoren and his culinary brigade are prepared to welcome us with culinary delights at our meal functions. Included in the room rate is access to the spa and fitness center, free Wi-Fi and two bottles of water in the room daily.

Friday, July 22, is our first full day, and we kick off with our second annual Chefs Outreach to the Community. This is an opportunity for chefs to reach out to the local community and help educate children and their families about cooking for a healthier lifestyle.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Michael Ty at the introduction of the MyPlate food icon in Washington, D.C., June 2.

Later that day, network with colleagues at the Put Your Best Boots Forward Icebreaker hosted by Texas Chefs Association. The diverse menu will feature foods from the different regions of the Lone Star State, and there will be strolling entertainment and a “Best Boots” contest.

Back by popular demand is the General Session breakfast. A sit-down breakfast is at 6:30 a.m. sharp Saturday, so please join us bright and early so that we can begin General Session at 7:30 a.m. We will feature a new two-day format for General Session: the opening session will be held Saturday morning, and the closing session, Monday morning.

The opening session features State of the ACF reports from the immediate past president, the ACF Certification Commission and ACF Culinary Team USA. Kevan Vetter, manager with McCormick for Chefs, and Brad Barnes, CMC, CCA, AAC, associate dean at The Culinary Institute of America, will demonstrate flavor profiles and development.

Monday’s closing session will feature keynote speaker Sam Kass, White House assistant chef and senior policy advisor for healthy food initiatives for first lady Michelle Obama, who will highlight the Chefs Move to Schools program and the Let’s Move! campaign. Also, representatives of the four regional chapters of the year will talk about their chapters’ successes. We will present awards and recognitions, hold the swearing-in of the 2011–2013 Board of Directors and present the Vision of ACF for the next administration.

Saturday evening, support the students who will take part in the inaugural Student Culinarian Invitational. Six student teams, including one from Canada, will prepare indigenous foods of their regions. Ticketsare $40 each, and can be purchased online. Tickets are limited, and all proceeds from ticket sales will be used to help these students attend the 2012 World Association of Chefs Societies Congress in South Korea.

Historic Grapevine is ideal for a family vacation, and offers unique opportunities for shopping, winery tours and even a sightseeing train ride. Downtown Dallas is approximately 30 minutes away. And there is much to do at the beautiful Gaylord Texan, which, in addition to a spa and fitness center, has a brand-new pool with a lazy river. The Gaylord Texan is located on Lake Grapevine, which offers boating and other recreational activities.

The annual spouses brunch, sponsored by the American Academy of Chefs, will be held at The Fort Worth Club, where executive chef and former ACF Culinary Team USA member Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, will host the attendees Monday. Tickets are available for purchase online. The Academy dinner will be held at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, Sunday evening.

Alton Brown and Michael Ty at Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, N.C., where teams of hospital chefs competed to promote healthy cooking and eating in the state’s hospitals.

Education is our main focus, and we will have outstanding educational opportunities throughout the convention. Celebrity chef/author/TV personality Alton Brown will lead a session on salt Sunday morning before the trade show opens. He will hold a book signing during the trade show at the Diamond Crystal booth.

We will feature more than 50 seminars, demos and workshops, including sessions on cheese, foie gras, beer and tequila tasting, farmers markets, community kitchens, heirloom grains/beans and bread. There is something for everyone.

Attend the trade show, which opens at noon Sunday and concludes Monday at 4 p.m. Support the many sponsors and exhibitors, and thank them for being part of the convention.

The competition kitchens will be the venue for the ACF National Championship: Cooking for Life, which features teams from Sodexo, Morrison Management Specialists, Texas Health Resources, Atria Senior Living and HCA Healthcare. Also, the USDA Recipes for Healthy Kids finalists will compete.

Visit the ACF Gathering Spot to see a cold food display by ACF Culinary Youth Team USA, meet members of ACF Culinary Team USA and learn about the exciting event line-up for next year from each of the 2012 regional conference host chapters. Don’t miss the ACF Wellness Pavilion, where you can have your blood pressure checked, your cholesterol measured or have a relaxing chair massage.

Monday night we will take a short ride from the entrance of the Gaylord Texan to the property’s Glass Cactus nightclub. This is a great opportunity to network with your colleagues while enjoying the libations and food prepared by the culinary staff. Take this time to reach out to our student culinarians, as they are the future of our federation. We need to embrace and nurture them so that they become more involved in our organization.

Finally, we will celebrate the conclusion of the convention at the President’s Grand Ball, where we will announce U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™, Chef Educator of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year and Student Chef of the Year, and winners of the Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl and the Student Team National Championship. We will also formally introduce members of the new board of directors. After the President’s Grand Ball, please join me as we celebrate next year’s national convention destinaion, Orlando, Fla.

Remember, it is important to participate in all our gatherings, whether meal functions, General Session or the trade show. Be in the right place at the right time, and you may walk away from Grapevine with one of several great prizes.

See you all in Texas!