Jeremy Smith of Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel Wins Maple Leaf Farms "Discover Duck" Challenge

By

More than 200 chefs recently battled it out for the top billing in Maple Leaf Farms' “Discover Duck” Chef Recipe Contest, but it was Jeremy Smith who ultimately came out on top.


Chef Jeremy Smith of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel receives his $5,000 first prize in the “Discover Duck” Chef Recipe Contest from Cindy Turk, marketing manager of Maple Leaf Farms.

Open to professional chefs from all foodservice segments and culinary students, this contest challenged entrants across the country to use their culinary creativity to showcase duck in innovative appetizers, salads, soups and entrees.

Dishes were judged on originality, flavor, simplicity (easily sourced ingredients and ease of preparation) and accuracy of the recipe ingredients and method. In the end, Southern Crusted Duck with Wild Bunch Demi earned its creator, Chef Jeremy Smith, $5,000. Lead line cook at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Hotel, Marble, N.C., Smith wooed the judges with his potato-chip/pecan-crusted duck breast served with a mix of cremini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms.

Other winners are as follows: Thomas Tannozzini, executive chef at Acts Retirement Life in Lansdale, Pa., snagged the $3,000 second prize for his Open Faced Tuscan Duck Sandwich; and Duck and Apple Tacos netted $1,500 for third-place winner James Kremer, executive chef of the Country Club of Peoria in Peoria Heights, Ill.

“We were awed by the passion and talent demonstrated by the chefs and their breadth of creative duck preparations,” said Maple Leaf Farms’ marketing manager, Cindy Turk.

To view the “Discover Duck” winning recipes, click here.
2 comments
Labels: , ,

WCR announces Women Who Inspire Award winners

By

As part of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs' (WCR) national conference, seven women were honored for demonstrating excellence in the culinary and hospitality industries at the 11th Annual Women Who Inspire gala dinner on Nov. 7. The annual WCR Women Who Inspire Awards honor excellence in the kitchen, dining room, beverage profession, baking and pastry arts, community affairs, farming and food production and for a lifetime of culinary excellence.

The 2010 Women Who Inspire Award recipients are:
  • WCR Barbara Tropp President's Award for a lifetime of culinary excellence--Kathy Cary, chef/owner, Lilly’s-A Kentucky Bistro, Louisville
  • WCR Community Service Award for contributions to community affairs--Virginia Paca, owner, Virginia Paca Architecture & Landscape Design, Pasadena, Calif.
  • WCR Golden Bowl Award for excellence in baking and pastry arts--Sherry Yard, pastry chef, Spago, Beverly Hills, Calif.
  • WCR Golden Fork Award for excellence in the dining room--Patricia Koyich, owner, Il Sogno, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • WCR Golden Goblet Service Award for excellence in the beverage profession--Dee Ann Quinones, owner, Drinks With Dee, Los Angeles
  • WCR Golden Plow Award sponsored by Bon Appétit Management Co. for excellence in growing or producing--Alisa Barry, founder and chief creative, Bella Cucina Artful Food, Atlanta
  • WCR Golden Whisk Award for excellence in the kitchen--Liana Robberecht, executive chef, Calgary Petroleum Club, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
For more information, visit www.womenchefs.org.
0 comments
Labels: ,

State of the Plate '10 links both sides of supply chain

By

Hundreds of farmers, distributors, restaurant professionals and culinary students gathered at the Harold Washington Library Center and Robert Morris University in Chicago on Nov. 17 to discuss sustainable meat and why to buy it at State of the Plate 2010.

Sponsored by the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-Op, FamilyFarmed.org, Green City Market, Kendall College and multiple chefs and advocacy groups, the conference helped link together both sides of the sustainable meat supply chain.

(l to r) Chicago Dept. of Environment commissioner Suzanne Malec-McKenna gives the morning welcome address while Dan Rosenthal, co-founder of the Green Chicago Restaurant Co-op and president of The Rosenthal Group (Sopraffina Marketcaffé, Poag Mahone's and Trattoria No. 10) looks on.

Robert Kenner, writer/director of the documentary, "Food, Inc.," provided the opening keynote speech. The event featured a morning sustainable meat roundtable that highlighted the methods, challenges and opportunities surrounding the U.S. production of sustainable meat, the public health and environmental concerns, and emphasized ways to combat food safety issues at the production level. The afternoon session featured a panel of sustainable farmers to discuss products and methods and distribution strategies. The event culminated in a reception with sustainable food prepared by chefs and culinary students and a special viewing of "Food, Inc."

For more information, visit www.stateoftheplate2010.com.
0 comments
Labels:

FOH unveils new products at IHM&RS

By

Front of the House (FOH) introduced two new product lines, Drinkwise and Platewise, at the International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show at Javits Center this week in New York City.

Drinkwise (pictured, below) is the first-of-its-kind collection from FOH of reuseable, BPA-free drinkware. Drinkwise is a safe, durable alternative to polycarbonate and SAN drinkware. The design is industrial dishwasher proof for 3,000-plus cycles, lightweight, impact- and shatterproof, BPA-free, crack-resistant and reusable.
FOH also unveiled Platewise (pictured, below), a green alternative to traditional plastic and melamine dinnerware. Made of natural bamboo--a highly renewable, biodegradable and melamine-free resource--Platewise is a nontoxic serving solution for all occasions. The dinnerware and serveware will stand up to rigorous commercial washings and easily decompose in a landfill. Platewise offers the perfect combination of style, function and durability for chefs, as well as affordability and availability for high-volume, low-maintenance purchasers. For guests, Platewise provides the reassurance of a beautiful and eco-friendly dining experience.


FOH designs and manufactures unique tableware and serveware for the hospitalitytrade, transforming the ordinary into modern elegance. For more information, visit www.frontofthehouse.com.
0 comments
Labels:

Addison chef joins ranks of Relais & Châteaux Grands Chefs

By

William Bradley, executive chef of Addison in San Diego, has been designated as a member of the Relais & Châteaux Grands Chefs. The Relais & Châteaux Congress officially presented selected new members at its annual recognition ceremony, held on Nov. 7 in Cape Town, South Africa.


Chef Bradley (pictured, above) is now one of just 17 chefs in the United States to have the Grand Chef designation, including six Grands Chefs in California. In order to be recognized for this award, Addison--which is attached to The Grand Del Mar resort--was judged on the welcome and service, the setting and all details of the culinary experience including taste, consistency of produce, originality of recipes, presentation and wine list.

For a list of all Relais & Châteaux Grands Chefs members, visit www.relaischateaux.com.
0 comments
Labels: ,

Winter 2010 Chef digital edition is now available

By

The digital edition of the Winter 2010 issue of Chef Magazine is now online through the Chef website. This digital edition features all the same great content as the print edition, plus online exclusives on seasonal side dish recipes, our top five nominees for 2010 Chef of the Year and premium plated proteins. To access the issue, click the icon below. You can also register on the Chef website to receive e-mail notification when each new digital magazine is available for viewing.

0 comments
Labels:

Team Universal Orlando wins USA Culinary Cup Challenge

By

At the 2010 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) Show, chefs from around the world competed at the 2nd Annual USA Culinary Cup Challenge for prizes and medals. Team Universal Orlando took top honors for their "Florida Citrus Trio" menu featuring a florentine crusted orange cake, Florida citrus terrine and a mojito sorbet with vanilla bean sauce. The winning team included Mark Wachowiak, Raffy Pambuan, Michael Harman, Robert Martinez Jr. and Pete Imlah.

(l to r) Mark Wachowiak, Universal Orlando team member; Peter Imlach, apprentice helper; Steven Jayson, show chairman; Robert Martinez Jr. team member; Raffee Pambuan, team member; and Michael Harman, team member

Twelve teams, each made up of four chefs and one apprentice, competed in the challenge. Each team had five hours to prepare a four-course meal for 55 diners. The Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) sponsored Florida citrus juices and fresh Florida citrus as featured ingredients in all recipe submissions. For more information about the competition, visit www.floridajuice.com.
0 comments
Labels: ,

There's something for everyone at The NAFEM Show.

By

SPONSORED POST

The greatest foodservice equipment and supplies show on earth only comes once every two years. And in February 2011, The NAFEM Show is back!
  • Meet with 500+ foodservice equipment and supplies manufacturers and get up close to their products.
  • Learn about emerging trends through free educational sessions.
  • Step away with new ideas to streamline and improve your operation's efficiency with innovative technology presented in the WHAT'S HOT! WHAT'S COOL!® new product gallery.
Get your ticket for only $30 at www.thenafemshow.org.
0 comments
Labels:

Unilever's Russell joins Honorable Order of the Golden Toque

By

Unilever Foodsolutions corporate chef David Russell CEC, AAC, has been inducted into the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque. This lifetime membership is granted to 100 chefs by nomination only.


Russell (pictured, above) has worked in the foodservice industry for 25 years. Before joining Unilever Foodsolutions, he was an executive chef, food and beverage director and a regional culinary/F&B task force leader for Marriott Hotels and Resorts over 10 years. He currently serves as the national vice president of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), national director of public relations for the American Academy of Chefs (AAC) and is a member of the Honor Society of the ACF. In addition, chef Russell has been an adjunct instructor of culinary arts at the College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Ill., for more than eight years. He also sits on the permanent committee of the Les Amis d'Escoffier Society.

The Honorable Order of the Golden Toque was established to recognize chefs who have served the culinary community for at least 20 years. The organization aims to foster a forum for the exchange of culinary knowledge and expertise so that its members may assist in the development of young culinarians and improve the overall quality of life in a multicultural world community. Visit www.orderofthegoldentoque.org.
0 comments
Labels: ,