James Beard announces '10 Awards winners

By

The James Beard Foundation on May 2 and 3 revealed the JBF 2010 Awards winners, honoring excellence among chefs, cookbook authors, food journalists, restaurant designers and others in the foodservice industry. In the restaurant and chef categories, the following professionals were honored for their contributions to the food and beverage industry:

Best New Restaurant
Marea, New York City

Outstanding Restaurant Award
Daniel, New York City

Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional Award
John Shafer and Doug Shafer--Shafer Vineyards, Napa, Calif.

Outstanding Chef Award
Tom Colicchio--Craft Restaurants, New York City

Outstanding Restaurateur Award
Keith McNally--Balthazar, Lucky Strike, Minetta Tavern, Morandi, Pastis, Pravda and Schiller's Liquor Bar, New York City

Outstanding Wine Service Award
Jean Georges, New York City
Wine director: Bernard Sun

Outstanding Pastry Chef Award
Nicole Plue--Redd, Yountville, Calif.

Outstanding Service Award
Alinea, Chicago

Rising Star Chef of the Year Award
Timothy Hollingsworth, The French Laundry, Yountville

Best Chef: Great Lakes
Koren Grieveson--avec, Chicago

Best Chef: Northwest
Jason Wilson--Crush, Seattle

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic
Jeff Michaud--Osteria, Philadelphia

Best Chef: Pacific
David Kinch--Manresa, Lost Gatos, Calif.

Best Chef: Midwest
Alexander Roberts--Restaurant Alma, Minneapolis

Best Chef: South
Michael Schwartz--Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami

Best Chef: New York City
Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park

Best Chef: Southeast
Sean Brock--McGrady's, Charleston, S.C.

Best Chef: Northeast
Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier--Arrows, Ogunquit, Maine

Best Chef: Southwest
Claude Le Tohic--Joël Robuchon at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

Who's Who of Food & Beverage Inductees
  • Leah Chase, chef/owner of Dooky Chase Restaurant, New Orleans
  • Paul C. P. McIlhenny, president and CEO of McIlhenny Co., Avery Island, La.
  • L. Timothy Ryan, president of The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, N.Y.
  • Jessica B. Harris, author and historian, New York City
  • David Rockwell, founder and CEO of Rockwell Group, New York City
  • Susan Spicer, chef/owner of Bayona, New Orleans
For a complete list of all the 2010 winners, visit www.jamesbeard.org.
0 comments
Labels: ,

AIA hosts second annual Gala

By

On April 28 the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) held its second annual ancient gala at Guastavino's in New York City. Guastavino's executive chef John Stevenson was challenged by the AIA and archaeologists Richard L. Burger and Lucy C. Salazar to create a modern version of an ancient Inca feast, highlighting Peru's different regions, cultures and civilizations including the Inca and Moche. Octopus and duck were among the items served to celebrate ancient Peruvian cuisine.

Chef John Stevenson's Sweet Spicy Duck

The evening also featured a live auction, which offered guests the chance to bid on travel experiences to some of the top archaeological destinations throughout the globe and support the AIA's Site Preservation Program, which works to safeguard the world's archaeological heritage. For more information about the AIA, visit www.archaeological.org.

Masked waitstaff serve Peruvian cocktails.
0 comments
Labels:

Let's talk condiments

By

by Lacey Griebeler, Chef Magazine

This article is an online extra for the March/April issue of Chef Magazine.

Back in March, Chef Magazine posted the following questions to the cooking forum at Cookwork.com, a social networking site for chefs:
How do you decide which condiments to make from scratch versus which ones you buy premade?

What condiments do you make in-house?

What prepared condiments do you purchase?

Chicago-based user Christian Watson, one of the founders of Cookwork.com, replied, "I guess it all depends on how much of the end product I am going to make in the recipe. For a line recipe or garnish, then I make it from scratch period! On the other hand, if the condiment is a handy item that I can utilize all over my menu and the quality is consistent and versatile, then I buy. Plus, if it is too much of a pain then I buy it."

Watson added that mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard are ones he usually purchases premade because they can pose challenges when making them from scratch in-bulk. "I have had the most success with mayo from scratch, but there are so many great products out there," he added.

CulinaryConceptsTCI, a private chef user based in the Turks and Caicos Islands, agrees with Watson on purchasing mayo, Dijon mustard and ketchup, as well as pepper sauces like sweet chile sauce, sambal oleke, Tabasco and Frank's Red Hot. "The condiments that I buy are mostly used as a base to create something new," he wrote.

"The ones that I make like Worcestershire sauce, jerk sauces, BBQ sauces, hot sauce, olive oil mayo/aïoli, spicy mustards, pickles, chutney, sambal, compotes and ketchups," CulinaryConceptsTCI continued. "I make these so that they may add to the quality and unique flavors that I produce for my clients. Many are used for specific types of food or dishes."

For CulinaryConceptsTCI's recipes for bread and butter pickles, giardiniera and citrus-marinated olives, visit the post on Cookwork.com.

Condiments for foodservice
Speaking about mayo, Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise is now made with 100 percent certified cage-free eggs. In response to consumers' awareness of where their food comes from, Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise, with half the fat and calories of regular mayonnaise, uses "American Humane Certified" eggs, a certification program administered by the American Humane Association (AHA), the leading certifier of cage-free eggs in the U.S. Between the foodservice and retail manufacturing operations, Hellmann's will be using approximately 3.5 million pounds of cage-free eggs annually. For more information, visit www.unileverfoodsolutions.us/lightmayo.

When considering a butter for your sauce-making, don't just turn to any old product. Plugrá European-Style Butter has a richer flavor profile and fuller body--thanks to its optimal 82 percent butterfat and a slow churning process--resulting in smoother, more decadent sauces. Plugrá offers a whole category of lunch-worthy sauce recipes on its Web site, from classic hollandaise to guava-herb butter sauce. For more information, visit www.plugra.com.

For operators looking for an authentic bold and spicy hot sauce, Kraft Foodservice now distributes Tapatío Salsa Picante. This versatile blend of red peppers and spices can be used in a wide array of preparations in need of a robust flavor boost, from entrées to beverages. As customers continue to demand distinctive, clean flavors, Tapatío can fill that hole in your menu with a condiment free of added sugar, MSG or gluten. For more information, visit www.kraftfoodservice.com.
1 comments
Labels:

IACP '10 award winners announced

By

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) honored its 2010 award winners at a gala on April 22 at the Portland Art Museum during the 32nd IACP Annual Conference in Portland, Ore. The celebration recognized top culinary professionals for their contributions to the industry.

The following awards were presented in multiple categories: Cookbook Awards, Bert Greene Awards for Food Journalism, Food Photography and Styling Contest Awards, Awards of Excellence and Special Recognition Awards. Among the winners were:

Cookbook Award Winners: Chefs and Restaurants
Ad Hoc at Home, by chef Thomas Keller and Dave Cruz

Chef or Restaurateur of the Year
Lisa Schroeder, CCP, executive chef/owner, Mother's Bistro & Bar and Mama Mia Trattoria, Portland, Ore.

Lifetime Achievement Award
André Cointreau, president/CEO, Le Cordon Bleu

Humanitarian of the Year
Teresa Corção, chef/owner, Restaurante O Navegador, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Margarida Nogueira, consultant, historian and teacher
0 comments
Labels: ,

The center of the plate doesn't need to be a lonely place

By

SPONSORED POST


Enter the Grade Me Recipe Contest for foodservice professionals, sponsored by Bush Brothers! Contestants have until May 14 to submit to www.grademerecipecontest.com an original side dish that incorporates at least one Bush's Best product. Anyone who visits the Grade Me Recipe Contest Web site can vote on the entries using an A to F scale. Contestants will have the chance to win $5,000 or an XL Big Green Egg grill in addition to being showcased as a Bush Brothers featured chef. Voting ends May 31, and the winners will be notified by June 11. For more information, visit www.grademerecipecontest.com.
0 comments
Labels: ,

NRA on reduced sodium in food supply: 'Gradual change is essential'

By

In mid-April, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) released the following statement in response to the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recommendations regarding sodium reduction in the U.S. food supply from Scott DeFife, executive vice president of policy and government affairs:
"The NRA is committed to helping Americans live healthier lives and continuing to provide healthy dining options for our customers. We have been collaborating with restaurant food suppliers, food processors and health organizations to address this issue, such as through the recently enacted nutrition information law.

"We appreciate the IOM's recommendations to take an incremental approach to decreasing sodium in the nation's food supply and we are committed to working with our members, partners throughout the supply chain, and the Food and Drug Administration to address this important issue. We agree with the IOM's focus on consumer acceptance, and the acknowledgement that gradual change is essential to success is welcome. The industry supports a voluntary, incremental approach to reducing sodium levels in menu items, and would have concerns about any potential government mandate that creates a one-size-fits-all rule to ingredient standards or sets arbitrary per-item limits that do not reflect the complexity of addressing the nation's eating habits and improving overall wellness. Without customer acceptance, there will be no measurable change in consumer behavior.

"The restaurant industry has been working for some time to reduce sodium in menu items, recognizing that in many restaurants across the country, the supply chain is critical to that effort. In an industry that incorporates a broad array of concepts and ethnic cuisines, tastes and expectations of food choices differ across the country and among cultures. It is important to recognize that sodium is essential to both the quality and food safety of menu items. While we support identifying options that provide lower sodium choices for customers, we cannot do so at the risk of food safety or quality issues."
For more information, visit www.restaurant.org/advocacy.
0 comments
Labels: , ,

ACF Southeast Regional Conference winners to advance

By

At the 2010 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Southeast Regional Conference April 24 to 26 in Birmingham, Ala., the American Academy of Chefs recognized chef, student and educator winners, who will compete for national titles against their winning regional counterparts at the 2010 ACF National Convention in Anaheim, Calif., Aug. 2 to 5.

Among the 2010 ACF Southeast Regional Conference award recipients were:
Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions
Jonn Nishiyama, garde manger chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.

Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Splenda
Andreas Proisl, executive pastry chef, Isleworth Country Club, Windermere, Fla.; ACF Central Florida Chapter

Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by Minor's
Michael Rosen, CEC, executive chef, The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.; ACF Inc. Charlotte Chapter

Make-It-Mini Dessert Trio, sponsored by Mars Foodservice
Kyongran "Alex" Hwang, assistant pastry chef, Cherokee Town and Country Club, Atlanta; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.

One-Pot Win A Lot, sponsored by Riviana
Louis Chatham, CEC, AAC, executive chef, PCI Gaming, Atmore, Ala.; ACF Choctaw Chapter
0 comments
Labels: , , ,

Black America Cooks honors life of activist Height

By

Black America Cooks, a Web site dedicated to celebrating healthy soul food and southern cooking, would like to honor Dr. Dorothy Irena Height, civil rights activist and chair and president emerita of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), who died April 20 of natural causes at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She was 98 years old.

Born in Richmond, Va. on March 24, 1912, Height was an administrator, educator and social activist. She joined NCNW in 1937 at age 25 and was president of the organization for 40 years. She created the NCNW Black Family Reunion, an annual celebration of black American families, which she attended every year until her death. She was a longtime supporter of preserving family traditions and recipes by passing them on to future generations, and helped write The Black Family Reunion Cookbook, which was published in 1992.

Height's funeral will be held on April 29 at the Washington National Cathedral. For more information about Height and her accomplishments, visit blackamericacooks.com or www.ncnw.org.
0 comments
Labels: ,