National Culinary Review (March/April 2020)

THE CULINARY TRENDS OF

NORTH

ASIA

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FEATURE STORY

26

The Cuisine of North Asia

While Chinese and Japanese dishes have long since dominated menus in the U.S., here’s a look at some of the hyper-regional and comfort food dishes trending as of late, along with a brief overview of Mongolian, Taiwan and Korean cuisines.

DEPARTMENTS 14

Main Course

“Food tourism” continues to grow as an emerging category, allowing chefs and restaurateurs in emerging, culinary-centric cities to attract and enlighten diners from around the globe.

18

On the Side

As consumers continue to seek out functional foods, functional mushrooms and mushroom powder fill the void. Plus, a look at how one pastry chef rises to the challenge of creating vegan desserts using non-dairy milks.

22

Pastry

“Upcycling” spent grains from breweries adds flavor to breads and baked goods, and allows chefs and food makers to help reduce food waste.

24

Classical vs. Modern

A study of Chinese sweet and sour sauce, showcased in a traditional seafood dish and in a modern bao.

34 Management

Virtual or “ghost” kitchens allow chefs and restaurateurs the chance to test new menus and concepts or ramp up their delivery service. 38 Health

As part of a modern, gluten-free movement, more suppliers and chefs are experimenting with a wider variety of fruit- and vegetable-based flours in breads and baked goods as an allergen-free, lower-carb option for added taste and nutrition.

Editor in Chief

Amelia Levin

Creative Services Manager

David Ristau

Assistant Editor

Heather Henderson

Graphic Designer

Armando Mitra

Sales Specialist

Hallie Brown

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 • www.acfchefs.org

Board of Directors

President

Stafford DeCambra, CEC®, CCE®, CCA®, AAC®

Immediate Past 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), March/April

2020, Volume 44, Number 2, 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.

‘Tis The Season

In last month’s letter, I shared my passion for competitions, which are an important part of ACF’s purpose and mission. They showcase to both the nation and the world the highest level of culinary talent out there, thanks to the dedication, superior skill level and passion of our members.

As I write this, I'm on my way to the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany to watch all of our teams compete: ACF Culinary Team USA; ACF Culinary Regional Team USA; ACF Culinary Youth Team USA (aka, “Team Tiny”), and the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team. For nearly four years, the men and women on these teams have shown what it’s like to be true Olympians, not unlike the athletic Olympians we all know and love to watch compete. They have worked hard, and I am confident they will represent us well on the world stage. If you haven’t already, you can catch all the live-streamed action on Facebook @ ACFCHEFS and Instagram @acf_chefs.

After IKA, we quickly go into ChefConnect: Seattle, which kicks off our event season March 1. Then, ChefConnect: Nashville is right around the corner on March 22. Both conferences feature an impressive lineup of speakers and topics, from using TV to advance careers to cooking with cannabis and scraps, the art of fermentation, and the evolution of restaurant technology. Our events offer one of the best ways for us to demonstrate that all chefs have a seat at the table. This includes young chefs—the hallmark of our evolving association. Last year, I challenged us to open our doors for young chefs who may not have Michelin-star restaurant experience, but who certainly have the potential to be the “next big thing.” I said it then and will say it again: we cannot sustain ACF without these young chefs. Not only do they breathe new life into our organization, they also offer our veteran members an opportunity to give back through mentorship, guidance and support. Through your leadership, this year’s events will serve as the platform through which we can come together and continue to learn from each other.

Finally, a huge thank you to our 2020 sponsors, listed on page 40-41. Our association and this publication relies on your generosity in order to keep doing what we’re doing: educating and engaging our growing member base. Mahalo!

Stafford T. DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC National President American Culinary Federation

Se abre la temporada

En la carta del mes pasado, les transmití mi pasión por las competencias, que son una parte importante del propósito y la misión de ACF. En ellas se exhibe ante el país y el mundo el más alto nivel de talento culinario de la industria, gracias a la dedicación, el nivel de habilidades superiores y la pasión de nuestros miembros.

A medida que escribo este mensaje, me dirijo a los Juegos Olímpicos Culinarios de la Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) en Stuttgart, Alemania, para ver competir a todos nuestros equipos: ACF Culinary Team USA; ACF Culinary Regional Team USA; ACF Culinary Youth Team USA (también conocido como “Team Tiny”), y el U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team. Durante casi cuatro años, los hombres y mujeres que integran estos equipos han demostrado lo que es ser un verdadero competidor olímpico, no muy diferente de los atletas que todos conocemos y a quienes nos encanta ver competir. Han trabajado con gran esfuerzo y estoy seguro de que nos representarán bien en el escenario mundial. Si aún no lo ha hecho, puede ver toda la acción transmitida en vivo en Facebook @ACFCHEFS e Instagram @acf_chefs.

Después de IKA, entramos rápidamente en ChefConnect: Seattle, que dará inicio a nuestra temporada de eventos el 1ro de marzo. Luego, ChefConnect: Nashville está a la vuelta de la esquina el 22 de marzo. Ambas conferencias cuentan con una impresionante línea de oradores y temas, desde el uso de la televisión para avanzar en las carreras hasta la cocina con cannabis y sobras, el arte de la fermentación y la evolución de la tecnología de los restaurantes.

Nuestros eventos ofrecen una de las mejores maneras de demostrar que todos los chefs tienen un lugar en la mesa. Esto incluye a los jóvenes chefs, el sello distintivo de nuestra asociación en evolución. El año pasado, nos desafié a abrir nuestras puertas a los jóvenes chefs que pueden no tener experiencia en restaurantes con estrellas Michelin, pero que tienen el potencial de ser la “próxima revolución”. Lo dije entonces y lo diré de nuevo: no podemos mantener a ACF sin estos jóvenes chefs. No solo dan nueva vida a nuestra organización, sino que también ofrecen a nuestros miembros veteranos la oportunidad de retribuir a través de mentorías, orientación y apoyo. Gracias al liderazgo que ustedes han aportado, los eventos de este año servirán como la plataforma a través de la cual podremos unirnos y continuar aprendiendo unos de otros.

Finalmente, deseo expresar un enorme agradecimiento a nuestros patrocinadores de 2020, que figuran en las páginas 40-41. Nuestra asociación y esta publicación se basan en su generosidad para seguir haciendo lo que estamos haciendo: educar e incentivar la participación de nuestra creciente base de miembros. Mahalo!

What’s Cooking on We Are Chefs this month

Read these recent digital-only articles (and new stuff each week!) on wearechefs.com

Student Webinar Series

The ACF has partnered with Nepris to offer a new, educational webinar series featuring panelists representing a wide range of culinary career paths and varying levels of experience. Students will be able to ask questions and gain insight into the culinary world.

Nine Questions for Jesus

Learn more about Jesus Olmedo, the youngest member of ACF Culinary Team USA who competed in IKA’s “Culinary Olympics” earlier this year. He also offers a few tips for budding chefs trying to make their way up the ranks.

ACF Launches a Cannabis Certification

After a few years in the making, the ACF launched a new certification for those cooking and baking in the cannabis space. The Specialized Certificate in Culinary Cannabis and Edibles, which is available for both ACF members and non-members, requires the study of resource books and passing an online exam.

Sleepless in Seattle

Award-winning Seattle chefs like Edouardo Jordan, Eric Rivera and Kathy Casey share their takes on Pacific Northwest cuisine, detailing their love of fresh seafood, foraged finds and ongoing connections with farmers.

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

A digital subscription to NCR is included with ACF membership, but members can now get a one-year print subscription for just $25! Visit acfchefs.org/ncr to get yours today.

Follow the ACF on your favorite social media platforms:

@acfchefs

@acfchefs

@acf_chefs

@acfchefs American Culinary Federation

Twitter question of the month:

What is your favorite piece of equipment in your kitchen? Tweet us your answer using the hashtag #ACFasks and we’ll retweet our favorites.

Our favorite #acfchefs Instagram photo of the month:

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

Tag your Instagram photos with #acfchefs and you could see your image here in the next issue of NCR.

NEWS BITES

Let's Connect

Have you registered for ChefConnect: Nashville yet? We’ll be in the Music City on March 22-24 with presenters like Sean Brock and Justin Sutherland (not to mention tons of food, friends and fun). Visit acfchefs.org/events.

Discounted NRA Show Tix

ACF members can get discounted tickets to the 2020 National Restaurant Association Show 2020 in Chicago, May 16-19. Use the code ACF61384 to save $64 off the regular price. nationalrestaurantshow.com/register.

New Specialization

The ACF is proud to launch the first-of-its-kind Culinary Cannabis and Edibles Specialization. Learn the essentials of cooking safely with cannabis and be one of the first to earn a specialization certificate that proves your skills in this trending industry. Available now only in the ACF Online Learning Center. Take the course at acfchefs.org/olc.

Spring Scholarship Applications Due

The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, with the support of the American Academy of Chefs, is pleased to offer a limited number of scholarships annually to students. Exemplary students can receive up to $1,500 for apprenticeship and certificate programs and up to $2,500 for post-secondary degree-granting programs.

Applications for the fall semester are due by April 30. Apply now at surveymonkey.com/r/ACFEFSchol2020.

Deadline Approaching

The deadline to nominate someone for a National Presidential Medallion or a National Achievement of Excellence Award is March 31, 2020. The Presidential Medallion is considered the highest honor given by the national president of the ACF. It is presented in recognition of outstanding representation of the ACF fundamental principles, including superior strength of character and continued contributions to ACF and/or the culinary industry as a whole. The Achievement of Excellence Award recognizes a restaurant and its chef or kitchen manager for their commitment to excellence in foodservice. Find the nomination forms at acfchefs.org/awards.

2020 American Academy of Chefs Candidates for Induction

Bryant K. Alden, CEC

White Mountain Chapter of ACF

Sponsored by: Barbara R. Sanders, CCE, AAC and Gary Shelden, CEC, AAC

Leslie L. Bartosh, CEC

Texas Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Johnny Curet, CEC, AAC and Ewart Jones, CEC, AAC

Brian R. Beland, CMC®

ACF Michigan Chefs De Cuisine Association

Sponsored by: Kevin Brennen, CEC, AAC and Scott A. Ryan, CEC, AAC

Geoffrey A. Blount, CEPC

ACF Myrtle Beach Chapter

Sponsored by: Alan R. Romano, CEC, CCE, AAC and John C. Schopp, CEC, CCE, AAC

David E. Brough, CEC, CCE, CCA

ACF Capital District – Central New York

Sponsored by: Dale M. Miller, CMC, AAC and James G. Rhoads, CEC, AAC

Alain V. DeCoster, CEC

ACF Long Island Chapter

Sponsored by: Eric P. Pellizzari, CEC, CCE, AAC and Lawrence G. Weiss, CCC, CCE, AAC

Gerneil L. Franklin, CEC, CCA

ACF Michigan Chefs De Cuisine Association

Sponsored by: John Miller, CEC, CCA, AAC and Rajeev V. Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC

Robert C. Granberg, CEC

ACF Kentucky Chapter

Sponsored by: Jeff Bacon, CEC, CCA, AAC and Michael R. Osborne, CEC, AAC

Helmut Franz Josef Holzer, CMC

ACF Atlanta Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Beat Giger, AAC and John J. Romano, CEC, AAC

Joseph M. Leonardi, CMC

ACF Rhode Island Chapter

Sponsored by: Ray McCue, CEC, AAC and George A. O’Palenick, CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF

Shawn J. Loving, CMC

ACF Michigan Chefs De Cuisine Association

Sponsored by: John Kukucka, AAC and Thomas Recinella, CEC, AAC

Paul F. Magnant, CEC, CCE, CCA

ACF National Member

Sponsored by: Michael Harants, CEC, CCE, AAC and John A. Minniti, CCE, AAC, HOF, HBOT

Douglas R. Maneely, CEC, CCA

ACF Columbus Chapter

Sponsored by: Thomas P. Hunt, CEC, AAC and Jim Taylor, CEC, AAC

DeWayne E. McMurrey, CEC

ACF Texas Panhandle Chefs de Cuisine

Sponsored by: Louis Chatham, CEC, AAC and Lawrence Matson, CEC, CCE, AAC

Jonathan P. Moosmiller, CMC

ACF Tulsa Chapter

Sponsored by: Thomas J. Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC and Ted Polfelt, CEC, CCA, AAC

Joseph J. Piazza, CEC

ACF of Greater Buffalo New York

Sponsored by: Jacqueline Bamrick, CEC, AAC and Mark G. Wright, CEC, AAC

Timothy R. Prefontaine, CEC

Texas Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Charles M. Carroll, CEC, AAC and Steven Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC

Timothy D. Recher, CEC

ACF Caxambas Chapter of Southwest Florida

Sponsored by: Rene J. Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC and Reimund D. Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC

Tom Valentin, CEC

ACF Greater Miami Chapter Epicurean Club

Sponsored by: Bert Cutino, CEC, AAC, HOF, HBOT and Bruce Ozga, CEC, CCE, AAC

Charles E. Wilson, CEC, PCEC, CCA

ACF Raleigh – Durham Area Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Bryan D. Frick, CEC, AAC and Michael J. Smith, CEC, AAC

Eric T. Yeager, CEC

ACF Coastal Virginia Chapter

Sponsored by: Rich Hoffmann, CEC, CCA, AAC and Robert Marilla, CEC, AAC

2020 Honorary American Academy of Chefs Candidates for Induction

Anita Cheng

Sponsored by: Bill W. Sy, CEC, AAC, HOF

Kevin Dunn

Sponsored by: Reimund D. Pitz, CEC, AAC

Ronna D. Keck

ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Mark Webster, CEC, CCE, AAC

Paula I. Recinella

ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Sponsored by: Rajeev V. Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC

Morris Salerno

Texas Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Patrick D. Mitchell, CEC, AAC

Welcome Student Members

We officially launched our special student membership initiative last summer, offering free ACF membership to secondary level students at ACFEF-accredited schools and discounted membership to post-secondary students at ACFEF-accredited schools. Since the program kicked off, we have welcomed 1,409 new student members! If you’re a student or educator interested in this program, please visit bit.ly/2SH1YIh or contact our membership team at membership@acfchefs.net.

Read This

Chef Michael Garahan, CEC recently published A Chef’s Guide to Starting MEHKO- Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations, a book detailing everything a chef needs to know to start their own independent food business from their home. Chef Garahan believes MEHKOs are great ways to help former inmates start their own businesses after release from prison. His guide aims to empower home cooks to translate their skills into real income. Learn more or purchase the book at mehkomikey.com.

Salut

ACF Middle Wisconsin Chefs raised $3,025 to benefit Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School Family Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) as well as ProStart Culinary Arts programs with its 25th annual bake sale and dinner. Hosted by ACF Chef Jon Hardin of Michele's Restaurant and ACF Chef Fred Griesbach of SentryWorld.

ACF Professional Chef’s Association of South Jersey (PCASJ) hosted another successful Chef & Child Initiative event at an elementary school in New Jersey. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) offers ACF chefs and chapters grant funding to support nutrition outreach activities in their communities.

ACF PCASJ typically host about four of these events each year.

ACF Chefs Bob Harre and Wolfgang Geckeler, CEC®, AAC®, also known as the "Souper Chefs," have served over 75,000 bowls of heart healthy soup at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission in Atlantic City, N.J. The Souper Chef cookbook, published last year, is a collection of the first 40 best soup recipes from the professional chef and students who volunteer at the soup kitchen every Thursday. All proceeds from the cookbook go the Mission to support the homeless and others in need. ACF PCASJ reports that the Souper Chefs are on track to hit their 100,000 bowl goal this year.

The ACF Professional Chef’s Association of South Jersey (PCASJ) members spend three days in the kitchen at the Atlantic City Convention Center preparing nearly 3,000 meals each during the Thanksgiving and winter holidays to distribute to local families in need. The program also offers a unique opportunity for mentoring culinary students.

ACF Guam Chef Paul Kerner, of Guam Community College, earned the ACF’s Certified Executive Chef® designation. He is the only CEC on the island.

ACF Chicago partnered with the For The Love of Chocolate Foundation to support The Pastry Forum, sponsored by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. The first iteration of the two-day event, which took place in late January at Washburne Culinary Institute in Chicago, featured pastry demonstrations by award-winning chefs from all over the world as well as a tradeshow where pastry ingredient and equipment specialists connected with attendees. More than 200 pastry students, chefs and industry professionals attended the forum, which also included ice-carving, cake decorating and sugar sculpture demonstrations during the reception on the first night, and a competition held by Culinary Fight Club on the second night. Proceeds from the event went to the non-profit For the Love of Chocolate foundation, which provides culinary arts training scholarships to promote pastry and baking arts education.

The ACF Chefs of Charlotte hosted two “5 a Day The Color Way” events at local elementary schools to encourage kids to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Chefs demoed healthy smoothies, salads and other nutritious dishes for the 80 to 90 students in attendance at each event.

Over the past five years, the chapter has traveled to all 100 elementary schools in the CMS Charlotte Mecklenburg District for the program.

ACF Chef Peter A Edey, CEC®, last year opened the Caribbean Cuisine Culinary Institute (CCCI), which includes a 10-month program for aspiring chefs looking to earn ACF’s Certified Culinarian® (CC®) designation. The Institute, located in Bridgetown, Barbados, celebrated its first set of 15 graduates, a group that included students of all ages with both culinary and non-culinary backgrounds. instruction through the National Restaurant Association and ServSafe.

We tip our toques to ACF chefs and chapters who have recently won an award, accepted a new position, taken part in charity work or achieved another notable accomplishment. If you believe your name should be listed in the next issue of Salut, please send an email to pr@acfchefs.net.

American Culinary Federation

TRAVELING TO TASTE

Chefs bank on the growing popularity of culinary tourism in high traffic cities and emerging ones alike

By Michael Costa

While traveling on a cruise recently, our ship docked in Cartagena, not in Colombia, but in the southeastern Murcia region of Spain. One of the more popular, offshore excursions offered was a three-hour, guided culinary tour through the city, stopping at multiple restaurants, bars, bakeries and coffee shops to sample Murcian morsels and meet local artisans. A major cruise line curating culinary tours in places like this—typically lesser known to Americans—shows how far culinary tourism has evolved over the past decade; nearly any city is now a candidate for exploration.

The World Food Travel Association defines culinary tourism as “the act of traveling for a taste of place in order to get a sense of place.” It’s traveling to experience food and beverage through a local lens—often with a guide—and for the opportunity to try regional specialties in restaurants, bars, bakeries and even homes. While iconic European cities like Paris, Rome and Barcelona have attracted culinary tourists for years, today’s traveler seeks unique destinations and more elaborate tours to discover and taste global cuisines.

“Years ago, culinary travel was considered either ‘multi-day cooking school travel’ or ‘gourmet travel’” says Tamar Lowell, CEO of Access Culinary Trips, which has grown from four to

Photo credits: Eat Mexico

Opposite top: Tacos, chelas and mezcal in Narvarte, Mexico

15 global culinary destinations since 2015. “Cooking school travel meant cooking classes almost every day, and it was a niche product because most people don't want to ‘work’ on their vacations. Gourmet travel meant going somewhere and eating at the ‘best’ restaurants. Both types of travel were limited almost exclusively to Europe. Now, culinary travel has exploded, both in terms of the number of companies offering it, and what it encompasses.”

Not surprisingly, culinary tourism has coincided with the public's everincreasing appetite for all things F&B. “Our average age is about 50 to 70, although we get a good share of Millennials too,” says Lowell. “We work with a lot of couples and small groups of friends, and 25 percent of our guests are solo travelers, mostly women,” says Lowell.

Bourdain, streaming, and social media

A confluence of factors from the past decade-plus has helped accelerate the popularity of culinary tourism. In particular, Anthony Bourdain’s TV shows “A Cook’s Tour,” “No Reservations,” “The Layover” and “Parts Unknown” popularized the template for cuisine as a cultural lens, influencing

countless travelers. Similar shows followed in its wake and now populate Netflix and other streaming services.

“TV shows and documentaries are encouraging people to have these experiences,” says Ariane Ruiz, a guide and operations manager at Eat Mexico, a company that started with a single street food tour through Mexico City and now offers 10 different guided experiences in Puebla and Mexico City. “They present information in a way that gets people interested to try it for themselves. During our tours, sometimes people say they ‘feel like Anthony Bourdain for a day.’ Other clients say they came to Mexico after watching ‘Taco Chronicles’ on Netflix.” Both Ruiz and Lowell say the majority of their customers are from the United States.

The rise of social media also fuels today’s culinary tourism, since food and travel—two of the most popular subjects on social media—can be combined during a tour. “Taking a photo of an iconic site is not that interesting anymore; you can find a million better photos of the same place online,” Lowell says. “But taking a photo of your food, and the experience you’re having with that food, shows a uniqueness that’s fun to share with others.”

Deep dives and fussy foodies

While iconic European cities like Paris, Rome and Barcelona have attracted culinary tourists for years, today’s traveler seeks unique and lesser-known destinations to discover and taste. For example, Access Culinary Trips recently added Girona, located north of Barcelona, Spain, along with Croatia, Peru, and others. Years ago, the company was one of the earlier ones to offer tours to non-European countries, including Thailand, Japan, Morocco and Vietnam, and it continues to offer multi-day, multi-stop tours to Costa Rica, Alaska, Cuba and South Africa.

“We believe you can explore any culture through its cuisine, not just the most well-known ones,” notes Lowell. “I think culinary travel will become a better-understood genre just like adventure travel or cultural travel. Right now it's still a category that’s being defined.”

Part of this “learning curve” is how to incorporate dietary preferences like gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, sugar-free, Paleo, Keto, kosher and more into tours, which poses difficulties when, for example, a group visits a village to taste local dishes from someone’s home kitchen.

“When people book with us we ask about dietary restrictions and preferences upfront; I would say about one in four has some requirement,” Lowell says. “We can usually

accommodate those requests, although some tours are easier than others. For example, going gluten-free can be challenging in Asia, where most soy sauce is made with wheat. But, with a bit of planning, it can be managed.”

One of the next trends to watch is chefs hosting tours in their own towns, with companies like Access providing the programming. “It's a great way to extend a chef’s brand and connect with their most passionate followers,” says Lowell. “The nice thing is chefs don't need to manage any of the operating logistics, selling or customer service. Because our group sizes are rarely more than 12 guests, it’s a manageable number for the chef to host.”

Michael Costa is the former editorial director of Hotel F&B magazine and a regular contributor to NCR

Photo credits: Eat Mexico

Below: Native corn from a tortilla class and workshop

The ACF can help you turn your passion into a profession. Certify your culinary skills today. Get started at acfchefs.org/prequalify.

'SHROOM POWER

As functional mushrooms grow in popularity, mushroom powder re-enters the culinary spotlight

By Liz Barrett Foster

Chefs have been utilizing mushroom powders since their days in culinary school. However, consumers are just getting the memo as “functional mushrooms,” such as lion's mane, reishi and chaga, enter the spotlight in the form of retail products promising a bevy of health benefits. On a global scale, the market for functional mushrooms is forecast to have a compound annual growth rate of eight percent between 2019 and 2024, according to market research firm Mordor Intelligence.

Meanwhile, mushrooms of all varieties have always possessed superpowers, with loads of vitamins and even the ability to produce vitamin D when grown or placed in the sun.

Inside the kitchen, chefs use all types of mushrooms in many forms, including whole, sliced, sautéed, fried and powdered; the latter adding a flavorful punch to dishes without requiring any added liquid.

“Mushroom powder is a way to manipulate a mushroom so that you really concentrate its flavor; you’re not adding a liquid, which would dilute flavor,” says Austin Simmons, executive chef at Cureight, a tasting menu restaurant in The Woodlands, Texas. “It’s also a great way to utilize the mushroom stems that a lot of chefs are throwing in the trash.”

The choice of which mushrooms to use for powder often comes down to what’s available locally, according to Simmons. “Porcinis aren’t readily available to us here in Texas, so it doesn’t make sense to turn an expensive mushroom into powder,” he says. “We look for which mushrooms are available and will offer the most flavor.”

DIY vs. Ready-to-Use

The choice between making and purchasing mushroom powder often boils down to time, cost, availability and personal preference. While there are several mushroom powder suppliers, many chefs prefer to make their own powder from dried or fresh mushrooms, noting that three cases of mushrooms usually produce around a pint of mushroom powder.

“I usually prefer to dry mushrooms myself, if possible, since they’re dirty,” says David Santos, chef and founder of Um Segredo Supper Club and Good Stock, both in New York City. “Once they’re clean, you place them in a convection oven on a very low fan until the mushrooms are completely dry. This usually takes a day or two depending on the type of the mushrooms.”

Left: At Longoven in Richmond, Virginia, pastry chef Megan Fitzroy Phelan takes a whimsical approach to a dessert dusted with mushroom powder. Right: The dashi broth in this dish at Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse incorporates dry shiitake powder, dashi, sake, onion and garlic.

At Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Executive Chef and Owner Paulie O’Connor prefers to air-dry his mushrooms, which, for him, takes about three to five days. “After air drying, we put them in a low-temp oven for three to five hours and grind them afterward using a coffee grinder for small batches and a blender for large batches.”

On the Menu

Mushrooms are versatile and can work in both savory and sweet applications. At Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse, O’Connor uses shiitake mushroom powder in an entrée featuring togarashi-rubbed tuna, cinnamon lentils, grilled fennel, blood oranges, pistachios and a broth made with the powder, dashi, sake, onion and garlic.

O’Connor says that he prefers morel, chanterelle and shiitake for his mushroom powders, noting that morels can take on any flavor, while shiitakes stand out more. “We also take the mushroom powder and mix it with panko, flour and togarashi to dust the tuna,” says O’Connor.

At Cureight, Simmons offers a mushroom cappuccino amuse, combining mushroom demi-glace, house-made almond milk froth, shiitake mushroom powder, salt, lemon juice and European butter. “I like to use shiitake because it offers the most concentrated earthy, rich, umami flavor,” he says.

Perhaps an unlikely match, mushrooms and chocolate are also said to play well with one another, according to Megan Fitzroy Phelan, pastry chef at Longoven in Richmond, Virginia. Phelan

says that porcinis and chanterelles are the easiest mushrooms to incorporate into desserts because they have a naturally sweeter flavor than other mushrooms.

For Phelan’s most recent dessert featuring porcinis, she says, “I wanted to portray chocolate and porcini, so I had a flourless chocolate cake that we punched into the shape of a porcini and served it alongside an ice cream, which I made with dried porcinis,” she says. “But, when

richness, and the meats are braised in a combination of onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and mushroom powder,” he says. “When the ingredients are tender, the stock is strained and everything is put through a grinder to make a filling. The filling is used to fill large tortelloni that are served in a broth made from the strained braising liquid, aromatics and more dried mushrooms. At service, the broth is placed in a French press with

we put the dessert together, something was missing; that’s when we came up with the idea to add porcini powder to the top of the cake.” To make the powder, Phelan ground dried porcini mushrooms with dried parsley and cocoa powder, seasoning it with sugar and salt.

Santos says he likes using mushroom powder in soups, braises and pasta dough. He serves a veal and pork tortelloni with mushroom brodo at Um Segredo that utilizes mushroom powder in two ways. “Veal chops are braised along with some pork belly to add fatty

more coarse-ground mushroom powder and allowed to steep like tea. It’s poured over the pasta and raw white mushrooms are shaved on top.”

The power of mushrooms will likely continue to amaze chefs and consumers long into the future. Whether it's a functional mushroom added to your morning cup of coffee or a pulverized shiitake rubbed onto a ribeye, there's no escaping the draw of these fantastic fungi.

Liz Barrett Foster is an award-winning business journalist specializing in the hospitality industry. Learn more at lizbarrettfoster.com.

Left: Mushroom powder is used two ways in the veal and pork tortelloni with mushroom brodo at Um Segredo Supper Club. Right: The mushroom cappuccino amuse at Cureight combines mushroom demiglace, house-made almond milk froth and shiitake mushroom powder.

DAIRY-FREE DESSERTS

“Every time I go to a restaurant and ask for a vegan dessert because my husband is vegan, we get the famous fruit plate,” says Juan Gutierrez, executive pastry chef at Virgin Hotels Chicago.

The message was clear: vegans were an afterthought. Wanting every diner to feel valued, Gutierrez decided he’d always cater to vegans going forward.

While consumer demand for healthier sweets is increasing, notes Nina Curtis, director and executive chef at Adventist Health’s Vitaliz Café in Roseville, California, adapting recipes to be vegan-friendly can pose a challenge. “Ingredients need to be of the highest quality and there can be a learning curve working with some of the ingredients found in vegan desserts,” she says.

For example, chefs might not know that honey is actually not vegan, nor are some types of sugar, as granulated sugar can be filtered with bone char, according to Curtis. When successful, she says vegan desserts deliver the same flavor, texture, and taste

as traditional desserts using minimally processed, plant-based ingredients.

For his vegan coconut cheesecake, Gutierrez struggled to find a balance between coconut and cashew milks. Too much coconut milk gave the dessert a thick, milkshake-like texture; however, one month of experimentation yielded a creamy, moldable, no-bake cheesecake naturally thickened by cashews and coconut oil.

The cheesecake is topped with a meringue made with aquafaba, or drained chickpea liquid.

“Aquafaba looks like styrofoam,” Gutierrez admits. “It’s crunchy, but dissolves in your mouth, making for a really fun and textural experience for diners.” Gutierrez uses evaporated cane sugar, which is vegan, to stabilize the meringue.

To contrast the creamy, rich flavor, Gutierrez adds mango pink peppercorn sorbet, coconut dust and marconai almond sand. The coconut dust adds concentrated coconut flavor without texture, while the sand adds crunch.

Gutierrez credits his vegan husband with inspiring his focus on plant-based baking. “It has made me grow so much as a chef,” he says. “It’s not about the recipe, but it’s about learning how the ingredients work.” That means understanding how the pH, flavor, fat, and oil content of different nuts play out in a dish. Cashews have a high fat content and turn creamy when blended, which are two reasons why they work well in the cheesecake. Almonds are leaner, so they wouldn’t deliver the same rich mouthfeel.

“People tend to get scared by the words vegan or glutenfree,” says Gutierrez, who as a result, doesn’t advertise his desserts as ‘vegan’ on the menu, although he sometimes confesses after patrons indulge. “I find that people are surprised with how great vegan desserts can taste, which makes the value of the dessert even higher.”

Lindsey Danis is a Hudson Valley, N.Y.-based writer who covers food, travel and LGBTQ stories.

The vegan coconut cheesecake at Virgin Hotel Chicago with marcona almond sand and mango pink peppercorn sorbet.

How one pastry chef rises to the challenge of creating vegan-friendly treats // By Lindsey Danis

Photo credits: Hotel Chicago

LET THE CUSTOMIZABLE SOLUTIONS OF A SOUTHBEND SUITE BE THE HEARTBEAT OF YOUR KITCHEN

Through my time in the industry, from taking the Certified Master Chef Exam to practicing daily for over three years on Culinary Team USA leading up to IKA, I have always needed the support of custom equipment solutions. Now on the other side of those and many other industry endeavors, I am proud to provide my personal support to you as we design and build the cooking suite of your dreams.

Contact me, Jason D. Hall, CMC Vice President of Research and Culinary Development at Southbend to have a consultation of your vision and how we can achieve your goals together.

Chef Jason D. Hall, CMC VP of Research & Culinary Development at Southbend

“Upcyling“ spent grain from breweries adds flavor and reduces food waste

By Robert Wemischner

Nowadays, in an era when small towns and big cities alike boast a heady craft brewery scene, you can not only drink your beer, but eat it too. In the beer maker’s world, the cloud of food waste has a bit of a silver lining; bakers and others are seeking ways to combat this all-too common situation by using the byproducts of brewing beer. By obtaining spent grain from breweries, who typically dispose of the byproduct early on in the beermaking process, bakers are incorporating this fiberand protein-rich, alcoholfree ingredient into breads, baked goods and snack bars.

Inspired by a love of making beer during his college days, Dan Kurzrock, CEO of ReGrained, founded his “edible upcycling” company on the very basis of using spent grains as a way to help combat food waste. The company uses a patented system of rescuing wet, spent grain from breweries and transforming it

into a neutral-flavored powder with the nutritional profile of a nut or legume. The powder is then used in the company’s healthy snack bars, and in soon-to-launch snack food puffs. “Our goal is creating products that better align with the planet we love,” says Kurzrock.

Marley Rall, founder of The Brewmaster’s Bakery in Renton, Wash., also “upcycles” spent grain for her products. “It’s a win-win; the breweries generate a constant supply of spent grain and need to get rid of it,” says Rall, who blends the grain with other ingredients for her line of granolas, breads, cookies and scones. Some of her products— which include a beer-flavored meringue cookie—are then sold back to the craft brewery tasting rooms, thereby “closing the loop.”

Baker Ellen King, author of Heritage Baking (Chronicle, 2018), and business partner Julie Matthei, co-owners of Hewn in Evanston, Illinois, regularly interface with brewers in the Chicago area to create a line of artisanal breads using spent grains as part of their offerings. “We never know what we’re going to get, so you learn to be

From left: Porter peanut butter thumbprints with cherry filling and cherry beer-infused pop tarts from Beer Geek Bakery, Arizona.

Opposite from top: Beer-glazed pretzel mix from The Drunk Alpaca; spent grain bread from Hewn, pies and lime IPA rice crispy treats from Brewmaster's Bakery.

Photo credit: Opposite, second from top: John Lee reprinted with permission from Chronicle Books

adaptable,” says King, noting that the grain can react a little differently with the other ingredients each time. “Our breads are a blend of grains and the doughs undergo cool fermentation overnight to maximize flavor and lift. After mixing the starter, flour, water, and salt we let the dough rest; then, we fold the spent grain into the dough.” The resulting bread has a slightly chewy crumb, rich taste and crusty shell.

Jessica Oen, co-owner of The Drunk Alpaca in Shelton, Connecticut, uses beer as a flavoring in her packaged product line of glazed nuts, pretzels and potato chips. The beer is reduced and then enriched with butter and sweetener to create the glaze. “We enjoy the process of collaborating with local breweries, and have even provided them with brownies and chocolate chip cookies for use in their brewing process,” says Oen, noting that these baked goods add an extra layer of complexity to the beer with undertones of chocolate. “They then provide that beer for us to use in our baking. The alcohol is baked out of them, but the flavors of the beer come through in the finished product.”

Ema Peterson, founder of Beer Geek Bakery in Tucson, Arizona, also enjoys using beer for flavoring products. “I started out as a restaurant pastry chef and now enjoy combining my twin loves of beer and baking by working with breweries in the area,” she says. One such collaboration with Lagunitas Brewing led her to develop popular cherry pop tarts, flavored by the Petaluma, California-based brewery’s Cherry Jane beer.

Truly, beer is not just beer in the hands of these creative entrepreneurs who range widely from smaller-scale bakers to full-fledged manufacturers. When beer industry leaders collaborate with an equally visionary cohort of artisanal food producers, the upside potential seems to be limitless. Indeed, you can have your beer, eat it too, and in these cases, do your part to reduce food waste.

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 and Cooking With Tea. He also teaches a course in restaurant management.

Classical

It’s probably no surprise to anyone that sweet and sour sauce, as we know it in the United States, is not a traditional Chinese condiment. Rare “sweet and sour” components of the cuisine were created with two main ingredients: sugar and vinegar.

When Chinese immigrants brought their cooking to the U.S. in the late 19th Century, Americans began to take notice. By the early 1900s, diverse restaurant patrons were a common sight in Chinatowns in New York and San Francisco.

“Knowing that Americans enjoyed the sweetened acidity of tomato-based sauces like ketchup, the chefs began to coat their meats in a stronger version of the sweet and sour sauces served in China,” wrote Kristine Wen in a 2018 Chowhound article titled “The History of Sweet and Sour Sauce.” They swapped the traditional rice vinegar for the more readily available white vinegar and, knowing their clientele, added ketchup. “These chefs had unlocked a shortcut to the complex flavor balance of Chinese cooking, and quickly reaped the profits.”

Today, sweet and sour fish has become a celebratory meal in Chinese-American culture.

“I remember seeing this sweet and sour whole fish being served at countless festive banquets growing up in our little ChineseAmerican community,” says Dennis Chan, chef/owner of Blue Bamboo Restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. “At these occasions, each dish had meaning to what type of luck you can bring to your life. [The Chinese word for] fish is a homophone for abundance, and that's certainly something you want to wish for guests.”

For his classical recipe, Chan used snapper covered with wok-fired veggies and a more complex version of American sweet and sour sauce — complete with ketchup.

Modern

Transforming whole sweet and sour fish into a modern entrée called for a reimagining of the entire concept. “In Chinese culture, serving a whole fish at the dinner table with eyes and tail is common,” Chan says. “Few chefs today will serve a whole fish with its head and tail intact. Some guests will never touch the dish if they see the head and tail.” “We eat things differently now. We are a society of simple indulgences. A sweet and sour bao offers a beautiful, simple indulgence that won't have to wait for a special occasion.”

Chan’s steamed bao buns are filled with fried pieces of snapper tossed in sweet and sour sauce and topped with julienned onions, peppers and scallions, fresh pineapple brunoise, balsamic vinegar pearls.

“Bao are served as a street food in Asia, and in big cities here in the west. They are soul-satisfying and comforting,” he says. “In restaurants, chefs are doing some really creative things to elevate bao to a new level. I've taken the classic elements of this dish, and recreated them into an exciting, tempting and satisfying version.”

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

Photos credit: Agnes Lopez

THE CUISINE OF NORTH ASIA

Regionalized Chinese and Japanese dishes continue to grow on American menus. Plus, a look at the cuisines of Taiwan, Mongolia, and Korea.

by Jody Shee

Elements of North Asian cuisine have been popular on American menus for so long that many Chinese and Japanese restaurants, dishes and ingredients— one might argue—have become part of mainstream American dining. However, with a renewed drive for authenticity in all things food, chefs have begun to explore more regionalized North Asian dishes, from street food fare to comfort food favorites as well as dishes, ingredients and cooking techniques lesser-known to U.S. diners.

The similarities between Chinese and Japanese cuisines weave together only so far. It is true that both rely on rice and noodles as the starch and both use soy judiciously. Fermentation and pickling are common to the broad regional swath, as are chopsticks, says

Use of the whole animal is common in both China and Japan, but in different ways. China has a place for all animal parts, including intestines and congealed blood and brains, which offer a custardy appeal, according to Zhen.

In Japan, the innards are less of a focus compared to the hard-to-get-to pieces Americans would otherwise discard, such as chicken knees and windpipes. “When cooked properly, you get a snap and crunch like a crunchy potato chip because of the cartilage and tendons,” says Zhen, adding that this is a more conscious way of cooking— honoring the off-cuts and parts Americans often discard.

Japanese comfort food

Katsu sando, the Japanese deep-fried pork cutlet sandwich, likely will have a future on American menus, similar to the way Cuban sandwiches and Vietnamese banh mi rose to fame years ago, says Maeve Webster, president of Food Matters, a Vermont-based food consultancy. With the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics, she expects interest in Japanese cuisine to spike in America in the same way that Brazilian cuisine did during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. A typical Katsu sando features the pork cutlet, along with cabbage, tangy Katsu sauce, and crustless milk bread. The sandwich is double-stacked and sliced in half for a mouthwatering presentation.

Webster also sees great potential for Japanese karaage , or deep-fried chicken,

Above: Katsu Sando, a popular sandwich made with deep-fried pork cutlet.

Willa Zhen, food anthropologist and professor of liberal arts and food studies at The Culinary Institute of America in New York.

made distinct with its garlic, ginger and soy sauce seasoning. “Since the batter is flour mixed with potato or corn starch, the chicken is lighter and crispier,” Webster says. “Given the state of fried chicken right now, it will grow quickly.”

Okonomiyaki is another potential winner on the American menu. These cabbage and egg pancakes are typically fried on a flat grill and topped with meat and vegetables.

Okonomiyaki is the most popular dish on the menu at Xiao Bao Biscuit in Charleston, South Carolina, says Chef/Owner Joshua Walker. For easy identification, the menu describes it as a Japanese cabbage pancake “in a style we learned while farming in Japan.” For an extra charge, guests can add an

egg, bacon or crispy pork “candy” called pork sung , also known as pork floss or dried pork. He finishes it off with the popular, umami-rich Japanese seasoning furikake made with dried seaweed, sesame seed and salt. He makes his own sauce with Kewpie mayo to which he adds hot sauce.

In Chicago, Chef Paul Virant last year opened Gaijin, a concept dedicated solely to okonomiyaki. The Osakastyle version features a traditional, flat cabbage and egg pancake topped with combos like shrimp, creole butter and corn; sausage, bacon and bonito flakes, and octopus, honey gastrique and hot sauce. Everything gets a drizzle of Kewpie mayo. The Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki features layers of cabbage,

Okonomiyaki from Gaijin in Chicago.

Photo credit: Regan Baroni

egg and other ingredients mixed together, along with the addition of yakisoba noodles for a thicker, slightly crunchy, omelet-like version.

Regional Chinese cuisine

According to Webster, the popularity of authentic, regional Chinese dishes will only continue to flourish on U.S. menus.

The Southwestern province of Sichuan is known for its spicier dishes. Zhen points to the Sichuan peppercorn as a key ingredient worthy of further experimentation by U.S.-based chefs. Contrary to popular belief, Sichuan peppercorns are not actually related to peppercorn, but rather, they are a part of the citrus family. “The seed causes a tingling sensation in the mouth,” she says.

The Sichuan peppercorn is one of the ingredients Walker came to appreciate when traveling for seven-plus months in China, Japan and Southeast Asia before opening Xiao Bao Biscuit in 2012. These

Left: Yu Xiang, topped with crispy pork "candy" from Xiao Bao Biscuit in Charleston, South Carolina. Below: Bok choy and greens with sliced almonds at Xiao Bar Biscuit.

peppercorns create the heat in one of his favorite dishes on the menu, Mapo Dou Fu, which he describes as “a spicy, classic Sichuan pork and tofu dish with broad bean and chili oil atop short grain rice.”

The broad bean (or fava bean) and chili oil partly make up the common Sichuan sauce known as doubanjiang. The sauce also appears in Walker’s Yu Xiang dish with fried Brussels sprouts and eggplant. In China, the sauce was originally used for whole-fish cooking, but in the U.S., it is most commonly used as the sauce for Chinese eggplant dishes, he says.

Chinese street food

Jianbing , shortened in the U.S. to “bing,” is a Northern Chinese street crepe that has caught on in the U.S. Brian Goldberg, founder of Mr Bing (yes, that’s without the period) in New York City, fell in love with it while studying in Beijing

in 1998 and opened his first U.S. location selling the street food in 2015. The savory, egg- and mung-bean flour crepes, studded with sesame seeds, scallions and cilantro, are typically topped with Peking duck, other meats, tofu or vegetables. The crepe is then folded, rolled and wrapped up like a burrito. Bing is becoming so popular with young people that Goldberg says he plans to target more college and universities, and he is already working with contract management companies Compass Group and Aramark.

Within the past year, Mr Bing’s menu expanded to include bao, or Chinese buns, served open-style. “That way the bao is customizable, fresher and more familiar for Americans,” Goldberg says. “They are also less doughy, hold more protein and fillings and are more colorful, so they are more visually appealing.”

One of Goldberg’s bing breakout ingredients, Mr Bing Chili Crisp, is a lighter, crunchier version of the

flavoring typically used in Chinese bing and other dishes. He now bottles and sells this product, including a 64-ounce foodservice size, that can be used to top rice bowls, salads, burgers, pizza and more, he says. His spicy condiment is made with crispy garlic, onions, chiles, roasted soy nuts, spices and mushroom powder with no preservatives or MSG. With so many flavor variations, ingredients and traditions throughout the countries and regions of North Asia, U.S. chefs have a battery of new dish possibilities at their fingertips. The path forward may be to marry authentic flavors with vegetarian, gluten-free and plantbased options for a modern approach.

Jody Shee is a Kauai, Hawaii-based freelance writer and former food industry magazine editor with more than 20 years of food-writing experience. She blogs at www.sheefood.com.

Left: Jianbing from Mr Bing in New York. Right: Mr Bing Chili Crisp.

FUNKY AND FERMENTED IN THE FAR EAST

Mongolia:

• The Mongolian diet is largely influenced by its historic ties with China and Russia, and by its cold climate. The cuisine is meat-centric from a broad range of animals including horses, yaks, goat, camels, cows and sheep.

• I n some Mongolian dishes, smooth stones are added to conduct heat and speed up the cooking process. The traditional Mongolian barbeque (khorkhog) uses hot stones nestled among lamb, onions, potatoes and carrots in a pot over an open fire.

• B oodog is a traditional Mongolian roast like no other. The stomach of a whole goat or marmot cooked in its skin is filled with hot stones, onions and potatoes.

• The Mongolian version of steamed dumplings (buuz) is intense and spicy—a flour dough filled with shredded meat, onion, garlic and pepper.

• Dairy has unique applications, including Mongolia’s common, salted milk tea and airag—fermented mare’s milk.

Taiwan:

• Waves of Chinese, Japanese and even American influence have helped shape this island nation’s cuisine. Beef noodle soup is considered by many as the country’s national dish. The slow-simmered soup usually includes pickled mustard greens and five-spice powder.

• W hile hot pot and bao are popular throughout Asia, Taiwan has its own versions. Hot pots host a wide range of ingredients, including seafood, stinky tofu, dumplings, leafy vegetables, pickled cabbage and more.

• Gua bao is considered the “Taiwanese hamburger.” The steamed, bao-like bread is layered with braised pork belly, pickled mushroom, coriander and ground peanuts, and then folded to close.

• Taiwan lays claim to the famously popular bubble tea, however, more eyes these days are on cheese tea—hot or iced tea topped with a frothy blend of cream cheese and milk.

Korea:

• Korean cuisine is distinctive in several ways, beginning with little things—namely the little side dishes served with meals and the little cuts of meat that negate the need for table knives.

• A ccording to the Korea Tourism Organization, pickling and braising are other trademarks of the national cuisine that is largely influenced by China, previous Japanese occupation and the historical influx of European traders, especially the Portuguese, who have been said to have introduced chili peppers to the country.

• K orea is the poster child for fermented condiments. Besides kimchi (kimchee)—which, here in the U.S., has become more ubiquitous on both restaurant menus and grocery store shelves—the country lays claim to other popular, fermented flavors, such as gochujang (sweet, savory and spicy red chili paste), doenjang (soybean and brine paste) and kanjang (traditional Korean soybean sauce).

• Bibimbap, a national Korean dish, continues to pop up on American menus. The rice bowl usually includes vegetables, a protein and a sunny-side-up fried egg, all topped with gochujang, Sriracha sauce and/or kimchi.

• K orea’s version of barbecued beef, bulgogi , gets its flavor from the marinade that combines soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, onion and sometimes pureed Asian pear.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

More restaurant groups are adding virtual restaurants to their portfolio–but is this trend here to stay?

By Samantha Lande

We are fully immersed in an on-demand world. Not only can we get content at any time from our fingertips, we can get just about any grocery item or food delivery at the touch of a button. This has changed consumer consumption drastically, making food delivery more than just an occasional Friday night pizza. Now that this world is commonplace, everyone from restaurateurs to third-party delivery services are figuring out ways to get in the game.

For many restaurant groups and chefs, what was once about finding the next brick-and-mortar location has turned into how to offer the best food delivery service. That’s why some restaurant groups, third-party delivery companies and even lifestyle brands have turned to “virtual restaurants.” These restaurants, also called “ghost kitchens” or “cloud kitchens,” are restaurants that don’t exist in a space where customers can sit down and eat. Rather, they are run out of a commissary kitchen or in some cases, a space that the restaurant group already owns. Many have dedicated extra space in an existing kitchen for fulfilling take-out or delivery orders only.

Ghost kitchens are clearly on the rise; third-party research firm Datassential pointed to virtual restaurants as something to watch in its 2020 Vision report. “If we expand the definition of a restaurant to include these options, we have the potential to create a near infinite number of virtual restaurants on demand,” the report stated. “A single brick-and- mortar restaurant could, in fact, be multiple restaurant brands operating on the same delivery platform.”

Delivery from Urbanbelly in Chicago.

In addition, as part of its 2030 Insights for the Future report, The National Restaurant Association listed the following statement—“virtual or ghost restaurants that only offer delivery will be more common”—as the 5th most agreed-upon statement out of 180 developed by the Association and ranked by a panel of industry experts.

Similar to food trucks and food halls, virtual kitchens offer just another avenue for chefs to try out new concepts, menus and even new geographic areas. Here’s what a few restaurateurs have learned.

LOW BARRIER TO ENTRY

Like food halls and food trucks, compared to traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants, ghost kitchens tend to have lower costs—and thus a lower barrier to entry—for both up-and-coming chefs and established restaurateurs looking to expand, according to Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) Partner Scott Barton, who oversees the restaurant group’s virtual concepts.

“Delivery has become very popular with our guests,” adds Barton. He notes that this has presented the well-established company with an opportunity to test out new menus and concepts in virtual restaurants “even if we’re not ready to open in a brick-andmortar location.”

Given the breadth of kitchen space the restaurant group already manages, LEYE has been fortunate enough to be able to utilize part of its existing restaurants to manage the virtual outposts. This means that there are no additional real estate or equipment costs associated with running the ghost kitchen.

EXPANDING TERRITORIES

Cornerstone Restaurant Group execs partnered with Kitchen United, a shared kitchen commissary with locations around the country, when they wanted to test how its popular ramen concept, Urbanbelly, might perform in another Chicago neighborhood to which they don’t currently deliver.

“The Kitchen United concept has completely brand new equipment, a management team on site during operating hours and very little extra labor needed from us as a restaurant,” says Elizabeth Tomlinson, head of operations for Cornerstone.

Many times, third-party delivery services have data on ordering preferences and can show gaping holes in geographic areas when it comes to specific food offerings. This can help restaurants—especially those that partner with a single delivery vendor— identify needs in a new place.

Case in point: data from Postmates led the delivery company to partner with Los Angeles-based Tatsu Ramen in order to offer ramen in an area pretty void of those options. Tatsu operates out of a commissary space rented by Postmates.

GROUNDS FOR TASTE TESTING

A virtual restaurant isn’t only cost effective, it’s also a good way to drive interest in a “limited time

only” concept or as a testing ground for new dishes. LEYE decided to do a Whole30 virtual restaurant after many of their employees touted the diet. They’ve also partnered with Bon Appetit to develop a menu reflecting popular dishes developed in the magazine’s test kitchen. These two ghost concepts were run out of existing space in LEYE kitchens with delivery exclusively through GrubHub.

Most recently, the restaurant group opened another virtual restaurant, Padma’s Curry Leaf, a modern Indian concept. “You need to think about your menu design differently when you are looking at a virtual restaurant versus a brick-and-mortar restaurant,” says Barton, noting that he focuses on foods that will travel well, which is a departure from how restaurants typically think of menu development. For example, without the right packaging you won’t see many fried items on virtual or delivery-only restaurant menus.

HONING IN ON HOSPITALITY

One challenge for restaurants going the virtual route is figuring out how to continue to provide top-notch hospitality, even with a delivery-only concept. Postmates execs believe that virtual restaurants can actually improve the level of hospitality in a delivery transaction.

“The facilities are optimized for delivery, which simplifies the pickup process for the fleet and can be opened closer to the customer, enhancing delivery times and food quality,” says Andreas Lieber, Postmates senior vice president. “Overall, we believe virtual kitchens will likely result in an improved experience for our customers.”

Barton, who comes from more of a more traditional restaurant background, is constantly evaluating how to bring more hospitality into the process. His team has regular meetings on how to “provide a guest experience when you aren’t actually interacting with the guest,” he says. This affects the way the food is packaged, the branding and the overall customer experience during the ordering process.

With more third-party delivery services than ever and real estate costs rising, it’s evident that virtual restaurants will continue to have a role in our ever-changing industry. “People want their food on demand; it’s a missed opportunity if you aren’t delivering,” says Barton. “We have been very happy with the response to our virtual kitchen concepts.”

Samantha Lande is a freelance writer based in Chicago. Her work has appeared in Food Network, Chowhound, Time Out and other local and national publications.

“

OVERALL, WE BELIEVE VIRTUAL KITCHENS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN AN IMPROVED EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS . ”

Crab rangoon delivered from Urbanbelly in Chicago.

VEGETABLES IN THE BREAD BASKET

Bakers are experimenting with a wider variety of non-wheat flours made from coconut, nuts and even vegetables. //

by Heather Linderfelt

Many of us have special memories associated with baked goods. Whether it be grandmother’s fruit cake, mom’s chocolate chip cookies, your favorite birthday cake or warm cinnamon rolls on a Sunday morning, baked goods tie into our past and emotions.

Food sensitivities, allergies and the growing popularity of low carb “Paleo” and “Keto” diets, however, have caused more people to shun the breadbasket as of late. For some, the loss of our childhood connections to traditional baked goods brings great sorrow.

Gluten-free flours have helped solve this problem. Fortunately, the variety and quality of these flours have improved over the years. Classic gluten-free flours include corn, sorghum, rice, potato, arrowroot, tapioca and millet. However, teff, chickpea, buckwheat, amaranth, coconut and almond are quickly gaining in popularity.

LOW-CARB, HIGH-TASTE

As a pastry chef, my introduction to using gluten-free flour for a client came when a bride asked me to create a miniature, gluten-free version of her wedding cake so her sister, who has Celiac disease, could share in the memories.

In the past, flours simply labeled “gluten-free” were good enough for those seeking alternatives to wheat. Todays’ growing swath of low-carb eaters, though, are pushing bakers to take a closer look at the starch and sugar content of their products, not just the gluten. In response, flour companies are creating flours that reduce the number of overall carbohydrates while still making bread and baked goods enjoyable to eat.

Since that first wedding cake, I now use a variety of Ketofriendly flours for my own personal and clients’ gain. Almond and coconut flours have been touted by many as the standard, low-carb subs for high-carb wheat flour, but some bakers are

Photo credit: Kate Remmer; Opposite, from top: Mae Mu, Rob Sarmiento

experimenting with new nut and seed flours, including pecan, hazelnut, walnut and even sunflower seeds for different health benefits and flavor profiles.

“I prefer using nut flours and nut butters that I blend myself,” says Cami Jones, owner of Radish, a Keto-friendly restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “I take whole, raw, shelled nuts and blend them until they achieve the desired texture. I don’t mix different nuts together in my baked goods. They have low-carb content, stay moist, and are not gritty or overly fatty.”

While coconut is an excellent, all-around flour, it can be dry and gritty if not used carefully. In my experience, coconut flour is best used in combination with another flour, like almond flour, and it is not a direct, one-to-one substitution for wheat flour. A little coconut flour goes a long way in a recipe, (I would suggest no more than 1/4 cup to every 1 cup of flour), and requires extra moisture from liquids and more eggs to balance the density and texture.

In addition, a combination of almond or coconut with flaxseed or psyllium husk flour as a binding agent or thickener keeps the finished product from crumbling. Jones likes to use cage-free eggs and a grass-fed whey protein to imitate the traditional bread texture, and she also uses aluminumfree baking powder to create the rise while baking, similar to a quick bread. “It has a light and airy texture to it, and like ‘normal’ bread, it holds the flavor of spread butter without getting soggy,” she says.

VEGGIE-FOCUSED FLOURS

A plethora of newer, gluten-free flours derived from fruits and vegetables continue to hit the market. They include flours made from apple, pumpkin, carrot, fava bean, squash varieties, banana, and cassava. This means that gluten-free baked goods don’t have to be dry or coarse—in fact, they can be better for digestive health compared to wheat products. What’s more, many of them are naturally low-carb.

Cauliflower is a staple of the Keto diet as a mashed potato, rice or even pizza crust stand-in, and is now being produced as a fine-grain, dry flour substitute. Broccoli, kale and spinach are also new, Keto-friendly vegetable flour options. Even the everversatile hemp presents another nutritional flour option.

Two other options available for keto flours are lupine seed and potato fiber. The lupine seed is in the legume family—those allergic to peanuts need to steer clear—and contains very minimal amounts of starch, along with high amounts of protein and fiber. Potato fiber is not the same as potato flour; both come from potatoes, but during the processing of potato fiber, the starch component is removed. Both contain high amounts of insoluble fiber so that net carbohydrates levels are low, according to Kelly Knopf, oncology dietitian at Northwestern Medicine in

Chicago. “Insoluble fiber acts as a prebiotic and contributes to increased microbiota diversity, improving gut health,” she says.

Each new wheat flour substitute, whether it be almond, coconut or any of the vegetable flours requires different volumes of liquids to balance the texture, according to Jones. They also require particular incorporation into a recipe; it depends on what you are making that determines which is the best flour, or a combination of flours to create a satisfying product.

In the past, having a wheat sensitivity or allergy, or simply the desire to keep carbohydrate levels at a minimum, reduced the breadbasket and the bakery section to just cherished memories. But, thanks to creative bakers and ingredient providers, we’re seeing a new evolution of healthy wheat flour substitutes that can help many relive their past and smile again.

Heather Linderfelt is a certified pastry chef who once had a cake and cupcake business. She is also a freelance editor/writer based in New Mexico covering a variety of topics, including baking, business, food, health and wellness.

Sponsors

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport March 1–3, 2020

Master Chef

Patissier

Sous Chef

Executive Chef

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Sheraton Music City Hotel March 22–24, 2020

Master Chef

Patissier Sous Chef

Executive Chef

Robot Coupe

ALAN BERGO

Alan Bergo, dubbed the “Forager Chef,” is a leading authority on culinary uses of wild mushrooms and plants. His website, Forager | Chef, dedicated to wild food and seasonal cooking, has a strong following. The website, which also offers tips on how to maximize what is available to us via the woods (and our backyards), started as a journal and has since evolved into a network connecting foragers, wild food authorities and mushroom hunters from around the world. A Midwestern native, Bergo worked for 10 years with various Italian chefs, including serving as sous chef for Lenny Russo at St. Paul’s Heartland, which has earned seven James Beard Foundation nominations. He also served as executive chef of the Salt Cellar and and Lucia’s in Minneapolis. Bergo regularly consults chefs and companies on everything from foraging for restaurant menus to modern mushroom cookery. His upcoming book, Flora , to be released in 2021, is a study in rare and forgotten plants, herbs, vegetables and culinary techniques.

SEAN BROCK

For the past 12 years, Chef Sean Brock was the chef/partner of McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina, and he is the founding chef of Husk Restaurants, with concepts throughout the Southeast. This fall, Brock will open his flagship restaurant in East Nashville. Raised in rural Virginia, he has been involved in the repatriation of Southern cuisine for the past 20 years. In 2010, Brock won the JBF award for Best Chef, Southeast, and

Sheraton Music City Hotel

March 22-24, 2020

he is a four-time finalist for Outstanding Chef as well as a three-time finalist for JBF’s Rising Star Chef award. His cookbook, Heritage , is a New York Times bestseller and winner of the 2015 JBF award in the “American Cooking” category. Brock hosted Season 2 of the Emmy award-winning television show “Mind of a Chef,” produced by the late Anthony Bourdain. Sean is currently featured on the popular Netflix show, “Chef’s Table," and will be releasing the highly-anticipated follow up to his first cookbook this fall. Brock recently started a lifelong project entitled “Before it's Too Late,” which is dedicated to recording and sharing the cultural and culinary wisdom of the American South. The project includes a podcast, personal photography and a large-format book showcasing his discoveries.

ANDREW FREEDMAN

Known as the first“Cannabis Sommelier,” Freeman focuses on pairing cannabis with beer, cocktail, wine and food in unique and original ways.

Freeman has worked in the cannabis space for over a decade. Noticing that there was a lack of scientific language to describe cannabis like there is for wine, he sought more education on viticulture and oenology by working as a cellar hand at an estate winery and earning Level 3 certification through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). He is also a Canadian Wine Scholar. Freeman’s passion for cannabis and wine led him to launch “The Cannabis Sommelier,” his popular YouTube channel.

Currently, Freeman teaches seminars about cannabis and wine pairing, cannabis cocktails and cannabis dining. He also hosts and presents at cannabis dining events across North America, and has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter, LA Weekly, High Times and other publications.

CARLA HALL

Carla Hall is perhaps best known as the former co-host of ABC’s Emmy award-winning. lifestyle series “The Chew.” She also won over audiences when she competed on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and “Top Chef: All Stars.” In 2020, she will be featured as a judge on “Crazy Delicious” (Netflix), and on “BakeAway Camp” (Food Network). Her latest cookbook, Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration (Harper Wave, 2018), landed on many "Best Cookbook" lists across the country, and it earned an NAACP Image Awards nomination. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Hall grew up surrounded by soul food. When the time came for her to select her career path, she first opted for a business route: Hall graduated from Howard University's Business School and worked as an accountant for two years. She then decided to switch gears completely and become a runway model. It was during this time as she traveled (and ate) her way through Europe for a few years, that she realized her deep-rooted passion for food. Today, she is a trained chef who has worked in several professional restaurant kitchens in and around the Washington, D.C. area, in addition to being an

accomplished television personality and author. Other cookbooks by Hall include Carla’s Comfort Food: Favorite Dishes from Around the World and Cooking with Love: Comfort Food That Hugs You .

SHAWN LOVING

Chef Shawn Loving, CMC, is the executive chef for the USA Olympic Basketball Team. He is a 1991 graduate of the culinary arts program at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan, where he has served as a fulltime faculty member and chair of the culinary arts department since 2008. In October 2017, Shawn successfully passed the rigorous, eight-day ACF Certified Master Chef ®(CMC®) exam. Loving began his career at various restaurants throughout Michigan, including Salvatore Scallopini, The Ponchartrain Hotel, Franklin Hills Country Club and Les Auteurs before becoming a corporate chef for Walt Disney World’s Epcot Center and Race Rock International in Orlando, Florida. He has also served as a personal chef for members of the Detroit Pistons, among other NBA and NFL athletes. In 2008, he was selected as executive chef for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Olympic Basketball Teams for the Beijing Games. He has also served as executive chef for the USAB Men’s Team at the FIBA World Championship in 2010 in Instabul. His involvement with U.S. teams and major sporting events worldwide spans the last decade.

BRIAN YAZZIE

Brian Yazzie, aka “Yazzie the Chef," is a e Diné/Navajo chef from Dennehotso,

Arizona, who is currently based out of St. Paul, Minnesota. Yazzie earned his Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in culinary arts from Saint Paul College in 2016. He is a summer resident chef at Dream of Wild Health farm as well as a team member at Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis. In addition, Yazzie is a delegate of the Slow Food Turtle Island Association, and he is a team member at I-Collective, a collective of cooks, chefs, seed keepers, farmers, foragers and scholars focused on bringing awareness to the cultural appropriations of indigenous foods of the Americas.

Yazzie and his fiancé, Danielle Hoonmana Polk, are the founders of Intertribal Foodways, through which they offer catering, private dinners, chef demos and cooking classes for tribal communities with the mission to educate about wellness and health using indigenous foods.

Visit acfchefs.org/events to register now!

NCR Quiz

March/April 2020

By LeeAnn Corrao

What Japanese dish consists of cabbage and egg fried like a pancake?

a. Yakitori

b. Okonomiyaki

c. Tonkatsu

d. K araage

Sichuan peppercorns are related to .

a. Black Peppercorn

b. Citrus

c. Chili Peppers

d. Star Anise

Where did cheese tea originate?

a. China

b. Japan

c. Taiwan

d. Thailand

What organization released the Insights for the Future report?

a. Dataessential

b. National Restaurant Association

c. The American Culinary Federation

d. Kitchen United

What company was founded on the basis of using spent grains as a way to help combat food waste?

a. R eGrained

b. Upcycled Edibles

c. Heritage Baking

d. Beer Geek

What is a characteristic of spent grain?

a. High in fiber

b. High in protein

c. A lcohol-free

d. A ll of the above

What is the difference between potato flour and potato fiber?

a. There is no difference

b. The starch is removed during processing

c. Potato fiber has less protein

d. Potato flour is not gluten-free

Sweet and sour fish has become a celebratory meal in Chinese-American culture.

a. Tr ue

b. Fa lse

What byproduct of the beer-making process are bakers incorporating into their products?

a. Dregs

b. Spent grain

c. E xcess alcohol

d. None of the above

What is another name for restaurants that don’t exist in a space where customers can sit down and eat?

a. Virtual restaurants

b. Ghost kitchens

c. Cloud kitchens

d. A ll of the above

Which of the following is defined as “the act of traveling for taste of place in order to get a sense of place.”

a. Gor umet travel

b. Culinary tourism

c. Sensory tourism

d. Cooking school travel

See the rest of the questions, finish the quiz and earn 4 CEHs toward your certification on ACF’s new Online Learning Center at acfchefs.org/olc.

Thank You For Your Service

Military chefs showcase their culinary skills during annual training exercise sanctioned by the ACF

By Amelia Levin

For nearly a half a century, The Joint Culinary Center of Excellence in Fort Lee, Virginia, has been training and certifying, via the ACF, budding and experienced culinarians in the United States Armed Forces.

The Center’s Joint Culinary Training Exercise (JCTE)— now the largest military culinary competition in North America—has been held every year since its inception in 1975, except for in 1991 and 2003, during deployment for Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

On March 6-13, at the Fort Lee Field House, the Center hosted its 45th competition, complete with the usual scene of live cooking events, elaborate food displays, ice sculptures, pastries, wild game, edible centerpieces and more. The entire event is open to the public for viewing and tasting, with he exception of the Chef of the Year competition, which was moved to the first day of the event. Last year, about 220 military personnel from all branches of the military competed, and their levels of expertise ranged from Certified Culinarian® (CC®) to advanced culinarians, sous chefs, pastry chefs, executive chefs and line cooks.

“The JCTE allows participants to showcase their superior culinary skills that they may not otherwise get the chance to show civilians, so they are very excited to be a part of the event,” says Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Christopher Reaves, executive chef at the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence. Chef Reeves doesn’t compete himself, but he oversees the event to make sure “all the gears are moving.”

“It’s a lot of work and the teams put in many hours, but the feedback they get from the public and the judges, even if they don’t medal, is so important to the participants,” Reaves adds. “That’s why we emphasize that this is an ‘exercise,’ or an opportunity for culinary advancement, rather than just a typical competition.”

During the week-long event, chef teams from various branches of the military participate in a variety of “competitions,” including a cold buffet display, pastry challenge, a nutrition-based challenge, and even an

international cook-off that this year will involve Team USA as well as teams from Germany and France.

A little history: the JCTE wasn’t always available for all of the U.S. Armed Forces, or even for international military, as it is now. In 2008, the Army Chef of the Year competition was changed to the Armed Forces Chef of the Year. At that time, chefs from all branches of service became eligible to compete for highly coveted awards. In 2009, The Army Center of Excellence officially became the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence, further integrating chefs and culinarians from each branch. It was in 2013 that the Center’s main event name changed to JCTE. Today, the Center offers both entry-level training opportunities—individually tailored for each of the military branches—as well as an advanced culinary training program for all branches combined.

“We follow ACF guidelines when it comes to the competitions, but our rules are a little different,” says Reaves. “We modify everything to fit military style; for instance, the nutritional category is different, and we also added a ‘wild card’ category. Like the ACF, we also continue to be very focused on the student chef, which we believe is an important part of our future.”

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