NRA Show announces more than 65 education sessions

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The 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will deliver a year's worth of business solutions in one place, including professional development opportunities focused on helping restaurant and foodservice operators increase profitability and productivity. Held May 16 to 19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, NRA Show 2009 will feature more than 65 free education sessions led by recognized industry experts on a range of topics including menu trends, environmental sustainability, workforce development and profit-building.

Highlights of this year's NRA Show education sessions include:
  • Join the Green Restaurant Revolution: Learn proven "green" practices from industry leaders Ted Turner and George McKerrow, founders of Ted's Montana Grill. Turner and McKerrow will engage attendees in a candid discussion about their top-down initiative creating a green and sustainable restaurant chain. This spirited conversation will be moderated by Chris Koetke, Dean of The School of Culinary Arts, Kendall College.
  • How To Recession-Proof Your Business: Discover results-oriented strategies to ensure your business remains relevant in this changing economic environment. Bryan Dodge, an expert in the field of management and leadership in restaurant operations, will help attendees understand how passion, enthusiasm, positivity and focus all play a part to maintain a competitive edge and grow profits.
  • How to Stand Out in a Tough Economy: Drive traffic to your operation. Representatives from National Restaurant Association partner Fishbowl Marketing will lead a panel discussion on how restaurants can succeed even in this downturn. The session will cover innovative strategies to adapt to this economic environment, including monitoring and adjusting budgets, and allocating funds to create marketing buzz can improve business.
  • Crush The Box: Creative Leadership Ideas for Developing Managers: Improve your bottom line with engaged and effective managers. John Isbell, president of CHART (Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers) and director of training and development for IHOP Corp., will share insights on how to develop visionary managers to lead motivated teams.
  • On the Menu: What’s Hot, What’s Not, and What’s Next: Create patron-pleasing menus for any restaurant. Nancy Kruse, foodservice trends expert and president of The Kruse Co., will share the food, beverage and restaurant concept insights needed to successfully create innovative, on-trend menus.
  • Sodium and the Healthy Plate: Gain perspective on the challenges and opportunities related to the issue of sodium. Sodium reduction is a major industry hot topic and will continue to be at the forefront of nutrition issues in 2009. Moderated by Shelia Cohn Weiss, RD, director of nutrition policy, National Restaurant Association, this panel includes the following people, who will provide insights foodservice operators need to know about sodium: James M. Galloway, Assistant Surgeon General, Rear Admiral, U.S. Public Health Service, regional health administrator, Region V; Robert Earl, MPH, RD, vice president of science policy, nutrition and health, Grocery Manufacturers Association; Pam Smith, RD, consultant, Shaping America's Health; and Michelle Reinholm, International Food Information Council.

For a full schedule of sessions, visit www.restaurant.org/show. In addition, a separate education program focused on beverage alcohol will be featured in the 2009 International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event, held in conjunction with the NRA Show May 17 and 18; see www.winespiritsbeer.org for scheduling.
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N.Y. soup kitchen receives green kitchen equipment giveaway

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The Holy Rosary Soup Kitchen in Port Chester, N.Y., will receive more than $40,000 in new, eco-friendly kitchen equipment from the FoodServiceWarehouse.com Certified Green Commercial Kitchen Giveaway.

The Holy Rosary Soup Kitchen recently made going green a priority and, as part of its commitment, entered the Certified Green Commercial Kitchen Giveaway. The online giveaway was part of the August launch of the FoodServiceWarehouse.com Certified Green Commercial Kitchen Program, a program aimed at saving money and reducing environmental impact through energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction.

In 2008, the Holy Rosary Soup Kitchen served more than 42,000 meals, 10,000 more meals than in 2007. Until now, the food has been served on paper and Styrofoam, but with a new eco-friendly dishwasher, Holy Rosary will be able to cut back on trash and reduce its environment impact by using ceramic plates and metal cutlery. The new kitchen equipment will also create more jobs for those employed to run it.
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Mighty Leaf Tea to serve as James Beard Foundation House purveyor

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Mighty Leaf Tea, the originator of artisan-blended whole leaf teas, has announced an exclusive partnership with the James Beard Foundation, the highly regarded nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate, preserve and nurture America's culinary heritage. Mighty Leaf Tea will serve as the official tea provider for the James Beard Foundation and the renowned James Beard House. This relationship will be an integral part of the Mighty Leaf Tea Foundation, which works with artisans around the world to contribute to their success within their specialized craft.

The James Beard Foundation has specially selected Mighty Leaf Tea as one of its exclusive House Purveyors, which serves to provide product to chefs cooking at the Beard House. In turn, Mighty Leaf Tea will serve its collection of premium whole leaf teas at events and special programming at the James Beard House for the 2009. At the heart of this new partnership is an overarching goal to support the growth of the culinary arts in communities throughout the United States.

Mighty Leaf Tea first embarked on its partnership with the James Beard Foundation in November 2008 with the "Dumplings & Dynasties" fund-raising dinner and auction. At the event, Mighty Leaf's premium blends were introduced to the James Beard Foundation's friends and donors. Mighty Leaf Tea will continue to work closely with the James Beard Foundation to provide tea to noted chefs affiliated with many of the finest restaurants and top-rated hotels in the country.
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California Almonds to be showcased at World Pastry Cup

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As a proud partner of the 2009 World Pastry Cup (Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie), the Almond Board of California will pay tribute to the grand tradition of classic almond pastry arts still used today to create tomorrow's innovations at the World Pastry Cup. The 2009 World Pastry Cup, which will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the world-class competition, will be the first year almonds are featured in the competition. Two of the four competition categories require the use of California almonds: the frozen fruit dessert and the plated, chocolate dessert.

In preparation for this year's celebration, the Almond Board will help unveil a special 20th anniversary dessert. Thirty of the most acclaimed pâtisiers in the world, all previous winners of the competition, gathered to create this unprecedented recipe that represents the spirit of the contest and includes the latest trends in pâtisserie. The dessert, consisting of intricate layers of delicate chocolate mousse, almond praline, fruit with chopped almonds, a chocolate biscuit and spice, will debut in France and be replicated in pâtisseries and restaurants around the world.

The World Pastry Cup, now considered the flagship event in the pâtisserie profession, will take place in Lyon, France, Jan. 25 and 26 during SIRHA, the International Hotel Catering and Food Trade Exhibition. For more information about the World Pastry Cup or the Almond Board of California's sponsorship, visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com.
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Bauscher sponsors Deep Plate blog

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The Deep Plate blog was launched with tabletop manufacturer Bauscher USA’s sponsorship. Deep Plate aspires to be an open source of inspiration for professional chefs. Chefs now have an outlet to continuously present their culinary philosophy in new, creative ways. Chefs are no longer limited to the resources in their current operation.

Deep Plate is designed to be a practice tool for creative plate presentation through monthly plate composition exercises. Additional benefits will be to create a database of creative plate presentations to be used as a reference by the chef community.

All professional chefs and culinary arts students enrolled in culinary school are eligible to participate at no cost.

For more information, visit the blog at deepplate.wordpress.com.
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Funding received by yellow perch farm

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Bell Aquaculture, owner and operator of the nation’s largest yellow perch (Perca flavescens) farm, has retained SDR Ventures Inc., a Denver-based investment bank to raise $15 million of equity capital. The announcement was made by Michael Miller, Bell Aquaculture president and COO. This equity raise is the first step in scaling the yellow perch farm from a current annual production level of 208,000 pounds of fillets per year to 8.5 million pounds of fillets per year by 2015.

“Rarely do you see a young company with the focus, commitment and vision exhibited by Bell Aquaculture,” Chris Bouck, SDR Ventures founder, said in a press release. “Through significant capital investment and partnerships with the leading minds in the industry, Bell Aquaculture has perfected the model for a profitable, large-scale indoor water-recirculating aquaculture farm. We look forward to securing the capital, and more importantly, linking Bell Aquaculture with a financial partner, or partners, that share the company's vision and commitment.”

The additional equity capital will augment the nearly $50 million capital investment made to-date, including $25 million of founder capital and $25 million of sale-leaseback financing for construction and capital improvements. The new capital will accelerate the company's production of yellow perch: a fish species with a strong regional demand and dwindling wild-caught supply. Bell Aquaculture's clean technology offers a renewable food source that will combat the recent and significant decline in commercially caught supply of yellow perch, a popular North American pan fish.
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Electrolux Professional announces new president of Food Service Americas Division

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Mark Whalen has been named president of Electrolux Food Service Americas Division. Whalen is an industry veteran with more than 30 years of experience. He has previously led the efforts of Jackson, Vulcan-Hart and Victory and serves on the board of directors for the North American Association of Foodservice Equipment Manufacturers. In his new role, Whalen will be responsible for all aspects of the foodservice equipment business in the region.

Other top-level operational changes at Electrolux Professional North America as of Jan. 1 include Alberto Zanata’s return to Electrolux Professional headquarters in Europe to take over the role of vice president of global business development. Dr. D. Munchow, executive vice president Electrolux AB, will take over the responsibilities associated with Zanata’s previous role of president of Electrolux Professional North America.
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Cockburn's student Culinary Competition announces winners

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Tracey Torres, 21, and Jeremy Fisher, 27, both of Chicago, were the winners of the recent Cockburn's Culinary Competition, which challenged Kendall College culinary arts students 21 years of age or older to create innovative recipes and pairings incorporating Cockburn's Special Reserve Port. Runners-up included the team of Taleia Monty and Kristin Moore, of Chicago, and the team of Amy Dannenberger and Aaron Haas, of Chicago and Schaumburg, Ill., respectively.

For their winning recipe—an original twist on traditional Portuguese cuisine, featuring crispy braised pork belly, migas and black beluga lentils, complemented by frisée salad tossed in a Cockburn's Special Reserve vinaigrette (recipe below)—Torres and Fisher were awarded a four-day, five-night educational tour of Cockburn's winery in the prominent Douro Valley in Northern Portugal.

Entries were judged based on several factors, including overall taste, presentation, inventiveness and the original use of Cockburn's Special Reserve. The distinguished panel of judges included some of Kendall College's most distinguished alumni, including: Shawn McClain (owner and chef, Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House), Christopher Koetke (dean, Kendall College), Angela Roman (wine director, The Signature Room) and Stephanie Izard (2008 Winner, Bravo TV's "Top Chef").


Crispy Braised Pork Belly, Migas, Black Beluga Lentils and Frisée Salad in a Cockburn's Special Reserve Vinaigrette
Tracey Torres and Jeremy Fisher, students, Kendall College, Chicago

Yield: 8 servings

3 lbs. pork belly
2 c. quince, cored and large-diced
2 c. Spanish onions, sliced
Olive oil, as needed
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
4 c. brown stock
Black Beluga Lentil Purée (recipe follows)
Frisée Salad with Cockburn's Special Reserve Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Migas (recipe follows)

Method (1) Preheat oven to 375°F; score pork belly fat, 1/4" lines across. (2) Place quince and onions in bottom of roasting pan, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper. (3) Once fat turns golden, turn oven down to 350°F; pour brown stock in bottom of roasting pan. (4) Roast pork belly for another 2-3 hours or until tender. (5) Remove pork belly; set aside. (6) Take the reserved liquid, and reduce it in saucepan until it coats the back of a spoon. (7) Place Black Beluga Lentil Purée on right center of plate. Spoon portion of pork belly sauce onto left center of plate. Cut 5 oz. portion of pork belly; lay on sauce. Arrange a portion of the Frisée Salad with Cockburn's Special Reserve Vinaigrette in the center. Lay Migas on top of pork belly; let fall off the side to the right onto the lentils. Finish with pork belly sauce to taste. Serve immediately.


Black Beluga Lentil Purée
1/2 c. onion, large-diced
1/2 c. carrot, large-diced
1/2 c. celery, large-diced
1 c. black beluga lentils (presoaked in water overnight)
Water

Method (1) In large pot, sauté vegetables until slightly caramelized. (2) Add lentils, and cover with water. (3) Cook for 30 minutes or until soft. (4) Drain lentils, and purée in a blender, season with salt and pepper. If needed, use reserved liquid to smooth out the lentils.


Frisée Salad with Cockburn's Special Reserve Vinaigrette
1 c. dried cherries
1 bottle Pinot Noir
1 bottle Cockburn's Special Reserve Port
1/4 c. sherry vinegar
3/4 c. corn oil
Salt and pepper, as needed
2 heads of frisée, cleaned, all green parts cut off
1/2 c. of fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 c. of 1/2" cut chives

Method (1) In a medium sauce pan, bring dried cherries and Pinot Noir to a boil; turn heat down, and simmer until reduced by a little more than half. (2) In another sauce pan, reduce the Port by 3/4. (3) Let both reductions cool. Combine and strain. (4) To make vinaigrette, combine the reductions and sherry vinegar together and slowly whisk in corn oil. Season. (5) Toss frisée, parsley and chives with vinaigrette.


Migas
1 loaf country-style sourdough, preferably day-old
1 c. uncooked linguisa sausage (Portuguese-style sausage, can substitute chorizo)
1/2 c. pancetta, small-diced
Olive oil, as needed
3/4 c. pomegranate seeds
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Method (1) Cut crusts off sourdough, and medium dice. Sprinkle water over day-old bread until just damp; set aside. (2) In sauté pan, sauté linguisa out of casing and pancetta; sauté until rendered down. (3) Drain meat, saving fat; set aside. (4) In sauté pan, heat 2 T. olive oil and 1 T. of reserved fat; sauté bread until crisp. (5) Add linguisa and pancetta; toss in pomegranate seeds, season. Serve immediately.
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Connecticut enacts olive oil regulation

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The North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) applauds the state of Connecticut for enacting a new regulation that adopts the International Olive Council standard for olive oil for all olive oils sold in Connecticut.

"This regulation coming to fruition is a perfect example of an industry looking to do the right thing," Bob Bauer, NAOOA president, said in a press release. "The NAOOA approached officials, explained the problem and worked through the entire process to help bring about this new regulation."

The regulation was needed, Bauer said, because no federal standard of identity exists for olive oil.

"Meanwhile, the International Olive Council–a group formed by the United Nations–through the expertise of olive oil experts around the world, has had a standard in place for years that's followed by the overwhelming majority of the industry. For example, a condition of NAOOA membership is that members must agree to adhere to the IOC standard."

Bauer said Connecticut is the first state to adopt the IOC standard. As of Jan. 1, California also has standard that nearly matches the IOC standard. NAOOA hopes to get other states involved.

For more information about olive oil and the NAOOA, visit www.aboutoliveoil.org.
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