SOL Cocina chef joins Cart for a Cause effort

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SOL Cocina executive chef Deborah Schneider drove her own food truck for the day to benefit St. Vincent's Meals on Wheels program on Aug. 28 at the OC Foodie Fest. Schneider joins the ranks of Los Angeles chefs participating in Cart for a Cause to help feed homebound senior citizens.

SOL Cocina executive chef Deborah Schneider

The OC Foodie Fest is a one-day gourmet food truck event at the Honda Center in Anaheim that featured Southern California's most popular mobile eats combined with local entertainment and shopping to support local charitable organizations.

From her truck, Schneider served SOL Carnitas: street tacos with carnitas, tomatillo salsa, chicharron and avocado (pictured, below), as well as ceviche.


For more information on Cart for a Cause at the OC Foodie Fest, visit www.ocfoodiefest.com.
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DRG Concepts chef to appear on 'Cooking with Friends'

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During the 15th anniversary of celebrity chef Nick Stellino's Cooking with Friends" public television program, one of his 10 guest chefs this fall will be John Tesar, corporate chef for DRG Concepts.

Tesar, corporate culinary director for DRG Concepts' Dallas Chop House, Dallas Fish Market and Go Fish Ocean Club concepts who has cooked at the James Beard House six times, will tape the show on Aug. 17 at Chef Stellino's studio in Los Angeles. He will prepare lime and curry marinated ribeye steaks with cucumber and honeydew melon chutney and spiced basmati rice.

For more information, visit www.nickstellino.com/tvshow.asp.
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Restaurants nationwide partner for AFT's Dine Out for Farms

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Restaurants around the country are partnering with American Farmland Trust for the inaugural Dine Out for Farms, a national, weeklong event to support a sustainable future for America's farms. During the week of Oct. 10 to 16, participating restaurants will raise funds for AFT's programs that support farms.

In return for supporting Dine Out for Farms, AFT is providing promotional tools to the participating restaurants, along with online and other outreach activities to appeal to consumers who care about farms and food--encouraging consumers to dine out often and make a difference.

The "Founding Circle" restaurants kicking off Dine Out for Farms are:
For more information on joining as a participating restaurant in Dine Out for Farms, visit www.farmland.org/restaurant.
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CanolaInfo partners with World Heart Federation

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As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, CanolaInfo has joined with the World Heart Federation to promote global heart health. Six culinary experts from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, Japan and India are working with CanolaInfo to create a "World Heart-Smart Recipe Collection" that incorporates traditional ethnic flavors and healthy ingredients. The recipes are all made with canola oil, which has the least saturated and most Omega-3 fat of all cooking oils and is cholesterol- and trans fat-free.

The contributing chefs include Carla Hall, chef/owner of Alchemy Caterers, Washington, D.C.; Gene Kato, executive chef of Japonais restaurant, Chicago; Mairlyn Smith, cookbook author, Toronto; and Alfredo Oropeza, host of "Al Sabor del Chef" and cookbook author, Mexico City.

Below is a heart-healthy recipe from the collection, with wine pairing by Chef Magazine wine consultant Marlene Rossman.

Steamed Snapper with Citrus Sweet and Sour Sauce
Gene Kato, executive chef, Japonais restaurant, Chicago

Chef Kato says, "Using both traditional and unique ingredients for Japanese cuisine, this fish dish combines ginger and cilantro with a tangy sauce for a medley of flavors and aromas. The addition of red, green and orange vegetables creates a beautiful plate and the canola oil finish on the fish makes it melt-in-your mouth perfect."

Yield: 4 servings
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. rice vinegar
2 T. granulated sugar
1/4 t. red chile flakes
1 t. coriander seed
1/2 c. white wine
2 cilantro stems, leaves removed and reserved
4 snapper fillets, skin on, deboned, about 4 oz. each
1/4 c. fresh ginger, peeled and julienned ultra thin
20 leaves fresh cilantro
2 T. plus 1 t. canola oil, divided
2 carrots, cut into 2" by 1/4" pieces
2 zucchini, cut into 2" by 1/4" pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2" by 1/4" pieces

Method (1) In saucepan, add lime juice, rice vinegar, sugar, chile flakes, coriander seed, white wine and cilantro stems. Simmer on medium heat 5-8 minutes or until sugar has fully dissolved. Discard cilantro stems, and reserve. (2) Preheat steamer. Lay out each snapper fillet skin side up and sprinkle even amounts of ginger and five cilantro leaves per fillet on top. Place fish in steamer skin side up, and cook on high 6-8 minutes. (3) Meanwhile, add 1 T. canola oil to hot sauté pan and cook carrots 3 minutes. Add zucchini and bell pepper, and cook until tender. Set aside to keep warm. (4) Pour 1/4 c. sauce on serving dish, and arrange vegetables in alternating rows. Place steamed fish on top, skin side down. Heat remaining 1 T. plus 1 t. canola oil until smoking, and spoon 1 t. over each fish fillet (be cautious as oil will splash). Serve hot.

Wine pairing: Persimmon Creek Vineyards Seyval Blanc 2008 (Georgia)
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NRA: Customer loyalty programs drive business in tough times

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More than three-quarters of restaurant operators recently surveyed by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) said guest loyalty programs helped grow business during the economic downturn. In addition, 90 percent said loyalty programs give them a competitive edge, and the vast majority said they are planning to invest more in their programs because of their proven ability to drive business growth.

The NRA partnered with Loyalty 360--The Loyalty Marketer's Association and rDialogue for its first-ever study of the level of penetration of loyalty programs in the restaurant industry; the types of loyalty practices being used; how performance is being measured; and the level of dedicated resources supporting strategy, implementation, and management of the programs. The survey, conducted earlier this year, had 1,300 respondents.

Additional survey results found that 41 percent of respondents currently operate a loyalty program, and nearly half (47 percent) are planning to launch one. Moreover, 74 percent of respondents use social media to support their loyalty program such as Facebook, Twitter and blogging.

For more information, visit www.restaurant.org.
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ACF honors nation's best chefs at National Convention

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On the final day of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) 2010 National Convention held Aug. 2 to 5 in Anaheim, Calif., chefs, culinary industry professionals and foodservice establishments were honored for their contributions to the foodservice industry.

Among this year's notable chef winners were:
  • U.S. Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions: Michael Matarazzo, executive chef, Bear Mountain Inn, Bear Mountain, N.Y.; ACF National Chapter
  • ACF National Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Splenda: Andreas Proisl, executive pastry chef, Isleworth Country Club, Windermere, Fla.; ACF Central Florida
  • Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by Minor’s: John Reed, CEC, CCA, owner, Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie, Ill.; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
  • Hermann G. Rusch Chef's Achievement Award: Americo "Rico" DiFronzo, CEC, AAC, executive chef, American Food Systems, Inc., Burlington, Mass.; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston
For a complete list of awards and winners as well as a full recap of the 2010 ACF National Convention, visit www.acfchefs.org.
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CIA grad Brandt wins Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge

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Maureen "Molly" Brandt, Culinary Institute of America (CIA) graduate, won the Allure of the Seas Culinary Challenge and a one-year paid contract to be the chef de cuisine of 150 Central Park onboard the Allure of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Maureen "Molly" Brandt plates her dishes during the final challenge

Brandt was one of six chefs--all CIA graduates--to be a finalist in the challenge, a contest open exclusively to The CIA's alumni network. The six chefs participated in a two-part final challenge at the college's Hyde Park campus in New York on Aug. 5 and 6, where they prepared a three-course meal for a panel of judges from Royal Caribbean and The CIA. The panel also interviewed the finalists.

(l to r) Frank Weber, vice president, food and beverage operations, Royal Caribbean International; Maureen "Molly" Brandt; Lisa Bauer, senior vice president, hotel operations, Royal Caribbean International; and Ron DeSantis, director, CIA consulting, The CIA

Brandt's winning dish consisted of chilled lobster with fennel, carrots, citrus, caviar and tempura battered lobster; Provencal lamb loin with Dijon potato purée, ratatouille, pattypan squash and olive tapenade; and pistachio cake with whipped rosewater crème fraîche and carbonated raspberries.

For more information, visit www.allureoftheseas.com.
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Competitors announced for U.S. selections of '11 World Chocolate Masters

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Seven of the country's leading pastry chefs and chocolatiers have been selected to compete in the U.S. selections for the 2011 World Chocolate Masters event in Paris. The competition, organized by Barry Callebaut, will take place Sept. 27 and 28 during the International Baking Industry Exposition in Las Vegas. The contestants will make Aztec-inspired sculptures out of gourmet chocolate.

The winner of the U.S. selections competition will advance to the 2011 World Chocolate Masters, where he or she will compete against culinary artisans from approximately 20 other countries. (Pictured, right, Lionel Clement, former chef chocolatier at the Wynn Las Vegas, was the last U.S. National Chocolate Master.)

This year's competitors for the U.S. selections for the World Chocolate Masters include:
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The lexicon of kitchen ventilation

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by Russell L. Bean, CFSP

In "Venting in the kitchen" (read it here!) in the August 2010 issue of Chef Magazine, we discuss the latest in kitchen ventilation technology, from green Type I hoods to ventless systems to ultraviolet light solutions. To prepare you for speaking with your ventilation system specialist, Chef has pulled together a ventilation jargon and acronym guide.

Type I Hoods
Designed to capture heat and moisture, plus smoke and grease, these hoods are typically required for frying, broiling and griddle cooking operations. These hoods must have water-tight construction and a built-in fire suppression system.

Type II Hoods
Designed to capture heat and moisture, they also can be used for dishwashing and some baking and steam equipment.

Unlisted Hoods
Unlisted hoods must meet the materials, design and exhaust rate requirements of local building and health codes.

Listed Hoods
Listed hoods are tested to meet a recognized standard, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standard 710, which specifies construction materials, design requirements and capture performance.

Ventless Hoods/Systems
These are smaller hood systems that capture then clean air using multiple filters, before exhausting the "clean" air back into the kitchen.

Proximity Hoods
As the name implies, these are back-shelf, pass-over and eyebrow-style hoods that are positioned just above the cooking equipment.

UV Systems
These are hoods that use ultraviolet light to convert--or reduce the size of--a significant portion of grease particulate into carbon dioxide and water.

Side Panels
Full and partial side panels are designed to help capture and contain effluents at the end of a hood.

Plenum
This is a transitional sheet-metal fabrication that connects the hood to the exhaust duct.

Effluents
Effluents are a commonly used collective for all cooking process byproducts including heat, moisture, combustion gases, smoke, grease and odors.

Capture and Containment
The goal of all hood systems, to "capture" 100 percent of all effluents produced by cooking processes, plus waste heat and humidity; and "contain" these cooking byproducts until they are either exhausted to the building exterior or filtered and returned to the kitchen.

Makeup (Supply, Replacement) Air
This is the fresh air brought in to replace air consumed by gas burner combustion or exhausted by the ventilation system. Air removed by an exhaust hood must be replaced by an equal volume of replacement air.

Microns
Effluent particulate is typically measured in microns, a unit of measure that is one-millionth of a meter, or .000001 m.

CFMs
Short for cubic feet per minute, CFMs are a measure of the air volume removed from a kitchen by an exhaust hood and venting system, and/or the volume of makeup air added or returned to the kitchen.

FPM
Short for feet per minute, this is a measurement of the speed of air moving through an exhaust system or part thereof.
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