National Culinary Review (Jan/Feb 2021)

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

What 2021 holds for the changing culinary landscape

FEATURE STORIES

28

For the Long Run

ACF chef members from across the industry share the pandemic-driven positive changes they’ve made that have become permanent fixtures — and will ensure their future success.

36

Plight of Packaging

COVID-19 and quarantines have driven an increase in takeout, and that means more to-go packaging. These chefs are making sure they don’t harm the environment as a result.

DEPARTMENTS

10 Management

16

19

24

26

Chef Ashten Garrett discusses the need for kitchen culture to become more diverse and inclusive.

Main Course

A look at melting cheeses — perfect for cold-weather days and comfort food dishes.

On the Side

Potatoes offer a low-cost, versatile option for chefs looking to stretch their budget and creativity.

Pastry

These cakes feature seasonal fruit for another layer of flavor, nutrition and finesse.

Classical vs. Modern

Cuban-American Chef Carlos Villanueva prepares Boliche Cubano, a classic dish passed to him from his grandmother; a modern version swaps beef for quail.

44 Health

Culinary medicine has been a growing interest over the past decade, but a global pandemic — combined with chef initiatives —could push it to the forefront of modern menuing.

Editor-in-Chief

Amelia Levin

Creative Services Manager

David Ristau

Graphic Designer

Armando Mitra

Advertising and Event Sales

Eric Gershowitz

Jeff Rhodes

Director of Marketing and Communications

Alan Sterling

American Culinary Federation, Inc.

180 Center Place Way • St. Augustine, FL 32095 (800) 624-9458 (904) 824-4468 Fax: (904) 940-0741

ncr@acfchefs.net ACFSales@mci-group.com www.acfchefs.org

Board of Directors

President

Thomas Macrina, CEC®, CCA®, AAC®

National Secretary

Mark Wright, CEC, AAC

National Treasurer

James Taylor, CEC, AAC, MBA

American Academy of Chefs Chair

Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC

Vice President Central Region

Steven Jilleba, CMC®, CCE®, AAC

Vice President Northeast Region

Barry R. Young, CEC, CCE, AAC

Vice President Southeast Region

Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC®, CCA, AAC

Vice President Western Region

Robert W. Phillips, CEC, CCA, AAC

Executive Director

Heidi Cramb

The National Culinary Review® (ISSN 0747-7716), January/ February 2021, Volume 45, Number 1, is owned by the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) and is produced 6 times a year by ACF, located at 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095. 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: 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095; (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®, 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095.

There’s something about a new year.

A new year gives us the chance to make resolutions, of course, but also to do some soul searching and decide what we want to change and accomplish in the coming year. It’s a way to start fresh. It’s a time to renew, recharge, and perhaps work to better ourselves a little.

I think I speak for most of us when I say 2021 couldn’t be a more welcome new year. The pandemic and economic woes have strained our mental, emotional and financial resources. But now there is a light at the end of the tunnel. News about effective vaccines and improved treatments bring hope. This winter has been a rough one, but we hunker down now so we can emerge safely and be together again. That said, I cannot be more excited about what we have planned for this year, including four ACF ChefsForum events: St. Louis and Pittsburgh in March, and Tucson (Arizona) and Nashville (Tennessee) in April. Like many of you, I have missed seeing my friends and colleagues in the industry. We have put in place rigid COVID-19 safety guidelines that will help us stay safe when we meet again. As a supplement, we have a strong digital and virtual platform that offers yet another way to maintain our close connections and access ongoing educational content for learning and growth.

I’m even more excited for the ACF National Convention this summer in Orlando, Florida. The annual convention is a highlight of my year and, I’m sure, for many of you as well. This year’s event will be a little bittersweet, as my interim presidency will come to an end, but I look forward to passing the gavel to the next president who will lead our federation toward a bright future.

Speaking of a bright future, I encourage you to consider using this time to learn and try something new. Visit the ACF Online Learning Center to check out the popular COVID-19 Training and Certificate to help you navigate ongoing industry changes and assure customers that your operation has met the highest standards for safety. Also, consider participating in a competition this year; we’re in the process of building the 2024 ACF Culinary Team USA and scheduling competitions for next year (visit acfchefs.org for more information).

Above all, now’s the time to stick together. We’re all in this change as an industry, and as ACF members, we can progress — no, blast — into the future as a united and powerful front.

Happy New Year and see you soon,

Thomas “Tom” Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC National President American Culinary Federation

El año nuevo siempre trae algo especial. Un año nuevo nos da la oportunidad de tener nuevos propósitos, por supuesto, pero también de hacer un examen de conciencia y decidir qué queremos cambiar y lograr el próximo año. Es una forma de empezar de cero. Es un momento para renovarnos, recargarnos y quizás trabajar para mejorar un poco.

Creo que hablo por la mayoría de nosotros cuando digo que el 2021 no podría ser un año más esperado. La pandemia y las turbulencias económicas han agotado nuestros recursos mentales, emocionales y financieros. Pero ahora hay una luz al final del túnel. Las noticias sobre vacunas eficaces y tratamientos mejorados traen esperanza. Este invierno ha sido difícil, pero ahora nos refugiamos para poder resurgir y estar juntos de nuevo.

Habiendo dicho esto, no puedo estar más emocionado con los eventos que organizamos este año, incluidos cuatro foros de chefs de la ACF: St. Louis y Pittsburgh en marzo, y Tucson (Arizona) y Nashville (Tennessee) en abril. Como muchos de ustedes, he echado de menos a mis amigos y colegas de la industria. Hemos implementado pautas de seguridad rígidas para combatir el COVID-19 que nos ayudarán a mantenernos seguros cuando nos encontremos en persona. Como complemento, contamos con una sólida plataforma digital y virtual que ofrece otra forma de mantener nuestras conexiones cercanas y acceder a contenidos educativos continuos para el aprendizaje y el crecimiento.

Y estoy aún más emocionado por la Convención Nacional de la ACF este verano en Orlando, Florida. La convención anual siempre es lo más destacado del año para mí, y estoy seguro que es igual para muchos de ustedes. El evento de este año será un poco agridulce, ya que mi presidencia interina llegará a su fin, pero espero pasar la posta al próximo presidente que guiará a nuestra federación hacia un futuro brillante.

Hablando de un futuro brillante, los invito a que piensen en aprovechar este tiempo para aprender y probar algo nuevo. Visiten el Centro de aprendizaje en línea de la ACF para consultar la popular Capacitación y certificación de COVID-19, que los ayudará a transitar los cambios continuos de la industria y garantizar los más altos estándares de seguridad para sus clientes. También les pido que consideren participar de una competencia este año; Estamos en el proceso de desarrollar el Equipo Culinario de la ACF 2024 en Estados Unidos y programar competencias para el próximo año (ingresen en acfchefs.org para acceder a más información).

Y por sobre todas las cosas, este es el momento para mantenernos unidos. Todos estamos atravesando este cambio como industria, y como miembros de la ACF, podemos transitar este avance, ¡o mejor dicho, esta explosión! hacia el futuro como un frente unido y poderoso.

Les deseo un feliz Año Nuevo y nos vemos pronto,

Thomas “Tom” Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC Presidente Nacional American Culinary Federation

What’s Cooking on WeAreChefs.com

Visit WeAreChefs.com, the official content hub for the American Culinary Federation, to read online exclusive articles, including industry trends, interviews, COVID-19 coverage, recipes and more.

Datassential’s 2021 Food Trends Forecast

This trendspotting, third-party research firm offers ACF members an exclusive look at some of the types of foods and cuisines that will likely grow in popularity this year and beyond.

ACF’s Partnership with Jamaica Tourism

Read about the ACF’s close partnership with the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation’s Tourism Enhancement Fund, which raises funds to educate the world and support local chefs in their careers, including providing funding for ACF membership and certification testing.

Dissecting the Dish

In this new online series, Chef Christian Darcoli, director of culinary for Servino Ristorante in Tiburon, California, discusses the ins and outs of his popular wood-oven-roasted branzino with arugula and tomatoes, perfect for lighter cooking in the New Year.

Maximizing Outdoor Dining

More ideas for making your outdoor patio and dining areas cozy and comfortable during the winter while indoor dining restrictions continue.

The Culinary Insider, the ACF’s bi-weekly newsletter, offers timely information about events, certification, member discounts, the newest blog posts, competitions, contests and much more. Sign up at acfchefs.org/tci.

Follow the ACF on your favorite social media platforms: @acfchefs @acfchefs @acf_chefs

@acfchefs American Culinary Federation

Twitter question of the month:

What do you predict will make the list of top food trends in 2021?

Tweet us your answer using the hashtag #ACFasks and we’ll retweet our favorites.

Sure, digital is environmentally friendly... but paper smells better.

NEWS BITES

ACF FlexPay Continues for Members

Get Excited for the 2021 ACF ChefsForum Event Series

With stringent COVID-19 safety measures in place and vaccines on the way, we’re gearing up for an exciting lineup of events in 2021. We’ve renamed our ChefConnect events “ACF ChefsForum” to reflect the combination of in-person and online components that will bring us together no matter what, as well as the dynamic platform we are creating to engage more members while delivering opportunities for ongoing learning. We hope the ACF ChefsForum events, held in Pittsburgh and St. Louis in March and Nashville (Tennessee) and Tucson (Arizona) in April, followed by the highly anticipated ACF 2021 ChefsForum National Convention in Orlando, Florida, in July, will “Ignite Your Passion” and remind you why you chose this career in the first place. Get more details at acfchefs.org/ACF/Events.

ACF New Mentor Match Program

ACF launched a new mentor program, Mentor Match, in December. Members can access the program by visiting Chef's Table, ACF’s online member community. While the early stages of the debut focused on enrolling mentor candidates, in January, those looking for support in their culinary career will be invited to register as mentee candidates. Mentor and mentee candidates will be able to search the directory to find the right matches for them. Consider helping others make their way in the profession by signing up to be a mentor. For questions, email or call Joe Syrowik, ACF membership director, jsyrowik@acfchefs.net and (904) 484-0210

ACF FlexPay was created after members said they wanted a better and more practical way to renew their membership. The “onelump-sum renewal” was not possible for many affected by the pandemic. FlexPay allows Members to renew by paying just one month of dues when they commit to paying the remainder over 11 equal monthly payments. Depending on one’s Membership level and local dues rate, Members can renew for as little as $9 monthly for Students and $19 monthly for Professional Culinarians. Members can sign up for FlexPay when they call the Membership Team at (800) 624-9458 (ext. 504) and ask to participate. They can also enroll by emailing membership@acfchefs.net

90-Day Introductory Offer for First-time ACF Members

ACF continues to offer a 90-day complimentary membership for first-time members looking to explore all that the Federation has to offer, including opportunities for networking, competitions, certification, continuing education, original content and more.

ACF Partners with StarChapter

ACF has collaborated with StarChapter to provide access to a variety of resources intended to help chapter leaders save time, increase member participation and grow membership. These tools include turnkey chapter websites, platforms for event registration and e-commerce, email communication/management tips, membership and board management resources, and more. ACF Chicago, ACF Columbus (Ohio) and ACF St. Louis are longterm users of the platform, and others are considering the switch. StarChapter is offering a 20% discount on its one-time set-up fee for chapters with more than 50 members. To learn more, visit starchapter.com.

ACF Culinary Team USA

This month, the ACF will be conducting preliminary interviews for the selection of its Culinary Team USA, which will participate in various international competitions, including the 2024 Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany. Chef J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, executive chef at Bellerive Country Club St. Louis, will serve as manager, and Chef Randy Torres, CEC, AAC, executive director of culinary for Southwestern Oregon Community College, was named assistant manager. Additional team support members will be announced soon. Chef Storm served as assistant manager for the 2020 ACF Culinary Team USA, which took home several top awards in Germany last February. He also was a team member in 2012 and a coach for the 2008 ACF Youth Team. Chef Torres was a member of the 2008 Regional Team USA and coached the 2012 Culinary Youth Team USA. To learn more about ACF Culinary Team USA, visit www.acfchefs.org/Team

ACF Culinarian’s Code

As we enter 2021, why not refresh your memory of the Culinarian’s Code?

Want Your Own Community in Chef’s Table?

Late last year, eight ACF Chapters formed chapter-specific communities through the ACF’s new, online forum, Chef’s Table. These communities give ACF Chapters another way to build connectivity and engagement among local members, especially if in-person meetings are limited. Chapters can use these communities to announce meetings, foster discussion on topics of local interest, and gain input to help guide the future direction of their chapters. Email or call Joe Syrowik, ACF membership director, jsyrowik@acfchefs.net, or call (904) 484-0210 to sign up your chapter.

“As a proud member of the American Culinary Federation, I pledge to share my professional knowledge and skill with all culinarians. I will place honor, fairness, cooperation and consideration first when dealing with my colleagues. I will keep all comments professional and respectful when dealing with my colleagues. I will protect all members from the use of unfair means, unnecessary risks and unethical behavior when used against them for another’s personal gain. I will support the success, growth, and future of my colleagues and this great federation.”

Letters to the Editor: Why I’m an ACF Member

ACF Charlotte’s virtual meetup in November included three ACF testimonials on why it’s vital to remain an ACF Member today, especially during this challenging time.

“[ACF Certification] enhances your reputation. If you become a certified chef, I feel strongly that you have proved yourself in terms of knowledge and skills for a position before you even have to show up for a job interview. Certification also jumpstarts your career from the student level on up, and it offers an opportunity to better yourself throughout your entire career. If you’re a certified chef, it proves that you embrace continuing education. It also instills self-confidence, and shows that you’re ready to take on the world and improve your skills as you go on.” – Chef Sandra Dawn Birmingham, treasurer, ACF Chefs of Charlotte Chapter

“My legacy as a chef is not what I personally accomplish, but the accomplishments of the people I train. ACF has made me realize that. One of my mentors, Chef Kevin Ives, told me never forget where you come from and never forget where you’re going, but never forget who helped you get there.”—Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, president, ACF Chefs of the Low Country

“Finding [good] help is one of the hardest things to do, even right now with so many unemployed, so when you have a fellow ACF chef and colleague you trust and they send you people, it takes a lot of guesswork out of the whole equation.” – Chef Jamie Bostian, CEC, vice president, ACF Chefs of Charlotte

“I represent the voice of diversity; I’m a chef-educator, and I feel like [I need to] stand up and be a voice for some of the students in my classroom and in my kitchen, and help advocate for our brown, black, non-binary, and gender-non-conforming brothers and sisters. For me, it’s really important that I keep showing up to the ACF to represent diversity, equity and inclusion, and I’ve really appreciated being a part of first the women’s task force many years ago, and now, the diversity and inclusion task force.”

— Chef Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE, CHE, president, ACF Chef's Association of Arizona

Healthy Eating Grant Recipients

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF), through the Chef & Child initiative, offers ACF chefs and chapters grant funding to support nutrition outreach activities in their communities. The following ACF chefs received grants to organize programs in 2020:

• Annette Besnilian, ACF Chefs de Cuisine Association of California

• Leslie Moyer, ACF Treasure Coast Chapter

• Jamie Bostian, CEC, ACF Chefs of Charlotte Chapter

• Maria Anderson, ACF Chicago Chapter

• Vince Blancato, ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association

• Angela Wilson, CEPC, CCE, ACF New Orleans Chapter

• Michael Garahan, CEC, FMP, Greater Kansas City Chef’s Association

• Benjamin Whitmore, CEC, ACF Red River Valley Chef’s Association

• Joseph Leonardi, CMC, AAC, ACF Rhode Island Chapter

Students learned the benefits of cooking healthfully through the ACFEF Chef & Child Initiative

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE

One ACF Chef offers tips on how to grow and diversify kitchens for the future

In addition to a global pandemic, last year brought some of the most active civil unrest this country has seen in more than 50 years. It led to some positive changes, though: Many business leaders have done more than just vow to put a greater emphasis on diversity; they are taking real, calculated steps to build a more inclusive culture.

The culinary industry — here and around the world — has certainly had its struggles when it comes to diversity and inclusion, but that has been improving in recent years, and will continue to improve as more chefs in leadership roles make equity a priority in their recruitment, training and dayto-day operations. We caught up with Chef Ashten Garrett — president of the ACF Young Chefs Club and senior culinary arts manager for Marriott International, who presented on diversity in the kitchen during a webinar last fall — for his thoughts on the topic. This interview has been edited for clarity and condensed.

Q: From your perspective, what is the current state of diversity in culinary culture and kitchen operations?

A: As a young chef, it can be a daunting enough task to remain motivated and inspired in environments that are continually changing every day. But adversity comes in many different forms, and for me, the most difficult adversary is the lack of diversity in the industry.

Imagine a room full of people, and the majority of them do not look like you, walk like you or speak like you. This is the case for most minority chefs and hospitality workers. Most kitchens that I have worked or spent time in have been diverse — but only to a certain extent. We navigate these spaces as “foreigners” with the hopes of being accepted. This can be intimidating, and if we are working in establishments that aren’t open to diversity and inclusion, or do not understand or recognize the significance of accepting it, it can diminish the quality of our work and performance.

I would like to say most 21st-century chefs and restaurant owners have grasped how workplace diversity brings a new perspective, energy, and quality of performance to an establishment. But unfortunately, this is not always the case. The acceptance of diversity and inclusivity sometimes veers in different directions depending on the current social and economic climate. But if we truly wish to change the narrative of this beloved and important industry, it will take more than a few posts on Facebook or a 15-minute Zoom call. It will require

immediate and consistent pressure to elucidate and eradicate the difficulties minorities face.

Q: What progress has the industry made over the past few decades to be more inclusive and accepting of different backgrounds and ideas?

A: I think that the advent of social media has played an integral role in the push to accept chefs who are minorities and/or women. When new voices are amplified, it sparks a call to action to accept diversification and inclusivity.

Now, some can argue that little to no progress has been made to advance inclusivity in the industry. There are still major hindrances to the progress of minorities, women, and ambitious young chefs. Women and women of color are still underrepresented and disenfranchised; young chefs are opting to pursue more entrepreneurial careers due to longstanding industry pressures and lack of acceptance; and minority voices are still being drowned out by implicit bias and systemic racism.

All of these have a direct impact on the longevity and sustainability of the culinary and hospitality industry. As the industry remains in limbo, one thing is certain: In order to evolve, we all must be willing to change, as no problem can be solved until we first recognize that there is one.

Q: What areas of the culinary industry in particular are in most need of diversifying and opening up to different backgrounds, ideas, and cultures? Why?

A: I think the most pivotal areas are restaurant ownership/ proprietorship, food writing, investing/funding, and the executive chef role. I think anyone can relate when I say it is more possible to summon the motivation to do something when someone who looks like you has done it or is doing it. Ownership is especially important because when you own, you have the control. Support via funding, sponsorships and endorsements for those that wish to become owners will be a game changer for the industry.

The same can be said about writers and bloggers: Those behind the keyboard and holding the pen control the narrative. When writers and bloggers do not highlight minority establishments or create opportunities for minority voices in the industry to be heard, it creates a cycle of alienation, because minorities then feel they have no voice. Consequently, that also can lead industry leaders to abandon diversity efforts, causing minorities to venture out on their own. Think of the phrase, “If you do not have a seat at the table, go and create your own.” Many minority chefs, unfortunately, have had to adopt this approach.

Q: Is the traditional brigade system of a kitchen part of the problem when it comes to accepting diversity and reinforcing

bias in culinary? Why? Or if not, is there anything in traditional culinary culture that impedes inclusion?

A: Any great chef is a mere reflection of his/her team, as they alone cannot be successful. That said, I do not think that the brigade system is the sole issue when it comes to diversity. The brigade system’s organization and management is necessary and important in any kitchen. When service is at its busiest peak, it is important to have one or two designated leaders conducting the orchestra by directing and delegating, because too many voices and opinions (or “too many coaches and not enough players”) can create conflict and slow service.

Instead, the issue lies with the character and personality of the one who is building the culture. An establishment’s culture needs leadership, consistency, integrity, and diversity. Ask: Does this particular brigade system help create a safe, inviting, professional and nurturing work environment that is conducive to growth? Does the team feel they can freely express themselves via questions and interactions? I think that most people focus on the effect and not necessarily the cause.

Q: What is your advice to the industry to help identify and remove bias and be more inclusive to all backgrounds and cultures in culinary operations?

A: My advice would be to genuinely listen, learn and be empathetic. We all have a story to tell, and cooking is an expressive craft that helps us all do that. Food knows no gender, age, race, ethnicity, or disability; it exists to be enjoyed. As chefs, we do not discount a particular cuisine or culture when we cook just because it is different or not indigenous to our own; rather, we take the courageous leap to learn more about it and explore its flavors and ingredients. Therefore, we should not discount each other, but rather accept our differences. We all have a voice and the right to explain why cooking is so important to us.

Q: In your own experience of moving up in the industry from where you started to where you are today, do you have a story that illustrates the importance of an inclusive culinary environment, and the advantages of an operation that is welcoming and open-minded to diverse cultures and backgrounds?

A: I have been extremely blessed to have worked in many kitchens around the world in operations that welcome and celebrate diversity. As an example, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. I was timid and nervous about my place in an international kitchen working alongside experienced chefs, and I did not speak the language.

Prior to this experience, I had spoken with colleagues who had worked abroad and attributed their many personal and professional problems due to race and gender barriers and biases. Hearing this information amplified my uncertainty about the decision to work internationally, but I decided to stay with it. And to my amazement, the respect and acceptance I received from the very beginning was overwhelming, and subsequently made me want to perform at an even higher level. Once that barrier was broken and I felt as if I belonged, it intensified my passion and allowed me to focus on and enjoy the craft of cooking.

Q: What would you say as a call to action for our industry?

A: I am a firm believer we all want what is best for our industry, and that is for it to thrive, not just survive. Collectively, it will mean holding those in power accountable to drive change. There is a great quote along the lines of, “Those that have the ability also have the responsibility.” Change is internal but expressed outwardly. It demands self-exploration and genuine compassion. The current state of our industry is changing every day to deal with new demands and new clientele, as seen in the plethora of

companies re-branding from problematic logos or names.

There is power in our voices, in the white coat, and in diversity. My personal call to action would be not for a bill to be passed, or for the CEO of a major company to issue a newsletter or campaign, or for companies around the world to immediately change their business models. My call to action is that we all recognize and accept there is a universal issue: the inequity of equal access to opportunity in the workforce caused by implicit bias, lack of diversity and inclusivity, and minority indifference. It will take a concerted effort and a lot of investment to lead us to a better way of operating.

If we take the time now to plant and nurture the seeds of reorientation and change, those that come after us can harvest the fruit. Much like our ancestors did when pioneering the way for us, we must leave our industry better than we found it. To cite an African proverb, “For if we wish to go fast, we will go alone, but if we wish to go far, we must go together.”

To learn more about Chef Ashton, visit chefashten.com .

CHAPTER CLOSE-UP: ACF

OF KALAMAZOO/BATTLE

CREEK

Today, the ACF of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek (Michigan) chapter is 30 members strong. Just four years ago, that number was seven // By Amelia Levin

Chef Eric Gillish inherited quite the challenge when he came on board as president: reviving the leadership and growing membership. He credits the camaraderie and collaboration with other Michigan ACF chapters for helping him expand the member base more than fourfold.

“We have an open-door policy with all Michigan chapters, welcoming anyone from any other chapter to attend not only our meetings, but our events as well,” says Gillish, corporate chef for the Millennium Restaurant Group, which operates nine restaurants (11, pre-COVID-19) as well as a robust catering program. “We frequently share chapter calendars, schedules, event announcements and so on. That has been a huge help for our chapter to pull ideas that others are doing, and vice versa.”

The first thing Chef Gillish did as president was create a schedule for monthly chapter meetings and board meetings to introduce some consistency, as well as add educational components to meetings for members, to give them something of value to take away.

He also reached out to his vendor-partners to collaborate on fun cooking and learning events, including homemade vinegarmaking classes, charcuterie tastings, mushroom foraging lessons, microbeer and artisanal cheese pairings, and more. All chefs, ACF members and nonmembers alike, were (and will be, when events resume in the future) encouraged to attend to boost membership. Many events were also open to the public for a cost to foster idea-sharing, with discounts offered to chapter members as an incentive to attend. Members also receive access to private events.

Fundraising Success

This past November, the chapter hosted a sold-out, socially distanced chef’s tasting event to raise funds for scholarships. The “Seven Courses of Gold” dinner was modeled after a previous chapter event that “originally connected me with the ACF, way before I ever considered being a member,” Chef Gillish says. “It was considered a big honor to be asked to participate in this dinner, which celebrated seven courses from seven local chefs with wine pairings, followed by the chapter’s annual awards. Unfortunately, about eight to 10 years ago, the event fizzled out [due to low attendance].”

Last year, Chef Gillish brought up the idea of resurrecting the fundraising dinner, but without the awards, as the chapter already had an established annual awards dinner in partnership with a new local culinary school. “We kept the same concept of seven chef courses, encouraged chefs to partner with a local farmer or vendor for their course [to drive product donations], offered cocktail/ spirits pairings using local distillers, and had two surprise student courses by local area tech center students,” he says. The dinner was a hit, helping the chapter to raise $3,500, with most of the ingredients donated. This, in turn, allowed the chapter to offer its largest scholarship yet at $1,500, plus two other $1,000 scholarships.

“This year, even with COVID-19 and state and local restrictions, we were able to hold the dinner with restricted capacity at 600 Kitchen and Bar, an amazing farm-to-table restaurant in Kalamazoo,” Chef Gillish says.

The chapter also hosted another fundraising dinner-togo, supported by ingredient/product donations and time

Chef Eric Gillish, president of ACF Kalamzoo/Battle Creek

volunteered by chefs and students, to raise money for a local chef who tragically had lost his son. “We raised between $4,000 and $5,000 for the family,” Chef Gillish says. “Even though this chef is not an ACF chef, he’s part of our community. By showing our support this way, we show that the ACF is not just a prestigious organization; it’s an organization for all chefs and their communities.”

A Bright Future

The work is not over. This summer, the chapter plans to host a membersonly catered family picnic, and Chef Gillish hopes to bring back the annual awards dinner. He also aims to continue fundraising to help other chefs in need.

“Aside from that, we have participated in local farmers market demos, and whenever possible, we try to support and work with the local ACF-accredited culinary school,” he says. “This year, we created a student chair to liaise between our chapter and their student food groups. When COVID-19 hit, I did my best to stay connected with other chapters by sharing information and simply reaching out to see how everyone was doing.”

To boost chapter membership, Chef Gillish even looked up memberships that had lapsed in the last two years and invited those chefs to attend meetings and participate with the chapter once again, and is exploring ways to subsidize membership, if need be.

“We have come a long way in four years,” he says. “All of this sounds like a lot, but sometimes it doesn't feel like enough. We are doing our best to keep our head above water, support those in need, and, unfortunately, mourn the closing of some of our local establishments due to the pandemic. That’s why it’s very important that we not only stick together, but actually help and support each other to keep our community strong.”

Left: Chef Eric Gillish, president of ACF Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, addresses his team before a recent fundraising dinner. Right: Chef Gillish at the pass at 600 Kitchen and Bar in Kalamazoo, Michigan, during the dinner.

" WE HAVE AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY WITH ALL MICHIGAN CHAPTERS, WELCOMING ANYONE FROM ANY OTHER CHAPTER TO ATTEND NOT ONLY OUR MEETINGS, BUT OUR EVENTS AS WELL." -CHEF ERIC GILLISH

MELT THE DAY AWAY

The times we’re living through demand comfort food — the cheesier, the better

By Liz Barrett Foster

We’ve always used cheesy foods to make ourselves feel better, whether it’s a gooey grilled cheese paired with chicken noodle soup to help a cold go away faster, or a big cheese pizza after a hard work week. Now we’re all living through a global pandemic. As everyone looks for small and simple ways to boost their moods (even if just temporarily), consumers are craving — and seeking out — familiar foods that drum up feelings of warmth and comfort. Here, we explore a few new ways to integrate the comforting vibe of melted cheese into your menu.

MAKING CHEESE MELT

It’s true that most cheeses will melt, if they get warm enough. However, there’s a scientific reason why some cheeses melt easily while others hold their structure long after hitting the heat.

The act of melting cheese is a delicate balance between moisture, age and acid content, according to Chef Chris Bugher, CEC (opposite), chef-instructor of culinary arts at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in Asheville, North Carolina. “A really, really fresh cheese can melt decently, but it can also curdle,” he says. “A young cheese is probably the best for melting. An aged cheese can melt, but it can be tough, because the protein structure is so tight due to moisture loss.”

Another factor in how well a cheese melts has to do with acidulation, according to Chef Bugher, which occurs when an acid element is added to a cheese. “Animal rennet melts really well, but if you add acid to cheese, it interferes with the denaturing process of the proteins,” he says. “So, for example, a cheese like feta, which is brined, won’t melt very well.”

Whichever cheese you choose to melt, Chef Bugher suggests opting for a low-and-slow method over cooking cheese too quickly, which can extract the butterfat too soon. “Take a little bit of cornstarch and mix that with white wine as a base before you even start [melting],” he says. “It’s a version of the slurry that creates a traditional Swiss fondue.”

If you’re in a pinch and need to melt cheese fast without making a fondue base or using the traditional two-tothree-minutes-underthe-broiler method, Chef Dave Woolley (above), “director of deliciousness” for Atlanta-based Buffalo Wild Wings, says that he regularly uses a Searzall, a blowtorch attachment that diffuses the flame and helps cheese melt quickly and efficiently.

NEWLY TRENDY CHEESES

Cheddar and mozzarella have been the go-to melting cheeses for decades, but with so many cheeses to choose from now, chefs are getting more adventurous in their offerings.

Chef Bugher says he’s seeing a resurgence of Swiss raclette (which means “to scrape” in French), a traditional Alpine cheese that is usually served over pickled vegetables and potatoes. Just before the pandemic hit last year, social media feeds were flooded

" YOUNG CHEESE IS PROBABLY THE BEST CHEESE FOR MELTING. AN AGED CHEESE CAN MELT, BUT IT CAN BE TOUGH

"

- CHEF CHRIS BUGHER

with videos showing wheels of raclette on heat lamps being scraped onto the plates of awestruck customers.

Anne Hoyt, cheesemaker and co-owner of Leelanau Cheese, in Suttons Bay, Michigan, makes Swiss raclette, and points out that French and Swiss raclettes are two very different cheeses. The French raclette, which is what most retailers in the U.S. sell, is used almost exclusively for melting, due to its softness and pungency, according to Hoyt. The Swiss raclette is sweeter and more versatile, able to be melted or sliced for a variety of menu applications. “I like to say that Swiss raclette has the consistency of Gouda and the nuttiness of Gruyere,” she says.

Blue cheeses, such as Roquefort, are becoming popular to melt over eggs, steak or potatoes. “I like to crumble Roquefort cheese over skillet-fried potatoes and onions and serve that alongside a steak,” Chef Woolley says. “The Roquefort starts to melt, but not all the way, and it tastes great over the potatoes.”

Sometimes, cheese blends are the way to go. Chef Woolley says he’ll create a traditional mac and cheese with Monterey Jack, mozzarella and cheddar, and then grate nontraditional cheeses, such as raclette, on top to create different layers of flavor.

with her Mississippi-native husband.

Melting Cheeses at a Glance

As cheese offerings expand at mass-market grocers and local cheese shops alike, consumers are faced with dozens of new cheese decisions. Author and cheese expert Laura Werlin (left) believes chefs and restaurant owners have the ability to close that loop, demystifying cheese the same way they demystify wine. “When a chef uses any ingredient, it’s basically an endorsement of that ingredient,” she says. “If I’m sitting in a New Orleans restaurant enjoying a dish that incorporates a delicious local cheese, I may go to that cheese shop the next day and ask for it.” Here’s a look at some of her favorite smaller-batch cheeses:

Le Crémeux from Kaltbach: a washed-rind, cave-aged cow’s-milk cheese from Switzerland with a firm yet creamy mouthfeel

Alpha Tolman from Jasper Hill Farm: dense and great for melting, this cheese tastes nutty and fruity when young and develops meaty flavors as it matures

Promontory Cheddar from Beehive Cheese Company: sweet and creamy cow’s-milk cheddar cheese

Flagship from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: a semi-hard cow’s-milk cheese that is aged for 15 months to develop its nutty flavor

Wagon Wheel from Cowgirl Creamery: aged a minimum of 75 days, this organic, single-source cheese tastes of salted brown butter, heavy cream, roasted leeks and roasted garlic when melted

Reading from Spring Brook Farm: raclettestyle cheese made from raw Jersey cow milk and aged three months

Thomasville Tomme from Sweet Grass Dairy: cow’s-milk French farmhouse table cheese with an earthy flavor and creamy texture

Burrata from Di Stefano Cheese: a mozzarella pouch filled with fresh, creamy Stracciatella cheese

Snowmass Raclette from Haystack Mountain Cheese: made with pasteurized Colorado cow’s milk, this raclette-style cheese is designed for melting and topping meats or veggies, or to be the star of a cheese board

Liz Barrett Foster is a Mississippi-based writer who enjoys fishing and growing vegetables

HOT POTATO!

How to make the most out of these versatile and tasty tubers in this costconscious time // By

Liz Barrett Foster

Versatile, affordable and long-lasting, crowd-pleasing potatoes are everything you could ask for in an ingredient. Whether you’re creating savory garlic mashed potatoes, gnocchi, latkes or Asian curry, potatoes work in almost any cuisine, and chefs who may have used rice or other grains as a base in the past now are taking a closer look at them.

Versatile and Profitable

Very few ingredients rank as highly as the humble potato in the categories of affordability, versatility and profitability. “The long shelf life of potatoes also helps reduce waste — especially useful with the cyclical, up-and-down nature of business right now,” says Alan Kahn, vice president of foodservice for the Idaho Potato Commission.

With the continuing popularity of breakfast, brunch and eating local — even in the midst of a pandemic — chefs are becoming more conscious of ways to fill the plate with flavor and color while decreasing cost and allowing for cross-utilization of product, according to Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, corporate executive R&D chef for Sandy Springs, Georgia-based Morrison Healthcare.

Chef Quasha says by simply adding a few starchy potatoes to their kitchens, chefs have access to crispy garnishes, hashes for breakfast, a seasonal soup option and potato appetizers. The potato is a perfect vehicle for chefs to use to create a masterpiece, he adds. “From goat-cheese-and-chive potato cakes stuffed with smoked salmon, to smoked sweet potatoes and kale drizzled with Shropshire blue cheese, charred balsamic onions and fresh herbs, potatoes are cheese’s best friend,” he says. Whether the dish is four-cheese scalloped potatoes or a classic baked potato topped with melty cheddar, potatoes and cheese have been natural partners for ages. He adds that one of his favorite potato dishes is mashed potatoes with creamy brie folded in, garnished with crème fraiche and scallions.

Because the past year has resulted in a restaurant takeout and delivery boom, “We’re sending the message that a variety of potato dishes and sides can be profitable, innovative and portable,” Kahn says.

Above: potato and poblano quesadilla. Opposite: potato puff pizza (both courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission).

WE’RE SENDING THE MESSAGE THAT A VARIETY OF POTATO DISHES AND SIDES CAN BE PROFITABLE, INNOVATIVE AND PORTABLE.”

-Alan Kahn, vice president of foodservice, Idaho Potato Commission

Potato Mashups

Global fusion cuisine has helped stir up a potato revival over the past few years, according to Chef Quasha. Potatoes, after all, are an inexpensive way to introduce new or unique flavor profiles to consumers. In addition to traditional potato applications, Chef Quasha says he’s noticed potatoes used in a growing number of international menu applications in places such as food halls and food trucks.

Some examples he points to include poutine combined with bulgogi short ribs and sautéed kimchi, and ethnic potato dishes like potato knishes, Czech dumplings, breakfast hash, and pierogis that feature global flavor profiles and elevated fillers. “My new obsessions are elote fries, Old Bay-dusted handcrafted potato chips, and pickle-brined French fries,” he says. “Most recently, my favorite applications have been classic Indian curries, Japanese curries, and dal, made using purple, golden and Red Bliss potatoes.”

Whether you’re creating a comforting cheese-layered gratin, a potato-topped pizza Genovese, seasoned potato wedges, or a simple, crisp-skinned baked russet, keeping a bag of potatoes nearby is essential for many quick, inexpensive, impressive and takeout-ready dishes. For recipes, visit WeAreChefs.com

Digital. Secure. Verified.

As the premier certifying body for cooks and chefs in America, The American Culinary Federation remains committed to providing you with the tools to achieve your professional goals. We are pleased to announce the launch of a new way to communicate the ACF credentials you have earned in the ever-expanding online marketplace — at no cost to you!

CHEF ANA LEBRÓN, CEC

Chef-Owner, Linea Gourmet Catering Services CEO and President, Correre, Srl

By Amelia Levin

Chef Ana Lebrón turned heads when she and her team took home a gold medal at last year’s IKA Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany.

“This win is not from Ana Lebrón,” she told the media at the time. “It belongs to the country that saw me born and allowed me to channel my interest in the highest-level professional cuisine. It belongs to all Dominicans who believe in my talent. It also belongs to my teachers in the restaurants of the world.”

As the first chef from the Dominican Republic to achieve such victory, the journey to gold was a tough one, but Chef Lebrón — who is also the founder and current president of ACF Chapter República Dominicana — has never shied away from a challenge. And over the course of her life and career, she has had to overcome a few.

THE MAKING OF A FIERCE COMPETITOR

Though Chef Lebrón has clocked more than 25 years in the culinary profession, her love of cooking goes back even further — to when she was a child, making pasta in her Italian grandmother’s kitchen.

“Every time my grandma was making gnocchi, I liked to be with her — it was like playing with clay,” she recalls. “Throughout the years, as I grew up, whenever there was a party [or] during the holidays, I was always in the kitchen. But I knew if I wanted to work in this field professionally, I would have to learn it by the book.”

Chef Lebrón went on to receive her hospitality bachelor’s degree in 1989 from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, a Dominican Republic-based Cornell University affiliate program. She then interned and worked in the kitchens of five-star hotels (including for chains such as Sheraton and Sofitel) in Brussels, Germany, and Milan.

It was in Italy where she met her husband, and together they moved back to the Dominican Republic. She officially opened her catering and private chef business, Linea Gourmet, in 2002.

Sadly, her husband passed away that time, when her daughter was just three years old, which meant she had to navigate raising a child as a single mother while running her own business.

In typical Chef Lebrón fashion, that challenge didn’t slow her down. She went on to build a substantial client base over the last 12 years, including high-profile companies like Microsoft and World Bank. She has also served as a consulting chef for foodservice brands, including a rice company, and has worked with the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. In addition, Chef Lebrón has written and spoken extensively about gastronomy and the culinary arts.

GETTING TO GOLD

Over the course of her career, Chef Lebrón traveled regularly to ACF events in the U.S., where she met board members and other active chefs who would help her in her career.

“I wasn’t shy — I told the current ACF president I was interested in starting an ACF chapter in the Dominican Republic to increase our knowledge and skills here, and promised to commit myself to that,” Lebrón says. “I did everything the ACF asked me to do, and didn’t sleep on it — I moved quickly.” The chapter, founded in 2015, now has 15 members.

In 2012, competing became her bread and butter. She recruited and

trained a group of young chefs in the Dominican Republic who would go on to take top honors at an international culinary competition in Costa Rica two years in a row and, later, earn that gold medal at the Culinary Olympics.

Chef Lebrón credits four highly acclaimed ACF chefs who mentored her and her team for the past eight years, and for helping establish the Dominican Republic chapter: Chefs Louis Perrote, CEC, AAC; Victor Sommo; Stafford DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC; and George Castañeda, CEC. She points to Chef Castañeda for helping bring her goldwinning team to Germany. “Normally, it takes at least two years to practice for the competition, but we put together our program in just three months,” Chef Lebrón says, nothing she stepped away from other responsibilities so she could devote all her time to practice. “We were just repeating and repeating and remaking dishes all the time until we mastered the techniques.”

One of the team’s most successful dishes on the competition menu was a modern interpretation of sancocho, a traditional beef and root vegetable stew, in this case made as a clarified broth with seven types of meats, along with pumpkin, rice, corn, root vegetables and plantain chips. For the salad, Chef Lebrón and her team prepared a colorful terrine of hearts of palm and avocado, served with celery ribbons, baby greens, toasted macadamia nuts and citrus olive oil.

For the fish course, Chef Lebrón took inspiration from an ancestral fish-andcoconut dish, preparing poached red snapper, Caribbean shrimp roulade, charred pepper with Dominican farm

cheese, chenchén (Dominican cracked-corn pilaf) and a coconut-cilantro shrimp sauce. The meat dish was Brangus beef tenderloin with veal mousseline, wild mushrooms and deconstructed mondongo (beef tripe and vegetable soup), with tongue wrapped in brioche alongside a tomato ragout and artichokes with wild oregano hollandaise. Dessert was a play on coconut cremoux with gelled mango, chinola (passionfruit) ganache, citrus sorbet and candy made with guava, white chocolate and fresh mango, to represent the various fruits of the region.

“When we came back, we were planning to host a big party to celebrate with our colleagues, and invite the media, but within two weeks, COVID-19 happened and everything closed,” she says. Like so many chefs in the industry, Chef Lebrón had to pivot her business model quickly to pay her staff and the bills, through new tactics like preparing lunch boxes for Microsoft employees who were now working from home. Times are still tough, of course, but Chef Lebrón says she refuses to stay idle.

Instead, she’s been keeping busy by preparing for the next competition — she also is the only Certified Judge in the Dominican Republic for worldwide competitions sanctioned by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies and the ACF — as well as remaining in close contact with her chapter members and finding ways to educate the community.

She has also been working with the local government and tourism department to raise funds to support ACF certification for cooks in the area, which would help them find jobs and elevate their careers. In the meantime, she has established a training program for local chefs, tackling everything from ServSafe, COVID-19 safety protocols, and nutrition, through small, socially distanced, masked gatherings in large banquet spaces. Chapter members have also gotten together to prepare meals for residents of a local nursing home.

“I have to keep busy, or I’ll go crazy,” she says. “People who like to compete … want to [compete] all the time, so that’s what I have been doing, and we are having fun. We are focused on presenting the gastronomy of our country. One of my ideas is to present Dominican Republic cuisine in one bite.”

Having passed the practical portion of the Certified Executive Chef exam, Chef Lebrón also hopes to travel to the U.S. to complete the written portion of the exam when it’s safe to do so.

Ever-cheerful, Chef Lebrón says she’s “trying to stay calm and positive” even as the future remains uncertain. After all, that’s the Dominican way.

Left: Chef Ana Lebron inspecting her kitchen as she prepares for reopening after COVID-19 shutdowns. Right: ACF Dominican Republic's modern ceviche presented during the 2020 IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FRUIT

Pastry chefs are expanding their repertoire of cake recipes with this naturally sweet ingredient //

By Robert Wemischner

Who doesn’t love a good cake? The grand dame of desserts never goes out of fashion. From rustic to refined, new wave to classic, and everything in between, cakes hold a place of pride on menus in restaurants, hotels and any place where the desire for sugary treats at teatime and dessert time cannot be denied. Cakes offer something sweet and satisfying, and adding fruit creates a new dimension of flavor.

Executive Pastry Chef Miro Uskokovic of Gramercy Tavern in New York reaches for seasonal fruits when making his cakes. “Fall and winter lead me to use locally grown New York apples, paired with organic carrots, in our apple-and-carrot cake,” he says, noting this plated dessert also features whipped sheep’smilk vanilla yogurt and an apple-and-raisin compote. “I might sneak some rye or buckwheat flour into that at times, or into my upside-down apple or pear cakes, for textural interest and a boost of nutty flavor. I also like to add some fruity accents in the fillings in our layered cakes. House-made jams and frostings edged with fruit play important roles here, too.”

Chef Uskokovic doesn’t shy away from using bleached flour for his fruit-based cakes. “Though vilified [in some health circles], it tastes better, and I get an impressive rise from the cakes, while avoiding that ‘floury’ taste of the unbleached form,” he says. “I have also expanded my pantry to include alternative sugars like jaggery, sorghum and maple syrup to amp up flavor in the cakes.”

Patrick Fahy, executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California, likes to dip into locally grown flours, which, he says “add texture and character to our recipes.” Sonora is a soft, white heritage wheat with low protein and mellow gluten, while Red Fife is a nutty heritage grain that was the standard wheat flour across North America years ago. Chef Fahy also uses rye for a little extra bite to the flavor.

“At the hotel, we mill our own flour from these grains for freshness and maximum flavor,” he says. “I find they pair with everything from chocolate and nuts to fruits, including citrus. Depending on the texture desired, for cakes featuring fruit, I’ll go a little lighter on the rye and Red Fife to keep

the flavors in balance. For lighter results, I will cut the flour with a higher percentage of cake flour to achieve that tender, even-crumb structure.”

Dana Johnson, corporate pastry chef for the PIER 22 restaurant group in Tampa, Florida, enjoys pairing spent grain with pear and apple cider when making cakes in the winter months, which, he says, adds moisture to the cakes as well as enhanced flavor and added rise. He’s also a fan of using alternative flours to balance out the sweetness of fruit cakes, with creations that use quinoa and almond flours.

On the West Coast, fresh produce abounds, even in winter. Meadow Ramsey, pastry chef at Kismet in Hollywood, says, “We are very lucky to have farmers markets, which provide all of the fruits I use in my cakes during this season, from persimmons and pomegranates to quince and grapes. I make a quince cake filled with Swiss buttercream and cubes of the cooked fruit for an almost mosaic effect. For this cake, I finish off the buttercream with a bit of labneh — well-strained, full-fat yogurt with a texture similar to whipped cream cheese — which adds a mellow, rich flavor that marries well with this Mediterranean fruit. My Swiss buttercream uses a straight-up 1-2-3 ratio: one cup of egg whites, two cups of sugar and three pounds of butter, converted to weights, of course, with a dash of salt. For some of the cakes, I might even throw 10% fruit puree into the buttercream for an intense fruity flavor.”

As the title suggests, in his new book, “Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker,” author Jason Schreiber finds adding seasonal fruits to his creations helps cut down on the need for refined sweeteners. “[By using fruit], there are minimum amounts of sugar necessary for sweet recipes to work,” he notes. “I tend to steer as close to those minimums as I can, allowing other, more nuanced flavors to shine.” In the book, his recipes showcase fruit in freeze-dried and powdered forms as well as jams, and use poached fruit and exotic fruits like mamey, guava, kiwi and ume in layer cakes, Bundt cakes and more, going way beyond the strawberry shortcake of the classic American canon.

In addition to taking advantage of the seasons, expanding the use of fruit in cake also adds a healthful note to desserts, with the extra fiber and nutrition cutting down on the guilt. “People want delicious things that are easy to comprehend, and offering cakes with a reminder of what’s in season is always a plus,” Chef Ramsey says. “It’s a win-win, too, for bakers looking for a challenge to develop something new based on something growing locally. Asking, ‘What’s in season, and what can I do with it?’ can lead to some delicious and even health-conscious results all year long.’”

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.”

Opposite from top: Nectarine kuchen and blackberry breton from "Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker" by Jason Schreiber; Above from top: Schreiber's raspberry dacquoise cake and chocolate-orange babka; seasonal fruit cake by Grammercy Tavern's Chef Miro Uskokovic.

Classical

Cuban-American Chef Carlos Villanueva, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and the director of culinary and operations for Puff ‘n Stuff Catering in Orlando, Florida, has nostalgic memories about Boliche Cubano, a classic dish from his heritage that his grandmother Aya often made. The dish features an eye of round roast beef stuffed with Spanish chorizo that has marinated overnight in a mixture of sour orange juice and other citrus juices. As with many Cuban dishes, the cooking process begins with sofrito — a sauté of onions, garlic, bell peppers and a touch of tomato paste. White wine, stock, bay leaves, cumin, oregano and olives are added to a Dutch oven or large, ovenproof pot, and in goes the meat for a braise until tender. While the type of meat can be changed up between a top round or eye, the key ingredients are the citrus, chorizo and sofrito, Chef Villanueva says.

Modern

For a modern spin on the classic Boliche Cubano, and to elevate it to fine-dining status, Chef Villanueva swaps the beef for quail, stuffing the legs and breast meat with a homemade sausage of pork shoulder, heart and blood. He then cooks the quail sous vide until tender, and finishes off the dish with a pan-sear while basting with a thyme-garlic butter. As a nod to the fall and winter seasons, he pairs the quail with a puree of yellow and red beets straight from his garden, along with an onion brûlée, pea tendrils, and a pistachio-puree crumble for a pop of color.

See the classical and modern recipes, as well as more, photos at wearechefs.com

by Amelia Levin

The year 2020 was like no other for so many of us. We faced a global pandemic that led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and brought so many industries to their knees. It was a dark and grim moment in time, to say the least, and we’re still in the throes of it. But with vaccine development pressing ahead and a new push to get this public health crisis under control, there’s hope on the horizon.

Independent restaurants, caterers and other operators that rely on dine-in and event sales were hit particularly hard in the last year as social distancing and stay-at-home measures shut doors. Culinary educators had it rough, too — in most cases they had to switch to all- or mostly-remote learning and adopt the technologies and skills to do that as best they could. Even some fully employed healthcare and senior living chefs found themselves busier than ever when they volunteered to deliver food to high-risk people who couldn’t leave their homes. So many chefs in all types of jobs and segments have had to make changes and “pivot” (as the business cliché goes) by adopting new practices, philosophies and mindsets, and, in general, dig really deep to stay above waters.

Last year was hard, but after talking with so many ACF chefs (not just those interviewed for his article), things seem to be looking up. Their responses were measured and cautiously optimistic, for sure, but overwhelmingly positive. And there are some silver linings to the pandemic and the related economic challenges, as hard as that might be to fathom. Many chefs have greatly improved or streamlined their operations to work smarter, not harder, and to set themselves up to be more profitable in the future. Like boxers, they’ve put in the training in order to be ready for the next one-two, the next surprise punch. Bring it on, they told us.

It’s important to note the chefs highlighted in this group* do not speak for other chefs in their respective industries or even for chefs as a collective group; rather, they are here to share their individual stories by discussing how they have coped, what they have changed, and how they plan to move forward, so that others perhaps can glean some ideas and inspiration. For this article, we also took a closer look at non-commercial segments to bring more awareness to what’s happening behind those kitchen doors, as coverage about independent restaurants remains pretty steady in the news.

The stories don’t end here. Look for more across all ACF content platforms, including on WeAreChefs.com, in the coming year. And if you have a story you would like to share, please reach out. We’re all in this together as we enter what will hopefully be a bright new year.

ON BECOMING AN OBSERVANT CHEF-EDUCATOR

Chef Susanne Ebacher-Grier, culinary arts instructor, Center Grove High School (Indianapolis), and president of the ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter

This year, I started in a new district at a high school where the superintendent wanted to grow the culinary program. This fall, we had an in-person blended schedule, with 90-minute classes reduced to 45-minute classes. Half of the students in one class will come one day, and the other half comes in person the next day. When the students are not in class, we have some e-learning assignments for them, but I’ve tried to keep it light, because some of the students are having a really hard time right now. I was notified that I was listed as a suicide watch contact for three of my students — that was mind-blowing to hear. I have never before dealt with so many mental illness issues at once in all of my years as a culinary educator.

My students have a lot of pressure put on them to be high achievers, so my approach is a little different than these kids

In keeping with the theme of the newly launched ACF ChefsForum, we brought together a group of members to discuss the changing nature of their jobs, careers and industries as we head into a new year and a new era in the culinary landscape.

are used to from traditional teachers. One week I had them watch a clip about Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef, and Indigenous food. I’ve noticed the kids have gravitated to me. In the mornings before class starts, I’ll often have 15 students come to hang out, and many want to have study hall with me. They feel like they’re safe and can talk to me openly and candidly. Maybe it’s helpful that my hair is multiple colors. Maybe it’s because I’m very open, and possibly that’s to my own detriment. But I have had to focus more on making my students feel like they matter.

I have had to become more of an observant educator, and look into a students’ eyes and see what’s going on and ask if they are OK. It’s not enough for me anymore to just have good teaching skills and communicate about nutrition and wellness and mother sauces. I have to provide a platform where kids feel comfortable, and tell them that I believe in them, especially if they have never felt success in their lives, or if they have been told they are a “bad kid” or not good at this or that. When I talk to my other educator friends, what we’re learning is that we need to be fluid, more than ever before. Many of us are already compassionate — if you’re a culinary

educator at the high school level, you definitely have to be. But we have also had to figure out how to teach content differently, learn more about digital learning, create our own resource communities to support each other, read our crowd. When I see the students are having an especially rough day, I just stop and say, “You know what? We’re not doing anything today. Let’s just talk things out.”

Another student I had was starting to fail every class during the pandemic. I found out he hunts deer, so I told him to develop three different venison dishes, take pictures and tell me how they turned out, and he improved his grade because of that. I also have a lot of athletes in my class, and when we’re learning about nutrition and cooking, I tell them, “Some of you might go on to play Division 1 sports, so you need to understand how to fuel your bodies.” They might remember nothing about trigonometry, but still remember how to make a healthy meal for themselves and others. Right now, probably one of the most rewarding takeaways from my job is being able to help develop life skills while providing a safe and secure space. Even though it’s challenging because we never know what’s going to happen day to day, I have learned how to be an even more go-with-the-flow type of educator, and focus on staying innovative and keeping engagement up. That will never go away.

ON TEACHING FOR TAKEOUT

Chef Michael McGreal, CEC, CCE, culinary arts department chair, Joliet Junior College, City Center Campus (Joliet, Illinois)

In the past, when I taught plating and presentation in our restaurant teaching kitchens Thrive and Saveur, our goal was to make each dish absolutely stunning — we focused on the perfect dish, the perfect way to spoon the sauce, getting the protein or vegetable

“We have tailored down our menu significantly. Before COVID, we had 24 offerings; now, we have 15 or less. The smaller production actually works better because you have more control over what you’re selling, your product is fresher and you have a better return on your purchasing. We’re also able to minimize waste and maximize ingredients — instead of 30 pounds of fresh fish fillets, we’ll order one large whole fish that we can portion and serve quickly. The smaller menu makes it easy to do your own R&D on the fly and see what will stick, and what needs to be fixed to sell better in the future.”

-Chef Andres Prüssing, CEC, executive chef, Marriott Charlotte City Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

Chef Susanne Ebacher-Grier, culinary arts instructor, Center Grove High School (Indianapolis), and president of the ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter

centered perfectly. Now, with the restaurants closed for dine-in service, everything is being prepared for takeout. In the past, maybe we would just put all the food in a container or, at most, make it into some kind of TV-dinner-looking thing with the vegetable in a little triangle and the rest of the dish in the main part of the container. By the time you take that home, though, everything becomes a jumbled, congealed mess. For our wedding anniversary, my wife and I deliberated whether or not to order takeout from our favorite restaurant for this very reason. Sure enough, we ordered takeout, but when we got home, I don’t even remember all the components of the dish because it was so slopped-up in the container.

As a chef-educator, it’s my job to help students rethink to-go meals, because this could be the basis of a restaurant operator’s entire concept in the future. Sure, you can choose packaging that has vents so steam can escape and keep fries crispy, but it goes beyond that. Not only do we have to choose the right packaging; we also have to learn how to make dishes with carryover cooking in mind.

I’ve been teaching my students to make things like mac and cheese, risotto, casseroles and dishes with rich sauces a little looser, so that by the time the food travels to someone’s home, everything sets up just nice. Or maybe you make a beautiful red wine reduction with a slightly heavier, thicker body, so it doesn’t run right off the steak or pool in the container. In the past, we’ve taught carryover cooking for in-person dining, but never for takeout. And then there’s the hospitality aspect of it all. Sure, many restaurants have been able to set up tents and other ways to have outdoor dining, but not everyone is going to sit in a tent when it’s zero degrees out. And even when we can dine indoors again, plenty of people will still want takeout from their favorite restaurants, because maybe they don’t want to deal with going out, but want a chef-prepared meal.

So the question is, what are you going to do to make your takeout food still feel like it came from a restaurant when it gets to someone’s home? Maybe elements of the dish are packaged in mini containers with a note or even a photo they can use to help put it all together. Maybe with a nice, pan-seared seabass, you package the sauce and crisp-fried julienned leeks separately, so when you put it all together, it looks like it would if served in the

restaurant. Meal-kit companies have been doing this successfully for years now.

We have been teaching our students this model using a hybrid of in-person and remote formats. When they are in school, they watch the chef plate the dish both on permanent ware and in a to-go container, and then we have them take pictures. Students can then recreate the dish at home, plating it in a to-go container as well and maybe trying out ways to do it differently.

We’re teaching our future chefs how to perfect their dishes and future brands not just inside four walls, but outside them as well. The silver lining to all of this is that we’re more innovative than ever before. Even if the way we taught culinary arts in the past wasn’t broken, we now know that we can transform the future of education into something bigger and better.

ON PIVOTING TO OUTDOOR DINING AND EVENTS

Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, director of culinary operations, The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts

The challenges we faced this past year were different; they depended on where in the country you work. Here in Massachusetts, we’re definitely taking a conservative approach to the virus, so we have not had any indoor events. One thing we have done is put up a temporary outside event space, so we could move any events outside for better air flow and less risk. We built a structure that we are planning to make more permanent for future outdoor events, because if the pandemic continues through April and May, we want to be able to still host some golf outings. If we can have people socially distanced and wearing masks, and have the right number of people per square footage, we

Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, director of culinary operations, The Country Club, Brookline, Massachusetts

Chef Michael McGreal, CEC, CCE, culinary arts department chair, Joliet Junior College, City Center Campus (Joliet, Illinois)

would like to be able to have those events outdoors.

Last year, we had a very successful dining series out on the fairways that we plan to bring back this year. We plan to set up a temporary kitchen with a small outdoor grill, and maybe some cassette stoves and a smoker, and have tables spaced between six and 12 feet apart — whatever the latest guidelines will recommend. The details are still in the works, but it will be reservation-only to keep things small and safe. We have 240 acres here, but golf is still in play, so we will have to be out of the way, and will likely have members take golf carts out to the fairways. We will likely cook in the main clubhouse and transfer food to the temporary kitchen and finish plating there.

During the winter, we installed four igloos on our balconies overlooking the fairway for safe dining outside. We ran power to each one and installed space heaters and even Bluetooth speakers that you can connect to and play music. But we only use them for one turn a night for dinner, and then everything is broken down and cleaned and sanitized for the next day. We felt that was the best way to ensure people would be safe inside them. The igloos have been very popular — we were sold out every night through December.

We have also continued to offer takeout from our a la carte menu, as well as meal kits and prepared meals— all of which have led to very steady business. The hardest part of the pandemic has been the uncertainty; where we are, it seems like every week, the local government changes restrictions, so we have had to constantly update and adjust our procedures to ensure the safety of our team members and guests.

ON MOBILIZING FOODSERVICE AND DELIVERY FOR SENIORS

20-minute turnaround, so we’re delivering 300 meals in an hour. Even if residents aren’t there, they can leave a note telling us to leave their meal preference at the door. We do have some leftovers each day, but we use them to feed the nursing staff, mainly the COVID-19-unit nurses who can’t come and go as easily as others. I’m so proud of our team — everyone stepped up when we made this shift. We said to our employees early on that we didn’t know what this was going to look like, but we will keep them busy, and that has turned out to be true — we haven’t cut any staff, and we’re actually hiring.

Chef

Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, director of dining services, Presbyterian Village North, Dallas

At the beginning of the pandemic, we switched to an alldelivery program. We’ve been preparing about 1,000 meals a day, including three meals a day for our assisted living residents and about 300 meals a day for those in independent living. We post the menu each week for the following week. We use our own vans, staffed with some of the servers from our closed dinein spaces, who drive around with two choices already prepped and ready to go. We have been doing this for 200 days or so now, so we have a good idea which menu item will be the more popular one, and can prep more of that item.

We do the delivery in two runs. We will have one group go on an early delivery run, and they call the kitchen if we need more of one dish choice, so by the time they come back, we have adjusted the numbers for the second run. We have been able to get our delivery route times down to a

In addition to the deliveries, we have added a food truck concept three days a week to get out more meals across our campus. The food truck has been great; it has allowed our chefs to come up with creative menus and concepts that help us use leftover product and also do some fun things. We have been parking the truck near a gazebo, so residents can take their food and eat outside, which is safer than indoors right now, while also getting some protection from the elements. The truck is equipped with a smoker, a griddle, and sandwich prep table that can hold both hot and cold items. We have served pulled pork sandwiches, barbecue plates, homemade pastrami sandwiches, and items like burgers and fries that might not travel as well in our delivery program.

Even if and when pandemic goes away, I definitely see the truck sticking around, because it’s just another way we can feed our residents, and we can use it while we go through some planned construction in our dining room. It’s also great for marketing purposes, and we’ve used it during times when our kitchen shut down, such as when we had two tornadoes in the area and lost power. With the truck, we’re always able to get out and feed those in need, regardless of what’s happening in our main kitchen.

Chef Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, director of dining services, Presbyterian Village North, Dallas

ON CONSULTING AND RETAIL FOR THE FUTURE

Chef Jimmy MacMillan, owner, Pastry Virtuosity, a chef consultancy in Chicago

I have a background in luxury hotels and saw that segment quickly start to struggle during the last year. Grocery, on the other hand, has flourished now that more people are cooking at home and shopping every week. The retail side of a foodservice operation is the most viable right now and I don’t think that will change. It’s hard to predict what this year will look like, but we do know there have been positive gains from some of the new, retail-oriented business models that have come up during the pandemic as a way for companies to stay afloat. Those who were already in the process of launching chef-curated products, market corner stores, or other forms of grab-and-go offerings — their timing was right. I can also see continued growth of the pick-up windows we saw more of last year. If some of these restaurants hadn’t had a walk-up window and the ability to open up partially to continue serving food, they might have closed by now.

In working with Mariano’s a major grocery chain in the Chicago area, I’ve seen sales of freshly prepared meals increasing. This trend goes beyond shutdowns and COVID-19; this is a lifestyle trend that has resulted from people’s ability to work remotely, or, in the last year, the need to work remotely. Having a traditional restaurant will be difficult when we “go back to normal” because people are getting used to the ability to get

Cherry yogurt custard developed by Chef Jimmy MacMillan, owner, Pastry Virtuosity, a consultancy.

Chef Jimmy MacMillan, owner, Pastry Virtuosity, a chef consultancy in Chicago

everything delivered. They like having that limited contact, or just going in and grabbing lunch and taking it home. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see more growth of ghost or virtual kitchens, which maximizes the space of one facility to showcase multiple chefs or operators and can cater to a wider customer base. Some chefs and operators are having difficulty with these changing models, but I think it’s important to look at it as less about serving different groups and more about serving the same group of customers in different ways. These will be some of the ways we bring back hospitality.

ON RE-ENGINEERING MENUS AND SPACES

Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, corporate executive R&D chef, Morrison Healthcare

When COVID-19 hit in March, we at first sat back and went with the flow, but after a couple of weeks, we realized as a $1 billion company, we needed to go on the offensive.

Some of the ideas we’ve had in the last three to five years, before COVID-19, rapidly accelerated because of the pandemic, as sad as that is to say.

We knew this was the time when industry was going to take a good look in the mirror and decide what we’re going to stand for. Companies who were thinking about mobile ordering, ghost kitchens, delivery and smaller dining rooms are acting on these new models now, because it’s become a necessity.

We have more than 950 hospitals where we run not only patient services, but also cafeterias, coffee shops and other retail. Many of those closed down for in-person dining. so we had to rewrite our game plan. If you told me last March that I would be building pop-up markets and grocery stores and selling toilet paper to hospital staff so they had all the necessities, I would never have imagined that would be the case. Now, we have 38 — and counting — pop-up restaurant concepts that we rotate regularly in our kitchen spaces. Instead of doing a huge menu with full pizza, deli and grill stations, we have had to downsize and focus on a more streamlined menu that’s enticing and constantly changing. In the early stages of the pandemic, everyone wanted comfort food, but as we moved further along, our customers, especially younger ones, wanted more diversity in their food, and they didn’t just want a pre-made salad, either.

We found immediate success with our Flat Top pop-up concept, which serves signature quesadillas and a play on elote Mexican street corn with Flaming Hot Cheeto dust. Also popular: our K Steak concept, which serves items like bulgogi cheesesteaks, and Lobster Shack, which is a lobster roll concept. Most recently we launched Egg Roll in a Bowl for keto and Paleo eaters. I was surprised by how popular our Beet Root concept was. It offers a signature roasted beet sandwich on brioche with goat cheese, caramelized balsamic onions and arugula, as well as other items like beet hummus and side salads, and uses a zero-waste, stem-to-root philosophy. We sold 200 beet sandwiches in a day at a Jersey Shore hospital. This month, we are launching Cauli Club, which is a 100-percent cauliflower-based menu, with catchy menu items like the “Going Back to Cauli” bowl with roasted cauliflowers, peppers and onions atop cauliflower hummus, avocado, black beans, cilantro and cauliflower rice. In tests, the breaded buffalo cauliflower sandwich with blue cheese sauce on a brioche bun has also been popular, because it’s a hearty sandwich that even meat eaters can enjoy if they want to skip the meat that day. In addition to revamping our menus, we’re also looking into reimaging our retail and dining spaces; we’re building a ghost kitchen in a Jacksonville, Florida, facility to be able to rotate menus with easy pickup using cubbies and lockers, and we are even designing outdoor kitchens.

“It’s up to us as culinary-educators at the high school level to help our students look at different career paths in the culinary arts profession, and to get employers to invest in these students and provide the necessary foundational skills for entry-level employees in their businesses. Employers will also need to have more continuing education opportunities, and ACF chefs can help with that. Our membership base is truly in a position to grow the future of foodservice and develop lifelong culinarians and team members.”

– Chef Robert Miera, culinary arts instructor, Cuba Independent School, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, corporate executive R&D chef, Morrison Healthcare

From a culinary standpoint, constantly staying on top of trends and change in the industry has kept us on our toes, but we also want to make our guests happy. We are serving literal superheroes — the first responders who are taking care of our country. We need chefs now, and will continue to in the future. I always tell our staff before every service that this could be the most important meal they ever make, because it could be someone’s first, or someone’s last. It has to be the best meal it can be — ever single time.

ON BRINGING BACK HOSPITALITY IN CATERING

Chef Brandon LaVielle, CEC, WCEC, director of culinary and partner, Lavish Roots Catering and Hospitality, Seattle

While we have lost big parties and some clients are on hold since switching to online ordering, we are actually getting a bunch of new clients and guests, because our business has never before been open to the public. Up until last March, we always had a high minimum order, but now that we’re not catering events, we’re selling package meals for families and others on a smaller scale. We have had former wedding and party clients, and even people who live down the street, excited to try our food, and we have customers who order from us regularly. Many have said that

when they can have parties again, they plan to call us. Some of the best comments we have been getting is that our food is great, but also our attention to detail is off the charts. We always throw in some extra touches. For example, through the month of November, when people picked up their curbside meals, we gave everyone in the car a warm cup of apple cider — with our logo on the side of the cup, so they remember us. We include notes and instructions for reheating in all our meals. It’s nice because, as caterers, we don’t always get that face-toface interaction. Being able to interject a little hospitality in our to-go meals has been really special, and by cooking in smaller batches, we have really been able to ramp up our quality control and consistency even more. This has led us to plan to build a public-facing bar and mini-restaurant, when it’s safe to do so in the future.

*these interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity

Chef Brandon LaVielle, CEC, director of culinary and partner, Lavish Roots Catering and Hospitality, Seattle

Steak bulgogi cheesesteaks with sautéed kimchi on the menu at Morrison Healthcare's K Steak pop-up concept.

THE PLIGHT OF PACKAGING

by Amanda Baltazar

Put your ear to the ground and listen. The rumblings you’re hearing are from the movement to reduce packaging waste, with much of the clamor coming from today’s biggest groups of consumers: millennials and Gen Z, according to New York-based market research and consulting agency Kantar.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported that containers and packaging constitute 30% of all waste. Most packaging is not recycled or recyclable, so it instead makes its way to the landfill or is incinerated, creating noxious pollution. Not only that, it’s harming and killing ocean creatures as they get entangled in or consume plastic — sometimes before we consume them.

In the past 10 months, the problem has become much worse. Many restaurant dining rooms closed, and consumers have been limited to delivery or takeout, which meant restaurants were using far more packaging.

And the timing was unfortunate for the environment, as restaurants had been starting to move toward reusable containers and compostable and recyclable packaging.

Coronavirus can be blamed for a lot of the increase in packaging waste, but there is a silver lining, says Pamela Goodfellow, director, retail insights, at Kantar. “With [everyone] spending so much more time at home, we’ve become much more aware of the garbage that results from takeout restaurant meals, which we perhaps didn’t so much realize when we were in offices,” she explains.

Before the pandemic, Chef Ryan Ratino, owner of Bresca in Washington, D.C., eschewed plastic completely, except for plastic wrap. He even uses metal tasting spoons, which keeps around 125,000 plastic spoons out of the garbage annually, he says.

But he’s had to make concessions recently. With Bresca’s dining room closed, he switched to takeout,

Restaurants and foodservice operations are looking for more environmentally friendly products, especially as takeout increases during the pandemic

but has yet to find a good packaging solution. Fully compostable containers would cost about $4 for a $40 meal, so he’s gone to his second-best option: packaging with a compostable base and a plastic lid, which costs about $2 per meal.

“It’s proven to be very challenging, and [our staff has] talked about this multiple times,” he says. “We’re trying to stick with our core values regardless of the situation around us.”

Chef Aaron Adams is also finding it difficult. He’s temporarily closed his restaurant, Farm Spirit, in Portland, Oregon, and is only operating his retail business, Fermenter, which sells products like kimchi, kombucha and vegan charcuterie.

He sells his products in mostly paper-based ecofriendly containers and reusable glass jars; customers pay a $2 deposit for the latter. When they return the container, that deposit goes toward their next purchase. Before the current crisis, Chef Adams sold everything in reusable containers. Customers who didn’t want to pay the deposit could use plastic for a charge, which he would donate to the organization Zero Foodprint for carbon offsets.

And while he has come across reusable packaging options throughout his lengthy research, he says there’s always a sticking point: It comes from too far away, which adds to the overall costs due to pricier shipping, or it doesn’t stack, or it’s simply too expensive. And he has to consider the other costs of reusables: He needs a dishwasher and a person to operate it. The costs to him, he says, are far greater than using plastic.

Like Chef Ratino, Chef Adams sometimes questions what he does. “It’s hard when you see what the major corporations are doing. But at the same time, I want to be responsible, and there are customers who really care about these issues.”

REUSABLES TO GO

Marc Schechter and Danny Stoller opened Square Pie Guys in San Francisco in July 2019 and have been working with startup Dispatch Goods since this past summer. When customers order from the restaurant, they’re given the option of reusable containers (for $1.50 more per meal). When they’ve finished their meal, they contact Dispatch Goods to pick up the packaging.

So far, between 3% and 4% of Square Pie customers are opting for the reusable packaging,

Your Daily Probiotic Beverage from Fermenter in Portland, Oregon.

“WE’RE TRYING TO LEAD A CULTURAL SHIFT IN WHICH UTENSILS ARE NOT AN EXPECTATION.”

-JUST SALAD CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER SANDRA NOONAN

which in the second half of September translated to 172 pizza boxes, 155 containers and 200 bags saved from the landfill. “That’s a big win,” Stoller says.

Lindsey Hoell launched Dispatch Goods in October 2019, partnering with restaurants in downtown San Francisco. The company put return bins for disposables in five nearby offices, and was preparing to ramp up when March brought COVID-19 to the city.

She rethought her business plan, then relaunched this past summer with a handful of restaurants — now 20 — using the same model that she uses for Square Pie Guys. In its first year, she says, Dispatch Goods has saved more than 7,000 containers from the waste stream.

Now, a Dispatch Goods van picks up the reusable containers, visiting certain neighborhoods on certain days. Because the routes are optimized, this is still a more ecofriendly option than non-reusable containers, even with the carbon emissions of the van, Hoell says. She plans to transition to electric vans eventually.

So far, Hoell’s found that around 10% of customers select the reusable containers, but her goal is 50% or more. Next will be memberships to Dispatch Goods; customers would pay $20 a month, which covers everything — the cost of the reusables plus the pickup costs (pickup costs are currently covered by the $1.50 surcharge). This, she believes, will be the “best way to get people on board.”

Hoell’s hopeful for the future, and some San Francisco restaurants are coming up with their own ideas, too. Zuni Café

Reusable containers from Dispatch Goods in San Francisco, California.

is building the cost of disposables into its meals and soon will switch to 100% disposables; another, The Morris, is launching Dispatch Good's reusable program at $5 per order.

It’s not just packaging that’s an issue for the environment; cutlery is also a problem. Just Salad, which is pioneering a reusable bowl program that saves 75,000 pounds of single-use plastic annually, debuted a utensil opt-in program on its own online ordering platform in the spring.

“We wanted to look at reducing waste before it happens,” says Just Salad’s Chief Sustainability Officer Sandra Noonan. Now, instead of customers opting out of plastic cutlery, she says, they have to opt in by checking a box in their order. “We’re reversing the default, and we’re trying to lead a cultural shift in which utensils are not an expectation,” she explains.

Since this program started, Just Salad has seen an 88% reduction in cutlery opt-in on its own food ordering platform

NON-COMMERCIAL LOCATIONS ARE IMPACTED, TOO

Moves like these are not just happening in the restaurant industry; they’re also occurring in the non-commercial foodservice business.

At Perth Amboy Technical High School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, culinary arts instructor Stephen Moir eliminated Styrofoam and disposable plates and cutlery in September 2015 and switched to reusable products. Although they cost close to $1,000, "The lifespan of non-disposable plates, silverware and cups are 10 years, and the outlay of initial costs is recovered within two years,” he says. Due to COVID-19, he’s been forced to switch, temporarily, to compostable takeout containers, which cost about 4% more.

OhioHealth, a large not-for-profit based in Columbus, Ohio, identified sustainability as one of its four top initiatives in its five-year plan. In May, OhioHealth decided to stop using foam products for its packaging needs, and implemented the move in August at two hospitals, Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Medical Center, with more to follow.

The biggest challenge, says Lisa Roberson, senior national director of wellness and sustainability for Morrison Healthcare (the contractor that runs the foodservice for OhioHealth), which was the compartmentalized clamshells “because there’s not a suitable replacement for them.”

Another non-commercial example: The University of Vermont in Burlington opened this fall with a new mobile app; all food ordered through it is provided in reusable containers.

The university’s foodservice contractor, Sodexo, created 20 collection stations around the campus where students can return the containers. In the first six weeks, the contractor saw

Just Salad's online ordering app offers an opt in or opt out for plastic utensils to cut down on waste.

18,000 containers go through the system, “which is amazing when you think of the packaging waste that would be,” says Lara Seng, Sodexo’s sustainable living manager, office of corporate social responsibility.

What’s important, she points out, is making the return of the items as convenient as possible.

She expects to see a return on the $25,000 investment in the reusable products in about six months and admits it hinges on students returning containers in a timely manner; otherwise, Sodexo has to buy more. And the cost doesn’t just come from purchasing the containers, Seng points out. Sodexo also has to pay to wash them and had to buy drying racks and storage and collection bins.

Sodexo’s young customers aren’t the only ones buying into reusables. The contractor also switched to reusable containers at Asbury Communities, a group of retirement homes headquartered in Frederick, Maryland.

The eight participating retirement homes, which began room delivery in response to COVID-19, are still delivering some meals. They shifted to reusable to-go containers in May and recovered the cost of the investment within three months, Seng explains.

Sodexo launched the program strategically, she says, with messaging, FAQs and multiple collection bins around the community. Residents also saw two immediate benefits of the reusable packaging: They were less flimsy and kept the food warmer.

From boosting the bottom line, keeping food intact and helping to take care of the planet, the benefits of non-disposable packaging are becoming clearer to all of us — those in foodservice, and the consumers using these products.

Senior Sous Chef Brock Kaltenbach of OhioHealth, a not-for-profit based in Columbus, Ohio

Amanda Baltazar is a food and beverage reporter based in the soggy Pacific Northwest, who writes for and about chefs and restaurant operations.

FOR THE FUTURE FERMENTING

Maximizing vegetable prep reduces waste and expands the diversity of our food system

By Jamie Simpson executive chef, Culinary Vegetable

As a chef, you know how buzzwords come and go in the culinary world — and food waste concepts have risen to the top of today’s conversations. For the Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI), though, waste management is not a marketing phrase or a bandwagon ploy to garner attention. It is a way of living.

Institute at The Chef’s Garden, Huron, Ohio waste is inherent. Try opening your dining room only once a month, Chef.

We’ve definitely had to grapple with food waste at the CVI. Here’s why. We’re not a hotel or inn, having just one suite available to rent. We’re not corporate chefs, although we work for The Chef’s Garden. We’re not a banquet hall, although we host weddings, anniversaries and birthdays. What we are is a place for forward-thinking, likeminded food and beverage professionals to explore the future of food, often by examining the past.

The challenge with this model? Waste. Without a regular outlet for overage,

As part of our solution, we preserve vegetables for flavor, texture and sustainability (which includes optimizing inventory and managing food cost), and this also allows us to simply watch biology happen in real time. Preservation, though, is something much greater than a method of reducing food waste.

To explain what I mean, here’s a section from Michael Pollan’s book, “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation,” that has stuck with me:

“To ferment your own food is to lodge a small but eloquent protest — on behalf of the senses and the microbes — against the homogenization of flavors and food experiences now rolling like a great, undifferentiated lawn across the globe. It is also a declaration of independence from an economy that would much

prefer we remain passive consumers of its standardized commodities, rather than creators of idiosyncratic products expressive of ourselves and of the places where we live …”

In other words, fermenting food allows chefs to be at the front of a culinary revolution.

Imagine a world where ketchup and mustard taste exactly the same everywhere you go — and you’ll quickly realize that’s called America (don’t yell at me, Chef! The big-name brands still have a place in my heart). What I’m saying is we’re suffering from a gross lack of diversity and substance in our food. Our way of living and eating has changed faster than our genetic makeup can cope with it. We are sicker, fuller and hungrier, all at the same time—and, thanks to medical innovations, we get to live like this longer.

Our food is largely homogenous from coast to coast and border to border in the U.S. — and one way CVI has broken this sameness up is by tackling one of this industry’s biggest problems, or should I say opportunities: waste. We’ve found valuable ways to make the most of our inventory and, in turn, we have created an ecosystem of flavors, textures and aromas that may only be possible through fermentation.

Fermentation doesn’t have to happen in an attic or in a hole in your yard. It doesn’t have to happen on a counter for six weeks, either. We utilize our kitchen and the equipment on hand to produce highs and lows on the spectrum of flavor. We’ve modified rice cookers to hold ingredients at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for months, which slowly caramelizes sugars present in vegetables while keeping them well above pasteurization temperatures. We do short, overnight ferments and dehydrate the results fully for seasoned powders or rubs.

With a clear understanding of pH, salt-level ratios, time and temperature,

chefs can resume cooking in ways our society has forgotten. Our declaration of independence from homogeneity will allow us to wean ourselves from broadline “food” distributors and lean into products that are expressive of the seasons, ourselves, and the place we call home.

In January, the CVI is offering an online Preservation Workshop where we can celebrate the past by demonstrating culinary techniques derived from thousands of years of trial and error — many of which are gone from today’s kitchens. We’ll also be celebrating the future by bringing this concept into tomorrow and beyond through the power of the internet, which will allow us to host this event safely while reaching a wider audience than we would by hosting in Huron, Ohio. Learn more at culinaryvegetableinstitute.com

Baby steps like preservation and fermentation, and others we plan to present in our workshop, will ultimately build a better environment for our industry. Our diners could leave healthier than when they arrived, and our restaurants can better manage their food costs and waste. The future of our industry rests in our collective hands.

Above: The Chef's Garden in Huron Ohio. Below: Farmer Lee Jones (left) and Executive Chef Jamie Simpson (right)

CULINARY MEDICINE TODAY

Gone are the days where a heart-healthy meal in a restaurant, denoted by a heart icon on the menu, meant a bland piece of fish and steamed vegetables. These days, many consumers are more aware of ways to make healthier choices in restaurants, and perhaps more willing to trust that chefs can make dishes tasty and healthy.

Obesity, heart disease and diabetes remain major problems in our country. Throw in a pandemic, and things get even more complicated; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), noted that those with a BMI over 30 are at an increased risk of contracting a more severe course of COVID-19, and are three times as likely to be hospitalized.

At the same time, As many as 85% of Americans have made changes in the food they eat or how they prepare food because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) 2020 Food and Health Survey. About 20% reported eating healthier than usual, eating more than usual and eating more pre-made meals from their pantry or freezer. Some of these changes had direct links to special diets; 43% of consumers reported following a specific diet or eating pattern (such as intermittent fasting, and ketogenic diets), up from 38% in 2019 and 36% in 2018. Nearly 30% of consumers said they ate more protein from plant sources, and 24% said they ate more plant-based dairy.

At a time when consumers are savvy to the need for healthy food, chefs have access to more ingredients than ever before, and physicians are battling a slew of preventable long-term diseases, culinary medicine is becoming more of a focus in educational institutions.

CULINARY MEDICINE DEFINED

Culinary medicine isn’t a new concept; The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine (GCCM) at Tulane University was founded nearly a decade ago, in 2012, as the first teaching kitchen operated within a medical school.

“We built a teaching kitchen with the idea that we were going to teach medical students how to cook, to help change dialogues about food with patients,” says Dr. Timothy Harlan, GCCM’s former executive director and the current executive director at George Washington University Culinary Medicine Program in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Harlan is no stranger to the kitchen, having worked as a chef and restaurateur himself in the ‘80s before returning to medical school.

“What many doctors used to do was hand their patients a piece of paper denoting a list of foods they should and should not eat with their particular disease or diagnosis,” he says. “It was then up to the patients to figure it out.” Dr. Harlan, therefore, searched for a way to meet “at the intersection of food and health,” he says. Part of this includes

Chefs and doctors work together to tackle some of our biggest health issues - especially during a global pandemic

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By Samantha Lande

examining Eastern medicine practices and cultures that use certain foods like turmeric and other spices and herbs for healing, although Dr. Harlan’s quick to note his program focuses on evidence-based studies when making final recommendations.

TEACHING CULINARY MEDICINE

Dr. Harlan’s health-meets-food curriculum is now taught in more than 60 programs across the country, from medical schools to nursing and other residency programs. One of those schools is the University of Central Florida, where Hospitality Instructor

Robb Seltzer leads a collaboration between the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the UFC College of Medicine. Much of his culinary nutrition curriculum is based around elements of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats.

“There has been evidence showing a Mediterranean diet can reduce risk of death from causes like heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers by” he says.

The coursework starts with basic knife skills and sanitation before moving onto disease-specific courses focusing on the Mediterranean diet foods and

food combinations that can help prevent or manage ailments such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, renal (kidney) disease, diabetes and more.

Programs like this, whether in a medical school or a culinary school, are geared toward meeting the guest, patient and other members of the community where they are, in terms of what they enjoy eating, and helping them understand how they can improve their health through different foods. “The goal is to train our chefs to go out and teach people how to cook and eat better,” Seltzer says.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHEFS

As culinary medicine becomes a bigger part of our vernacular and more consumers seek out healthy foods, there will be an even bigger role for chefs to play. Chefs who cook in nursing homes, restaurants, schools or just about anywhere have the opportunity to learn about and add nutrition to whatever they cook.

As Chef Leah Sarris, RD, LDN, executive director, New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, says, “Chefs have a moral obligation to serve people healthy

Left: Dr. Timothy Harlan, GCCM’s former executive director and the current executive director at George Washington University Culinary Medicine Program in Washington, D.C. Right: Robb Seltzer, Hospitality instructor at the University of Central Florida

food.” Even small tweaks to dishes can make a huge difference in health.

Hyperlocal and hyper-seasonal ingredients are not just tasty and trendy, she says; they also make food healthier because they are typically more nutrientdense. “You can actually save money by [focusing] on beautiful, fresh veggies and interesting grains while including fewer ounces of a protein,” she says.

Another tip from Chef Sarris is to make vegetarian options more filling. “A plate of vegetables will likely leave your vegetarian guests unsatisfied, so learning how to make it filling with elements of protein, fat and fiber is key.”

Still, she doesn’t necessarily recommend advertising these dishes as the “healthier option.” “Guests often think the ‘healthy’ option won’t taste good,” she says. “If you use innovative cooking techniques that are naturally better for you, like sous vide, or pesto instead of heavy cream sauces, your guests will get a flavor-packed, healthy meal without the blunt advertising.”

Chef Emily Schlag, RD, the former director at SBH Center for Culinary Medicine and Teaching

Kitchen in New Orleans, who is in the process of building a teaching kitchen and program in the Bronx in New York, thinks it’s essential to “take favorites and show people small changes they can make to these dishes and make them better for them,” she says. For instance, the Bronx has large Puerto Rican and Dominican communities, so she’s focused on “healthifying” dishes like arroz con pollo by using salt-free or DIY spice blends, as well as using unsalted chicken stock or sodium-free chicken bouillon to reduce sodium, and swapping white rice for brown.

As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Harlan says, “We can certainly hypothesize that [the pandemic] has increased people’s awareness of obesity as a primarily inflammatory disease.” That means chefs who know how to cook and use food as medicine can literally help save lives.

“IF YOU USE INNOVATIVE COOKING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NATURALLY BETTER FOR YOU, LIKE SOUS VIDE, OR PESTO INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM SAUCES, YOUR GUESTS WILL GET A FLAVOR-PACKED, HEALTHY MEAL WITHOUT THE BLUNT ADVERTISING.”

-CHEF LEAH SARRIS, RD, LDN

Chicago. Her work has appeared in Food Network, Chowhound, Time Out and other local and national publications.

IT’S ALL CONNECTED

From our brains and guts to our individual genetic makeup, our bodies have a symbiotic relationship with the foods we choose to eat.

That’s the message that Chef Michael Fenster, M.D. (aka, Chef Dr. Mike), promotes for understanding the evolution of nutrition. He’s the professor of culinary medicine at the University of Montana Missoula College and the University of Montana’s College of Health.

Sure, we know now that whole foods are better for you than processed ones. “You could be a vegan, but if you subsist on French fries and vegan brownies, that doesn’t make you healthier than someone who eats grass-fed beef in moderation,” he says.

There’s also plenty we still don’t know about the ways foods interact with our bodies. Scientists can identify certain vitamins and minerals in fruits, vegetables and proteins, but these foods also have lesser-understood bioactive compounds that can have an even more profound impact on our health.

The story gets even more complicated when you introduce genes into the mix. Depending on our individual DNA and genetic makeup, certain foods can have good or bad health implications for us. “I can eat walnuts and pecans, which are a great source of pleasure, taste and nutrition for me, but if my wife eats them, she could die,” he says.

These individualized nuances make it challenging for doctors and dietitians to develop a one-size-fits all diet or nutrition solution for the general public. It also makes things more complicated for chefs trying to figure out what to serve or not serve on menus.

However, chefs can incorporate some of the basic premises of culinary medicine into their practice to help consumers improve their overall health and wellness — and by doing so, set their cuisine apart from the competition. Check out these three tips. Create opportunities for mindful eating.

The idea of mindful eating goes beyond just choosing to eat healthful foods. “We’re seeing more studies that show how we eat, when we eat, with whom we eat, and our mental state when we engage in the act of consumption have a profound impact on our health, in ways we’re only beginning to

understand,” Dr. Fenster says.

Hospitality fits directly into this solution. “When we’re dining out, and we are relaxed and happy because our food experience was so good, this has a direct impact on our health,” he adds. “That’s why a medical approach alone — eat more greens, take this pill and stop going to the drive-thru — doesn’t work.” Chefs who focus on the experience as much as on the food can be contribute to this more holistic approach. Even if it’s a take-out meal with a little note attached or a healthy meal kit with personalized recipe instructions, hospitality can transcend brick-and-mortar borders.

Focus on helping customers improve their gut health.

We now know that our overall wellness is, in part, directly tied to our gut health and gut microbiome.

“The types of foods we eat can grow healthy bacteria in our gut that can [produce] serotonin and literally make us happier,” Dr. Fenster says. The wrong food and drink choices can also strip away this good bacteria, making the center of our bodies a breeding ground for less-beneficial bacteria that affect our organs as well as our brain and mental health.

While many plant foods like garlic, onion and leafy greens introduce prebiotics to our system, fermented foods are the probiotic powerhouses of which we don’t get nearly enough. Ferments such as kimchi and sauerkraut — not sugary yogurt or a pill — help us achieve better gut health.

Dr. Fenster also points out, “All fermented foods are pickled, but not all pickled foods are fermented.” For chefs, fermented foods can be challenging to menu, depending on local health department regulations or the nature of their customer base (e.g., high-risk populations), but it’s worth looking into what’s possible. Even putting sourdough bread—a natural ferment— on the menu, or exploring FDAapproved fermented products counts.

Educate, educate, educate.

The third piece of the puzzle is education. “It’s not enough anymore to just source organically or from the farmers market; whenever [chefs] do so, they need to let their customer know, because those who are interested in improving their health will seek out those [restaurants] first,” Dr. Fenster says. “Those are also the places I encourage my patients to visit.”

Indeed, when it comes to modern culinary medicine, chefs can benefit from educating their customers, Dr. Fenster says: “When chefs make an effort to source the best ingredients and create the best experiences for enjoying those foods, and also educate their customers about their menu choices, [healthdriven people] develop true brand loyalty.” – Amelia

Levin

ACF ChefsForum Sponsors

NCR Quiz

January/February 2021

By LeeAnn Corrao, CFC®

What is sofrito?

a. A Indian dish

b. A spice

c. A base used in Latin American cooking

d. A drink with lime juice

Which of the following is not an ingredient in the classical preparation of Boliche Cubano?

a. Citrus

b. Chorizo

c. Onions

d. Eggs

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency reported that containers and packaging constitute of all waste?

a. 10%

b. 20%

c. 30%

d. 40%

In addition to helping the environment, what is a benefit of nondisposable packaging?

a. Non-disposable containers keep food warmer

b. Non-disposable containers are less flimsy

c. Non-disposable containers can boost your bottom line

d. All of the above

The long shelf-life of a potato helps reduce food waste.

a. True

b. False

According to the IFIC, 85% of Americans claimed that they have made changes in their diet because of

a. Food allergies

b. The COVID-19 pandemic

c. Heart disease

d. Fad dieting

According to Chef Chris Bugher, the act of melting cheese is a balance between moisture, age and .

a. Acid content

b. Time

c. Temperature

d. Salt content

Who is the current president of the ACF Young Chef's Club?

a. Ashten Garrett

b. Jamie Simpson

c. Julia Spondike

d. Alain Ducasse

New ACF COVID-19 Safety Training

Take the ACF COVID-19 Safety Training for Foodservice course and earn a certificate and verifiable digital badge that can be displayed on your website and social media channels.

Available in the ACF Online Learning Center. Visit acfchefs.org/OLC

Topics Covered:

• Key Features of COVID-19

• Minimizing Risk and Preventing Spread

• Best Practices for Foodservice

• Examples from Chefs in the Industry

Let your customers know you have their safety in mind.