National Culinary Review (Nov/Dec 2022)

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EXPLORE LIBBEY

FEATURE STORIES

26

Pizza! Pizza!

A pizza book author explores the pandemic-proof favorite, from new-wave doughs to plant-based options and more.

DEPARTMENTS

10 Management

An ACF chef and apprenticeship supervisor writes about the benefits (and challenges) of this timeless teaching method.

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20

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24

Main Course

Plating is an art form; chefs talk about the trends that inform how they present food today.

On the Side

All about the humble sweet potato and the special holiday sides that feature it.

Health

Chefs and farmers are working together to restore our country’s soil and reshape the food system.

Classical vs. Modern

Chef Andre Ellis, CEC, of Boonsboro Country Club showcases a classic and modern spin on the Jamaican oxtail stew from his childhood.

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42

Segment Spotlight

Healthcare chefs talk about the steps they’re taking to retain staff, boost morale and stay competitive.

Pastry

A look at traditional holiday desserts and the personal twists chefs are taking with them.

Cover photo: Branzino with pickled grapes and couscous (dish and photo by ACF Chef Carlos Villanueva).

Editor-in-Chief

Amelia Levin

Creative Services Manager

David Ristau

Graphic Designer

Armando Mitra

Advertising and Event Sales

Eric Gershowitz

Director of Marketing and Communications

Alan Sterling

Contributing Editors

Amanda Baltazar, John Bartimole, Liz Barrett Foster, Jennifer Hill Booker, Kenya McCullum, Dan Pliska, CEC, AAC, Jody Shee, Robert Wemischner

Copy Editor

Erica Demarest

American Culinary Federation, Inc.

6816 Southpoint Parkway Ste 400 Jacksonville, FL 32216 (800) 624-9458 (904) 824-4468 Fax: (904) 940-0741 ncr@acfchefs.net ACFSales@mci-group.com www.acfchefs.org

Board of Directors

President

Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC®, CCA®, AAC®

Immediate Past President

Thomas Macrina, CEC®, CCA, AAC

National Secretary

Jeff Bacon, CEC, CCA, AAC

National Treasurer

Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC

American Academy of Chefs Chair

Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC

Vice President Central Region

Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC

Vice President Northeast Region

Barry R. Young, CEC, CCE®, AAC, MBA

Vice President Southeast Region

Bryan Frick, CEC, AAC

Vice President Western Region

Greg Matchett, CEC

Executive Director

Heidi Cramb

The National Culinary Review® (ISSN 0747-7716), November/ December 2022, Volume 46, Number 6, is owned by the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) and is produced six times per year by ACF, located at 6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216. A digital subscription to the National Culinary Review® is included with ACF membership dues; print subscriptions are available to ACF members for $25 per year, domestic; nonmember subscriptions are $40. Material from the National Culinary Review®, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission. All views and opinions expressed in the National Culinary Review® are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the officers or members of ACF. Changes of mailing address should be sent to ACF’s national office: 6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216; (800) 624-9458; Fax (904) 940-0741.

The National Culinary Review® is mailed, and periodical postage is paid at St. Augustine, Fla., and additional post offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the National Culinary Review®, 6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216.

The holidays are upon us!

It’s a special time — one that often means gathering with family and friends. But it can also be a stressful time, mental health-wise, for those suffering from depression and loneliness. As I write this, I’ve just read a lot of emails and messages overnight about ACF chefs and chapters affected by Hurricane Ian (please email disasterrelief@acfchefs.org or call the ACF office if you are in need of relief). It reminds me that this holiday season is the time not only to be grateful for what we have but also to think of those who may be in need and reach out to our colleagues, friends and fellow members. We are chefs. We are naturally giving and have a generous heart, and that’s what makes our federation so special.

For many of us, the holiday season is the busiest. This year, for the first time since the pandemic began, I’ll be traveling outside of the kitchen to talk to students at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and even visit the Turkish Consulate General in Los Angeles. I am so excited and humbled to be flying around the country (and the world) to represent our ACF as your president!

Recently, I was honored to be invited on a trip to Mexico (sponsored by Patrón tequila and Tajín) for alumni of the James Beard Foundation’s Chef Boot Camp for Policy and Change. This program, which I completed during the height of the pandemic, taught me how to reach out to local governments to advocate for myself, my business and my industry. These are important skills and lessons that I apply every day to my role as your ACF president.

I’m not the only one headed out on some big trips this fall. Our esteemed ACF Culinary Team USA will be packing up their knives and heading to Luxembourg to compete in the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup in late November (I’ll be there as a cheerleader). Read more about this on page 8. Let’s go, team!

National Apprenticeship Week is also in November — this strikes a personal chord with me because that’s how I got started (go Dallas College!). ACF Chef Dan Pliska, an apprenticeship supervisor, talks all about this educational tradition on p. 10.

Speaking of up-and-coming chefs, I would also like to introduce you to the new president of the ACF Young Chefs Club: Isaiah Gerrard, a student at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Learn more about him on p. 40.

Of course, I’m all about the food during the holidays! I love me some sweet potatoes (read ACF Chef Jennifer Hill Booker’s story on them on p. 20). And I have to have extra cranberry sauce for a sauce coulis for pound cake (read more about twists on holiday dessert on p. 42)! Best wishes to you this season, and I can’t wait to see, chat and work with you next year!

Forever thankful and grateful,

Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC National President, American Culinary Federation

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¡Se acercan las fiestas!

Es una época muy especial, un momento que solemos aprovechar para reunirnos con nuestros familiares y amigos. Sin embargo, para quienes padecen depresión y soledad, este momento también puede resultar estresante en términos de salud mental. Les escribo luego de haber leído muchos correos y mensajes sobre chefs y delegaciones de la ACF que se vieron afectados por el Huracán Ian (si necesita asistencia o socorro, envíe un correo a disasterrelief@acfchefs.org o comuníquese con la oficina de la ACF). Todas estas historias me recuerdan que estas fiestas no son solo un momento para sentirnos agradecidos por lo que tenemos, sino también para pensar en aquellos que puedan estar necesitando ayuda, para comunicarnos con nuestros colegas, amigos y demás miembros y extenderles una mano. Somos chefs. Dar está en nuestra naturaleza y tenemos un corazón generoso, y eso es lo que hace de nuestra federación un lugar tan especial.

Para muchos de nosotros, las fiestas son un momento de intenso trabajo. Este año, por primera vez desde el inicio de la pandemia, estaré saliendo de la cocina para encontrarme con estudiantes de Johnson & Wales University en Charlotte, Carolina del Norte. Incluso visitaré el Consulado General de Turquía en Los Ángeles. ¡Me siento muy entusiasmada y agradecida de poder recorrer el país (y el mundo) en representación de la ACF como presidenta!

Hace poco tuve el honor de que me invitasen a México (con el patrocinio Patrín tequila y tajín) en un viaje para exalumnos de la Chef Boot Campo for Policy and Change de la Fundación James Beard. El programa, que yo misma cursé durante el momento más álgido de la pandemia, me enseñó a comunicarme con los gobiernos locales para defender mis derechos, mi actividad y mi industria. Estos son conocimientos y lecciones importantes que pongo en práctica todos los días como parte de mi función como presidenta de la ACF.

No soy la única que piensa emprender viajes importantes en esta próxima temporada de otoño. Nuestro querido Equipo culinario de la ACF Estados Unidos estará llevando sus herramientas de cocina a Luxemburgo para competir en el Mundial Culinario de Villeroy & Boch a finales de noviembre (yo estaré ahí alentándolos). Para conocer más sobre este evento, diríjase a la página 8. ¡Vamos, equipo!

En noviembre también tendrá lugar la Semana nacional de la formación. Esto me toca de manera personal, dado que ahí fue donde yo empecé (¡Arriba Dallas College!). Dan Pliska, chef de la ACF y supervisor de formación, nos cuenta sobre esta tradución académica en la página 10. Y hablando de nuevos chefs prometedores, me gustaría presentarles al nuevo presidente del Club de chefs jóvenes de la ACF: Isaiah Gerrard. Isaiah es estudiante del Instituto Culinario de América en Greystone. Para conocerlo más, pase en la página 40.

¡Por supuesto que, en las fiestas, lo que más me gusta es la comida! Me encantan las batatas (para leer la historia sobre las batatas de Jennifer Hill Booker, chef de la ACF, pase a la página 20). Y siempre le agrego abundante salsa de arándanos al coulis para acompañar mis pound cakes (para leer más sobre algunos toques especiales para postres en las fiestas, pase a la página 42). ¡Les deseo lo mejor para estas fiestas! No puedo esperar a verlos, hablar con ustedes y trabajar juntos el próximo año.

Por siempre agradecida,

Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC Presidente Nacional, American Culinary Federation

Online Exclusives at WeAreChefs.com

Visit WeAreChefs.com, the official content hub for the American Culinary Federation, for stories and news about ACF members, industry and menu trends, recipes and more.

ACF Culinary Team USA

Our continuing coverage of ACF’s top competitors follows the team’s progress throughout the year, including a recap from the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup in November.

Childhood Nutrition Day Wrap-Up

Hear about how ACF chefs celebrated this important day, meant to help children and families learn how to cook and prepare healthy meals and snacks.

Ingredient of the Month

Each month, we highlight a different ingredient in the ACF’s Online Learning Center. Visit the center at acfchefs.org/ IOTM to complete a quiz and earn one hour of continuing education credit toward ACF certification and recertification.

ACF ChefsForum Webinar Series

There are three webinars planned for November, including one featuring a panel discussion on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by another panel discussion on optimizing your kitchen for virtual dining and delivery success (sponsored by Minor's) on Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. ET. The rescheduled “Optimizing Operations and Labor Efficiency: Focus on Cleaning and Sanitization” (sponsored by Ecolab) will take place on Nov. 17 at 3 p.m. ET. In December, tune in on Dec. 5 for a holiday gingerbread demo by Pastry Chef Brian Peffley CEPC, CCE, AAC.

ACF’s Online Learning Center

The Culinary Insider, ACF’s biweekly newsletter, offers ACF news and links to recent articles, plus information about upcoming events, certification, member discounts, competitions, contests and much more. Sign up at acfchefs.org/tci

Follow the ACF on your favorite social media platforms:

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Check out ACF’s Online Learning Center. There you’ll find NCR quizzes, videos of educational sessions from ACF events, practice exams for certification and more. Visit learn.acfchefs.org to get started and earn CEHs.

When posting your delicious creations on Instagram, tag #ACFChefs or send to @acf_chefs and we’ll repost our favorites here and online!

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NEWS BITES

Hurricane Ian Recovery and Community Outreach

ACF Chef Amy Sins, founder of Fill the Needs, a volunteer-based organization supporting communities struck by natural disasters, coordinated the movement of several 18-wheeler trucks filled with food, water and supplies from her base in New Orleans to the Fort Myers area of Florida hit by Hurricane Ian. She also coordinated with Mercy Chefs, where ACF Chef Kristofer Jubinville (pictured on the left) was working with a team to provide 26,000 meals daily to those in need. ACF Chef Jeffrey Schlissel has been continuing to work with ACF chefs and others to plan and host events to raise funds for restaurant workers, farmers and others hit hard by the hurricane and resulting damage, with one event raising nearly $475,000. Visit filltheneeds.org to learn more and help out.

ACF Culinary Team USA is Headed to Luxembourg!

ACF’s top competitors will be packing their bags and traveling to Luxembourg for the Villeroy & Boch Culinary World Cup taking place Nov. 26-30. The team of six will compete in both the Restaurant of Nations and Chef’s Table portions of the competition, during which competitors must plate 110 portions of a starter, seafood course, entrée and dessert and prepare a multiple course meal for 12 people, respectively. We’ll post a recap of the event in December on WeAreChefs.com

2023 National Competition Qualifiers

Applications are now being accepted for the 2023 National Competition Qualifiers, taking place March 11 – 13, 2023. Additional details, including the guidelines and information on location can be found at acfchefs.org/ competitions. All applications must be submitted by Dec. 31. For questions, email competitions@acfchefs.org

Back row from left: Chefs Steve Jilleba, CMC, CCE, CCA, Logan M. Christensen, CEC, Dan Holtgrave, CEC, Timothy D. Recher, CEC, AAC, Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, Susan Notter, CEPC; Front row from left: Chefs Randy Torres, CEC, AAC, Ted Polfelt, CEC, CCA, AAC, James K. Storm, Troman Avenido Felizmenio, Thomas J. Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, Chairman of ACFEF

Speaker Proposal Submissions Now Open for NOLA!

Proposals for speakers are now being reviewed for the 2023 ACF National Convention, to be held July 17-19, 2023, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. This is an incredible opportunity to present at the largest annual gathering of chefs, culinary students and foodservice professionals in the country. To submit a proposal and for more information, visit acfchefs.org/events

National Officer and AAC Nominations Open

Nominations are now open for ACF National officer positions (president, secretary, treasurer and regional vice presidents) and for American Academy of Chefs (AAC) chair and vice-chair. Deadline for submittal of all paperwork is Dec. 1. Visit acfchefs.org for more information and to apply.

2023 Award Applications

Applications for the ACF Chef of the Year and other national awards, along with the Cutting Edge, L. Edwin Brown, Hermann G. Rusch and others are now live. Access the guidelines and information for submitting applications at acfchefs.org/awards. Submittals for all applications are due no later than Dec. 31.

Salut

Chef Jay Rathmann, CEC, CCA, owner of BJ's Nevada Barbecue Co. in Sparks, Nevada, and president of the ACF High Sierra Chefs Association, took home the first-place trophy and top title at the annual Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook Off, a six-day event held during Labor Day weekend featuring more than 20 barbecue restaurants; Chef Rathmann has competed in the event for more than 30 years. For the win, he showcased his slow-smoked ribs with “plum crazy sauce” in a double-blind taste tasting.

ACF Chef Kevin Mitchell launched a ChefScholar Dinner Series celebrating historically renowned Black caterers, many of whom were newly freed slaves in Charleston in the 1800s. The first of several planned dinners — featuring the legacy of Chefs Eliza Seymour Lee, George S. Johnston, Thomas Tully and Nat Fuller — took place on Sept. 9 at The Parsonage in Charleston, South Carolina.

Do you have news or milestones to share? Email it all to communications@acfchefs.org!

APPRENTICESHIPS TODAY

Just in time for National Apprenticeship Week in November, an ACF chef and former apprenticeship supervisor talks with other ACF members about the pros and cons of these traditional learning opportunities //

By Chef Daniel Pliska, CEC, AAC

For countless generations, an apprenticeship has been the way to learn a trade. Passing down knowledge from a master or a journeyman to the apprentice while working on the job is the basic model for this style of learning.

Modern culinary apprenticeships have not changed that much over time compared to the traditional European apprenticeships that have been used for hundreds of years. ACF apprenticeship programs have four different parts that need to work in tandem to be successful. They are: the job site (kitchen), the supervising chef, the educational site (the school) and the apprentice. Each one of these areas can pose challenges to start and/or maintain a successful ACF apprenticeship program. As a former supervising chef in a ACF culinary apprenticeship program and a past member of the ACF national apprenticeship committee myself, I would like to explore the current advantages and challenges (that can be overcome) for apprenticeships based on some of my experiences and those of other chef-educators and supervising chefs.

APPRENTICESHIP ADVANTAGES

They build a better workforce. Staffing shortages continue to remain a major problem for the culinary and hospitality industry today. There are two factors that I believe are creating these shortages; one is that the culinary profession has changed and is not seen by many as a viable option for a career path for a variety of reasons. Secondly, difficult, physical jobs may not be as desirable an option as they once were.

Apprenticeships can address both issues: They offer hands-on learning experiences and make it easier for certain individuals to enter the field if that’s what they choose to do. Apprenticeships teach transferable real-world skills to be able to handle challenges. These programs are also beneficial for

chefs because those who apply typically show up ready to learn and work.

“Apprentices gain stronger skill sets than those in school alone and build a family environment at their work sites, which help with some of the physical and mental aspects found in our industry,” says Pastry Chef-Educator Brian Peffley, CEPC, CCE, AAC, from the Lebanon County Career and Technology Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. “For the apprentice, it is an affordable, quality education. At the same time, the chef-supervisor can share their craft with the apprentices who have the same mindset as their chef and love their craft. Properties that employ apprentices can foster skills from within and build retention in their workforce.”

They teach transferable skills. “Earn while you learn (on the job)” has long been the motto for apprenticeships. Along with that is the fact that being enrolled and working in a formal apprenticeship program creates a real-world aspect

Chef Edward Adel, CEC, AAC (above), from Johnson County Community College and Pastry Chef William Racin, CEPC (below), from Westmoreland County Community College teach basic knife skills through to advanced techniques, like pastillage and pulled sugar, in their schools.

for the apprentice through the daily challenges and time constraints that are found in the culinary profession. Learning to deal with the stress of time management will — over time — condition apprentices to build a mental toughness or grit that will enable them to excel.

“A career in culinary arts — as found in a formal apprenticeship — teaches apprentices to be critical thinkers in a hands-on, fast-paced environment,” says Chef-Educator Chrystal Tatum, CEC, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas. “These skills are in demand and transferable. After feeding thousands of people and coordinating what could be compared to as an orchestra, other hurdles seem much smaller. The advantage is rather than just one path — school or work — you get the benefit of both book knowledge and hands-on learning." Not to mention, being mentored by a qualified certified chef helps the apprentice to learn the chef’s personal style, as well as successful working techniques for the challenges a chef faces and overcomes daily.

They offer positives for supervisors. Supervising chefs often find tremendous gratification in passing on their knowledge to the next generation of chef apprentices and are supported by knowing the apprentice is serious about the desire to become a chef. This is made apparent by the candidate making the commitment to enroll as an apprentice.

After apprentices have completed their programs, they are much more likely to be considered for higher levels of advancement to sous chef, or possibly an entry level chef in some instances, since they have accumulated the hours of work and have proven themselves in a commercial kitchen.

"We strive to provide young people the opportunity for growth or stability,” says Chef Joshua Hedrick , executive chef of the luxury Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon, where apprenticeship students first learn the fundamentals in the lodge kitchen and go on to work both morning and evening shifts in all of the resort’s foodservice outlets. “Here, we have a built-in career track, and we offer promotions and raises. I believe there are plenty of young people who are interested and even passionate about culinary but not necessarily

given a clear direction on entry or growth. I believe we have something very special to offer someone looking to build a culinary career. [We] have been able to recruit and retain a stream of serious culinarians, some of which have gone on to become chefs, chef-owners and general managers.”

They give culinary school programs a competitive advantage. Pastry Chef-Educator William Racin, CEPC, from Westmoreland County Community College in Pennsylvania, sees a renewed enthusiasm toward apprenticeship programs and their history of success in the hospitality industry. His school has a large enrollment in the apprentice option for this semester, along with many employers who are seeking to mentor apprentices and provide them with the necessary tools for success in the industry.

Learning the uses and characteristics of herbs used in the pastry field at Johnson County Community College with Chef-Instructor Damian Fraase, CEPC (top), and working the pass in a la carte service at the Sunriver Resort (bottom) illustrate the combination of education and working in a fast-paced environment.

"If we as an educational institution can reinstall core values like craftsmanship, time management and work ethic into students, their chances for success will be achievable," he says. "The culinary apprenticeship option is a full immersion into the craft. It immediately forces the apprentice to learn time management. This is a robust program that incorporates work, school and personal life running cohesively to develop young culinarians into professionals. The quality of an apprentice is unmatched since the capacity for change is already being developed.”

APPRENTICESHIP CHALLENGES

There are fewer apprenticeship applicants today. Finding a program, as well as a qualified certified chef supervisor, can be a challenge since apprenticeship programs are not offered in every area of the country.

"The challenges we are facing are similar to the entire industry — we have to find enough apprentices to fill out the program,” Chef Hedrick says.

Chef Racin also feels that the demand for apprentices outstrips the supply. “We here at the college only have a select number of apprentices to recommend, and the industry is currently facing a historic drought in employment,” he says, adding that many employers who want to have apprentices in their kitchens cannot meet the required work processes or meal periods needed by apprentices to complete the program.

Some apprentices end up leaving the industry. Many students of culinary and pastry arts want to learn how to cook and/or bake; however, some do not have the intention of working in the field as a professional chef. Perhaps they want to work in a related field, employed as a nutritionist, culinary arts instructor, food journalist, etc. If that is the case, perhaps a hands-on apprenticeship is not the route for them. Apprenticeship education, when compared to a full-time culinary school, is not as in-depth since the apprentice does not spend as much time in school while working on the job in an apprenticeship.

Current apprenticeship programs require some adaptations. Apprenticeships can be very intense and sometimes require more time and effort than the student is willing to give, when compared to going to a culinary school alone.

“Younger generations value the work-life balance much more than previous generations who endured the long hours required to work in our profession,” Chef Tatum says. “Chefs who went through that process of ‘paying their dues’ cannot expect younger people today to go through the same crucible that they did 20, 30, 40 years ago or more. Chefs today must mentor more by helping apprentices with their coping skills and teaching them how to adapt to

The relationship of mentoring apprentices from executive chefs like Chef Joshua Hedrick (left), executive chef of the luxury Sunriver Resort, is at the core of apprenticeship learning. This type of old-world training inspires young apprentices like student chef Autumn White (right) to reach for greatness at the luxurious Nemacolin resort in Pennsylvania.

problems and challenges found in our industry. They cannot just tell them to suck it up.”

The good news is that the culinary industry is at a crossroads, and change is afoot. Indeed, Chef Tatum says, mental health is a piece of our industry that continues to need to be addressed. “Students today do not always have the coping skills needed, so we as their mentors must help teach them how to adapt.”

Due to the labor shortage in our industry, along with the unrealistic expectations for those entering the culinary and pastry field, apprenticeships are ripe for a comeback. Hopefully along with the desire of many veteran working chefs who feel the need to give back and mentor the next generation of chefs, formal apprenticeship training will go on for many more generations.

Chef Daniel Pliska, CEC, AAC, is an instructor at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Missouri, where he teaches culinary and baking classes. He has been involved with apprenticeships since a young age when he was once enrolled in a German baking apprenticeship in Dusseldorf, Germany. Much later in his career, as an executive chef, he initiated a formal ACF apprenticeship program at the University Club of MU in Columbia, Missouri, where he eventually graduated five apprentices. He also served for a term on the ACF national apprenticeship committee and was a contributing author to the “Baking and Pastry Module of National Apprenticeship Training Program for Cooks,” published by American Technical Publishers.

ACF’s Apprenticeship Programs

Interested in starting an apprenticeship program at your establishment? ACFEF has the tools for you to start a training program and become an ACFEF-recognized apprenticeship program.

The ACF currently offers three levels of training for apprentices. Once finished, apprentices can earn a different level of certification depending on the program. The levels are:

• Fundamentals Cook, which requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of on-the-job training, coupled with 90 hours of related instruction with the end goal of earning the ACF Certified Fundamentals Cook or ACF Certified Fundamentals Pastry Cook at completion.

• Culinarian, which requires a minimum of 2,000 hours of on-the-job training, coupled with 240 hours of related instruction with the end goal of earning the ACF Certified Culinarian or ACF Certified Pastry Culinarian.

• Sous Chef, which requires a minimum of 4,000 hours of on-the-job training, coupled with 420 hours of related instruction with the end goal of earning the ACF Certified Sous Chef or ACF Certified Working Pastry Chef.

Breaking down and cooking Maine Lobster at Westmoreland County Community College (left) and techniques of building flavors in fall soups with Chef Chrystal Tatum, CEC (right), are two examples of finer points taught to apprentices before they put them into practice on the job.

ACF PIKES PEAK CHAPTER CO023

By John Bartimole

The ACF Pikes Peak Chapter, recipient of the 2022 ACF Western Region Chapter of the Year Award, is one of the longest-running chapters in the country, tracing its history back more than 40 years to the late 1970s.

The chapter — now the only remaining one in the state of Colorado following the close of the Denver chapter during the height of the pandemic — is expanding its offerings to fill the void and to continue to provide education, training and philanthropy to the community.

A centerpiece of that philanthropy is the chapter’s yearly Passport Event, a tasting event that raises money for a specific charity. This year, the chapter was able to revive the event, which had been dormant due to the pandemic, with a creative twist.

“We decided to expand the passport idea to create a pseudoairport where attendees had to go through security, walk up a gangplank, etc., to visit the 13 chefs and restaurants who were displaying their goods,” says Chef John Casto III, CEC , Pikes Peak chapter president. “We sold 260 tickets to the event, and we could have sold many more, but we were at capacity. It was great watching our guests walk from chef to chef, getting their ‘passports’ stamped as they visited each. It was a wonderful opportunity for our chefs to demonstrate their skills, and, importantly, we were able to raise $5,000 to give to the Skills Academy [Vocational Center] in Colorado Springs. The

The Pikes Peak Chapter Officers

President

Chef John Casto III, CEC

Vice President

Chef Bill Thompson

Chairman of the Board

Chef Matthew Richardson, CEC

Secretary

Chef John Jakeman, CEC

Treasurer and AAC Chair

Chef Jacqueline Hamilton, CEC, AAC

Sergeant of Arms

Chef Angie Hopkins

Endowment Chair

Chef Kathy Anderson, CC®

academy works with developmentally disabled adults to teach life skills, including cooking.”

Culinary School Connections

Chef Casto recognizes the challenges facing his chapter and the industry in general, and he and his fellow members work to address those issues.

“I’ve turned over my whole staff twice in just the last three weeks,” he says. “And supply chain issues continue — I haven’t been able to get a turkey in two weeks.”

But one of the more vexing — and pressing — problems the chapter must address, he says, is the dwindling number of educational institutions teaching culinary arts.

“Pueblo Community College will no longer offer the culinary arts in its curriculum,” Chef Casto says. “We implored them not to close the program. Even Johnson & Wales discontinued its program in Denver.”

At last year’s Pike Peak chapter holiday party, Angie Hopkins (center, wearing the medallion) was awarded with the chapter’s ACF Student Chef of the Year title.

Chapter leaders are working with Pueblo Community College to convince the college to reassess that status. “We very much hope they come back,” Chef Casto says. “We have offered to begin an apprenticeship program for the college, and we just received a grant for that program.”

Casting a Wider Net

Still, with the number of educational avenues dwindling, Chef Casto knows it’s important for the chapter to recruit newcomers to the industry. “So, it’s incumbent upon us to really emphasize attracting young people to the profession,” he says. “We look for the passion in their eyes and bring them into the culinary arts. And we very much stress the importance of ACF certification. In fact, our chapter has had 16 chefs who have received certification in the last couple of years.”

Chef Casto recognizes the importance of casting a wider net and being as inclusive as possible. Even amid a return to in-person events, “it only seems logical to have meetings available on Zoom,” he says. “And that’s brought some moderate success. We’re also trying to do meet-and-greets at certain locations to continue to expand our reach.” In October 2021, the chapter held a meeting in Denver to cater to the displaced Denver chapter members.

“One of the core values of the ACF is networking,” he adds. “And we are reaching out to include as many of our Colorado chefs as possible.”

Continuing Education

Chef Casto also recognizes the importance of continuing education for his members.

“Our demonstration programs are very popular and successful,” he says. “We held a really good butcher class and an excellent ravioli-making class. It was great to see the chefs getting their hands on the pasta and seeing and experiencing the process from start to finish.”

For Chef Casto, being a chef — and the thread that continues to connect chefs — is all about the camaraderie and the networking.

“Let’s face it,” he says. “Chefs are chefs. That’s what we are. We understand each other. We know the challenges. Our profession is real, it’s honest and it’s meaningful. We are in it for people and food and helping each other. The connection we make with food and with each other is powerful. We are always looking at how can we impact our colleagues and our community day today.”

At the Pikes Peak chapter’s annual Passport Event for charity, guests went throuh a pseudo-airport security checkpoint; Chapter President John Casto, CEC (top row, third from left) with chapter members and guest chefs at a recent event.

PERFECTING PLATING

Current trends inform the presentation choices chefs make today //

By Jody Shee

Functionality and practicality have caught up with artform as the main considerations in modern plating technique. Today, perfect plating still involves the creative process — but also taking into consideration current industry challenges.

ACF Chef Rich Rosendale, CMC, chief vision officer for Leesburg, Virginia-based Rosendale Collective, which includes a restaurant, classes, culinary lab and catering, first thinks practically when it comes to modern plating techniques. While there’s still an appreciation for technique, he is more apt to apply fermentation, dry aging or sous vide, for example,

to get the texture he’s looking for — all applied prior to actual plating. “Now there aren’t as many steps, but it still looks extraordinary,” he says.

This is a marked difference from his time as an apprentice and sous chef at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. “It was a different normal back then,” he says. “We were doing high-end, labor-intensive dishes

From left: Loup de Mer & Grapes; Chorizo-Stuffed Quail; and Sole a la Walewska by ACF Chef Carlos Villanueva.

with a lot of components and where a lot of technique went into them.”

The pandemic, food supply issues, soaring food costs and labor challenges of today “weigh in on plate presentation in a bigger way than they ever have in my career,” he says.

For a recent catered event, to create a safer — but still playful — selfservice option, Chef Rosendale set up a dessert buffet by working with a local woodworker to make a table-size puzzle platter that allowed the chef to plate each dessert on its own puzzle piece for the guest to break off and take away.

AU NATUREL

At all costs, Chef Jhonnatan Contreras, executive chef at the hotel

InterContinental Miami, avoids putting anything fake on the plate. In his view, everything should be natural, including coloring. “I’m against plastic or fabric or anything industrial,” he says. That means no food coloring. Rather, all colors should come from plants.

Once, for an aquarium-themed Make-A-Wish Foundation Ball held at his hotel, Chef Contreras sourced blueberries and wavy white cabbage to create a seaside look. He also molded “shells” out of natural ingredients like dehydrated potatoes, tapioca and pasta.

Chef Nicco Muratore, executive chef for the Seattle-based, six-unit Mama Restaurant Group, favors a less-forced, more natural plating style. “I have watched plating trends evolve from stylized sauce swooshes and dots around the plate to a more relaxed fluidity,” he says. “I like to let the ingredients fall on the plate and look more natural rather than think this dot must go here.”

His own plating thinking follows what the guest wants to and will experience when eating the dish. “In the early 2000s, it was challenging to eat. Sauce was spread on the plate with a paint brush,

Clockwise from left: Jhonnatan Contreras, executive chef at the InterContinental Miami hotel, plating 24K gold grilled Wagyu beef tenderloin with truffle demi-glace potato pave and golden oyster mushrooms; close-up of the main entree for the 2021 Make-A-Wish-Ball; "pine-apple" made with roasted pineapple compte, coconut mousse and almond sponge cake and served witih Chateu d'Yquem, by Chef Rich Rosendale, CMC.

but it wasn’t practical,” he says. “It’s nice when it looks pretty, but it must taste good and make sense.” He uses an offset spatula to slide a dollop of sauce across the plate and might top it with the entrée so that each bite includes the noticeable sauce flavor.

Garnishes also must make sense and add texture and flavor rather than simply bring visual appeal, Chef Muratore says. Levantine and Persian cuisines — which Chef Muratore’s restaurants showcase — use a lot of herbs and shallots, so he often garnishes plates with a fine-chopped herb mixture of parsley, mint and dill or tarragon, basil, mint and scallions. For a delicious crunchy garnish, he deep-fries shallots or a mix of sunflower seeds and pepitas. He also puffs bulgur in the deep fryer for pops of crunch.

THE PLATE AS A CANVAS

In an artistic sense, less is more, so decluttered plates are trendier now, says Sacramento, California-based Chef Mai Pham , founder of Star Ginger and Lemon Grass restaurants featuring Southeast Asian cuisine. In upscale dining, she has noticed the use of larger, beautifully handmade plates with smaller portions of food plated off to the side rather than in the center, she says.

Chef Pham also considers how the plating will look on Instagram, which partially dictates her style — whether it’s the photo she posts on Instagram or ones that guests will post from their tables. “The picture has to be strong, and the subject must be clear instantly,” she says.

As Instagram is a global platform, Chef Contreras is keenly aware that guests post photos that can affect his reputation around the world. Thus, he makes sure his dish looks good from all angles, not knowing which one the guest will take when snapping a shot.

PURPOSEFUL STORYBOARDING

The “tell a story” trend sweeping the restaurant, food and other industries also dictates how some chefs plate their food. ACF Chef Carlos Villanueva ,

Chef Nicco Muratore, executive chef for six-unit Mama Restaurant Group, Seattle, plates a spice-crusted lamb loin dish (left); A close-up of the dish, which also features tahini and baba ganoush (credit: American Lamb Board).

corporate executive chef for bakery group Lantmannen Unibake in St. Petersburg, Florida, considers that guests visit fine dining restaurants not because they need to eat but because they want to enjoy the experience. “It’s a show; they are spending money on food, and they want to be entertained,” he says. He wants guests to walk away with a good experience they will tell others about.

Chef Villanueva finds it’s best when dish inspiration comes from a personal experience or from something in nature. For example, as a child, his grandmother frequently took him into the garden, and he’d come back inside tracking soil through the house. So, he makes a beet salad in which he presents beets in various forms on the plate, including beet greens, beet gels, mouses, whole and sliced. “I may also include black edible soil thrown on the dish as representative of tracking in dirt.” Then he tells his grandmother’s story.

“Once you have your story, consider what plating style and eating experience you want to go after,” he says, adding that there must be a reason behind each ingredient.

In a broader sense, plating is part of a show, Chef Villanueva believes. Plating, aromas and actions all play a part. “The moment the guests sit [at the table] to when they leave are all a part of plating,” he says.

Top: Mai Pham, chef/founder of Star Ginger and Lemon Grass restaurants in Sacramento, California (above); As an edible garnish for this Crispy Noodle Pillow with Ginger Prawn and Scallop Stir Fry, Chef Pham adds mustard flowers on top (below).

THE HUMBLE SWEET POTATO FOR THE HOLIDAYS

By ACF Chef Jennifer Hill Booker

When you talk about holiday menus in the South, and Thanksgiving in particular, you have to talk about the sides. In my opinion, the sides are the star of the show. Yes, there is usually a big, beautifully roasted turkey, chicken or goose for the traditionalists among us — and perhaps a ham, roast or turducken for those more adventurous. But what’s turkey without cornbread dressing or bread stuffing and gravy and cranberry sauce? Since there are so many “must haves” on a Southern Thanksgiving dinner table, it’s hard to pick just one. I’ve decided to focus on the ingredient I feel to be the most versatile and the humblest of them all: the sweet potato. Let’s explore what a sweet potato is, where it came from and what it has to offer.

Sweet potatoes are native to South America. Although Native Americans were growing sweet potatoes when Christopher Columbus came to America in 1492, these veggies grew in Peru as early as 750 B.C. and were introduced to Africa in the 1600s via Portuguese trade routes. Enslaved Africans in the Americas began calling the indigenous sweet potato "yam" because it was very similar in size and taste to the food staple they knew in West Africa. Throughout the American South, the words “yam” and “sweet potato” are often used interchangeably in conversation, but in cooking, and even at the supermarket, they really are two different vegetables. Both are root vegetables, but they belong to two different plant families. The yam is related to the lily, while a sweet potato is from the morning glory family and has slightly fewer calories, a bit more vitamin C and three times the amount of antioxidant-rich beta carotene.

Now that we’ve covered the origin of the sweet potato, let’s talk about why it’s the perfect ingredient for your Thanksgiving menu. Often referred to as “poor man’s food,” sweet potatoes are popular for their versatility, vibrant color, natural sweetness and affordability. Many Southerners — myself included — have delicious food memories starring the sweet potato because it can be used in both savory and sweet dishes, most often

baked, mashed or fried. And when pureed, it can be used in soups, stews and chilis, as well as in baked goods and desserts. Of course, most of this potato’s claim to fame comes from memories of sweet potato pie and sweet potato casserole. Both are packed full of pureed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cream and lovely spices like cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Although I do love both of those desserts, my favorite way to eat a sweet potato is baked in its skin and topped with a big pat of butter and a heaping teaspoon of brown sugar. Plus, I always bake extra potatoes so that I can turn them into sweet potato muffins and sweet potato crepes with brown sugar butter to enjoy later on. So, when you plan your holiday menus this year, consider making new food memories by adding the humble sweet potato. Your taste buds will thank you.

ACF Chef Jennifer Hill Booker is the owner of the recently opened Bauhaus Biergarten in Springdale, Arkansas, and author of “Field Peas to Foie Gras: Southern Recipes with a French Accent” and “Dinner Déjà Vu: Southern Tonight, French Tomorrow.” She is a James Beard Foundation Impact Fellow and president of the Les Dames d'Escoffier Atlanta chapter. Visit chefjenniferhillbooker.com for her sweet potato muffins and sweet potato crepes recipes and to learn more.

DOING THE RIGHT THING

Chefs, farmers and organizations are working collaboratively for both planet and human health //

By Amanda Baltazar

Chefs are paying attention to the environment, and that focus is taking many forms. They’re reducing waste, supporting regenerative agriculture or simply sourcing better products.

They’re doing it not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because it’s resonating with diners. According to technology company IBM, 70% of consumers will pay 35% more for sustainable options.

Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is considered one of the biggest solutions to climate change, but what is it?

Put simply, it’s a way of farming that aims to create healthy soil through a circular system, whereby land is well-managed and cared for. Healthy soil leads to more nutritious food and can capture more carbon from the air. This differs slightly from organic farming, which simply means not using harmful chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides.

Farmer Lee Jones, a presenter at the ACF National Convention this year, is a farmer at The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio. He’s been farming regeneratively for more than 35 years — as long as he’s been selling to chefs.

“People are coming here because they want to support family farms doing things the right way,” he says.

And while it may be counterintuitive to ship vegetables — albeit regeneratively grown veggies — across the country, Jones says it’s necessary, for now. “We need to be able to do enough business to stay in business and grow product the right way.”

Beyond the environmental benefits of regenerative agriculture, food grown this way is also better for humans, he says. The nutritional content of produce has declined 50% to 80% since 1920, according to Jones. He’s working to change that in what he grows, planting specific species of vegetables to replace missing minerals in the soil. “It’s working in harmony with nature rather than trying to replace it,” he says.

Zero Foodprint

Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz established Zero Foodprint, a nonprofit aiming to mobilize climate change solutions, in 2014 with the goal of supporting regenerative agriculture.

Almost 100 restaurants are now signed up with the San Francisco-based nonprofit, mostly independently

Farmer Lee Jones’ regenerative farm outside of Cleveland (left); One of the many sustainably-grown crops from the farm (right).

operated businesses but also a Subway franchise in Colorado.

These restaurants typically add 1% to diners’ checks, and that money goes toward supporting regenerative and sustainable farmers and ranchers. So, for example, say the check was $100. It would become $101, but diners can ask for the 1% to be removed (although they rarely do). Other restaurants have other methods, such as raising overall menu prices by 1%.

Almost all of a restaurant’s carbon footprint comes from the ingredients it uses, Myint says, with more carbon footprint coming from conventional meat and products shipped great distances. Of course, gas equipment, hoods and other factors do come into play.

San Francisco-based Flour+Water Hospitality Group operates two restaurants and a pasta shop and is committed to sustainable sourcing and practices.

The reasons are twofold: for the health of the planet, “but we also want to put the best possible products out in the restaurant,” says Vice President and Co-Executive Chef Ryan Pollnow

It’s very important to Chef Pollnow and his founding partner, Chef Thomas McNaughton , co-executive chef and CEO, to support Zero Foodprint. “We’re being part of the solution,” he says.

The company buys produce from small local farms and has transitioned to organic products. And there are benefits to the restaurant, too, beyond knowing it’s doing the right thing: “A carrot is not just a carrot,” Chef McNaughton says. “There’s an intensity of flavor that comes from produce grown in healthy soil.”

It’s an important practice at Flour+Water to use every part of each fruit and vegetable. The company does this through various methods. For example, chefs use discarded pits from peaches and other stone fruits (with some of the fruit flesh still attached) to make vinegar. The chefs also prefer a natural look to vegetables instead of traditional dice cuts, for full utilization, and they pickle any excess veggies. “We honor that produce,” Chef Pollnow says.

It requires a lot more flexibility to run a restaurant company this way. “That’s why we have constantly changing menus,” Chef McNaughton says.

It’s a lot of work. “On every given night,” he says, “we could be emailing five or eight farms just to get produce in the next few days. [But] putting in that extra work is worth it when the end result is supporting people and helping them raise products in a sustainable manner.”

No Stone Unturned

Eco-conscious cooking is Chef Daniel Asher’s passion. He’s the executive chef/partner at Working Title Food Group, which has five restaurants in Colorado and one in Idaho, and is chef/founder of EcoChef Culinary, a catering and consulting company.

He ties his passion for the environment into every single thing he does. “I have a high level of stewardship for all the tiny micro decisions that create a successful experience for the guest. I look at

Counter-clockwise from top: culinary students at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, put the finishing touches on a dish using sustainably sourced ingredients; the school recently launched a Sustainable Food Systems concentration program; Farmer Lee Jones at The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio.

who we are purchasing ingredients from, what’s their story, their mission and purpose and how does that tie into us and wellness of the planet, people and our food systems.”

And that, he says, is exciting for a chef. “That’s where true creativity is: how to take something you’d normally discard and use it for something that has value. Herb stems, vegetable trimmings and other plant parts can be easily incorporated into sauces, crackers, breads, pestos; and potato peelings can be oven-dried and seasoned to be used as a crispy salad topping or bar snack.”

It’s extremely important to Chef Asher to source properly, or “obsessively,” as he says. He looks for people nearby who are doing the right thing, be it in raising animals, growing vegetables, making products without GMOs or just being local so that shipping is eliminated or reduced. And he looks for artisans he can work with, too. For example, he buys his ketchup from Elevation Ketchup, whose products are small-batch and made with local ingredients, which means he’s supporting an artisan company while saving time on making ketchup himself.

“You have all these amazing connections in your community,” Chef Asher says. “It’s all about building those threads and having a dialogue about how we can sustain each other.”

Planet Health Education

ACF Chef/Instructor Branden J. Lewis, Ed.D., CEC, Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, has spearheaded a new degree program devoted to sustainable food systems.

The Sustainable Food Systems four year major was developed for J&W students who want to make a difference in food systems. The major involves studying the environmental, social, economic and political elements of sustainability and issues such as food equity, food waste and social justice. Students opting for this major might end up in careers as food strategists, policy makers, nonprofit professionals, sustainability officers or something similar.

Some students opt to combine the Sustainable Food Systems major with a minor in culinary sustainability, which

appeals mostly to students wanting to be chefs. This helps them be aware of everything from the food chain to packaging, Chef Lewis says. “Those are humongous skill sets that employers today are looking for.”

It’s not just about food, he adds, but about treating people right and paying fair wages. “We’re teaching [our students] not to be a top-down leader but a partner in their community and working within their food system’s capacity to endure.”

It’s essential to teach students to care for our planet through sustainability, careful sourcing, reducing waste and all other systems, Chef Lewis says. “This program gives you a moral compass when you’re a chef.”

Chef Daniel Asher, executive chef/partner of Working Title Food Group, focuses on sourcing sustainably and using all parts of plants in his dishes.

Classical

Chef Andre Ellis, CEC , an ACF certified evaluator, a member of the Southwestern Virginia chapter and the executive chef of the Lynchburg, Virginiabased Boonsboro Country Club for the last 18 years, chose to showcase a classic Jamaican oxtail stew from his heritage. “Around Christmas time, this would be a dish we eat, along with jerk chicken and curry goat,” says Chef Ellis, a native of St. Anne, Jamaica, who immigrated to the U.S. 23 years ago (joining the staff at Boonsboro around that time) after working at major hotels in Kingston and Montego Bay. At the club, “It’s great to be able to keep this tradition alive.” Not to mention, he adds, more clients have been requesting the oxtail dish. To make it, Chef Ellis first rinses the oxtail with cool running water and tosses the oxtail in lemon juice and distilled vinegar (an old habit from Jamaica to remove any potential bacteria and also add flavor). He then combines chopped carrots, onions, scallions, garlic, fresh thyme, ginger, salt, pepper, brown sugar, a bit of scotch bonnet pepper and oil with the meat and lets the mixture marinate for at least an hour or two before browning everything in the oven. Draining the meat and veggies from the rendered fat, Chef Ellis then adds the mixture to a big pot over a hot skillet, adding filtered water for a two- to threehour braise. Toward the end of the cooking, Chef Ellis adds some pre-soaked, precooked (or canned) lima beans (broad butter beans as they’re referred to in Jamaica), which helps thicken the stew. The tender meat and vegetables are traditionally served with a side of sauteed cabbage, steamed white rice and fried plantains.

Modern

For a modern deconstructed Jamaican oxtail dish , Chef Ellis debones the oxtail, seasoning the meat with salt, pepper, garlic, a little paprika, fresh thyme, scotch bonnet pepper and scallions before rolling up the mixture in a cylinder shape, vacuum-sealing and sous vide cooking it for six hours at 135 F. The sauce is made in a manner similar to its classical counterpart, but here, Chef Ellis uses discarded bones from the oxtail. “I brown the bone off with mirepoix, then deglaze the pot with red wine and add beef stock, thickening [the stock] with a little agar.” For plating, Chef Ellis separately purees cooked butter beans and carrots and creates a disc out of alternating “lines” of the purees using piping bags; he then freezes the disc, thawing slightly before plating. That becomes the base, topped with the cooked oxtail and paired with a slice of fried plantain and some coconut-turmeric rice made by cooking rice in coconut water, coconut milk, salt, pepper, turmeric and curry spice. He fills a leaf mold with cooked cassava root for another garnish, paired with microgreens, radish slices and edible orchids for extra color.

For recipes, visit wearechefs.com

CLASSICAL

CLASSICAL MODERN vs.

Pizza! Pizza!

Bakers and consultants are reinvigorating the pandemic- and recession-proof favorite with new dough innovations, plant-based options and more.

Liz Barrett Foster

Pizza and its varied crusts are currently going through a transitional phase. While some pizza doughs have gotten thicker and more comforting, others have slimmed down or boosted their nutritional value. Factors such as a renewed interest in health and pizza’s deliverability are affecting the change. Here, with the help of several pizza experts and chefs, we’ll look at a few of the ways pizza crusts are trending and innovating.

The Pandemic Effect

Pizza has always been one of America’s favorite foods. Suddenly, pizza’s deliverability and customization became more important starting in 2020. The change resulted in a noticeable shift in consumer tastes. Not only were people trying different styles of pizza, but they wanted the quality of those pizzas to be on point.

“The pandemic was both a catalyst and an accelerant for guest choices in dough,” says John Arena (pictured above), coowner of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. “The industry was already moving toward a takeout model, and the need for takeoutfriendly dough that would maintain its integrity from oven to consumer became more crucial. Even some diehard Neapolitanstyle pizza makers began modifying dough formulas to create travel-friendly products.”

Consumer orders of pizza increased from one pizza per week to two or three per week during the pandemic, according to Chef Tony Gemignani , a 13-time World Pizza Champion and owner of several pizza concepts including Slice House and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco and Pizza Rock in Las Vegas. “If you had options on a menu during COVID, you did well because people wanted options,” Chef Gemignani says. “When customers ordered more, they tried new types of pizza. Suddenly, they started buying the Detroits, trying the grandmas,

Peter Reinhart, a baker, educator, pizza dough consultant and author of 13 books on bread (credit: Peter Taylor).

going to that guy that did Sicilians. Those pizzas started to become somebody's favorite.”

Peter Reinhart , a baker, educator, pizza dough consultant and author of 13 books on bread and pizza believes Neapolitan “is phenomenal when it's done right. New York-style is phenomenal when it's done right,” he says. “Those styles are not going away, but people are also always on the search for something new and different.”

Thicker and Airier

The rise in delivery orders resulted in a demand for pizzas to stay hotter longer and reheat easier. Neapolitan pizzas, best enjoyed fresh out of the oven on-site, often took a backseat to thicker pizzas such as Detroit-style and Sicilian. Not only do thicker pizzas stay hotter during transport, but they tend to be easier for consumers to reheat the next day.

Regional styles, which have been growing in popularity for several years, continue to gain traction, with Pizza Hut U.S.’s chief brand officer, David Graves, telling CNBC in 2021 that Detroit-style pizza is the fastest growing trend in pizza.

“Pizza makers have become absolutely obsessed with pushing the limits of hydration,” says Santa Monica, California-based pizza consultant Noel Brohner. “As dough takes on more water, the pizza becomes lighter and airier with a more open crumb.”

Michael Kalanty is an independent R&D contractor and author of “How to Bake Bread: The Five Families of Bread.” He worked with Delfina Restaurant in San Francisco to create a light-and-airy focaccia table bread that the restaurant used as a base for pizzas and sandwiches that were sold out of a walkup window while the restaurant was redesigned this summer. “We’re turning it into pizza al metro presentations,” says Kalanty, referencing an oblong-shaped pizza that can be as long in length (pizza by the meter) as desired, “topping it with guanciale, broccolini and red peppers and toasting it.” Because of its ease of transport, Kalanty says he can imagine the pizza al metro style working in places that cater to a mobile crowd, such as airports.

Quick-Proof Dough

It’s normal for pizza dough to take two to five days to rise, right? However, in today’s fast-paced “need-it-yesterday” environment with shrinking kitchens, smaller staffs and less

From top: A lox and bagel pizza by California-based pizza consultant Noel Brohner (credit: Pizza Quest); Brohner at his home; Michael Kalanty, an independent R&D contractor and author experiments with a light-and-airy foccacia as the base for pizzas.

room for refrigeration, many pizza makers don’t have time to wait. Enter the four-hour ferment.

Chef Gemignani says that when he first heard about a four-hour dough ferment that pizza and bakery consultant Tiziano Casillo was using, it went against everything he had been trained to do. “Long fermentation was always considered better,” Chef Gemignani says. “Yeast feeds on simple sugar. Your dough is lighter and airier. The longer you mature it, the more flavor and texture it will have.”

However, when Chef Gemignani tried the four-hour dough, he says, he was amazed. “I took a team to Bergamo, Italy, in 2018, to meet Casillo and his collaborator and translator Oxana Bokta, where they were working on the four-hour dough called scrocchiarella, which means ‘crunchy’ in Italian,” he says. Now, Chef Gemignani has been introducing the concept to fellow pizza makers who may be limited on space and/or are making focaccias, paninis, Roman-style pizza or any other chef-driven artisan-style pizza in their operation.

So what’s the magic? How does it ferment in four hours? Chef Gemignani says the flour is the key. “There’s a natural sourdough starter in the flour, helping it to pre-ferment,” he says.

Advanced fermentation techniques are just another way pizza makers are improving flavor, texture, aroma and even shelf life, according to Brohner. “Sometimes this means a longer ferment, while in other cases pizza makers are exploring preferments like sourdough, poolish and biga,” he says.

Healthier Pizza Dough

Some pizza makers are experimenting with “healthier” pizza options, such as those with crusts that are gluten-free or made with whole-grains, low-carb/high-protein blends and even plants (aka cauliflower). Consumers are increasingly interested in natural and organic ingredients in pizza, too. In fact, 64% of consumers seek out foods made with clean ingredients, according to “Consumer Perspectives on Food Ingredients,” a survey of more than 1,000 consumers conducted by the International Food Information Council in May 2021.

Just like the growing list of functional beverages that target gut health, some pizza is getting the functional treatment. Prebiotic and probiotic pizza flour is an emerging trend, according to Kalanty. “Prebiotics and other functional additives are getting good reception in indulgent categories like pizza,” he says.

Gluten-free pizza shows no signs of slowing down either. At Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco, Chef Gemignani says the pizzeria sells hundreds of gluten-free pizzas per week. “Vegan is not quite as popular as gluten-free, but it’s on its way,” he says. “The vegan world is making a move, with new pizza toppings like cup-and-char pepperoni. At the same time,

Above: Chef Tony Gemigani shows off one of his award-winning pizzas at his restaurant, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco (credit: Sarah Inloes); Below: Various pies by award-winning Chef Tony Gemigani (credit: Sarah Inloes).

everyone’s also looking for ancient grains, simplified grains, naturally leavened doughs and sourdoughs.”

For pizzerias wanting to mimic what’s happening in retail with vegetable-forward crusts such as yeast-free and wheat-free cauliflower, Reinhart says that pizzerias can offer the crust to further differentiate themselves, especially if they’d like to be popular within the vegan or vegetarian communities. “Pizzerias can make plantbased or gluten-free crusts ahead of time and freeze them,” he says. “This way it doesn’t interfere with the production flow.”

Yeast-intolerant pizza lovers may want to keep up with researchers from the University of Naples Federico II as they experiment with leavening pizza dough without yeast. As documented in the journal “Physics of Fluids,” a team of researchers has found that by placing prepared dough in a hot autoclave designed to raise temperature and pressure, gas can then be dissolved into the dough, making bubbles form as pressure is released during baking.

The Local Angle

Consumer interest in locally sourced foods continues to grow, with concerns about cost and a desire to know where food comes from. Reinhart says he’s seen the effects, with more house-milled, locally milled or regionally grown flour used for pizza dough lately. “If [the flour] is not 100% local, then it is at least partially,” he says. “Ancient grains and perceived healthier organically grown grains are also back as part of the sustainability movement.” Pizzerias can add extra excitement to the menu by featuring trending grains such as quinoa or freekeh in their crusts, according to Reinhart. “It tastes good and shows the effort you’re putting in to help people enjoy their pizza,” he says. “Anything you add to your pizza has to make sense from a flavor standpoint and a functional standpoint.”

Kalanty says that while consumers and operators continue to show interest in locally sourced ingredients and commodities, such as flour, what’s more important than the locally sourced aspect is that the flour is product-identified. “You can go to your purveyor, and they can say, ‘Yes, this is the flour that we got from Farmer Bob from this farm in this

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle?

Growing technology allows manufacturers to take the spent grain from breweries and other manufacturing processes and turn it into flour for baked goods like pizza. In the past, spent grain was used for compost or animal feed. Today, new sustainable options are possible with this readily available asset. Pizzeria Paradiso in Washington, D.C., utilizes spent brewery grain in its Brewer’s Pizza Crust, and Shuggie’s Trash Pie in San Francisco utilizes spent oat flour (taken from the grain remaining after oat milk is processed) in its Casino pizza.

Acapulco Gold pizza by Justin DeLeon of Apollonia’s Pizza in Los Angeles (credit: Pizza Quest).

season,’ and Farmer Bob can confirm that everything has been accurately traced,” Kalanty says.

The world of artisanal bread has had a major impact on pizza dough, according to Arena. “What was largely a very simple process in most pizzerias is now guided by science and a much higher level of proficiency,” he says. “Methods such as bulk fermentation, pre-ferments, natural leavening, improved mixing and flour blending are now common in many pizzerias. Even consumers are now conscious of these methods and ask about them.”

Keeping Comfortable

Pizza will always be considered a comfort food. And while it can be comforting with vegan cheese and veggies on top, it’s perhaps most comforting with a bit of extra fat thrown in for good measure. The trends toward using cup-and-char pepperoni that holds a bit of grease and making thicker, fluffier crusts that cradle hand-pulled mozzarella or freshly grated cheddar are becoming the norm.

Pour Me a Pizza

Vlogger @emmymade uses a style similar to a Dutch baby pancake; recipes usually involve mixing flour, salt, eggs and milk before pouring the mixture in a hot cast iron skillet or baking pan and parbaking the dough in the oven at 425 F. Once the crust is firm and golden, it’s topped with sauce, cheese and anything else before being returned to the oven to finish.

For a bit more indulgence, some chefs are adding animal fats into the dough, too. Take for example Brohner’s lox and cream cheese pizza. In it, he replaces the olive oil in a New Yorkstyle dough with rendered chicken fat (schmaltz).

“I think that schmaltz adds a depth of flavor, color and texture that you don’t get from olive oil… or even butter,” Brohner says. “Like

the chefs I consult for, I don't like to waste anything, so instead of discarding the chicken jus and schmaltz left over after roasting a chicken, I found a way to use them in dough. It’s delicious but not a flavor that most people recognize.”

Infusing cheese right into the dough also adds fat and flavor. Reinhart created something called an embedded cheese method for the owner of Mash’d in Texas, who wanted to add a Detroit-style pizza into a restaurant setting. In the recipe, Reinhart adds some of the Wisconsin brick cheese on the dough before it rises, and then allows the dough to rise around the cheese. “The cheese becomes part of the dough and is protected by the dough, so it doesn’t burn,” Reinhart says. “It creates a very creamy, buttery quality in the crust, elevating it.”

Pushing the Envelope

Technology doesn’t end with TVs and telephones. Pizza dough is ready

Chefs are using the bounty of the seasons, including Chef Tony Gemignani for his cast iron tomato and mint pizza (credit: Pizza Quest).

for tech-driven innovations, too. Brohner is wrapping up a consulting project with a team of former rocket scientists (former SpaceX engineers who jumped ship to launch Stellar Pizza, which uses a robotic food truck to make pizza of the future). “Of course, the lack of human interaction meant the dough had to be bulletproof — after all, robots cannot easily adjust to the constant changes in the dough-making process the way a human baker can,” Brohner says. “After overcoming lots of unique challenges, the company is finally launching to the public, and the pizza has been well received.”

Along with streamlined systems and increases in technology comes a need for more consistency in dough, as well. “As dough becomes more process-driven, the need for technology has increased in order to produce consistent results,” Arena says. “More operators are using water meters, chillers and purification systems. Standard planetary all-purpose mixers are giving way to dough-specific mixers such as spiral or fork mixers.”

New trends, innovations and game-changing dough possibilities will forever be introduced to the pizza world through social media, trade shows and cookbooks. Understanding how to implement these new techniques and deciding which ones will excite your kitchen and customers will likely keep you up at night. Trust in trial and error and take comfort in knowing that most consumers love trying something new, even for a limited time.

Regional Pizza Styles

Pizza crust styles used to be a regional phenomenon but are quickly spreading across the world thanks to social media. Here are a few examples, which all sport a distinguishable crust. New York Style – large, foldable slices

Sicilian – thick, airy crust with high sides and a crunchy base

Detroit Style –similar in style to Sicilian, but notable for its Wisconsin brick cheese that’s caramelized around the edges

Chicago Deep Dish – round, thick, filling pizza, topped with sauce and sometimes a top layer of dough

Chicago Tavern (“party-cut”) –super thin round pizza cut into squares

New Haven Pizza – similar to New York-style pizza, but baked in a coalfire oven, lending a unique char and smoky flavor

St. Louis Style –crust style is like a Chicago Tavern crust, but topped with a local cheese called Provel Quad Cities Style – this crust features malt in it and is cut into strips instead of triangles

Grandma – a thin version of Sicilian-style pizza with a crunchy, buttery crust

Pizza afficionado Liz Barrett Foster is the author of “Pizza: A Slice of American History.” She is also the former editor-in-chief of PMQ Pizza Magazine and is a regular contributor to National Culinary Review.

Kitchen Guardians

If it’s true the armed services run on their stomachs, then members of the United States Coast Guard may be some of the best fed. Perhaps that’s because it has the rare honor of boasting both ACF’s 2022 National Chef of the Year and National Pastry Chef of the Year award winners in the same service.

Culinary Specialist First Class Petty Officer Danielle Hughes (Chef of the Year) and Culinary Specialist Chief Petty Officer Troy Matthew Shaw (Pastry Chef of the Year) earned those coveted titles at ACF’s National Convention, marking a remarkable dual accomplishment.

Both followed a not-so-direct route to their careers but ultimately found their passion in that service and in the galley.

“I tried out a few colleges, and to be honest, I could find no direction at all,” Chef Hughes says. “My dad pushed me to join the Coast Guard, telling me it had a lot to offer, including the opportunity to travel. Not only did it give me tremendous travel opportunities, it also opened the door to my culinary career.”

A 10-year veteran of the Coast Guard and graduate of the Coast Guard’s Culinary Program, Chef Hughes says that completing the program “was the best decision I ever made. I don’t have a culinary degree. I got all of my experience from the Coast Guard. The opportunity, training and possibilities are endless. If you put in the work, you’ll be able to go far.”

Chef Shaw, a 16-year veteran of the Coast Guard, found his way toward the kitchen early, as well. “I attended a small culinary school in Houston — Culinary Institute Lenotre — and I worked in the restaurant industry for a while, including owning and operating a small cafe for a couple of years,” he says, before joining the Coast Guard.

He ended up leaving the Coast Guard — but not permanently — and dipped his toe back into the culinary world, obtaining a working visa and studying the art of cooking in Paris. “When I returned from Paris, I was more focused and rejoined the Coast Guard and was able to pick up the advanced education program offered by the service,” Chef Shaw says. “I went to the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, with the Coast Guard paying for my education.”

Culinary Specialist First Class Petty Officer Danielle Hughes and Culinary Specialist Chief Petty Officer Troy Matthew Shaw, United States Coast Guard // B y John Bartimole

"I got all of my experience from the Coast Guard. The opportunity, training and possibilities are endless."

Culinary Specialist First Class Petty Officer Danielle Hughes

Chef Shaw earned a bachelor’s degree in baking and pastry arts and began his tour as a Coast Guard culinary instructor in Petaluma, California, where he was stationed for three years.

While Chef Hughes’ current and primary duty is cooking as the enlisted aid to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, she looks back fondly on her seven years at sea, when she cooked for her shipmates.

“Food is a big part of morale on a ship,” she says. “We gather around food, and the opportunity to create for my fellow service members is very rewarding.”

Chef Shaw agrees that on a ship, “the galley is the morale. For a moment, they can let go of that feeling of missing their families or loved ones and just take comfort in the food.” One of the keys to the success of both chefs’ prowess is “we make everything from scratch, from soup to dessert,” Chef Shaw says.

With 3 ½ years left to go before he gets to his 20-year anniversary with the Coast Guard, Chef Shaw is planning to try something new.

“I’m going to strive to get my merchant marine license and pursue a career as a captain,” he says. “There is a strong need for captains, and the companies who need captains very much seek Coast Guard personnel.” Chef Shaw plans to use the Coast Guard’s education program, known as Coast Guard COOL (Credentialing Opportunities On-Line), to achieve that goal.

Chef Hughes is looking forward to another decade in the service and enjoys making classic French dishes the most. “I love breaking it down to the basics of cooking,” she says. When not immersed in her daily Coast Guard duties, Chef Hughes, who hails from Philadelphia, enjoys cooking chicken wings and making charcuterie boards at home. Chef Shaw, a Texan, enjoys grilling cheeseburgers and steak and making chicken fried steak.

For now, though, both chefs’ professional focus remains on cooking for their fellow service members in the Coast Guard — with Chef Shaw working directly for the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard and Chef Hughes for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“We, as culinary leaders, want to make the experience as positive as possible for those with whom we serve, and we, as chefs, do that through food,” Chef Hughes says.

Both chefs are also focused on helping others rise through the ranks. Chef Shaw encourages newbies and future culinary specialists in the service to “seek the opportunities to better yourself. Anything is achievable if you put in the work.”

Top: U.S. Army members enjoy a meal prepared by Chef Hughes and the U.S. Coast Guard; Bottom: Chef Hughes in action during the Chef of the Year competition for finalists at the 2022 ACF National Comvention in Las Vegas.

Healthcare Heroes

Chefs from this competitive segment must stay creative to avoid complacency and certain challenges //

By Kenya McCullum

Even in normal circumstances, running kitchens in the healthcare space can be challenging — from creating appetizing, specialized menu choices for those with healthdriven, dietary considerations to understanding age-related behavioral changes in the seniors that chefs see every day. Today, healthcare chefs are rising to these unique challenges, though, thanks in part to the culinary skills they already have and the lessons learned during the pandemic.

Incentivizing Staff

Like in other segments, staffing has been an ongoing challenge for healthcare chefs, including Chef Ryan Conklin, CEC , director and executive chef of culinary and nutritional services for the North Carolina-based UNC REX Healthcare. However, he says he has made strides in getting staffing back on track by changing his approach to hiring.

“At my lowest point, I had a 40% vacancy rate on our culinary team, but that is slowly improving,” he says. “While our hiring standards have always been high, my team has been forced to reimagine things a little and are now willing to look more at an applicant’s potential, rather than [just] experience.”

ACF Chef Gabriel Rosado, CEC, executive chef and director of hospitality and nutrition services for Community Healthcare System, a senior living center in Munster, Indiana, says he has experienced ups and downs with staffing but has also implemented strategies to attract employees. Already, he’s seen improvements with recruitment, retention and overall company morale.

“We [offered] some cash incentives for individuals picking up shifts as a thank you,” he says. “We also provide lunch every single day, and for the most part, any time we get a special request, we're making sure to make a special meal. We’re feeding [our staff] and keeping them happy. I think these incentives certainly have helped.”

ACF Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, AAC , senior director of culinary innovation at Morrison Healthcare, says the company, which provides culinary staff to hospitals, created a training program to help meet staffing needs.

“We are always looking for chefs that are recent graduates of culinary school looking to get a lot of training,” he says. “They learn all of the ins and outs of our program — patient feeding, retail, food costs, recipe writing, forecasting, ordering — and then, anyone who graduates from that program is offered a full-time culinary position in a hospital that has an opening as a chef.”

Chef Ryan Conklin, CEC, director and executive chef of culinary and nutritional services for the North Carolina-based UNC REX Healthcare

Staying Competitive

When trying to find ways to remain competitive with his food, Chef Conklin says that focusing on the little things makes a big difference in delivering the variety diners crave.

“Right now, variety is key,” he says. “We really want all our guests to feel like they have a wide array of things to choose from. We are really focusing on the little things that can sometimes be overlooked or taken for granted. Take a deli sandwich, for example. We’ve honed in on ensuring premium meats, cheeses and toppings are used, as well as the freshest and best quality of bread. Then we think about the assembly process: How is it wrapped? How is it presented?”

When creating menus for residents at the senior living communities he serves, Chef Rosado uses his past experience at country clubs to keep menus fresh and diners happy.

“We have a five-week-cycle menu that changes seasonally,” he says. “I feature two soups, three entrees, two starches and two vegetables a day, and then we have a featured dessert of the day.”

In order to make decisions that help keep menus fresh, Chef Quasha relies on information from third-party research firm Datassential.

“I love Datassential; we're constantly looking at the stages of a trend, so my job is to analyze data concepts that place us right in the middle of a trend,” Chef Quasha says. “So if it's chiles right now, we're always looking at what's happening in

the world and then creating concepts we can launch. And we might sit on a concept for a year because it might be too far ahead of a trend.”

Smarter Technology

To ensure that everything flows smoothly from the kitchen to the customer, Chef Conklin says UNC REX Healthcare has been using an app-based ordering platform.

“It has made it a much easier environment to work in, as this technology has helped to make busy meal periods more spread out and even-flowing, instead of one big rush of customers at once,” he says. “We are now able to send push notifications to highlight daily specials right to our customers’ phones and emails.”

To help push out food to senior living residents, Chef Rosado is using smart technology cooking equipment.

“We have a combi oven, which is a combination of hot air and steam heat. It has smart technology built into it, so you can actually program specific recipes into a database,” he says. “We can cook things on different levels of the shelving inside of the oven, and it helped us streamline the process and better cook quality items simultaneously, just to cut down the cooking times altogether.”

"WE REALLY WANT ALL OUR GUESTS TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A WIDE ARRAY OF THINGS TO CHOOSE FROM. WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON THE LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN SOMETIMES BE OVERLOOKED OR TAKEN FOR GRANTED."

- Chef Ryan Conklin, CEC

In order to help keep the menus fresh, Chef Quasha uses an app that collects data on orders the kitchen receives so that trends can be monitored to help improve service.

“Depending on the geography of where the hospital is located, we can look at trend data from all of our locations and determine which concepts run best based on generational or trend data or regional data,” he says. “It allows all of our units a back door in, and they can change menus on a weekly basis, or they can change them on a daily basis, so it keeps our menus fresh.”

The State of Healthcare

Chef Conklin says he is optimistic about the future, despite the challenges he’s faced in the kitchen, and he’s looking forward to learning, growing and demonstrating his passion on the plate.

“‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ is a quote I’ve repeated my whole time as a chef, and never was there a time that it has been truer,” he says. “We’ve learned to truly value your team, who continue to show up day in and day out for us. Without a solid team, your continued success is very limited as a chef. I’ve learned that I should be working just as hard for them as they work for me, so I should be continually

providing them with opportunities to grow. That’s my real passion now.”

Chef Rosado says he’s thinking today about the preferences of the aging population that will become the senior living residents of tomorrow.

“I do expect the food preferences to change from generation to generation,” he says. “The next group of residents we expect to see in the upcoming years is the baby boomers, and they certainly do eat a bit differently than my current residents. I see the demand for plant proteins going up, specifically here in senior living, as it is around the world. That’s one of the biggest trends I expect will make its way into healthcare and senior living.”

Similarly, Chef Quasha believes the aging population will be a driver for future choices chefs will make.

“I think culinary medicine is going to be a huge piece of the future. For years, chefs were trying to get their certification, and if you were a chef and knew a lot about wine, it helped you when it came to your resume,” he says. “But I think with the boomers retiring and the post-pandemic world, culinary medicine certifications are going to be a big piece of the puzzle moving forward — being able to validate that you’re serving healthy food and you're helping to heal.”

Left: Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, AAC, senior director of culinary innovation at Morrison Healthcare; Right: Chef Gabriel Rosado, CEC, executive chef and director of hospitality and nutrition services for Community Healthcare System.

ACF Thanks Our Loyalty Partners

NEXT GEN RECRUITING

A Q&A with Student Chef Isaiah Gerrard, CC, President, ACF Young Chefs Club

Q: Where are you currently attending culinary school?

A: I am in my second year, fourth semester, at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley. I am working toward my bachelor’s degree in food business management with a concentration in Mediterranean cuisine. Next year, I will have the opportunity to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain. My anticipated graduation date is April 2024. After graduation, I plan on traveling the world to learn different cultures, cuisines and traditions.

Q: Tell us a little about your background and how you first fell in love with cooking.

A: I was born in Las Vegas and was raised there during my childhood. My mom served 23 years in the Air Force, so during her service, I had the opportunity to travel and live in some really cool places. I have had the opportunity to live in Florida and New Jersey and then landed in Texas. I got into cooking at a really young age; I always found myself in the kitchen getting my hands dirty helping prepare dinner after school. My passion started by helping my mom in the kitchen, and it took off from there. In elementary school, I joined a cooking club that my after-school program offered. I was able to learn many different things like different ways to cook eggs and how to make all types of desserts. I got my first job when I was 15 working at Edible Arrangements. I was in charge of keeping the front case stocked, making smoothies and handling customer transactions. I had a lot of fun talking to the customers and seeing them leave with something for themselves to enjoy or a gift for someone else to enjoy.

Q: Did you go on to other foodservice jobs?

A: After Edible Arrangements, my next job was as a busser at Gourmand Kitchen, a local restaurant in Houston. Eventually I went on to work at Abilene Country Club,

where I met my first culinary mentor, Chef Joel Trueblood. Chef Trueblood had given me this opportunity because he had seen something in me and recalled when he was young and was given a similar opportunity at his first kitchen job. He wanted to pass on the opportunity and give another young chef a chance. I learned from Chef Trueblood and was intrigued and inspired every time I had the opportunity to try something new. From there, I moved on to work at a variety of other country clubs and restaurants. It had become a dream of mine to go to culinary school, and I looked up what was the best culinary school in the world and learned more about the Culinary Institute of America. I knew it was somewhere I wanted to be.

Q: How did you end up going to CIA at Greystone?

A: The Culinary Institute of America has three beautiful campuses. I started my degree at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study at two different CIA campuses and make new connections and open the doors to new opportunities because of traveling to unfamiliar areas.

ACF Student Chef Isaiah Gerrard, CC

Q: How did you first hear about the ACF?

A: I was working at Sterling Country Club in Texas and later moved to the Royal Oaks Country Club, where I worked under Chef Eva Barrios (CEC). She’s a big reason why I joined ACF. I saw the logo on her chef coat, and she told me all about it, and I decided to get involved.

Q: What is your favorite thing about working in the culinary industry?

A: Creating great food and then seeing your customers’ reaction when they eat the food. It’s amazing to see how it brings them joy to eat what you created; that’s the greatest satisfaction for me.

Q: As a student chef entering the industry, what advice would you give veteran chefs who might be looking for new recruits?

A: The biggest thing for me is mentorship and to feel needed and important. Finding a good mentor is really important for a young chef like myself. At all of the restaurants where I have worked, the thing that had a big impact on me was the chefs who took the time to show me how things were supposed to be done. The restaurant or club might be really busy, and there are a lot of chefs who can be extra focused on paperwork, but the ones who took the time to teach me makes a big difference — it makes young chefs like me excited to go to work every day and want to succeed so the whole restaurant can succeed.

Q: It’s been a rough couple years for everyone, and the restaurant industry has lost a lot of people. What’s your view of the industry today and for the future?

A: Despite the setbacks, I think a lot of students still want to join and be innovative in this industry. The CIA actually had its highest enrollment numbers this year. Even in my class, there is a lot of innovation and creativity among my peers. We want to be here; we love cooking and love food and are looking for an environment that will support us and that makes us feel like we’re a part of a family. Most chefs spend a lot of time at work so it’s important to feel like you’re at home and not just work and to be around people who are motivating and supportive.

Q: How did you end up becoming president of the ACF Young Chefs Club?

A: I’m a new member myself — I recently joined and it was in Vegas where I was completing my externship at CUT by Wolfgang Puck that I heard about the conference going on there this year and decided to go. I went solo and showed up early each day and made a ton of connections. I enjoyed hearing about other people’s stories. It was there that another ACF member encouraged me to get involved in this group.

Q: What are your goals as YCC president?

A: My main goal is to bring other new or young chefs into the group and get them connected with other chefs as I have. I would also like to get into competitions and keep learning new things. No matter the age, we’re all peers and share the same passion. I want to help create this network of young chefs who can talk to each other and make an impact on this industry.

Q: What are you most excited about upon graduation?

A: Career-wise, I’d like to be able to travel and learn about different cultures and cuisines. I also plan to remain involved in ACF. I’m in charge of the Young Chefs Club social media, and I recently did an Instagram takeover for ACF’s page about a day in the life at culinary school. I’ve been making some videos for ACF’s Ingredient of the Month and offering ideas for upcoming webinars and competitions. We also have created a space for younger chefs and mentors on the ACF Chef’s Table online forum. Anyone can reach out to me via email (isaiahjerome602@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@isaiah6419). I am looking forward to seeing everything this industry has to offer!

ACF Student Chef Isaiah Gerrard, CC, is a second-year student at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Helena, California, who recently landed a job at Thomas Keller’s legendary Bouchon Bistro in nearby Yountville following a successful stage. Chef Gerrard, who has also worked the line at Sterling Country Club and at the Royal Oaks Country Club, both in Houston, was appointed president of the ACF Young Chefs Club following the 2022 ACF National Convention in Las Vegas.

ACF Student Chef Isaiah Gerrard, CC, often works with children to teach basic cooking skills.

TWISTS on the CLASSICS

Pastry chefs are reinventing holiday traditions this time of year

By ACF Pastry Chef Robert Wemischner

When it comes to holiday desserts, there is a fine line that pastry chefs must navigate between respecting tradition and reinventing the classics. But as audiences grow increasingly adventurous, now’s the time to go all out on a (frostingcovered?) limb. Here are some examples of ACF members and other chefs doing just that.

Pastries

Sure, around this time of year, people expect their bûche de Noël, or yule log, to look just like that — a log — and one that’s coated in chocolate, rolled and filled with buttercream or mousse and perhaps topped with some meringue mushrooms or other creations. But ACF Pastry Chef Lauren Haas, lead chef at the Chocolate Academy North America, completely reimagines this wintertime treat.

“I like to stay true to the presentation but change up the flavor profile in this classic,” she says, creating a matcha tea-infused sponge cake for the base and adding yuzu and white chocolate to the light and airy buttercream filling. For a classic galette des rois, Chef Haas creates a thin cylinder of dark chocolate as a holder for the rolled cake.

“I use two layers of puff pastry to enclose a choice of nontraditional fillings: pecan/chocolate and apricot/almond chocolate cream.”

ACF Pastry Chef Lauren Haas’ remake on a classic galette des rois using less traditional pecan/chocolate and apricot/almond chocolate cream for the center (credit: Barry Callebaut).

Cookies

Taking inspiration from a classic Linzer cookie, Chef Haas decorates her version with a chocolate disc studded with a raspberry gelée made by mixing a flavorful fruit puree with a touch of gelatin for a melt-in-your-mouth effect. “I am not a true traditionalist; my goal is to amplify what is good and create a modern version of a classic,” she says, starting with Cacao Barry’s Evocao™, a whole-fruit chocolate made from 100% pure cacao fruit, as the base. The chocolate, she says, “lends a fruitiness and acidity” not only to her Linzer-style cookies but also to a “wide range of reinvented holiday classics, completely transforming them.”

At The Glass Knife in Winter Park, Florida, Executive Pastry Chef Kristy Carlucci , puts her own spin on snickerdoodles. “Our traditional and contemporary snickerdoodles gain some holiday pizzazz with a festive malted milk frosting and are popular on our cookie trays offered throughout the winter.” To make the cookies, Chef Carlucci uses a standard creaming method with room-temperature butter and sugar and then finishes with the dry ingredients. The frosting is confectioner’s sugar, butter and malted milk powder for a rich, nutty taste.

5 Ways to Transform Traditions

When teaching holiday desserts at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville, Arkansas, ACF Chef Marshall Shafkowitz encourages his students to “let their imaginations soar” when creating new riffs on the classics. Here are some of his suggestions.

1. Focus on familiar flavors but change the form and presentation of the dessert. For example, infuse a basic custard or pâte de fruits with gingerbread flavors and spices.

2. Experiment with new silicone molds to give a new look to creamy concoctions.

3. Taste and experiment with a wider range of couverture chocolates, from dark to milk, white and fruit and nut infusions.

4. Feature holiday spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and/or allspice, in a cake base that pairs well with the other elements of the dessert.

5. Research cookie traditions from other parts of the world and include some of what you find to build a multiethnic collection for holiday boxes or trays.

ACF Pastry Chef Lauren Haas’ twist on a Linzer cookie in the form of a chocolate disc studded with a raspberry gelée (credit: Barry Callebaut).

Sweet Breads

French-born bakery consultant

Chef Nicolas Nayener recalls his youth fondly and the times around the holiday table when brioche was a common part of the morning spread on Christmas Day. Today, Chef Nayener, who consults for Eurogerm USA in the Chicago area, reworks the brioche, laminating it with butter in true French tradition and then topping it with a piping of chocolate mousseline cream and a sprinkling of toasted almonds. He adds his own modernist twist by coloring some of the laminated brioche dough with a dark gray charcoal paste, made by mixing powdered edible charcoal derived from bamboo with a bit of water. “As a child growing up in France, the smell of hot chocolate and roasted almonds were very comforting during the cold holiday season,” he says. “The combination of buttery, flaky brioche and milk chocolate mousseline encapsulate that memory and make me nostalgic for those times.”

Chef Kevin Clemenceau , executive pastry chef at LAVO Ristorante in Los Angeles, takes inspiration from the strong holiday tradition of serving panettone at this time of year. But in his rendition, he presents panettone in three different forms on one plate: as a French toast made from the Italian bread soaked in a vanilla-forward crème anglaise and sauteed in clarified butter; as an unmanipulated slice of the fresh bread, topped with a tart lemon sauce and fresh orange suprêmes, in honor of the winter citrus season on the West Coast; and as a tuile made from paper-thin slices of the panettone. Chef Clemenceau is also known to use the sweet, rich bread as the base for a citrusy gelato. “With its sunny personality, the bread is perfect to feature on a plated dessert,” he says.

“IT’S TIME TO SAY THAT IT’S OK NOT TO BE TRADITIONAL; THE CONSUMER IS BORED AND SEEKS NEW FLAVORS AND NEW ITERATIONS OF THE CLASSICS.”

- ACF CHEF VINCE PIANALTO

Custards

ACF Chef Vince Pianalto, a chocolatier and pastry instructor at Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food in Bentonville, Arkansas, ventures away from his Italian roots for many of his desserts. Around holiday time, reinventing a classic flan, Chef Pianalto uses coconut milk and a citrus-deglazed caramel to brighten and lighten the flavor personality of this warhorse of the sweet kitchen. For the flan, milk, sugar and egg yolks are gently combined and poured into a caramel-lined baking vessel. The caramel itself is made by cooking sugar until it reaches an amber color. Then, fresh orange juice is added as a flavoring element to brighten the flavor and add moderate sweetness in this new take on an old classic. “It’s time to say that it’s OK not to be traditional; the consumer is bored and seeks new flavors and new iterations of the classics,” he says. At The Glass Knife, Chef Carlucci focuses on approachable flavors set into whimsical yet elegant desserts for her holiday menu. “In keeping with a holiday flavor palette, we have had great success with our eggnog-flavored panna cotta, which is presented in a glass jar, garnished with tiny meringue trees scented with balsam fir essence,” she says. “Gingerbread crumble and a black currant gelée add texture and tartness, respectively, to the dessert.”

Opposite: Pastry Chef Nicolas Nayener recreates a brioche holiday dessert from his childhood in France with a piping of chocolate mousseline cream and sprinkling of toasted almonds; Above: ACF Chef Vince Pianalto reinvents a classic flan with coconut milk and a citrus-deglazed caramel.

“MY GOAL IS TO AMPLIFY WHAT IS GOOD AND CREATE A MODERN VERSION OF A CLASSIC.”

- ACF PASTRY CHEF LAUREN HAAS

ACF Pastry Chef Robert Wemischner is a longtime instructor of professional baking at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and the author of four books, including “The Dessert Architect.”

NCR Quiz

November/December 2022

By Robert Penry

Based on Chef Jeffrey Quasha’s experience with an aging population in a postpandemic world, he feels which of the following is going to be a big part of the future of healthcare?

a. Culinary medicine

b. Holistic eating

c. Trend dieting

d. Nutritional science

Among a few different considerations, Chef Mai Pham keeps in mind when plating at her Sacramento-based restaurants featuring Southeast Asian cuisine.

a. staff skills

b. social media

c. t ime restrictions

d. sensibility

Which of the following is an advantage of an apprenticeship?

a. They build a better workforce

b. They teach transferable skills

c. They offer positives for supervisors

d. A ll of the above

What is the kitchen on a Coast Guard ship called?

a. larder

b. c anteen

c. scullery

d. galley

A is a holiday pastry coated in chocolate, rolled and filled with buttercream or mousse.

a. Bredeles de Noël

b. Kougelhopf

c. Bûche de Noël

d. Pain d’Epices

Which chapter recently received the 2022 ACF Western Region Chapter of the Year Award?

a. ACF Chefs Las Vegas

b. ACF Monterey Bay Chapter

c. ACF Pikes Peak Chapter

d. ACF New Mexico Chapter

According to technology company IBM, seventy percent of consumers will pay more for sustainable options.

a. 30%

b. 35%

c. 40%

d 45%

According to Chef Carlos Villanueva, he considers most guests visit fine dining restaurants not because they need to eat but because they want to enjoy the experience.

a. Tr ue

b. Fa lse

Flan is a type of custard that is traditionally made with a mixture of milk, sugar and that is poured into a caramel-lined baking vessel.

a. heavy cream

b. egg yolks

c. egg whites

d. gelatin

Sweet potatoes are native to .

a. Central America

b. North America

c. South America

d. The Caribbean

Although often used interchangeably, sweet potatoes differ from yams in that they

a. have three times the amount of antioxidant-rich beta carotene

b. have more calories

c. have less vitamin C

d. are a member of the lily family

The of produce has declined 50% to 80% since 1920.

a. pr ice per pound

b. si ze and weight

c. nutritional content

d. natural taste

Which type of pepper is traditionally used when making Jamaican oxtail stew?

a. Jalapeño

b. Ghost

c. Calabrian

d. Scotch Bonnet

As a sustainable option, Pizzeria Paradiso in Washington, D.C., utilizes spent brewery grain in its Brewer’s Pizza Crust.

a. Tr ue

b. Fa lse

What is an oven using hot air, steam, or both for cooking that is housed in one unit called?

a. dual oven

b. multi oven

c. convection oven

d. combi oven

The ACF Culinarian Apprenticeship Program requires a minimum of hours of on-the-job training.

a. 1000

b. 2000

c. 3000

d 4000

See the rest of the questions, finish the quiz and earn four CEHs toward your certification on ACF’s new Online Learning Center at acfchefs.org/olc