Chef's Stirrings Newsletter February 19, 2013

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Welcome to Chef's Stirrings, Chef Magazine's monthly news highlights of what's going on in the foodservice industry and chef world. For daily news and online exclusives, please visitChef's Stirrings blog.

Chef Magazine is also available in digital format! If you missed the January/February issue, it is now available here. Register here to receive e-mail notification when each digital edition is available.


In this issue of Chef's Stirrings:
Got a news item? Send it to us for consideration.
Sincerely,
The Editors, Chef Magazine

The 15th annual Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) conference
The 15th annual Foodservice Educators Network International (FENI) conference, held February 15-17 in Chicago,IL was an educational and networking tour de force, with outstanding attendance and master classes that enthralled and captivated foodservice educators in attendance.

The summit was kicked off with the pre conference seminar: Techniques for Flipping your Classroom or In-House Training Program. Presenter and MC Nai Wang held the audience in his hand and also made great use of technology to engage and bring in other educators to make the presentation more robust. Wang reviewed the history of flipping the class, covered easy-to-use tools to create a flipped model in any class and explored future technologies in the artificially intelligent adaptive mastery systems.

Master classes were held in two locations Saturday; The Washburne Culinary Center and The French Pastry school. An entertaining Saturday was capped off with an award presentation and cocktail reception at the Hard Rock Hotel. Attendees were welcomed into the chic and contemporary Fender Ballroom, whose 20-foot ceilings and neutral hues added to the modern ambiance. Showgoers were able to mingle and network with a wide variety of culinary educators and professional chefs.




Wang and Chef Magazine publisher and president Daniel von Rabenau presented Fritz Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC, HOF with the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award in Culinary Education. Fritz Sonnenschmidt is a Certified Master Chef, author/editor of The Professional Art of Garde Manger, Dining with Sherlock Holmes, The American Harvest, and Tastes and Tales of a Chef: Stories and Recipes. He is also a television personality as well, appearing on PBS in six seasons of Cook Secrets of the CIA, and five seasons of Grilling Maestros. His lectures and cooking demonstrations are immensely popular, especially on kosher food, garde manger and charcuterie. Sonnenschmidt is one of the most recognized chefs among his peers, and his positive and inspirational words touched everyone in attendance.

No culinary event would be complete without a spread of delicious food and drink, and this reception was no exception. Two carving stations doled out slow-roasted turkey breast and top sirloin of beef, served with crisp artisan bread. Belgioioso Cheese, Inc. donated a plentiful artisan cheese display, while Galaxy Desserts provided desserts that were met with rave reviews.



Gordon Maybury Named Executive Chef of Arizona Biltmore
The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria resort, has appointed Gordon Maybury the executive chef of the historic property. Chef Maybury has assumed overall responsibility for the resort's six restaurants and lounges, 24-hour room service for the 740 guest accommodations, social catering, and meeting and group food functions.

"With more than two decades of diverse, top-tier experience, Chef Maybury brings the highest level of culinary skills, knowledge and insight to the Arizona Biltmore's extensive culinary operations," said Kirken. "Under his guidance, we look forward to gradual and thoughtful enhancements to the menus to tap the latest trends and continually add excitement and appeal."

Over his 24-year career, Maybury has cooked in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and served as executive chef at leading hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Caribbean. He comes to the Arizona Biltmore from the PGA National Resort & Spa, Palm Beach, Florida, where he was executive chef overseeing 10 food and beverage outlets and was involved in the design and concept development of two of the restaurants.

For more information about the Arizona Biltmore, please visit www.arizonabiltmore.com.


Lisa Ekus Wins 2012 Outstanding Career Award from Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 
On February 23, 2013 at the Gourmand Awards Gala event in Paris, France, Lisa Ekus, Founder & President of The Lisa Ekus Group, will be awarded the honor of 2012 Outstanding Career by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Past winners of the Outstanding Career Award include Chuck Williams, Richard Grausman, and Dun Gifford.

In her more than 30 years in the culinary industry, Lisa Ekus has cooked dinner for Julia Child, media trained Emeril Lagasse and Padma Lakshmi, secured book deals for more than 150 authors, created culinary partnerships with leading manufacturers such as Lipton, Del Monte, Keebler, General Mills, Kraft, and Williams-Sonoma, and represented numerous restaurants, books, and food companies for public relations, including American Roland Food Corp. In addition to being a pioneer of the industry, Lisa is a cookbook collector with over 7,000 volumes (and counting!) in her library. She also works closely with a number of charitable organizations, including The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, PeaceTrees Vietnam, and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The Lisa Ekus Group, which began as a public relations agency's ”the first of its kind in the United States, devoted entirely to cookbooks, chefs, and food products—has grown into a full-service culinary agency providing media training, public relations, consulting, talent representation, and literary agency services to a world of culinary talent. In 2000, The Lisa Ekus Group began offering Literary Agenting services and has since negotiated more than 350 book deals with such publishers as Andrews McMeel, Running Press, Artisan, Chronicle, HarperCollins, Penguin, Robert Rose, Simon & Schuster, Sterling, Ten Speed Press, Wiley, and numerous others. In 2009, Lisa was joined by her daughter Sally Ekus, Literary Associate, who has brought in numerous new authors to the blossoming literary agency.

Longtime client Anne Willan will be honored with the "Best in the World Award" from the 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for The Cookbook Library: Four Centuries of the Cooks, Writers, and Recipes That Made the Modern Cookbook.

For more information on The Lisa Ekus Group, please visit www.lisaekus.com.


Anthony Bourdain to Rock NRA Show 2013
Anthony Bourdain,known for his Emmy Award-winning series No Reservations and new programs The Taste (ABC) and Parts Unknown (CNN), will have a prominent role at the 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB). He will deliver a special feature presentation, sign his latest books, and host the third annual Restaurants Rock industry celebration, the official after-party of the NRA Show and IWSB. NRA Show 2013 will be held May 18-21 at Chicago's McCormick Place. As the celebrity host of Restaurants Rock, Bourdain will judge the IWSB Star of the Bar mixology competition finals – to be held live at the May 19 event at Chicago's The Castle.

"The NRA Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event are all about celebrating our excitement and passion for food, drink and hospitality," said Jeffery W. Davis , Convention Chair for NRA Show 2013 and CEO of the United States Beef Corporation. "As the foodservice industry gathers in Chicago, we are thrilled to welcome Anthony Bourdain as the official host of Restaurants Rock and featured speaker at NRA Show 2013. So plan to attend the greatest foodservice show on the planet to experience food, connections, innovations, ideas, inspiration, opportunity and more."

Bourdain has somewhat notoriously established himself as a professional advocate, social critic, and pork enthusiast, recognized for his caustic sense of humor worldwide. The "chef-at-large" at New York's famed Brasserie Les Halles, Bourdain is the author of the bestselling Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly – as well as the bestselling graphic novel Get Jiro!, Les Halles Cookbook, and others.
Registered NRA Show and IWSB attendees may purchase Restaurants Rock tickets for $50 each through April 5, 2013. After April 5, tickets will be available for $60 to NRA Show and IWSB attendees. Bourdain's featured speaker presentation and book signing will take place on Monday, May 20, 2013.

For more information, visit the Show and IWSB websites at Restaurant.org/Show andWineSpiritsBeer.org, and find the NRA Show on Twitter @NRAShow, Facebook, YouTubeand its blog Floored!.


Sara Lee Foodservice Hires Jeremy Lycan As Executive Chef
Sara Lee Foodservice, a division of The Hillshire Brands Company, has hired Jeremy Lycan as an executive chef on the company's foodservice culinary team. In his new role with Sara Lee Foodservice, Lycan will be responsible for recipe development, tastings and multimedia communications, such as photo shoots and instructional videos. He will also play a major role designing and facilitating training courses for hundreds of Sara Lee Foodservice customers and its broker chef network covering subjects such as product applications and industry trends.

"Chef Lycan's work in the kitchen has earned critical accolades from some of the most respected people and institutions in Chicago's food scene," said Kristin Bird, vice president of marketing, Sara Lee Foodservice. "He understands the nuances of running a restaurant and has taught hundreds of students how to improve their craft as an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu. Jeremy's hands-on experience and teaching career will make him a great resource for our marketing team, external partners and the operators we serve."

Lycan previously served as executive chef of Niche – an award-winning fine dining restaurant in Geneva, Ill. – and executive chef of Heritage Prairie Farm in Elburn, Ill. Lycan is a graduate of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Evanston, Ill. In 2002, he became the youngest chef instructor in school history to teach at the California Culinary Academy's Le Cordon Bleu program in San Francisco.

For more information about Sara Lee Foodservice, please visit www.saraleefoodservice.com.


Last call for Bols Around the World Entries 
Bols Around the World, the prestigious global bartending competition, is officially underway and the March 1st deadline for entries is fast approaching. Now in its seventh year, the competition seeks out the most inspiring, talented and charismatic bartenders drawn from 60 countries across five continents for a place in the Grand Final. Taking place in Amsterdam on 7th May 2013, 12 finalists will set out to impress the global panel of judges in front of an audience of 1200 people in the one-of-a-kind spectacular event.

There are three competition stages before a finalist from each region is selected, testing the very essence of what it takes to be a great bartender: creativity, knowledge and personality. The initial challenge is to create an iconic drink using Bols liqueurs, Bols Genever or both, followed by an exam on the fundamentals of bartending and a short video presenting the cocktail entry in the second and third heats.

The overall winner goes on an eight-day global bar tour to four cocktail cities of his/her choice and all 20 semi-finalists win a second trip to Amsterdam for brand ambassador training. Last year, the 12 finalists received great international exposure by delivering presentations, not only in their own countries, but also at international bar shows such as Berlin's Bar Convent and at a range of international Bols events.

Last year, Bols Around the World also broke records with entrants from 56 countries and this year it is breaking records again, becoming the widest spread bartending competition. Through social media, which is used for all competition communication, Bols has created a global platform for the bartending community, which has seen bartenders from 70 countries share recipes and inspiration whilst expanding their network.


In 2012, the Young Talent Programme, an exciting new category which invites bartenders LDA to 21 and under to compete with the world's best bartenders, was introduced to the competition. Following its success, the category also features in this year's competition giving Young Talent entrants the unique advantage of being guided by the Bols Bartending Academy Team so that their performance will be at its best throughout the heats.

For more information regarding the contest, please visit www.Bols.com. Follow the competition live at https://www.facebook.com/bolsbartending.
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Clear Springs® Trout burgers. They’re what’s for lunch, dinner and in-between

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Restaurant operators across all segments, from casual dining to healthcare, are always on the lookout for products they can add to their menu that provide distinctiveness and delight their customers.  One new item that fits this bill is Rainbow Trout burgers from Clear Springs.  True, burgers in every shape and form have been the hottest news in foodservice over the past year, but primarily they have been beef based.  With beef prices on the rise, now operators are looking for other ideas on how they can capitalize on the burger craze without breaking the bank. Plus, Rainbow Trout Burgers are a perfect addition to your Lenten Menus. 


The beauty of trout burgers is they taste great and they are really healthy.  Each four ounce patty is loaded with heart-healthy Omega 3’s with 22 grams of protein, plus beneficial nutrients including Vitamin A & C and Calcium. In addition, they are gluten free.  Best of all, they are made with 100% Idaho Rainbow Trout from the nation’s leading producer of sustainable rainbow trout – Clear Springs Foods. Discover great tasting, wholesome goodness in every bite.


Preparation is easy-simply grill, bake or sauté frozen burgers in as little as 4 minutes per side. The mild-tasting trout burger can be customized and complemented by a variety of flavorful sauces, from chipotle mayonnaise to chili lime tartar. Add a splash to your menu with one of these easy and delicious sandwich ideas today: 

·         - Add a slice of pepper jack cheese and guacamole
·         - Top with avocado, tomato and herb aioli
·         - Create a BLTT sandwich – bacon, lettuce, tomato on top
·         - Give a little kick by spreading jalapeno mayo on the bun and top with hot peppers

Clear Springs® Trout burgers. They’re what’s for lunch, dinner and in-between.
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January/February's Digital Edition of Chef Magazine is Now Available

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Welcome to Chef Magazine's January/February Digital Edition. Chef's January/February Cover
   
 The Chef digital magazine includes all the same great content as the print edition, but also offers online exclusives and enhanced capabilities that allow you to:

• View it on an iPad or anyother mobile device
• Easily share articles via e-mail   • Click on hyperlinks in both articles and advertisements to obtain further resources  
• Zoom in and out of articles and advertisements
• Instantly search by keyword for the content in the current issue or the archives
• Print articles and/or download for offline viewing


The best part is the Chef digital edition requires no special downloads or applications to view the magazine online in its entirety. 


Click HERE to begin reading now!
 

We hope you enjoy this issue.
Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and feedback at chef@talcott.com.

Sincerely,
The Chef Team
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Chef's Stirrings e-Newsletter, December 17, 2012

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Chef's Stirrings e-Newsletter, December 17, 2012

Welcome to Chef's Stirrings, Chef Magazine's monthly news highlights of what's going on in the foodservice industry and chef world. For daily news and online exclusives, please visit Chef's Stirrings blog.

Chef Magazine is also available in digital format! If you missed the November/December issue, it is now available here. Register here to receive e-mail notification when each digital edition is available. And become a fan of Chef Magazine on Facebook!
In this issue of Chef's Stirrings:
What's Hot in 2013 Culinary Forecast Predicts Menu Trends
The National Restaurant Association (NRA) each year prepares its "What's Hot" culinary forecast of menu trends for the coming year. The NRA surveyed more than 1,800 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to find that children's nutrition and local sourcing will continue to be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2013. The food menu trends for 2013 are: locally sourced meats and seafood; locally grown produce; healthful kids' meals; environmental sustainability as a culinary theme; children's nutrition as a culinary theme; new cuts of meat (e.g. Denver steak, pork flat iron, teres major); hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens); gluten-free cuisine; sustainable seafood; and whole grain items in kids' meals.

"It is encouraging to see that children's nutrition remains a top priority for chefs and that they continue to put their creativity in healthful kids meals to work on restaurant menus," said Joy Dubost, Ph.D, R.D., director of Nutrition & Healthy Living for the National Restaurant Association. "We have seen an increasing interest in health and nutrition among consumers over the last several years, and that interest is also extended to children's menus, which has helped make our Kids LiveWell program so successful."


This year, the NRA also surveyed nearly 200 professional bartenders – members of the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG). The top 10 drink menu trends for 2013 are: onsite barrel-aged drinks; food-liquor/cocktail pairings; culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients); micro-distilled/artisan liquor; locally produced spirits; locally sourced fruit/berries/produce; beer sommeliers/Cicerones; regional signature cocktails; beer-based cocktails; and locally produced beer.

Also included in the surveys were questions about other restaurant and bar trends. More than half (55 percent) of the chefs surveyed said they always make efforts to adjust dishes and recipes to be more healthful, while 37 percent said they cook with nutrition in mind, but that not all recipes are easily adjusted.

For complete What's Hot in 2012 survey results, video and downloadable images, visit www.restaurant.org/foodtrends.

The Future of Food According to Farmer Lee Jones
Farmer Lee Jones never expected his family's farming business to lead to experiences like judgingIron Chef America, receiving the culinary industry's most prestigious honor - a James Beard Award, participating in Google's Innovation Lab for Food Experiences, or a TV appearance with First Lady Michelle Obama. But, over the past 30 years, Farmer Jones' connection to the world's most cutting-edge chefs has taught this Ohio farmer a lot about the direction of agriculture and the culinary industry – where they've been and where they're going.

Much of what Farmer Jones and the team at The Chef's Garden do is revive old agricultural traditions. "My dad has a saying about our approach to farming at The Chef's Garden. 'All we're doing is trying to get as good as the farmers were 100 years ago,'" explains Farmer Jones. It was a time before chemicals and synthetic materials were used in agriculture, and it's the approach demanded by the chefs they supply.

However, while the farm does is deeply rooted in traditions of the past, Farmer Jones always has his pulse on the future of food. Farmer Jones' perspective has been shaped by a lifelong career of leading innovation in the agricultural industry and working with chefs who drive the culinary trends.

Farmer Jones recently participated in a panel at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York City to discuss this topic alongside Dr. Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University; Nation's Restaurant News Food Editor Bret Thorn and other contributors to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. The panel discussion was lively, covering topics like preservation of fresh water and the impact of post-harvest handling on nutrition.

"It costs more to produce food the right way," explains Farmer Jones, "but we can either pay now or pay later. Health care costs in this country are staggering, and I believe the poor nutritional value of the foods we eat is a big part of that. One reason is that foods begin to lose nutrition after they're harvested and even more so if they're highly processed. I am confident that with increased education and awareness, consumers will begin to recognize the value in food grown with consideration for their health and the health of the environment."

For more information or to read more about The Chef's Garden and owner Farmer Lee Jones, please visit www.chefs-garden.com.

Master-Bilt Adds Glass and Remote Refrigeration Models to Bottom Mount Open Air (BMOA) Display Merchandisers 
Master-Bilt, manufacturer of a full line of premier commercial refrigeration systems, introduces new options for one of its most popular models. The popular Bottom Mount Open Air (BMOA) Display Merchandisers are now available in glass end BMOA-GE and remote refrigeration BMOA-R models.

These "grab and go" merchandisers increase pack-out and product visibility space with 17"-deep shelving. The new BMOA-GE glass end models provide greater visual impact and unlimited product grouping opportunities for powerful visual displays. The BMOA-R models offer remote refrigeration systems to take heat and noise out of the sales area, which lowers the air conditioning load, resulting in less energy usage. The glass-end and remote refrigeration BMOA models include three tiers of LED-lighted, adjustable two position shelves with price tag molding. An electronically controlled monitoring system monitors the defrost functions from a front panel interface.

Additionally, the system provides an audible and visible alarm and eliminates room thermostat, defrost terminations/fan delay control, defrost timer and digital thermometer or other temperature indicators. Merchandisers offer the standard limited three year extended compressor warranty and two year limited parts and labor warranty.


Visit www.master-bilt.com/products/energy_saver.htm for more information.


The Fish Theme For The Bocuse d'or Revealed
The candidates participating in the Bocuse d'Or 2013 will be required to cook Turbot Label Rouge and European Blue Lobster. This information was announced on November 26th 2012 by GL events Exhibitions - the organizers of the contest. The Fish theme, revealed to the candidates only two months ahead of the event, will be the highlight of an entirely redesigned gastronomy show.

In order to encourage the Chefs to display even more creativity and spontaneity, the rules of the Bocuse d'Or contest change in 2013. The Fish theme (Turbot Label Rouge and European Blue Lobster, supplied by METRO Cash & Carry France) has only just been announced to the teams. In 2011, the candidates were able to practice their recipes six months before the contest took place.
The objective of this new point in the rules is to leave more room for improvisation on the day of the contest and to introduce more spontaneity and creativity.

What Has Changed
  • On the eve of the contest, the candidates will have 30 minutes to choose seasonal fruit and vegetables from the five continents market. They will use these produce and ingredients to prepare two of the three garnishes imposed on the day of the contest.
  • To highlight the different national culinary heritages and encourage diversity, the third garnish will be typical of the candidates' respective countries. This new point should lead to the introduction of local produce and ingredients, as yet unseen in the history of the Bocuse d'Or.
  • After having acquired the produce and ingredients from the market, the candidates, together with their coach and commis, will have one hour in which to design and write down the recipe for their dish.
  • In order to remain close to the actual restaurant environment, the candidates will be required to prepare 14 plates (not trays as in the previous editions).
The contest takes place on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th January 2013. In each of the contest kitchens, the candidates and their commis prepare a meat recipe, presented on a tray, as well as 14 plates for the fish recipe, each accompanied by three garnishes. During 5 hours and 35 minutes, with the support of their coaches and facing the audience, the candidates will give their very best in an attempt to win the much sought after Bocuse d'Or.

The product to be used for the Meat theme has been known since the selection events: Fillet of Irish Beef - Irish pastures quality assurance, with feather blade, cheek and tail, supplied by Bord Bia.
For more information, please visit www.bocusedor-lyon.com.

KRAFT YES Pack Launches a 4/1-Gallon Case Offering
KRAFT Foodservice introduces a new 4/1-gallon case of the innovative KRAFT YES Pack to meet the growing needs of medium- to high-volume operators. The popular KRAFT YES Pack, which launched in January 2012, was previously only available in a 2/1-gallon case. With new size options, operators can meet customer demands by offering the top-selling salad dressing flavors from KRAFT Foodservice.

These flavors include:
  • Ranch
  • Creamy Caesar
  • Thousand Island
  • Blue Cheese
  • Golden Italian
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • Honey Dijon
This innovative packaging will help operators yield up to 99% of the dressing inside and avoid the messy scraping and dangerous cutting that is often associated with traditional one-gallon jugs. Top and bottom handles on the package provide faster and more accurate pouring with reduced spillage. In addition, the unique eco-friendly design can reduce solid waste and costs associated with waste removal.

The new 4/1-gallon case is the ideal size to meet the demands of high-volume operators, while the 2/1-gallon case of KRAFT YES Pack continues to meet the needs of low-volume operations.
For more information please visit kraftyespack.com.

Women Chefs & Restaurateurs Celebrates 20 Years in San Francisco 
Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) will be holding their annual conference January 16 – 18, 2013 at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. The conference brings members together for three days of education, networking, dining and culinary tours designed to showcase the Bay Area culinary scene.

The conference kicks off on Wednesday, January 16 with an array of culinary tours such as "East Bay Gourmet: The Gourmet Ghetto and Beyond," "Chinatown Walking Tour" and "Taste the Mission Culinary Experience." The tours are optional events that can be added to any attendee's agenda. A Welcome Reception at Prospect restaurant launches the official opening of the conference, leading into the ever-popular Dine Around program.

Thursday morning begins with a Keynote Address by Nell Newman, of Newman's Own Organics, followed by three General Sessions, including a very special memorial tribute to Barbara Tropp, WCR's legendary founder. The bulk of the conference is comprised of an impressive lineup of Master Classes on Thursday and Friday. A full list of Master Classes and the conference brochure are available on the website womenchefs.org.

An exciting addition to this year's conference is a Celebrity Chef Culinary Competition featuring none other than WCR board member Elizabeth Falkner, along with several surprise celebrity chefs. These culinary luminaries will coach teams of conference attendees who will compete for first place in an epic culinary challenge.

Registration for the WCR's 2013 Conference is now open. Rates start at $445 (member, early bird pricing) and $725 (non-member, early bird pricing). Always working towards building membership, WCR encourages anyone interested in attending the conference to become a WCR member prior to registering for the conference.
Please visit womenchefs.org for more information.

Albacore Tuna Meet the Strong Demand for Healthy Seafood Offerings 
Phillips Foodservice is pleased to introduce five varieties of Albacore Tuna to meet the strong demand for healthy seafood offerings across all channels of foodservice.

Phillips Albacore Tuna is available in five high-quality IVP/IQF frozen portion sizes, is harvested at a green fishery with strong sustainability initiatives and is sourced in Samoa from South Pacific stock that is not overfished.

The tuna is a new addition to the Sustainable Fisheries Program. Phillips provides funds to SFP in support of their global fisheries improvement. For each pound of Phillips Tuna purchased, Phillips will donate 3 cents to SFP for these initiatives.

For more information and to order today, visit phillipsfoodservice.com
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