The National Restaurant Association (NRA)'s Depreciation Fairness Coalition sent a letter to each member of Congress urging an extension of the 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurant improvements and expansion, leasehold improvements and retail improvements. The depreciation schedule is set to expire at the end of 2009. According to the letter, an extension is essential to offer businesses the certainty they need to take on capital expenditures, which help fuel economic activity and create jobs.
"Without Congressional action, the depreciation schedule will revert back to 39 years, which would greatly discourage capital expenditures for restaurants," said Beth Johnson, executive vice president of public affairs for the NRA, in a statement. "The failure to act now would be extremely shortsighted and inhibit job creation at a key moment. As the economy begins the process of recovery, businesses need the resources necessary to make investments, hire and retain workers, and, in certain cases, keep their doors open."
The Depreciation Fairness Coalition is a group of restaurants, trade associations and other organizations that support permanent extension of the 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurant improvements and expansion.
Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) announced the finalists for its 10th annual Women Who Inspire Awards, to be presented Nov. 1, during WCR's annual conference at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.
The Women Who Inspire Awards recognize women who have demonstrated excellence and innovation in the dining room, kitchen, baking and pastry arts, beverage profession, farming and food production, community affairs, as well as for a lifetime of culinary excellence. Nora Pouillon, chef/owner of Restaurant Nora--America's first certified organic restaurant--in Washington, D.C., will receive the Genesis Award. WCR created the Genesis Award, which has only been given out once before, to recognize a woman who has achieved a true "first" in the culinary profession.
Here are the Women Who Inspire Awards and their finalists:
WCR Barbara Tropp President's Award, sponsored by American Roland Food Corp., recognizes a woman who has made exceptional and lasting contributions to the foodservice industry.
- Margrit Biever, vice president of cultural affairs, Robert Mondavi Winery, Napa Valley, Calif.
- Jesse Ziff Cool, chef/owner, CoolEatz Restaurants and Catering, Menlo Park, Calif.
- Judy Wicks, president, White Dog Enterprises Inc., Philadelphia
WCR Community Service Award, sponsored by L'Academie de Cuisine, recognizes a woman whose contributions in community or civic affairs have made a strong impact on the lives of others.
WCR Golden Bowl Award, sponsored by The French Culinary Institute, recognizes a woman whose skill in the baking and pastry arts inspires others.
- Heather Chittum, pastry chef, Hook, Washington, D.C.
- Kate Jansen, pastry chef/owner, Willow, Arlington, Va.
- Ina Pinkney, chef/owner, Ina’s Kitchen, Chicago
WCR Golden Fork Award, sponsored by The Culinary Institute of America, recognizes a woman whose front-of-house service or management skills demonstrates a commitment to excellence.
- Ellen Gray, general manager/owner, Equinox, Washington, D.C.
- Patricia Koyich, co-owner, Il Sogno, Calgary, Canada
WCR Golden Goblet Service Award, sponsored by Nestlé Waters North America, recognizes a woman whose making or serving of wine, spirits, coffee or tea enhances the dining experience.
WCR Golden Plow Award, sponsored by Bon Appétit Management Co., recognizes a woman whose skill in farming or making artisanal products results in food that respects the environment.
- Moie Crawford, farmer/co-owner, New Morning Farm, Hustontown, Pa.
- Susan Soorenko, founder/owner, Moorenko's Ice Cream, Silver Spring, Md.
- Cindy West, cheesemaker/owner, Hillsborough Cheese Co., Hillsborough, N.C.
WCR Golden Whisk Award, sponsored by The Institute of Culinary Education, recognizes a woman whose passion and excellence as a chef or cook serves as a role model for others.
- Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner, Prune, New York City
- Ris Lacoste, chef/owner, Ris, Washington, D.C.
- Cindy Wolf, executive chef/owner, Charleston Restaurant, Baltimore
For more information on WCR's 2009 Women Who Inspire Awards, visit www.womenchefs.org.
SPONSORED POST
New Products. New Trends. New Momentum.
That's what you need to Move Ahead. And the Winter Fancy Food Show (January 17 to 19, San Francisco) is the only place you’ll find everything you need to differentiate your business...
- The Newest Products: 80,000 specialty foods & beverages–everything from cheese to chocolate, spices to sorbets, pastas to pastries.
- A True World Market: 1,300 exhibitors from 35+ countries including pavilions from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Greece, China.
- The Hottest Trends: natural and organic foods, lifestyle products, gluten-free and more.
- Our Industry's Finest: discover this year’s Gold Winners in the sofi™ Awards Showcase.
- Meet the right people: Face-to-face meetings in Business Builders 1-to-1.
- The Best Education: 20 seminars, tastings and tours.
- Network with your peers: 17,000 from around the world.
Keep the momentum going! June's Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City was a huge success with attendance higher than at any Fancy Food Show in the past decade. Come Move Ahead with us this Winter in San Francisco!
Register by Friday, Dec. 4 for just $35.
Sustainable Foodservice Consulting (SFC), publisher of www.sustainablefoodservice.com, is pleased to announce the launch of its new blog, The Sustainable Shift Drink. The blog covers a variety of topics concerning sustainability in the foodservice industry such as local and organic food, energy efficiency, green foodservice products, innovative restaurants, industry trends and national news. The blog also offers commentary on current issues, advice on foodservice operations, contributions from guest writers and allows readers to post their comments. To see the blog, visit www.sustainablefoodservice.com/blog.
SFC provides information, resources and operational assistance for foodservice operators interested in sustainability.
After three days of competition between 19 international chocolate masters, Shigeo Hirai, sous chef of the Grand Hyatt Tokyo, was selected as the 2009 World Chocolate Master. Hirai also won a prize package worth approximately $37,500.
Grand Hyatt Tokyo sous chef Shigeo Hirai
More than 50 craft spirits will descend on Portland, Ore. later this month for the 5th Annual Great American Distillers Festival. The festival is a gathering of craft distilleries from coast to coast. Attendees will be able to meet the distillers, taste their spirits and purchase signature cocktails. Bill Owens, president of the American Distillers Institute will give an opening presentation. And, as part of the event, the 3rd Annual Mixmaster Mixology Competition will take place, with 24 top bartenders from Oregon and Washington competing for a $1,000 prize.
The festival will take place Oct. 24 and 25 at the Bossanova Ballroom. Visit www.distillersfestival.com for more information.
SPONSORED POST
The California Raisin Marketing Board is pleased to announce the winners of its second annual "America's Best Raisin Bread Contest," hosted at the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kan., Oct. 9 and 10. The competition included 30 finalists, made up of both professional and student bakers from across the country in the artisan and commercial categories.
In the artisan category, the grand prize formulation was created by Larry Lobe, Dawn Food Products, Phoenix, for his Sicilian Raisin Bread (pictured below). Taking top honors in the commercial category was Ronald Guerrero, Caravan Ingredients, Kansas City, Kan., for his Natural Swirl Raisin Bread with 50 Percent More Raisins.
Of the 30 finalists, a total of 12 winners were chosen to participate in an all-expense paid visit to California to experience the growing areas and production of California Raisins, and enjoy California cuisine and wines at the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in St. Helena.
For more information, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.
CulinaryCorps Inc., the nation's first service organization for culinary professionals, will expand its culanthropy footprint with an outreach trip to Puerto Rico from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7, 2010. Through Nov. 23, 2009, CulinaryCorps will recruit a team of ten qualified and passionate culinary professionals to travel to the country to make a difference through food and cooking.
Since March 2007, CulinaryCorps has led six week-long service trips offering food-focused humanitarian aid to communities in the US. These trips, which recruit chefs, cooks, food educators and culinary students, are designed to address a community's most critical food challenges: emergency hunger relief, cooking and nutrition education, healthy food access, childhood wellness, and culinary heritage preservation. Initial CulinaryCorps efforts focused on New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, connecting 75 chefs with an intense portfolio of projects including establishing farmers markets, edible school yards and emergency feeding centers.
To date, these teams of CulinaryCorps chefs from around the world have created over 6,000 meals for the communities served, mentored 400 local students on the importance of healthy eating, designed a "Grow.Cook.Dine" after-school cooking club for the state of Mississippi, and taught AmeriCorps members how to cook for Habitat for Humanity volunteers.
Applications for the 2010 trip are now available at www.culinarycorps.org.
About
Chef's Stirrings is the official blog of Chef Magazine, the industry publication for restaurant and foodservice professionals. The blog offers culinary news and online exclusives from the editors ofChef.
The National Restaurant Association (NRA)'s Depreciation Fairness Coalition sent a letter to each member of Congress urging an extension of the 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurant improvements and expansion, leasehold improvements and retail improvements. The depreciation schedule is set to expire at the end of 2009. According to the letter, an extension is essential to offer businesses the certainty they need to take on capital expenditures, which help fuel economic activity and create jobs.
