National Culinary Review Sept/Oct 2023

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14

2023 ACF National Convention: A Recap

Take a look at the photos and award winners from this year’s event.

34 Sizzle for Students

It’s the start of the school year; we’re turning our attention to culinary educators and how they’re preparing their students for the future and involving them in community outreach.

DEPARTMENTS 20 Management

Precise planning and managing expectations helps these ACF Chefs manage the unexpected.

28

Main Course

Three classic dishes enjoyed on Mexican Independence Day and during Hispanic Heritage Month.

30 On the Side

A Filipino chef shows how he combines heritage ingredients with more “familiar” foods to educate consumers about this cuisine.

32 Classical vs. Modern

ACF Chef James Zeisler Jr., CEC, CCA, executive chef of Virginia Tech’s Owens Dining Hall, prepares a classical and modern version of eggs benedict in honor of his ACF Chef father’s favorite brunch dish.

48 Health

Koji, an ancient ferment historically used in Asian cultures, packs an umami punch for dishes of all types.

52 Segment Spotlight

R&D chefs detail their day-to-day work and why they’ve chosen this particular career path.

ACF Chefs and culinary educators talk tips and tools for pastry education today.

Cover: Lead Chef Instructor Tammie Barnhill, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, with student (Credit: August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts).

RECOGNIZING THE CURRENT AND ACTIVE ACF CHEF MEMBERS WHO ARE FEATURED AND QUOTED THROUGHOUT THE PAGES OF THIS ISSUE

Sizzle for Students

Pam Bedford, CCE, Institute of Culinary Arts at Eastside High School

Jeffrey Schlissel, Bacon Cartel

Amy Sins, Langlois Culinary Crossroads

Colin Roche, Ph.D., St. Thomas University

Kathleen Ahearn, CEC, CCE, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

Main Course

Alejandra Kauachi, Mexico Lindo Cooking School

Health

Jeremy Umansky, Larder Delicatessen and Bakery

Tim Bucci, CMC, Joliet Junior College

Management

Scott Turley, CEC, AAC, Grinnell College

Eric Gillish, Millennium Restaurant Group

Pastry

Chris Cwierz, MBA, Scottsdale Community College

Jesse Jackson III, Culinary Institute of America

Lisa Kirschner, Culinary Institute of America

Steve Konopelski, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

ACF Chef Profile

Andy Chlebana, CMPC, CCA, Joliet Junior College

ACF MEMBER CONTRIBUTORS

Chef-to-Chef

Chapter Close-Up

John Van House, CORE Foodservice

Segment Spotlight

Michael Thrash, CEC, CCA, CCE, AAC, Simplot Foods

Nick Landry, Summit Hill Foods

William A. Colella, CEC, CCA, is the senior executive chef for Aramark overseeing the foodservice program at U.S. Air Force bases nationwide.

Pastry

Chef Robert Wemischner recently retired after 32 years of teaching professional baking and restaurant management at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. He is a regular contributor to NCR.

Classical vs. Modern

James

James Zeisler Jr., CEC, CCA

Willliam Colella, CEC, CCA

Robert Wemischner

Zeisler Jr., CEC, CCA, is a second-generation ACF Chef and executive chef of Owens Dining Hall at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Editor-in-Chief

Amelia Levin

Creative Services Manager

David Ristau

Graphic Designer

Armando Mitra

Advertising and Event Sales

Eric Gershowitz

Director of Marketing and Communications

Alan Sterling

Contributing Editors

Amanda Baltazar, John Bartimole, Liz Kramer, Howard Riell, Jody Shee, Robert Wemischner

Copy Editor

Erica Demarest

American Culinary Federation, Inc.

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

Board of Directors

President

René J. Marquis, CEC®, CCE®, CCA®, AAC®

Immediate Past President

Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC®, CCA, AAC

National Secretary

Jeff Bacon, CEC, CCA, AAC

National Treasurer

Kyle Richardson, CEC, CCE, AAC

American Academy of Chefs Chair

Joe G. Aiello, CEC, AAC, HOF

Vice President Central Region

Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC

Vice President Northeast Region

Ray McCue, CEC, AAC

Vice President Southeast Region

Bryan Frick, CEC, AAC

Vice President Western Region

Greg Matchett, CEC, AAC

The National Culinary Review® (ISSN 0747-7716), September/ October 2023, Volume 47, Number 5, is owned by the American Culinary Federation,

(ACF)

I am honored and humbled to be the first military chef to hold the esteemed position of ACF National President. It is an incredible privilege to represent the culinary professionals who have dedicated their lives to the art of cooking in the military, the civilian sector and beyond. Your support and confidence in my leadership motivate me to work tirelessly for the betterment of our profession.

First, a little about my background. At the age of 14, I began my career as a dishwasher at a small Chinese restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, working my way up to become a line cook. That's where my fondness for the culinary arts began, and it led me to enroll in the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park following high school.

After graduating, I worked at The Broadmoor in Colorado. As I prepared tableside meals for a distinguished U.S. Army general, he asked me to cook for him on a regular basis. This opportunity led to a long and successful career in the military spanning 21 years, during which I traveled to more than 55 countries and relocated 14 times in the U.S. I am fortunate to have trained numerous individuals who have gone on to become highly successful chefs in various branches of the military.

In my new role as president, I plan to champion culinary education, certifications and accreditations, ensuring that aspiring and young chefs have access to the knowledge, resources and mentorship they need to succeed. I will continue to support local communities through the Chef & Child Initiative and other programs for veterans and those in need. I also plan to continue to promote diversity and inclusion within our industry, creating a space where every chef feels valued and empowered to contribute — this is the foundation of Chefs Helping Chefs. In addition, I vow to work with our Board of Directors with integrity, transparency, compassion, an open ear and a deep love for the culinary arts.

by ACF,

6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216. A digital subscription to the National Culinary Review® is included with ACF membership dues; print subscriptions are available to ACF members for $25 per year, domestic; nonmember subscriptions are $40. Material from the National Culinary Review®, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission. All views and opinions expressed in the National Culinary Review® are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the officers or members of ACF. Changes of mailing address should be sent to ACF’s national office: 6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216; (800) 624-9458; Fax (904) 940-0741.

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

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

My fellow chefs, I know that the road ahead may present obstacles and trials, but together, we are a formidable, resilient force. By embracing collaboration, supporting one another and nurturing the next generation of chefs, we will continue to elevate our craft and leave an indelible mark on the culinary landscape. But you must get involved. Success is an endeavor that requires us to seek it actively, to go out and claim it for ourselves. The ACF provides the perfect platform for us to do just that.

Lastly, I want to express my gratitude to the men and women who currently serve or have served in the military. Their selfless commitment inspires me, and I will strive to honor their service by upholding the highest standards of culinary excellence. A phrase that has become synonymous with the military and resonates deeply with me is “I’ve got your six.” It is a commitment to protect and stand by one another, regardless of our challenges.

Chefs, I got your six!

René J. Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC National President, American Culinary Federation

Inc.

and is produced six times per year

located at

Tengo el gran honor de ser el primer chef de las fuerzas armadas en ocupar el valioso cargo de presidente nacional de la ACF. Es un increíble privilegio poder representar a los profesionales culinarios que han dedicado sus vidas al arte de la cocina en las fuerzas armadas, los sectores civiles y mucho más. El apoyo y la confianza que han tenido en mi rol como líder me motivan a trabajar incansablemente para mejorar nuestra profesión.

Primeramente, me gustaría contarles de dónde vengo. A los 14 años comencé a trabajar como lavaplatos en un pequeño restaurante chino en Lewiston (Maine), donde llegué a convertirme en cocinero. Ahí fue donde nació mi amor por las artes culinarias, y fue esa la experiencia que me llevó a inscribirme en el Instituto Culinario de los Estados Unidos en Hyde Park luego de graduarme del secundario.

Luego de graduarme trabajé en The Broadmoor, en Colorado. Un día le estaba preparando unos platos a un distinguido general del ejército de los Estados Unidos y me pidió que le cocinara regularmente. Esta oportunidad me permitió comenzar una larga y exitosa carrera en las fuerzas armadas que duraría 21 años. Durante este tiempo viajé a más de 55 países y me trasladaron más de 14 veces dentro de los Estados Unidos. Tuve la suerte de capacitar a varias personas que llegaron a convertirse en chefs de renombre en diversos sectores de las fuerzas.

En mi nuevo puesto como presidente, tengo la intención de defender la educación culinaria y patrocinar certificaciones y acreditaciones a fin de garantizar que los jóvenes aspirantes a chef tengan acceso al conocimiento, los recursos y las mentorías que necesitan. Seguiré ayudando a las comunidades locales a través de la iniciativa Chef & Child y otros programas para veteranos y personas con necesidad. También pienso continuar promoviendo la diversidad y la inclusión dentro de nuestra industria a fin de crear un espacio en el cual todos los chefs se sientan valorados y deseosos de contribuir. Esta es la base de Chefs Helping Chefs. Asimismo, me comprometo a trabajar con nuestra junta directiva con integridad, transparencia, compasión y mente abierta, con un profundo amor por el arte de la cocina.

Queridos colegas, sé que el futuro puede traernos obstáculos y ponernos a prueba, pero juntos somos una fuerza formidable y resiliente. Al trabajar en colaboración, apoyándonos entre nosotros y contribuyendo a la formación de la próxima generación de chefs, continuaremos elevando nuestro oficio para dejar una huella indeleble en el panorama culinario. Pero para ello debemos colaborar todos. El éxito requiere un trabajo activo, tenemos que salir a la cancha e ir a buscarlo nosotros mismos. Y la ACF constituye la plataforma perfecta para eso.

Por último, quiero agradecerles a todos los hombres y mujeres que han servido y sirven actualmente en las fuerzas armadas. Su compromiso y abnegación me inspiran, y haré todo lo que esté a mi alcance para rendir tributo a su servicio y mantener los más altos estándares de excelencia culinaria. Hay una frase que se ha convertido en sinónimo de las fuerzas y con la cual me siento muy identificado: “Yo te respaldo”. Es un compromiso de protegernos y acompañarnos entre nosotros, sin importar cuáles sean los desafíos que se nos presenten.

¡Chefs, yo te respaldo!

René J. Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC National President, American Culinary Federation

Online Exclusives at WeAreChefs.com

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

Meet your New President, Board Members and Executive Director!

ACF National President Rene Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, and the 20232025 ACF Board Members were inducted during the President’s Gala at the 2023 ACF National Convention in August. ACF Chef Christopher Tanner, CEC, CCE, AAC, assumed the role of ACF’s Executive Director, based in Jacksonville, in early September. Read more about their background online.

First Time Convention Attendees

Two Michigan Chef de Cuisine Chefs from University of Michigan Dining detail what their experience was like as first-time ACF National Convention attendees.

Ingredient of the Month

Each month, we highlight a different ingredient in the ACF’s Online Learning Center. Visit the center at acfchefs.org/IOTM to

complete a quiz and earn one hour of continuing education credit toward ACF certification and recertification.

Member Spotlights

Stay tuned on WeAreChefs.com and ACF’s social media channels for more member spotlights and stories about chapter activities. Just featured: ACF Chefs Robert Witte, CEC, CCA, AAC, Navajo Technical University and Brandon LaVielle, CEC, AAC, Lavish Roots Catering and Hospitality

ACF Culinary Team USA

We’ll provide continuing coverage from the team captain and mangers as they continue their journey toward the IKA/Culinary Olympics taking place in February 2024 in Stuttgart, Germany.

ACF ChefsForum Webinar Series

The ever-popular ACF ChefsForum Webinar Series continues! Missed a webinar? We’ll post quick recaps and all recorded sessions are available online

ACF’s Online Learning Center

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

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

Follow the ACF on your favorite social media platforms:

@acfchefs

@acfchefs

@acf_chefs

@acfchefs

@acf_chefs

American Culinary Federation

Tag us on Instagram!

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

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NEWS BITES

ACF MasterCraft Summit Series

Specialized certificates will be provided upon successful completion of the written examination. Earn eight CEHs upon attendance at each summit. For the full agendas and to register, visit acfchefs.org/events or download the ACF Chefs app.

ACF Advanced Culinary Summit

Tues., Sept. 12

The Breakers Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Florida

Master the latest innovations in culinary menus from cutting-edge culinarians during this summit designed for those working in culinary leadership roles. This advancedlevel educational experience focuses on menu innovation, fine dining culinary trends, advanced cooking concepts and modern plating techniques.

ACF Advanced Pastry Summit

Fri., Oct. 20

Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, North Carolina

Master the latest innovations in pastry and grow your skills during this educational experience focused on baking and pastry trends, advanced sugar and chocolate innovations, modern dessert theory and more. This summit has been designed for the professional development of all pastry chefs, confectioners and educators and welcomes baking artisans from across the country! This one-day educational event will

include demos and lectures by cutting-edge professionals. The sessions have been curated to celebrate the artistry and innovation in the world of pastries while providing a platform for professionals to network and exchange ideas, learn from baking industry experts and share best practices and tips to enhance your creative approach to meet today’s evolving pastry menus.

ACF Culinary Nutrition Summit: A Recap

The ACF MasterCraft Culinary Nutrition Summit, held on Aug. 12 at Kalamazoo Valley Community College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, featured seven speakers discussing such topics as culinary medicine (ACF Chef Leah Sarris, RD, LDN, MBA), how to boost nutrient density in dishes (ACF Chefs Marshall Shafkowitz and Erin Szopiak, RD, LD, MS) and more, plus a lunch provided by the Chef and Cooks Association of Kalamzoo/Battle Creek Michigan. Special thanks to event sponsor Ecolab.

Childhood Nutrition Day is Oct. 16

Celebrate ACF’s Childhood Nutrition Day during the month of October and help spread awareness about the need for education about proper nutrition and obesity issues. Since the campaign’s launch in 1995, thousands of chefs across the nation have participated in events within their local communities to feed hungry children and foster and promote awareness of proper nutrition. This year’s theme is Planting the Seeds of Nutrition. To learn more about Childhood Nutrition Day, download marketing materials, get ideas for planning events and more, visit acfchefs.org/childhoodnutritionday. Use hashtags #ChildhoodNutritionDay and #ACFChefs when promoting your event or initiatives.

International Chefs Day is Oct. 20

International Chefs Day, celebrated on Oct. 20th each year, brings together culinary professionals worldwide to promote the art and science of cooking. Over the past years, Worldchefs has partnered with Nestlé Professional to teach children around the globe about the importance of healthy eating by hosting fun-filled workshops. This year’s theme is “Growing Great Chefs,” in memory of the Late Chef Dr. Bill Galagher, a visionary in the culinary world. Nestlé Professional and Worldchefs have collaborated to create a comprehensive toolkit packed with innovative recipes, an interactive game and a fun-filled approach to starting a garden. To learn more and download the toolkit, visit worldchefs. org/internationalchefsday. #GrowingGreatChefs

#InternationalChefsDay #ThisIsWorldchefs #NestleProfessional

#PreparingChildrenForAHealthyLife

ACF Sustainability Corner

Check out the ACF Sustainability Corner with articles and infographics to help educate you, your team and students on sustainable concepts to help minimize cost and increase profit while reducing your carbon footprint. Each month features a different sustainability topic (September’s topic covers food waste and reduction). Earn two hours of continuing education credit by completing the quiz on the ACF Online Learning Center. Learn more at acfchefs.org/sustainability.

Salut

Following the 2023 ACF National Convention in New Orleans in July, ACF members joined a tour of Tabasco’s plant on Avery Island (left to right: Canadian Culinary Federation President Ryan Marquis, ACF Chef Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, Tony Simmons, CEO of Tabasco, University of Michigan Dining Chefs Bouakhanh Green and Aaron Bruck, CEC, ACF Chef Frank Turchan, CEC (Michigan Chefs de Cuisine secretary), and ACF Chef James Kokenyesdi, CEC, CCA, AAC (Michigan Chefs de Cuisine president).

The ACF Central Florida Chapter meeting held at UCF Rosen College of Hospitality welcomed members of sister chapter ACF Tampa Bay to come together and enjoy a discussion and presentation by Disney’s Cast Member Services about the benefits of working at Disney World. Members also enjoyed a Surf’N Turf dinner provided by Halperns’ Beef as well as desserts by Bindi Desserts. ACF National leadership helped plate the dishes for the event, which had 85 people in attendance.

The Chefs de Cuisine Association of San Diego was a platinum sponsor for the Fallen Officers Fund Golf Tournament, where funds raised provide financial assistance to any San Diego and Imperial County active duty local, state or federal law enforcement officer and/or their immediate family members during a traumatic event such as death, injury, sickness or any other serious incident in which financial assistance would not be otherwise readily available.

The chapter has been involved in this event and has supported the fund, created by the San Diego District Attorney Investigators Association, for many years. Pictured is ACF Chef David Chenelle (chapter secretary).

Congrats to ACF Chef Nick Barrington, CEC, president of the ACF Atlanta Chefs Association, who just completed his 30th PGA Golf Tournament in 29 years (he completed one tour each year since 1994 and two in 2014).

ACF Chef Keio Gayden (ACF Atlanta Chefs Association) , culinary arts instructor and program coordinator for DeKalb County School System in Fayetteville, Atlanta, was featured in Atlanta magazine about her program supporting aspiring chefs at the high school level.

ACF Greater Baltimore Chapter, led by chapter president ACF Chef Lisa Tomecek, CEPC, AAC, held an educational event with members from 15 chapters in the region in attendance to learn about sustainable seafood and local waterways.

Congratulations to ACF Chef C. David Wolf, CEC, AAC (ACF Columbus Chapter), of The Ohio State University, who won first place in the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) 2023 Culinary Challenge, held as part of the NACUFS 2023 National Conference in Baltimore. He received an ACF gold medal for his winning dish, Asian-inspired pork - three ways. ACF Chef Jeffrey MacDonald (ACF Pioneer Valley Culinary Association) , of the University of MassachusettsAmherst Dining, won second place and an ACF gold medal for his stuffed prosciutto wrapped pork tenderloin and braised smoked pork belly.

Congratulations to ACF Chef Warren Leigh (ACF Pioneer Valley Culinary Association) , Holyoke Community College in Massachusetts, who was named Postsecondary Educator of the Year by the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education (CAFÉ).

ACF Chef Mary Levinski (ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter), Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in Minnesota, was honored with the Secondary Educator of the Year Award. ACF Chef Maureen LaSalle (ACF Casco Bay Culinary Association) , Southern Maine Community College, South Portland, Maine, was honored with CAFÉ’s Green Award.

ACF Chef Michael McGreal, CEC, CCE, M.Ed., Culinary Arts Management Department chair, and other Joliet Junior College culinary faculty members held a taste test and healthy recipe development event on April 21 as part of a grant from the Illinois State Board

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!

of Education Nutrition Department and the USDA. Approximately 200 high school students and their teachers submitted recipes to ISBE featuring vegetables that are common in Illinois.

JJC chefs worked with the recipes submitted to prepare tasting portions of each of the student-submitted recipes for all the students and teachers to sample. The recipes have been added to the Institute of Child Nutrition recipe box for use in healthy school meals.

Do you have news and milestones to share? Please send any and all updates to the NCR editor, Amelia Levin, alevin@acfchefs.org

2023 ACF National Award Winners

Congratulations to the following winners who competed for national titles at ACF's 2023 National Convention in New Orleans.

USA’S CHEF OF THE YEAR™

TONY LE, CEC

PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR

REBECCA FREEMAN, CEPC

CHEF EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

MICHAEL J. STAMETS, CEC

CEC, SUNY Broome Community College

DR. L.J. MINOR CHEF

PROFESSIONALISM AWARD

FERNANDO MOJICA, CEC

STUDENT CHEF OF THE YEAR

CAITLIN R. DRZYZGA

STUDENT PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR

KAMBREE C. THOMAS

STUDENT TEAM

COMPETITION WINNERS

CULINARY INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK AT MONROE COLLEGE

HERMANN G. RUSCH CHEF’S ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

JOHN R. DISESSA, CEC, AAC

L. EDWIN BROWN LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNER

KENT L. ANDERSEN, CEC, CCA, AAC

CHAPTER OF THE YEAR

ACF ATLANTA CHEFS ASSOCIATION

INDUSTRY PARTNER OF THE YEAR

TURKISH TASTES

A THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR JUDGES AND COMPETITION CHAIRS!

JUDGES:

Edward Adel, CEC, AAC

Darrin Aoyama, CEPC, AAC

John R. Coletta, HAAC

Frank C. Costantino, CEC, CCA, CCE, CEPC, AAC

Alex R. Darvishi, CEC, AAC, HOF

Joseph M. Leonardi, CMC, AAC

Alan J. Neace, Sr., CEC, AAC

Susan Notter, CEPC, AAC

Reimund D. Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF

Casey Shiller, CEPC, CCE, AAC

Ryan C. Schroeder Jr. CEC, AAC

Simon Smotkowicz, HAAC

Derek Spendlove, CEPC, CCE, AAC

J. Kevin Storm, CEC, AAC

Randy J. Torres, CEC, AAC

CHAIRS:

Culinary Competition Chair:

Chef Randy J. Torres CEC, AAC

Culinary Competition Chair, Pastry:

Chef Darrin L. Aoyama, CEPC, AAC

Culinary Student Competition Chair:

Chef Frank C. Costantino, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC

PRESIDENTIAL MEDALLIONS

Joseph M. Allison, CEC, AAC

Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE, AAC

Malachi Bolton, Jr., CCC

Sarah M. Deckert, CEC

Andre R. Ellis, CEC

Cher D. Harris, CEPC

Jimmy L. Hill, HAAC

Jason A. Jones, CEC, CCA, AAC

Sergey V. Kashkin, CEC

Bradley D. Labarre, CEC, AAC

Ryan M. Manning, CC

Donald C. McMillan, CEC, AAC, HHOF

Elizabeth B. Mikesell, CEC, AAC

Hari Pulapaka, CEC, AAC

Scott C. Ross, CEC, CCA

Keith Sarasin

Amy C. Sins

Harold S. Small, HAAC

Robert Stegall-Smith, AAC

Wesley A. Tyler, CEC, CCA

Jacques Wilson, CEC, AAC

Robert L. Witte, CEC, CCA, AAC

Jay Ziobrowski, CEC

CUTTING EDGE AWARDS

Lizet S. Angulo

Pamela A. Bedford, CCE

Meg Bickford

Lorencita Billman

Lance S. Cook, CEC, CCA

Sharon Daniel

Isaiah J. Gerrard

Susan Griffin, CEPC

Danielle M. Hughes

Kristofer C. Jubinville, CEC

Alejandra Kauachi

Brian E. Lord, CEC, AAC

Ti Martin

Anne McBride, PhD

Lamar J. Moore

Rick Neal, CEC, AAC

Stephen Reimar

Christopher Ridenhour

Elle Simone Scott

Justin Sutherland

Emilia Tomaszycki, CEPC

Christopher D. Viaud

Jordan Wagman

2023 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS INDUCTEES

Presented by AAC Chair Joe G. Aiello, CEC, AAC, HOF, AAC Vice-Chair Reimund D. Pitz, CEC, CCE, AAC, HOF and immediate past AAC Chair Americo S. DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC, during the 51st Annual AAC Fellows and Induction Dinner, Tuesday, July 18, New Orleans Marriot Warehouse District

AAC CHAIR’S MEDAL

Chef Joe G. Aiello, CEC, AAC, HOF

LAWRENCE A. CONTI, CEC, AAC, HOF, CHAIR’S ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Chef John A. Minniti, CCE, AAC, HOF, HBOT

JOSEPH AMENDOLA AWARD

Chef Carlton W. Brooks, CEPC, CCE, AAC

LT. GENERAL JOHN D. MCLAUGHLIN AWARD

Chef Mark D. Veomett, CEC, AAC

CHEF GOOD TASTE AWARD

Chef John D. Folse, CEC, AAC, HOF, HBOT

SHARING CULINARY TRADITIONS AWARD

Chef Dorothy Johnston, CEC, CCE, AAC

2023 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS® INDUCTEES

Joseph M. Allison, CEC, AAC

Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE, AAC

Denise D. Baxter, CCE, AAC

John Casto, CEC, AAC

Joshua E. Diekman, CEC, CCA, AAC

Kirk S. Kief, CEC, CCA, CPC, AAC

Bradley D. Labarre, CEC, AAC

Brandon S. LaVielle, CEC, AAC

Brian E. Lord, CEC, AAC

Maynard J.J. Meland, CEC, CCA, AAC

Fernando Mojica, CEC, AAC

Rick Neal, CEC, AAC

Susan E. Notter, CEPC, AAC

Hari Pulapaka, CEC, AAC

Brian G. Tatsukawa, CEC, AAC

2023 HONORARY AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS® INDUCTEES

Timothy J. Foley, HAAC

Thomas Gugler, HAAC

Jimmy Lee Hill, HAAC

Cheryl A. Molenda, CC, HAAC

Rocco Paradiso, HAAC

Richard H. Simon, CSC, CCE, HAAC

2023 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS CULINARY HALL OF FAME™ INDUCTEES

Dean Jaramillo, AAC, HOF

Mark G. Wright, CEC, AAC, HOF, HBOT

James R. Taylor, CEC, AAC, HOF

Honorary

Clayton Sherrod, CEC, AAC, HHOF

For more photos, visit flickr.com/acfchefs

Managing Expectations & The Unexpected

ACF Chefs have to prepare their staff and their operations today for future pivots

By Howard Riell

Chefs expect a lot from their kitchen staffs. But how can chefs be certain they’re getting it? And what if they’re not? Accurately gauging employees’ progress and abilities, or the lack thereof, can make or break a kitchen.

The difficulty that chefs can experience in managing those expectations represents what ACF Chef Scott Turley, CEC, AAC, chief culinary officer at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, calls a great challenge. “We work on foundational training of processes and cooking techniques to build skills,” he says. “Once you have employees with a solid foundation of the basics, you can begin to let them try new things, develop recipes, gain experience in writing, communicating, follow-through and holding themselves accountable to the standards.”

Chef Turley says he often expects “too much.” He tries to push staff to grow and learn what is possible through prep, being organized, working clean, keeping notes, working on timing of firing food “and always thinking ahead.”

ACF Chef Eric Gillish , corporate chef for the Millennium Restaurant Group based in Michigan and president of the ACF Kalamazoo/Battle Creek chapter, says that managing his expectations of his kitchen staffers “has always been a struggle, but since COVID that struggle has been amplified.”

In most of the kitchens where he has worked, Chef Gillish says, “there is so much to be done that I needed my teams to be self-sufficient, so my expectations were high.” But with mentoring, praise and reward when appropriate, and by leading by example, “we made it happen. Sure, there was always some turnover, but I feel we did much better than today.”

Creating a better work environment has helped. Since the height of the pandemic, Chef Gillish says, “we are paying our staff much more, decreasing menu size and finding ways to make it easier for the staff — and yet we are now just happy when they show up for work.”

Lowering expectations is another part of the equation. Prior to the pandemic, “we did expect a lot,” Chef Gillish says. “Kitchens are not typically easy; in most cases staff has to wear many hats, stress is high, etc.” But in the wake of COVID-19, chefs have had to bring down their expectations.

“We’ve seen younger staff was starting to want more for less, wanting praise for doing the simplest of tasks rather than going above and beyond,” he says.

ACF Chef Scott Turley, CEC, AAC

“It just seemed like the old-school work ethic was slipping. Everyone was starting to call everyone ‘chef’ or consider themselves a chef with minimal training, rather than earning the title through hard work, dedication and experience.”

TRAINING FROM THE BEGINNING

Grinnell has a rigorous onboarding program so that staffers have an opportunity to learn the systems, expectations, kitchen culture “and what to expect in a day’s work by working shoulder to shoulder with their trainer,” Chef Turley says. “This happens for two weeks, and we then evaluate skills and progress each day they work.”

“We work on skills, meet with staff each week to learn what their challenges are, fix their equipment, provide feedback on everything that they do to build confidence,” Chef Turley explains. Training is key. “We are kind of old school, working on classic skills first to build a solid foundation. We welcome any culinary staff member the opportunity to [seek ACF certifications] and push themselves to grow.”

At what point should a decision be made that someone is not progressing quickly enough?

According to Chef Gillish, that is a situational decision that a chef needs to make. “But I think we are quick to dismiss and forget just how long it does take to train properly.” One week in a busy station

is not enough time, he feels, because learning a busy commercial kitchen station requires time and repetition, and training managers takes even longer.

“Unfortunately I have seen quite often in my career where, out of necessity, we move an employee from one station to another before he has really had time to master it just because the line cook called off for his shift and you needed the station covered,” Chef Gillish recounts. “When it happens again, they get pulled again, and before they really have had time to completely train on their original station they are learning another.”

TRACKING PROGRESS

Chef Turley says that he and his team use a skills matrix for each position and build skills to meet the baseline for the position. “If an employee is not able to meet these requirements, we look for a position that fits their skill and start building from there. In our interview process we use behavioral questions to evaluate their ability to flourish in our operation. This has seemed to work well for the past few years.”

When it comes to staffing, Chef Turley claims to have been “very fortunate” to have an employer who is vested in his goals. “Our staffing issues have been almost zero due to higher wages and a generous benefit package.” He has been successful having some staffers work a traditional eight-hour day over five days, and others a 10-hour day four days per week.

STAYING FLEXIBLE

Many places these days have had to increase their pricing due to a variety of factors, Chef Gillish points out, and even though some prices have softened, many operators have chosen to keep their prices higher. “Just this past week I costed out a large Christmas event. I found enough pricing had gone down that I asked our sales manager to lower the price in a few areas for the client. But that is a hard thing to do these days, with so many other costs still high. I can understand why others may just keep prices where they are and take the extra revenue.”

He offers chicken wings as an example. A year ago they were at an all-time industry high, and restaurants all over were increasing prices drastically, lowering portion sizes or taking them off the menu altogether. “Today we see chicken-wing prices have lowered to

ACF Chef Eric Gillish

some of the lowest ever seen, and prices have been lower now for months. But in many of the places I have been to, the menu price for wings is still high.”

Chef Gillish urges others not to think badly of the restaurants that have not lowered pricing since there have been “so many other things pushing higher costs, costs that they may not have passed partially or fully to the guest. So it is understandable to keep that better margin for some items to help soften the blow to others, not to mention we don’t know when or if prices will spike again. Many are gun shy, and the past few years have taught us to plan for the worst.”

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

“We have been dealing with the unforeseen since COVID first shut the world down,” says Chef Gillish. “All you can do is take it day by day because planning too far in advance can only get you so far.”

Chef Gillish and his staff print their menus inhouse, making it much easier to make changes when necessary due to sourcing or product shortages. When it comes to catering and banquets, they do send menus out as long as a year in advance, “but we have updated the wording on our contracts to suggest that pricing may change due to unforeseen circumstances. We always tell our clients that we are hoping that doesn’t happen and inform them if it does.”

Chef Turley says that he and his staff were planning January 2024’s menus back in July 2023. “We are looking at trends and working with our suppliers to ensure products will be available when we need them.” Since his is a scratch operation, basic ingredients comprise most of his shopping list. “From there we can easily transition from one item to the next to make our recipes work, if needed.”

As for preparing for future disasters or extreme events, Chef Turley says his staff is “basically always ready for a disaster. In Iowa, our biggest concern is a tornado hit.” To prepare, his team keeps a supply of dry ingredients and water off site so that if the worst happens they can still feed the campus and support some local community members with very basic food until supplies can be secured. “We even have emergency kitchen toolkits set up, and have talked to the local high school about using their kitchen if our kitchen goes offline. Being prepared is a matter of stepping back from the day-to-day hustle to ‘think what if?’ and plan for a situation.”

Setting SMART Goals

Goal-setting is important in order for teams to work most efficiently, but precisely where to set each goal, over which time period — and how to be certain these goals have been met — is often more art than science. According to Chef Dan Follese, founder and chef for Food Trend Translator based in Tallahassee, Florida, “the only way to be definitive on this is to document their progress.” Without having a written reference it can prove easy to forget all the great progress your staffer has made.

“Keep in mind that attitude is just as critical to the success of each individual, and negativity is contagious and spreads quickly,” says Chef Follese. “Consider using the SMART method and watch your team succeed.”

So-called SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timebound) goals are designed to more clearly define, and thus help achieve, goals set by teams. Viewed together, they can shed light on process imbalances and hone procedures.

Defining each one of the parameters according to a chef’s specific goal helps ensure that the stated objectives are attainable within a realistic period of time.

A theoretical statement for a full-service restaurant might read like this: The goal is to cut food cost over the next 30 days. Chefs and prep staff can meet this goal by substituting lower-priced produce, decreasing portion size and repurposing potato shavings. The result of these changes will be a 5% reduction in produce cost.

ACF Thanks Our Loyalty Partners

ACF MINNEAPOLIS CHAPTER CHEF'S CHAPTER MN012

A DECADES-LONG LEGACY WITH AN EYE TO THE FUTURE

By John Bartimole

For almost six decades, the ACF’s Minneapolis chapter has held steadfast to its mission, which states: “To promote the culinary industry through our commitment to education (both continuing and professional), certification, competition and charitable works. Partnering with our sponsors and vendors, our aim is to strengthen our presence within the community and to promote the American Culinary Federation Minneapolis Chefs’ Chapter as a group of culinary professionals seeking to enhance the culinary profession for all members.”

A wide array of educational programming and spirited community involvement make up the hallmarks of the chapter’s activities and goals. More recently, chapter leadership has put an increased emphasis on membership recruitment.

“One of our biggest challenges is getting involvement from our members and recruiting new members,” says ACF Chef John Van House, chain sales manager for CORE Foodservice, who is serving his second term as the Minneapolis chapter’s president. “We’ve been a strong chapter for decades, but now, we’re really trying to make sure there isn’t a stigma of this chapter being just an ‘old boys’ club,’ because we’re not.”

Chef Van House points out that he now has a few open committee chair

positions because he says, “we’re having difficulty in getting people to commit. But, the good news is that our board members have really stepped up and we’re just moving forward.”

Part of that path forward is the chapter’s active involvement in ProStart, a two-year, industryand chapter-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students that provides training and education for foodservice and restaurant careers. “I began [my partnership] with ProStart as a judge, but then I started to get more involved,” Chef Van House says. “At one point, we had about 50 schools in the state participating; now, we have 90. The program is a great way to introduce young students to the world of culinary arts and restaurants.”

From left: Former ProStart student Noah Rosenberger, Minnesota State House Representative Dave Baker and ACF Chef John Van House, president of the ACF Minneapolis Chef’s Chapter testifying for funds to be added to the state’s omnibus bill supporting Prostart programs.

Chef Van House says that in addition to its efforts with ProStart, the chapter is determined to recruit young members through other initiatives. “We strive to make younger culinarians aware of what the ACF offers in terms of education, prestige and other benefits,” he says, noting that the chapter currently offers free membership to any student who is in an accredited post-secondary program.

“This next generation is our future,” Chef Van House says. “I do believe we have done a good job of involving students more. We need to be transparent that we, as a chapter, are a conduit for information. It’s not the responsibility of the student to know everything; instead, it’s our responsibility to inform them and tell them why we love being chefs.”

Many chapter members participate in Kids’ Café, a nutrition and self-esteem program for high-risk and homeless youth living in the St. Louis Park area of Minneapolis. The program operates five days per week and serves more than 55 elementary school-aged children each day. It also provides mentoring and education around nutrition, team building, leadership and even personal hygiene and growth.

Board of Directors

John Van House President

Denis Durnev Vice President

Trent Anderson, CEC Treasurer and Board of Trustees member

Scott Parks Sr., CC Secretary and Chairman of the Board

F. Christian Freeman, CEC Sergeant at Arms

Jason Drysdale School Liaison

Robert Velarde, CEC Board of Trustees member

Christopher Dwyer, CEC, CCA, AAC Board of Trustees member

Clockwise from left: ACF Chef Robert Velarde and student chef Natalie Thompson while volunteering at Perspective’s Kid’s Café; ACF Daniel Cleary and team at an ACF-sanctioned culinary competition at the St. Paul Farmer’s; ACF Chef Patrick Conway and Sue Zelickson, a local radio host and founder of Perspective’s Kid’s Café; Students from Pillager High School in Pillager, Minnesota at a fundraiser event for ProStart; and ACF Chef Gilles Stassart, CEC, CCA (left) and Chef Andrew Craft (right) of Minneapolis’ The Bungalow Club before judging the 2023 Minnesota State ProStart Invitational.

Chef Van House says COVID-19 wreaked havoc on enrollment in hospitality and culinary programs in higher education. “We experienced so many closures in programs,” he says. “Fortunately, we’ve seen an uptick in enrollment in the three post-secondary programs in our area. They are bouncing back.”

The chapter seeks to educate its members in a variety of ways, too. Most recently, R&R Cultivation, a local enterprise in the Twin Cities specializing in growing gourmet mushrooms, presented at a meeting, and the chefs got to cook with the products. “It was highly educational for me and for the others in attendance,” Chef Van House says. “The chefs at the event really enjoyed the experience.” Also sponsoring that popular event was Bix Produce Company.

The chapter’s awards dinner in January had an attendance of almost 100 people, Chef Van House says. The chapter was able to award seven culinarybased scholarships, in conjunction with its sponsors, totaling more than $7,500 to area students. “The funds are cultivated through our partnerships with the Toby Landgraf Foundation, Lakeland Sales, Maple Leaf Farms, as well as our efforts towards fundraising as a chapter,” he says.

An unexpected benefit of the dinner was the impression made on Carla Mertz, owner of Iron Shoe Farm, a producer of organically raised and grown livestock and produce. “Carla and her husband were so moved by what we’re doing to promote the culinary industry that they offered a whole hog for us to break down during a meeting this summer,” Chef Van House says. “That is incredibly generous and will be very beneficial and educational for our members. We’re looking forward to it.”

“THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS IN OUR CHAPTER IS OUR GOVERNING BODY. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ARE PAST BOARD MEMBERS THAT THE BOG USES AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR IDEAS AND PAST PRECEDENTS. THE [BOARD OF TRUSTEES] ALSO SERVES AS A FAILSAFE IN CASE THE BOG HAS POSITIONS OPENED THAT NEED TO BE FILLED AND THERE ARE NO ELIGIBLE OR WILLING MEMBERS TO FILL THOSE VACANCIES. THE SCHOOL LIAISON IS A NEW, TWO-YEAR BOARD OF GOVERNORS POSITION APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT. THE DUTIES INCLUDE BEING A VOICE BETWEEN THE CULINARY/PROSTART SCHOOLS AND THE ACF MINNEAPOLIS CHEFS CHAPTER TO BRING THE CONCERNS OF THE SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CHAPTER.”

–ACF CHEF JOHN VAN HOUSE, MINNEAPOLIS CHAPTER PRESIDENT

Left: ACF Chef Patrick Conway (center) with students Kid’s Café; Right: ACF Chef John Van House presenting the chapter’s “Little Oscar” award to Chef Donnyelle Williams from Kid’s Café for her dedication to teaching young people about food and nutrition.

WORLD CUISINES UTILIZE TURKISH INGREDIENTS

DORADE CEVICHE PERUVIAN CUISINE

TURKISH INGREDIENTS

DORADE (SEA BREAM)

JALAPEÑO PEPPERS

DRY OREGANO SUMAC

ALEPPO PEPPER

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

RANZINO A LA VERACRUZANA MEXICAN CUISINE

TURKISH INGREDIENTS

BRANZINO (SEA BASS)

ROASTED RED PEPPER

TOMATO PASTE

SUN DRIED TOMATO GREEN OLIVES

GHERKINS CAPERS

ROSEMARY OREGANO SUMAC

ALEPPO PEPPER

RANZINO CRUDO ITALIAN CUISINE

TURKISH INGREDIENTS

BRANZINO (SEA BASS) BLACK OLIVE GREEN OLIVES

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL OREGANO

ALEPO PEPPER SUMAC

IT WAS GREAT SEEING YOU ALL IN NEW ORLEANS! WWW.TURKISHTASTE.ORG

By Amelia Levin

squares the same way,” says ACF Chef Alejandra Kauachi , founder of Mexico Lindo Cooking, a cooking school primarily for tourists in Cancun (mexicolindocooking.com). “And then at midnight, it becomes the biggest party and we eat like crazy.”

Commonly confused with Cinco de Mayo in May, Mexican Independence Day is more similar to the Fourth of July in the U.S. and has been celebrated for centuries — the same traditions and foods year after year. The celebration can sometimes continue for days; in the U.S., National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

On Sept. 16, 1820, just a few weeks after Spain withdrew from colonial Mexico after an 11year war, a priest named Father Hidalgo from a pro-independence group stood in a town square and shouted out the “Grito de Dolores” calling for the end of Spanish rule, for racial equality and for redistribution of land.

“Every year we carry on the tradition with someone screaming about independence in town

Chef Kauachi, who presented at the 2023 ACF National Convention in New Orleans this summer, shares with us her three must-have dishes on this special day. They’re also classic dishes that she teaches at her cooking school (classes are always followed with a feast and tequila), and ones that showcase the colors of the Mexican flag: red, white and green. For the recipes, visit acfchefs.org/recipes

POZOLE ROJO

Mexicans (in Mexico and in the U.S.) enjoy this spicy soup with pork, chiles and lime “whenever we’re sick or sad,” Chef Kauachi says, but also when celebrating. “It’s the national dish for the Mexican Independence Day party, at least in Central Mexico,” she says. First, she makes a salsa by rehydrating dried guajillo and ancho chiles and blending them with roasted tomato, onion and garlic, along with oregano. This becomes the base of the broth that’s simmered with water and cut up pieces of pork shoulder or leg added. “You can add the bones, too, and even the [pig] head for more flavor,” says Chef Kauachi. After about an hour and a half, the broth with the meat is served in big bowls with a garnish of fresh shredded lettuce, chopped raw onion, more fresh and/or dried oregano, crushed chili powder, limes or lime juice, a little chopped radish, a dollop of crema and a crispy tostada.

FLAUTAS

Flautas are just one of many antojitos (small plates or appetizers) enjoyed during Mexican Independence Day and other celebrations and gatherings. “I usually make them with pulled beef like flank steak, or pulled chicken or chicken tinga cooked with tomato, onion and chipotle,” says Chef Kauachi, who spreads the meat in a thin layer on a large tortilla that she then rolls up, secures with a toothpick, deep fries and serves in groups of three on a plate with a bright and refreshing salsa verde made by simply blending raw tomatillos with onion, garlic, serrano chile and cilantro. A sprinkling of cotija cheese and dab of crema top it all off. Chef Kauachi also serves the chicken tinga on a flat, fried tostada with the same salsa and toppings, plus refried beans.

CHILE EN NOGADA

This dish is essentially a roasted and skinned poblano pepper stuffed with picadillo (chopped pork or ground beef cooked with tomatoes, dried fruits and nuts) with a creamy walnut-based sauce. “I like to use raisins, almonds, apples, peaches and sometimes plantain or banana,” says Chef Kauachi. “It’s a salty and sweet combination. The story goes that a nun created this dish in Puebla for the first president after the Independence War because the dish had all the colors of the flag.” The green of the poblano pepper combines with the light-colored walnut cream sauce (a blend of walnuts cooked with cream and a bit of sherry liqueur) and the red pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top. “It’s also a seasonal dish because pomegranate is most plentiful in September in Mexico,” Chef Kauachi says.

FILIPINO FUSIONS

This Filipino chef reaches for familiar ingredients to showcase dishes from his heritage // By

Lauren Kramer

[Spanish rule] for 300 years before it gained its freedom, just to be occupied again by the Japanese and then the Americans. That brought so many culinary influences that it’s surprising the Philippines was able to retain and cultivate any of its original identity in terms of its indigenous food. Most of the foreign influences were adapted and transformed to fit the taste and preference of the local population, creating something new altogether.”

Chef Villacrusis, a passionate ambassador for Filipino food, remains concerned that American diners get acquainted with traditional Filipino cuisine and ingredients before chefs begin putting new spins on classic fare.

As Filipino food garners increasing attention and acclaim in American restaurants, Chef Roy Villacrusis is watching the trend with a mixture of excitement and angst for his native cuisine.

“Filipino food is a survivor’s cuisine,” says the executive chef and owner of Asiatic Group, LLC, a culinary consultancy based in Henderson, Nevada. “The country was under

Take ube, for example, a purple tuber indigenous to the Philippines and often used in desserts and sweets with coconut milk. “Since it’s not readily available in the U.S., chefs are using yams or potato products seasoned with an extract or food coloring as a substitute,” he says. “I want diners to experience these dishes the Filipino way first, with the right ingredients and flavor profile, the way we locals know and love it. So I urge fellow chefs to learn and understand the nuances of this cuisine before they decide to menu it.”

Chef Villacrusis highlights a number of Filipino dishes, including bistek (visit acfchefs.org/recipes for the recipe), a

version of adobo. His Filipino-style strip steak with fried leeks is slightly tweaked for the American palate, but is a simple dish with flavors that are unmistakably Filipino. “The main flavors of this dish come from soy sauce and calamansi, a citrus from the Philippines that looks like a tiny key lime but has a very distinct taste,” he says. The steak is marinated in soy sauce, kalamansi and spices, panfried with the leeks and served with rice.

His lamb shank stew, or kaldereta (recipe at acfchefs.org/recipes), is an example of a traditional Filipino celebratory dish with strong Spanish origins. The lamb shanks are sauteed with tomato and bell peppers, and then slow-cooked until tender. “The dish is traditionally made with goat meat, but lamb shank is a substitution that makes this dish more appealing to American diners,” Chef Villacrusis says.

Chef Villacrusis also enjoys incorporating pasta into his recipes, a versatile ingredient that’s deeply familiar to American diners and is a great vessel

for introducing Filipino food. His pork belly lasagna introduces diners to laing, a spicy, coconut-based dish from Luzon Island in the Philippines featuring shredded taro leaves often cooked with meat or seafood in coconut milk and flavored with Thai bird chiles, fermented shrimp paste, chile powder, ginger, garlic and soy sauce. Chef Villacrusis makes a pork belly laing that’s then sprinkled with pork rinds, spooned onto sheets of cooked lasagna and rolled up. The lasagna rolls are spread with cream sauce, topped with crumbled pork rinds and plated with shrimp.

“Filipino cuisine has never before enjoyed the kind of attention it is getting right now in the U.S.,” Chef Villacrusis says. “It’s a bold, rich cuisine that doesn’t require any ‘elevation,’ and my hope is that Americans will get to experience this wonderful, diverse flavor profile that was forged by time and culture.”

Opposite: Filipino-style strip steak (bistek) with fried leeks by Chef Roy Villacrusis; Above: Chef Villacrusis’ kaldereta, or braised lamb shank (left) and lasagna with pork laing and wild shrimp (right).

Classical

ACF Chef James Zeisler Jr., CEC, CCA (ACF New River Valley Chapter) grew up enjoying his father’s (ACF Chef James Zeisler Sr.) famous eggs benedict and home fries at family brunches. “He would make four or five separate components to make sure everyone in the family was happy,” says Chef Zeisler, executive chef of Owens Dining Hall at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. “Some family members don’t like pork, while others want sauce on the side or extra spice.” Over the years, Chef Zeisler perfected his own version of the classic dish, with poached eggs (using pasteurized eggs at the dining hall), browned Canadian bacon and Hollandaise sauce. “The trick is not to season it first as salt denatures the sauce,” he says. Using a blender for high-volume consistency and convenience, Chef Zeisler blends a base of egg yolks, water and a little lemon until creamy and slightly pasty. Then, he clarifies butter and adds it “straight from the pot into the blender so it’s super hot,” and blends the mix again. “You can throw an ice cube in there or a little water if it’s too thick or more fat or butter if it’s too thin.” He then transfers the sauce to a metal siphon and sets it in a hot water bath for up to four hours on a shelf over the range.

Modern

For a modern version, Chef Zeisler draws from Asian influences, swapping the bacon for pork belly that he quickly boils with star anise, ginger, garlic and scallions, cuts into discs and then sears until crispy, draining off the rendered fat. He then makes an “East Asian caramel” by adding brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar and more ginger, garlic and scallions to the pan to cook off until sticky when cooled. The pork and sauce are served in a nest made out of shredded sweet potatoes with a little pickled shallot to cut through the richness and add some crunch. Instead of the home fries, he makes a vol-au-vent topped with a little arugula, lemon and chive oil and toasted black sesame seeds.

For recipes, visit acfchefs.org/recipes

CLASSICAL

CLASSICAL MODERN vs.

Photo Credits: Eli Schopp, Shot by Schopp

for students

From 2004 until 2018, ACF published Sizzle, a magazine dedicated to culinary students and our youngest members. Though Sizzle has since closed, we have continued to dedicate many articles to students (and their educators and mentors), featuring them in NCR and on WeAreChefs.com.

For this “Back to School” themed issue, the next several pages present a special throwback to the former publication — with content modeled after articles from the past but designed for tomorrow’s generation.

nurture through the need

Culinarians and students bring their hospitality heartbeat to community service. // Jody Shee

o one is more uniquely equipped than chefs to bridge the gap between necessity and nourishment when charitable assistance is called for. From fundraising dinners to urgent disaster relief efforts, it’s the chef’s high ground to step into the community spotlight to make a qualified difference.

“We’re in the hospitality industry, after all,” says ACF Chef Pam Bedford, CCE , director of the Institute of Culinary Arts at Eastside High School, Gainesville, Florida. She also is the ACF 2021 Educator of the Year. “It’s important to give back. You get what you give, and it’s important to teach students.”

students and community service

Chef Bedford involves students in the school’s community service projects, two of which benefit the Rotary Club of Gainesville Foundation, Inc. The

nfoundation, which helps to fund the school’s culinary arts program, sponsors two annual community fundraising events: the spring Wild Game Feast and the fall Seafood Spectacular.

One of Chef Bedford’s spring 2023 graduates, Dallas Webb, participated in both events, which feature food booths for the hundreds of attendees. “For the Wild Game Feast, we students cook for the vegetarian booth,” he says. “Those who help the institute are the ones we serve. We get to meet those people. It’s rewarding to give back to people who give to you.”

Chef Bedford conducts an in-house student competition to determine the dishes that the school will serve at the rotary club events. “A few Rotarians come to the school to judge the competition, and the winners’ dishes are then featured in the booth,” Chef Bedford says.

Above: ACF Chef Pam Bedford, CCE, director of the Institute of Culinary Arts at Eastside High School, Gainesville, Florida, and one of her graduates, Dallas Webb (right).

Teenagers can be self-absorbed, Chef Bedford says. Through serving other individuals, they see a bigger purpose. “When the students receive positive feedback at the events, they feel good about what they’ve done. I tell them, ‘If you keep doing those things, then you’ll keep getting those good feelings.’”

Besides the positive vibes he receives from helping with the charity events, Webb has benefited another way. “I’ve learned that networking is a huge thing. You can get connections that help you down the line,” he says.

While serving at the Wild Game Feast, Webb met the owner of Hill’s BBQ & Catering, Gainesville. “He saw how I was working, and he needed help on a catering job,” Webb says. “I showed up, and now I’ve worked there

“It’s important to give back. You get what you give, and it’s important to teach students.”

- Chef Pam Bedford, CCE

for one and a half years.” While still in high school, Webb became accustomed to driving the catering truck and trailer, setting up, cooking food offsite, tearing down and cleaning up. He’s also involved in handling inventory and doing food pickups. The experience has helped him see a future of owning his own culinary-related business, whether that be a restaurant, food truck or catering company.

It's important for students to learn through community service that they are not the only ones in this world, Chef Bedford says. “We’re here to serve our fellow man. It feels good to be good to people.”

foodservice outlets as community hubs

“Restaurants are the soul of the community, and chefs are the heartbeat,” says ACF Chef Jeffrey Schlissel , chef/ owner of private chef service Bacon Cartel, Tampa, Florida, specializing in Floribbean cuisine. He also is co-host of the “Walk and Talk” podcast. “Chefs who are not doing community service are not doing the right thing. Food is the center of civilization.”

He participates in fundraising dinners benefiting the Children’s Home Society of Florida, as well as dinners to raise funds for the Quantum House, which is similar to the Ronald McDonald House. He also has helped with The Lord’s Place, West Palm Beach, Florida, working with the homeless to teach them restaurant industry job skills. Additionally, he supports Florida farmers who need help working through some of their emotionally challenging businessrelated crises.

Chef Schlissel believes that when students and his cooks see his involvement in these activities, he demonstrates the human side to culinary.

“When there’s destruction, mayhem and chaos, the one constant is food. When the world is crumbling around them, what better way is there to make people feel human than to give them a nice meal?” he asks.

Chef Schlissel says he couldn’t do some of the community functions he does without help from culinary students and sees himself as a mentor for the next generation. “At the end of the day, chefs are a lighthouse making a difference, and one day, that kid or line cook will make a difference because you made a difference,” he says.

Students who participate in helping someone who is down and out may never know the impact they had, Chef Schlissel says. “However, they will come away with a different perspective on what downand-out is.”

teamwork matters

Healthy teamwork makes the culinary kitchen, as well as community service outreach, run smoothly. What does it take to gel a team that works well together?

When students need a partner to complete a class lab or project, Chef

Bedford has them draw names from a hat. “They get mad because they want to work with their best friend,” she says. “I say, ‘Welcome to real life. You won’t always like your co-workers. You’ll have to figure it out.’ They end up realizing it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to them.”

Inside a working kitchen, Chef Schlissel sometimes asks cooks to develop menu ideas for their “own restaurant.” Then he asks the rest of the kitchen staff to judge it. This helps the idea-generating cook to work on not being offended with others’ reactions. It teaches the “judges” to be honest and heartfelt. It all helps develop communication among the whole team.

Chef Schlissel also fosters great team relationships by taking his crew away from the kitchen to a farm to learn where the food comes from and hear the story of the farmer. Or Chef Schlissel takes them to another restaurant to see how it does its operations, he says. Back in his own kitchen, Chef Schlissel asks for feedback on how the other restaurant did. “This helps to build your team up to be better,” he says, adding, “It’s amazing the buy-in you receive when you have your team participating instead of acting as the boss who simply tells them what to do.”

helping during disasters

Whenever a community is struck with such natural disasters as hurricanes, floods or tornados, no one is more qualified as first responders than chefs, says ACF Chef Amy Sins, chef/owner of Langlois Culinary Crossroads, a New Orleans culinary event business for private gatherings, and founder of the nonprofit Fill the Needs, which coordinates rapid deployment and resource facilitation within the first two weeks after a disaster.

When a flood devastated South Louisiana in 2016, Chef Sins was determined to donate 200 servings of corn soup from her restaurant freezer. But the need was far larger. Over the next 19 days, she pulled together a network of chefs, restaurant owners, nonprofit faith-based organizations and everyday people for more comprehensive coverage. She ended up facilitating the distribution of more than 100,000 meals, 10,000 diapers and several 18-wheelers of supplies and water. After responding similarly following Hurricane Laura, which hit Louisiana in August 2020, and Hurricane Ida in August 2021, Chef Sins founded the nonprofit Fill the Needs. She assesses, evaluates and implements a coordinated effort to provide services and resources for the first two weeks after a disaster. “Chefs have skills that go far beyond the kitchen. We understand a brigade system and how to manage people. We make confident, split-second decisions in the moment. We know how to live in chaos. It’s what we do every day,” she says.

“It is one thing to train for disaster relief, but it’s another thing to live in that

Opposite: ACF Chef Jeffrey Schlissel, chef/owner of the private chef service Bacon Cartel, Tampa, Florida;

Above: Volunteers rescue restaurant supplies from a power outage during Hurricane Ida to feed the community.

constant adrenaline mode that chefs live in. It’s the mode that can get things done during a disaster,” Chef Sins says. “For example, you have a huge 3,000-people event coming to a hotel. All of a sudden, the fish truck dies on the interstate. Now you can’t get fish. Now you improvise. It’s the same thing in a disaster-relief situation. You come up with solutions and improvise.”

She knows from experience that ACF Chefs do whatever they can to help others. Communities were stranded in the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence hit in September 2018. “All of a sudden, entire communities were without food and water and people couldn’t drive outside their communities,” Chef Sins says. New Orleans chefs cooked, vacuum-sealed and froze meals that were then airlifted to an ACF Chef who was able to keep them cold until it was time to reheat and serve to the community. For Hurricane Ida, another ACF Chef asked how he could help and ended up calling a hardware store three hours from New Orleans, gave his credit card number and ordered 10 propane tanks to use for cooking and serving meals at ground zero.

Chef Sins advises culinary students to start young helping out in their communities. “Your local community kitchen and food bank always need helping hands,” she says. Besides helping with needs, community involvement helps you relate to your community, no matter what segment of the industry you plan to go into. “You are being exposed to ideas and other leaders who can make you stronger and better.”

“It is one thing to train for disaster relief, but it’s another thing to live in that constant adrenaline mode that chefs live in. It’s the mode that can get things done during a disaster.”

- Chef Amy Sins

mise en place for life

Two culinary experts offer insight on how students can set up their lives for success. // Jody Shee

embrace your education

School is expensive. “Don’t take this wonderful gift for granted,” says ACF Chef Colin Roche, Ph.D. , dean of Biscayne College at St. Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Florida. “Whether your parents are paying for it, you’re getting scholarships or you have to work for it, work hard, finish and get to that ultimate goal — your degree of completion.”

by now in your culinary training, you wouldn’t dream of firing up the stove to prepare a dish without first gathering and carefully arranging all the necessary equipment, tools and ingredients. Thank your French culinary forefathers for handing down the organizational fundamentals of mise en place.

Similarly, don’t neglect the pre-career gathering of appropriate attitudes, habits and skills to prepare you for a successful culinary career.

But don’t get proud of your education. “Have a sense of humility,” says ACF Chef Kathleen Ahern, CEC, CCE , vice president of academic affairs for Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, living in Arizona. You will work in kitchens with those who have no formal education, but they have experience. “Students may think they know more because of their formal training. Be humble. You can learn from others regardless of their educational background.”

Whether you are learning in school or on the job, be a sponge and take notes. “Always pay attention, learning new ways of doing things or new techniques and methods,” Chef Ahern says.

Opposite: New Orleans chefs and culinary students cook for a disaster relief event during a major flood in the area in 2016; Left: Colin Roche, dean of Biscayne College at St. Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Florida; Right: Chef Kathleen Ahern, CEC, CCE, vice president of academic affairs for Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.

plan for success

Plan your schedule so that you don’t waste time. Download a scheduling app to your phone so you know where you are supposed to be and what to do at all times, Chef Ahern says. “Automation is good. Anything you can automate is helpful, like auto bill paying and grocery delivery. It frees up more of your time.”

Plan your career with equal earnestness. “I wish I had a dollar for every time I have asked a student what he or she wants to do after graduation and I hear, ‘Hopefully I’ll get a job somewhere,’” Chef Roche says. “Don’t leave your success up to chance as to where you get a job or what direction life takes you.”

Figure out what you ultimately want to do as early in your education as you can. If you want to be a chef, in what segment? Decide among restaurants, hotels, resorts, country clubs or bakeries, for example, Chef Roche says. To get to that, start asking questions. What does your instructor think you would be good at? Do your research.

Once you think you know, gear your assignments and papers with that industry segment in mind. Then surround yourself with others who have the same interest, whether that be mentors, peers or classmates. “They will be your support group as you proceed,” Chef Roche says.

develop a work ethic

Work habits dictate success. Don’t be lazy, but rather, decide to work hard and motivate yourself. Potential employers notice laziness. They notice, hire and promote those with energy, Chef Roche says.

Begin at school. Energetic students stay behind after labs and ask the instructor how they can help before they leave. “This will separate you from the others,” he says. It will come back at grading time, when recommendation letters are needed, scholarships become available and volunteer opportunities arise.

learn additional skills

Chances are, you aren’t going to culinary school to simply become a cook, but rather a chef, food and beverage manager or entrepreneur. “Then you need to know business, social media, branding and entrepreneurship,” Chef Roche says.

If you want to own a restaurant someday, Chef Ahern recommends studying entrepreneurship along with other business classes either in culinary school or at a community college. If you have a creative streak, she suggests adding social media and food photography training.

Above all, be a lifelong learner. “It’s the No. 1 mindset on my list,” Chef Ahern says. “People think that once they finish school, it’s over. But it’s the beginning.”

Culinary educators teach the importance of mise en place in the kitchen but also in life and work.

jobs of tomorrow: culinary nutrition

By Jody Shee

if you imagine uniting your passion for culinary arts with a desire to focus on health and wellness, consider the emerging career niche of food as medicine.

For sure, going through dietitian and nutritionist schooling is the quickest straight shot to living the culinary medicine dream. But there’s an expanding spectrum of health-focused jobs out there in which the culinary degree you are working on is the foundation.

You would be hard-pressed to find a job title that includes culinary medicine, but the healthy diet food trend is opening doors for chefs who share that ethos and have the skills to cook to dietary specifications.

“It’s not so much culinary medicine as it is nutritional cuisine for a lifestyle of fitness,” says ACF Chef Lance Nitahara, CEC (pictured above), assistant professor of culinary arts at the Culinary Institute

of America, Hyde Park, New York. “Personal chefs and corporate executive chefs are going that direction because that’s the direction consumers are going.”

Consumers with dietary restrictions who have the money and ability to hire personal chefs will hire on that basis, Chef Nitahara says. He points out that consumer trends are driving the industry toward food as medicine.

Sports medicine, assisted living facilities, hospitals, schools and corporate cafeterias would be good matches for culinarians looking to emphasize health and wellness, Chef Nitahara says.

“However, a well-rounded culinary education would be first and foremost,” Chef Nitahara says. “After that, take what you have learned and put it in the context of the kinds of food you can cook for optimal health.”

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AIR FORCE CHEF CONSULTANT

ACF Chef William A. Colella CEC, CCA, senior executive chef, Aramark/USAF portfolio

Q: Can you explain what you do in a nutshell?

A: I am a senior executive chef with Aramark, specifically as director of culinary for our United States Air Force portfolio, which spans countrywide from New Jersey to Florida to Alaska. Our overall mission is to provide firstclass hospitality services that engage, inspire and enhance airman and base community health, welfare and morale, ultimately elevating recruitment, performance and retention and specific to airmen, ensure each have the knowledge and tools to provide great, safe food service in the field if deployed. I partner directly with USAF contracting leadership, our Aramark defense leadership team, executive chef and dining facility management at each base location to ensure our culinary programs, training, sanitation and food service standards are consistently executed.

Q: What’s your day-to-day like?

A: I oversee culinary execution at our United States Air Force base contracts and work closely with our defense national director and director of marketing to create, implement and train brands and menus specific to the USAF, while aligning with the USAF food cost, health and nutrition goals.

Q: How has the Air Force’s foodservice program evolved?

A: Not all industry chefs know about what goes on in military foodservice. Many just assume a mess hall serves lackluster options of “cans and pans,” opening up boxes or cans and just reheating — all with limited scratch cooking. Twelve years ago, the Air Force came up with an initiative to revamp the foodservice offerings at bases around the country — they called it FTI or Food Transformation Initiative, also known as Food 2.0. The program was modeled after campus dining — instead of legacy mess hall approaches, we took floor plans and converted the space to a more retail approach with “mini neighborhood” brands for the pizza, sandwich and grill stations as well as for the restaurant station with a rotating international menu. There’s also a full salad bar and a retail section with pre-packaged offerings, as well as a main hot food line that includes rotating breakfast, lunch, dinner and in some locations, late-night menu. Everything is done from scratch. We have 56 full menus of lunch and dinner during the course of a month. I think a lot of industry chefs would be surprised at the level of quality foodservice that the Air Force offers today.

Q: You mentioned your mission to make sure the airmen are healthy. How does nutrition play a role in this program?

A: Airmen need to be “fit to fight,” so a primary part of our job is to develop recipes and menu plans for the Air Force’s “Go For Green” program, which highlights high-performance foods and drinks to boost fitness, strength and health. We’ll tweak some of the program’s existing dishes to make them more culinarily appealing, but when we do that or develop our own dishes, we have to run the nutritional details through the program’s calculator to see if they come up as green, yellow or red, with green

indicating wholesome foods and dishes that are naturally lower in sodium and sugar and higher in nutritional density for optimal performance, and red being the opposite end of that spectrum.

Q: I’m guessing you also need to focus on creating a diverse menu to keep things interesting and competitive against other foodservice options airmen might have?

A: When it comes to menu diversity, we’re always looking at new ideas, including globally influenced menus. For our restaurant zone, which changes six times a year, we provide a more diverse menu, much of which you can custom create your own dish with such as Tavolino, an Italian-themed concept, Chopsticks for Chinese, Bibim Box for Korean, Taco Del Sol and BBQ District. Menus rotate each week for these concepts; for example, we might offer pulled pork and chicken one week and maybe a brisket the next. We have our core menus and then do a lot of limited-time offers to keep things exciting. We’ll also work with timely themes like National Nutrition Month, when we ran avocado bowls and a handful of plant-based options. We have many airmen who choose to come to the dining hall every day so it’s important there are a lot of choices for anyone looking for items with certain nutritional qualities, ethnic profiles or comfort food flavors.

Q: What’s the training aspect of your job?

A: This is the most unique part of our work and unique to the Air Force. We are contracted through the Air Force Services Center to develop, implement, train and sustain a campus-style approach to dining. Our goal is training the staff of airmen in preparing the same caliber of food that one would receive at a traditional business dining setting, and ultimately prepare the same caliber of food when they are deployed. The airmen spend several weeks in different stations throughout the dining facility (DFAC), and once they have displayed competency in that area, they are awarded a certificate and move on to the next station to be trained. Along with station training, the executive chef will perform culinary demonstrations on a weekly basis, ranging from basic knife skills to fish and meat fabrication, to many aspects of baking. We have developed a robust curriculum that mirrors one you might see at a top culinary

The Air Force’s “Go For Green” program highlights wholesome foods and dishes that are naturally lower in sodium and sugar and higher in nutritional density for optimal performance, such as veggie-stuffed breakfast burritos (left); cauliflower crust pizza (middle) and plant-based bowls (right).

school in the country. Each of our zones, or stations, have well-documented training materials, and there are even tablets available for watching instruction videos and reviewing recipes. This is a well-rounded training program where you might work the pizza station one week and the next go into the storeroom to learn proper receiving and inventorying.

Q: Do the airmen get to choose (or not) to be in the kitchen? How do you make culinary training and prep exciting for them?

A: The airmen are assigned to foodservice — we may have them for six weeks or six months and then they may be rotated out and we have a new crop of airmen in the kitchen. The challenge is that not everyone wants to work in the kitchen, so you have to make it exciting for them to be there. I worked in the food industry for 20 years and taught at the college level for 12, so I understand this from both sides. You have to have a lot of patience in this case, just as you do as a culinary instructor. I think that’s what makes our work unique and what makes it challenging, but that’s also where the opportunities lie. The content is the same at every base, but we find ways to deliver that content to be flexible. For example, we’ll host field trips. In Florida we took airmen to a strawberry farm; in Alaska they went to a fishery; and in Montana they visited a cattle ranch. We’ve even sent those who won airman of the month to a local culinary school to take a real culinary class — baking and pastry or garde manger, anything they’re interested in. They’re with civilians their age doing the same thing they’re doing, and they come back so excited and wanting to learn more. We also host quarterly competitions between airmen at the bases. We’ll bring in the vice commander of the base and other higher-ups as judges. We’ve had up to 50 people watching the competitions at a time.

Q: What is the takeaway for airmen going through this program when their military service comes to an end?

A: In addition to the intense training they receive throughout their time at a base, we also set them up for success when they leave their time in the military. Aramark has programs that work with active and retired veterans in an effort to mentor and ultimately place them in the foodservice industry. One of our now general managers at Grand Forks Air Base in North Dakota was a senior master sergeant who retired and Aramark offered him a position within our organization. He went from military life to civilian life already well-trained to run and operate a commercial foodservice kitchen. There’s opportunity outside of foodservice, too; Aramark offers opportunities and training programs in finance, management and HR, as well. The Air Force has come a long way not only in its foodservice offerings, but in its training and support of airmen around the country.

ACF Chef William (Bill) Colella, CEC, CCA, started his culinary career in high school in 1977; he earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire and his associate of applied science degree in culinary arts from Newbury College in Massachusetts. After college, Chef Colella spent many years working for Hilton Hotels as an executive chef in Hawaii, California and Massachusetts, during which time he was responsible for full menu development and implementation at all locations with multiple venues at each property. In 2008, Chef Colella transitioned to culinary education as an instructor at Grossmont College and the Art Institute of California, both in San Diego, and later at the Art Institute of Tampa. In 2018, he took on the role as executive chef at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where he was instrumental in developing a rigorous training schedule for USAF airmen that’s still used today. He oversees this culinary development and training program for all USAF bases throughout the country as senior executive chef with Aramark.

Smoked salmon breakfast bagel (top) and a salmonveggie bowl with rice (below) on the menu at U.S. Air Force bases nationwide.

Build A Nutritious Plate with PORK

A resounding message from the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is that the foods and beverages that people consume have a profound impact on their health. What you choose to put on your plate or pour in your glass, meal in and meal out, can impact your health — for better or for worse.

Good health is easier to achieve than you may think. It’s the small changes that help add up to a big difference, like choosing lean meats or using whole grains, and including more fruits and vegetables at each meal. By shifting to more nutrient-rich choices, and eating and drinking the amount that’s right for you, you can feel better and more energized while lowering the risk for diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

Healthy Plate Checklist

☐ Half my plate is filled with fruits and vegetables, and there is often variety among my choices.

☐ Grains are whole grain.

☐ Protein choices are lean and varied.

☐ Dairy foods, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, are low-fat or fat-free.

Nutritious Plate Ideas

These examples show what a nutritious plate looks like, and feature delicious, lean pork, a half plate of fruits and veggies, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Making small shifts to create delicious and nutritious meals is easier than you think.

MEAL 1: Sauteed Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Lemon

• Pork tenderloin medallions

• Whole wheat pasta

• Berries

• Broccoli rabe

• Fat-free Greek yogurt

MEAL 2: Easy, Breezy HoneyChipotle Pork Kabobs Dairy

☐ Foods like spreads and oils, beverages and packaged foods are those types and brands that are lower in saturated fat, sodium and added sugars.

☐ Portion sizes for grains and protein are reasonable – i.e., each fills about a quarter of my plate.

☐ Any added fats, salt and sugars topping the foods on my plate are used sparingly.

• Pork kabobs

• Arugula salad

• Whole-grain wild rice

• Grapes

• Fat-free milk

The National Pork Board recommends cooking pork chops, roasts and tenderloin to an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a 3-minute rest time.

© 2023 National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa USA. This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff. 3.23

KOJI: THE UMAMI GOLDEN TICKET

ACF Chefs are working with this age-old ferment to add both flavor and nutrition to dishes //

By Lauren Kramer

Chefs the world over share a common goal: to deliver the most delicious food possible. So if they knew they had access to a single ingredient with the potential to bring that sought-after umami to every dish, why would they not use it?

That ingredient is koji, or aspergillus oryzae, a fungus that has been used in fermentation across Asia for thousands of years. Koji spores are most often infused with soybeans, barley or rice, and the mold consumes the grain base in order to fuel its natural reactions. Ready to use, koji has the appearance of a layer of snow and emits a sweet aroma. Combine it with food, and koji’s amylase and glutamate enzymes ferment grains, cure meats and convert starches into sugars. The result, according to chefs who use it frequently, is nothing short of mind-blowing.

“The great thing about koji is that it has the same appeal and application as salt,” says ACF Chef Jeremy Umansky, co-owner of the Larder Delicatessen and Bakery in Cleveland and co-author of “Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based

Fermentation.” “There’s nothing you couldn’t or shouldn’t use it for. Whether you’re an indigenous chef in Mexico City or a burger joint chef, koji is so universal, it can mix and match in any cuisine without changing the inherent properties of that cuisine. Use it as you’d use salt.”

Chef Umansky says that across Asia, the use of koji is ubiquitous. Many of us already have it in our own homes and kitchens, as you can’t make soy sauce without it, and it’s an integral ingredient in many cleaning products, too. The question, he insists, is not should we be using koji in our cooking, but why are we so late to the party?

“Black and white, koji will make anything it touches more delicious than any other cooking method or seasoning you could add,” Chef Umansky says. “It will make beef taste beefier and more delicious. Do a test between a dish made with koji and a dish made without, and even an untrained palate will detect the difference because of the aromatic and flavor compounds it creates.”

Making Koji In-House

Chef Umansky produces 10 gallons of amazake, the liquid version of koji, each week. He uses it in up to 1,000 pounds of food, including 200 pounds of pastrami, 500 loaves of bread, fermented vegetables, marinades and pastry. “A little bit of the enzymes goes a long way because it’s very powerful stuff and you don’t need much of it,” he says.

ACF Chef Tim Bucci, CMC, professor of culinary arts at Joliet Junior College in Illinois, has been producing shio koji in the restaurant he runs with his students. Shio koji is a salted koji created by

Right: Koji-aged steaks featured in ACF Chef Jeremy Umansky’s book Koji Alchemy (credit: Peter Larson); Opposite: ACF Chef Tim Bucci, CMC (top left); ACF Chef Jeremy Umansky (top right); Umanksy’s koji-based amino pastes (credit: Andrew Wang).

combining koji, salt, water and cooked rice and giving it time to ferment. As this occurs, the koji breaks the rice grains down into glutamic acid and aspartic acid, both of which produce high levels of umami in food.

“We use shio koji in sauces, and we marinate meat, fish and shellfish in it,” he says. “It produces a wonderful depth of rich, deep, mouthwatering flavor in anything it touches. If I’m cooking carrots or butternut squash, I’ll leave the shio koji on the vegetables overnight. Even if I’m adding cucumbers to a salad, I’ll add koji to that, too, and within 30 to 60 minutes it will start to break down the cucumbers and make them really delicious.”

Chef Bucci makes a gallon at a time, storing it in the refrigerator in mason jars, where it can last up to a year because of its high salt content. Depending on the quantities of food you’re making, you don’t need much koji to transform your dish, he adds. “For a pound of steak, you’d need only two tablespoons, and for a scallop, just enough to coat it.”

“Koji is transformative,” says Chef Dustin Selvaggio, director of culinary innovation for Waring Commercial Products in Stamford, Connecticut. “This truly is the most revolutionary ingredient to come into the kitchen in recent years, and anything you add it to will increase the flavor profile and in some cases, the texture, too.”

For chefs who want to experiment with making their own koji, Chef Selvaggio notes that Waring Commercial Products is releasing a fermentation cabinet in early 2024 that will work for this. The cabinet will be priced at approximately $1,500 and will come programmed with fermentation recipes that allow chefs to grow koji easily and safely.

“Fermentation can be dangerous if not done correctly, and we’re hoping this machine will help avoid some of the dangers,” he explains. “The magic in fermentation comes from the art of managing microbes, identifying and feeding the good ones you want to grow, but limiting the bad ones. Our chamber has processes and controls within the growing cycle to maintain the good microbes and prevent the bad.”

How to Make Koji

1. Combine one part koji and one part water. Weigh this mixture and salt to five percent of the total weight.

2. Blend to increase the surface area of the inoculated starch.

3. Transfer the ingredients to a non-reactive container, such as a glass mason jar.

4. Hold at ambient temperatures exposed to air. Mix the shio koji once or twice a day for up to seven days.

5. After seven days your shio koji is ready. Store it in an airtight container in your fridge.

“If you use koji making pickles or cheese, the enzymes inside the koji products will break down the cellulose and make it a softer crunch,” says Chef Selvaggio. “Apply it directly to proteins, and it tenderizes the proteins as it grows. It also adds tenderness to vegetables, increases the flavor profile and adds a blanket of umami.”

Purchasing Koji

You can also purchase koji rather than make your own. Chef Umansky suggests sourcing it from Cultures For Health or Cold Mountain Koji.

There are also chefs finding innovative ways to use their homegrown koji. Chef Kevin Gondo and Eleana Hsu , co-owners of Shared Cultures, grow koji on rice to ferment misos that incorporate various seasonal vegetables. They also grow koji on lentils and quinoa to ferment their shoyu, a “soy sauce” free of soy and wheat.

“Miso is not necessarily just an Asian ingredient — it’s a flavor enhancer and umami booster that we’re really just now discovering how to embrace,” Chef Gondo says. “Many people don’t know how to use it, but if they see a corn miso, or a honeynut squash miso, or a morel miso, it creates a bridge of understanding.”

“For example, they might add morel miso to scrambled eggs or use our corn miso in corn bread, risotto or salad dressing,” Chef Gondo continues. “Our tomato miso is really popular in pasta because people already associate tomato sauce with pasta, so it’s an easy application to understand.”

Currently, Shared Cultures sells to consumers online (shared-cultures.com) and will work with chefs across the country to ship product. The fermentation process for making miso ranges from two to nine months depending on the variety of miso being made. All of it is handmade and alive, and the miso requires refrigeration.

The bottom line, says Chef Umansky, is that koji is the optimal ingredient to produce food that goes beyond delicious and whose flavor is enhanced by an ingredient that is natural and beneficial. “Chefs can and should be using it,” he says.

Tips for Working with Koji

Purchase it from a reliable source. ACF

Chef Jeremy Umansky suggests chefs buy amazake and shio koji in tetra packs and that they purchase both products to start off with. An Asian grocery store is a good place to seek out koji.

Start with a taste test. Add koji or amazake to a piece of fruit and refrigerate it overnight, or vacuum seal it for faster results. “Koji enzymes have temperature ranges where they’re most active, so if you need faster results you must optimize the environment for them to work,” Chef Umansky says.

Take precautions if considering making your own. Remember, you will need HACCP plans to ensure food safety and tracking of all stages of production. “If you have the resources, hire a consultant to write the plan,” Chef Umansky says. “If you don’t, opt to buy it ready-made, remembering that if it is imported from overseas, the producers need ISO certification to be in line with American regulations.” Research where to buy spores. Some companies online sell koji spores, and a small purchase is sufficient spore material for producing 400-500 pounds of inoculated starches of koji. “In terms of cost, you’re spending very little to produce delicious food,” Chef Umansky says.

ACF Chef Jeremy Umansky’s jarred amino pastes made from koji (credit: Peter Larson).

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Living the Good Life

Research and development chefs talk about the benefits and challenges of the job they love //

By Amanda Baltazar

Research and development chefs have it good. They love their jobs and appreciate their lifestyle. They’re immersed in food, trends, cooking, developing and tasting every day, and the downsides are few.

“It’s a wonderful job and I don’t have the same stressors as in a restaurant,” says ACF Chef Michael Thrash, CEC, CCA, CCE, AAC, corporate executive chef, Simplot Foods, and the 2022 recipient of the Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award. “It’s a one-in-a-million job. The compensation, benefits and quality of life are all great, and it’s very supportive. I do miss running a kitchen but I can do that for fun and I’m a chef-instructor at the Art Institute of Tampa so that helps [fill that need].”

“Every day is a different day,” says ACF Chef Nick Landry, director of culinary and business development with Summit Hill Foods, who serves as vice president on the board of directors for the Research Chefs Association.

Chef Landry produces recipes for Summit Hill by coming up with different ways to use the company’s products. For example, in addition to Better than Bouillon being used as a soup base, he might come up with ideas to use it as a marinade or sauce. “It’s the little adjustments that can elevate [consumers’] dishes and get them using our products in a different way,” he says. Chef Landry also creates recipes for the company’s social media or product packaging, and works on the custom side with national accounts, processors and other manufacturers to develop products and recipes.

ACF Chef Jim Churches, CEC, CCA, AAC , worked in operations for 10 years but has worked for Land O’Lakes since 2015, in various positions. The senior corporate executive chef/culinary team member says his certifications have made a difference. “My career took off in 2004 when I got my ACF certification as certified executive chef,” he says.

Chef Churches leads the field-based culinary team and develops menu items for national and regional restaurant chains using Land O’ Lakes products. Recently, for example, he added berries to Extra Melt cheese sauce to go with pound cake. Creating dishes like this gives operators flexibility, he points out. They can use

Versatility is key for AF Chef Nick Landry, director of culinary and business development with Summit Hill Foods, who focuses on creating several dishes using one ingredient.

the Extra Melt for dessert, for a Tex-Mex appetizer dish or a mac and cheese entree.

Chef Thrash also creates recipes from products. First, he brainstorms with other chefs to come up with ideas, then cooks the product, tests it with sensory analysis and gives feedback. Then he takes it out to clients.

Trend-watching

R&D chefs need to keep their fingers on the pulse, not only of what’s happening in restaurant trends but also what the next thing will be.

Chef Churches seeks out up-andcoming restaurants “that are pushing the envelope.” He does focus groups with chefs, collaborates with chefs in similar positions to him, and follows trend data from companies like Datassential. And, he says, “being tied to the ACF, I pull a lot of inspiration from our membership.”

“But it’s also creating trends,” he adds, “and that’s where my focus is; so instead of playing defense, I play offense.” He might start a micro trend in a restaurant that will expand to its different locations and then jump to another chain.

“I have to be aware of what’s going on around the world,” says Chef Thrash. He travels stateside and abroad; goes to food shows, conferences and continuing education sessions; reads magazines and blogs; and watches cooking shows. And of course, he eats out. “When I go to a city I’m looking for what’s unique and how I can adapt that. It’s never-ending, and that’s the beauty of our industry.”

The big trends right now, says Chef Thrash, are regional barbecue, regional pizza and Asian influences, especially from Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Travel is vital, says Chef Landry. “They call it street-level trends, and you have to see where things are popping. Then you do the [recipe] development and scale a recipe to feeding millions a day. It’s challenging

ACF Chef Michael Thrash, CEC, CCA, CCE, AAC (right) and his Mexican street fries that incorporate three Simplot products including lattice cut fries.

“

IT’S THE LITTLE ADJUSTMENTS THAT CAN ELEVATE [CONSUMERS’] DISHES AND GET THEM USING OUR PRODUCTS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.”

ACF Chef Nick Landry

and you have to make it taste good and ensure it’s cost-efficient.”

Chef Landry frequently participates in ideation sessions with R&D chefs from different companies. “We pick a city, then break out in groups and visit sometimes five or six restaurants a day,” he says. “You’re literally eating all day, thinking of how you can take a sauce to a different level or adapt it.”

Right now, what’s in are fruitier peppers with less heat; umami; and plant-based foods, “with new creative flavor profiles and new techniques,” Chef Landry says.

The only downside

The negative side of being an R&D chef is that you’re on the road a lot, says Chef Churches, “missing things at home during the week.”

Chef Thrash estimates he spends 70 to 100 days away from home per year, but when he’s not traveling, he’s able to work from his house.

Says Chef Landry, “I’m home at the weekends, off every holiday. And, when I’m not traveling, I’m working from home. I see my family a lot more than in a restaurant job.”

An artistic temperament

Creativity is essential for an R&D chef.

For Chef Churches, “a lot of my development time happens off-hours; things just come to me. It’ll take a smell or a taste to kick off my idea and sometimes I put everything on hold and try it out right away.”

While Chef Landry loves the ideation and the creation part of his job, “my personal favorite is presenting the dishes. It’s all about the eating experience, and I try to think as far back as I can about elevating that presentation.” He also loves getting feedback on his food and then fixing it. “Even as professionals, we learn every day and make mistakes,” he says. “I am a big fan of critiques.”

Above: ACF Chef Jim Churches, CEC, CCA, AAC (right), created a smoked tomato basil alfredo with grilled shrimp dish for Land O’Lakes.

“A LOT OF MY DEVELOPMENT TIME HAPPENS OFF-HOURS; THINGS JUST COME TO ME. IT’LL TAKE A SMELL OR A TASTE TO KICK OFF MY IDEA AND SOMETIMES I PUT EVERYTHING ON HOLD AND TRY IT OUT RIGHT AWAY.”

ACF Chef Jim Churches, CEC, CCA, AAC

ACF CHEF ANDY CHLEBANA

By Kenya McCullum

ACF Chef Andy Chlebana, CMPC, CCA, professor of culinary arts/ pastry at Joliet Junior College in Jolliet, Illinois, has built a long, successful career thanks to a combination of skill and serendipity — and it was this way even from the start. Prior to getting his first culinary job at a breakfast restaurant as a teen, his only exposure to the kitchen was making things at home with his family and cooking during his time as a Boy Scout. Chef Chlebana never intended to pursue a career in the culinary field — let alone go on to earn a CMPC or win prestigious competitions. But he always found himself in the right place at the right time throughout his career, and he was always well-equipped to meet any challenge that came his way.

Chef Chlebana’s career began with a simple question posed by his brother, who is also a chef, when he was in high school. “Do you want a job?” Chef Chlebana recalls his brother asking. “I had just turned 16 and I said, ‘Yeah, sure. Who doesn't like money?’”

Little did Chef Chlebana, or his older brother, know at the time, this first real glimpse into the culinary industry was going to be much more than a way to make some quick cash.

Chef Chlebana fell in love with the job at the breakfast restaurant and worked there for the next three years. He says he especially loved that every workday brought a new adventure and a new challenge to overcome.

“I look back and I tell my students all the time that I think we all have a little bit of ADHD in us, and it makes us better at what we do,” Chef Chlebana says. “I just

really liked that every day was different, and I think my favorite thing about working the line was the rush — just never knowing what was going to happen and just getting completely buried with orders and digging out. I think that's what kind of spoke to me when I was doing that job.”

FROM SAVORY TO SWEET

That first restaurant experience was far from the last time something about the culinary industry would speak to Chef Chlebana in a meaningful way. Just as he had become captivated by that first job, he developed a love of pastry arts during the third semester of the culinary program at Joliet Junior College when he took the advanced baking and pastry class. That love has only grown as he’s continued in his career.

“I think the thing that still keeps me interested in it today is just the science behind what we do — and it always feels like there's something else to learn,” Chef Chlebana says. “When you think you've got something down, you move on to another area and go, ‘OK, now I'm starting to get that.’ And then you go, ‘Oh wait, there's more stuff happening over there. We’ve got to go back and kind of revisit and regroup with that.’”

After getting a taste of what he could do, Chef Chlebana went on to earn a pastry certificate from the Culinary Institute of America, where he got the opportunity to study under Pastry Chef Joe McKenna, which Chef Chlebana credits as another example of being in the right place at the right time during a pivotal point in his career.

MORE PIVOTS, MORE OPPORTUNITIES

For Chef Chlebana, even some of the more challenging times in his life have opened doors for him that have benefited his career. For example, after he completed his degree at CIA and had been working in the kitchen for years, he suffered a foot injury that put him on the trajectory for becoming an instructor at Joliet Junior College.

Not one to rest on his laurels or sit around letting time pass him by, when Chef Chlebana found out he’d broken his foot and wouldn’t be able to keep working in the kitchen, he landed a job at distributor Albert Uster Imports doing customer service. Although it was far from what he was accustomed to in the kitchen, he took the career detour in stride.

“I didn’t care; I had a job and it was still food-related and I knew people there, so it made sense,” he says. “And I worked my way up from a customer service rep

“I THINK THE THING THAT STILL KEEPS ME INTERESTED IN IT TODAY IS JUST THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHAT WE DO — AND IT ALWAYS FEELS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE TO LEARN.”

ACF Chef Andy Chlebana, CMPC, CCA

ACF Chef Andy Chlebana, CMPC, CCA, returned to his alma mater, Joliet Junior College in Joliet, Illinois, to teach culinary arts/pastry, where he remains today.

into sales, which was also kind of another natural fit for me since my dad was in sales. While doing that job, I found that a lot of what I was doing was teaching people how to use the products and teaching them new techniques, so it was like the teaching job was there. Then one day, it was a quiet day in the office, so I was flipping through a magazine and saw that Joliet Junior College was looking for an instructor. I applied, and the rest is history.”

This proved to be another happy accident in his career, and since then, teaching has allowed Chef Chlebana to give students the same joy of the culinary field he experienced when he first began

in the industry and then decided to dedicate his career to pastry arts.

“I think of when you get a chance to show a student something they've never seen before, which is a lot,” he says. “I had a student in my class this semester who was brand new to culinary, never worked in a restaurant, didn’t really have a good idea of what was going on around him. But over the 16 weeks in this class, he improved so much and he gave me one of the best-tasting desserts I had for the final. And I told him that, and he goes, ‘I know it's really good.’ Those aha moments are what it's all about.”

ACF Chef Andy Chlebana, CMPC, CCA, preparing dishes during the Certified Master Pastry Chef exam held in January at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, Virginia, and one of his chocolate sculptures.

Do you have WHAT IT TAKES?

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

Pastry Ed

// By ACF Pastry Chef Robert Wemischner

At a time when there is increased demand for well-trained pastry professionals to fill spots vacated during the earlier stages of the pandemic, it’s an employees’ market. Getting that training can come in a variety of ways. From proprietary schools to community colleges to online programs, those who are serious about gaining a foothold in the sweet side of the industry are signing up to learn the basics and beyond.

Whether learning the basics as a recent high school graduate or testing the waters as a career changer, pastry education holds an allure for many. Those who fondly remember baking at their grandmother’s or mother’s side, which fueled their later interest in the field, are part of the cohort in schools nationwide. It is in baking programs such as those at the mainly

online Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, at the Culinary Institute of America’s multiple campuses or at community colleges like Joliet Junior College where students’ eyes are truly opened to the realities and the rewards, along with the hard work, involved in foodservice jobs.

Taught by faculty whose backgrounds vary from work in hotels and restaurants to catering companies and small businesses, students can learn what it takes to make a commitment to baking and pastry.

“For many of our students at the CIA who enter right after completing high school, it is the first time that they have been away from home,” says ACF Chef Lisa Kirschner (@bread.4.life.7) (@hearth.bread.rolls), baking and pastry arts lecturer/instructor at the CIA in Hyde Park, New York. “Beyond teaching the basics of baking, my work veers into helping the students build a sense of community and help them adapt to living in a residential college. My colleagues and I all pitch in to help students with that period of adjustment and nurture their hunger for learning as best we can.”

ACF baking/pastry instructors are focusing on multimedia and expanded career opportunities to ready their students

ACF Chef Lisa Kirschner

Multimedia Learning

Even now, after the worst of the pandemic’s effects on in-person education have abated, many schools still rely on a hybrid of in-person kitchen learning and online tutorials used as review or reinforcement of the in-person demos. “Even pre-pandemic, the Escoffier programs were offered online so the technology and teaching methodology were geared to remote learning,” says ACF Chef Steve Konopelski , an instructor with the Auguste School of Culinary Arts and a career-changer himself, who went from Broadway to baking. “The largely online nature of our programs allows us to open doors to a lot of people who otherwise might not have easy access to culinary programs simply based on where they live.”

Through the use of a textbook, technique videos shot in a professional kitchen and live demonstration sessions, students have multiple opportunities to learn baking through different mediums. “My students also can attend a ‘study hall,’ which includes a live demonstration via Zoom, and have the chance to voice specific questions about where they might have gone wrong,” Chef Konopelski continues. “Each student is also required to upload photographic documentation of their processes, from mise en place to finished product, along with a narrative clearly describing their step-by-step interface with the recipe. As the instructor, I have been focused on honing my own verbal skills to allow me to paint a visual picture for the student, pinpointing any errors they may have made in their production.”

Even with video and Escoffier’s “Bake with Chef” sessions, which show the production process from beginning to end, the students’ written submissions “further allow me to make effective use of teachable moments in the absence of being able to touch or taste the product,” says Chef Konopelski. “These also force students to develop their own communication skills, which can be incredibly useful further down the road when they are describing products, say, to a server, bakery counter person or fellow staff member whom they will train on the production side in their own business.”

Left: ACF Chef/Instructor Steve Konopelski; right: ACF Chef Jesse Jackson III.

watching all demos for each week and then enter class ready to pose questions about what they watched,” he says.

As a way of developing a sense of community, Chef Kirschner encourages students to post photos of their work on Instagram, which becomes an educational forum and grist for instructor and peer critique and a forum for acknowledging student achievement. She’s also created class pages on Instagram where she and the students can join in with posts and photos of their work.

All Hands on Deck

Even with the advent of social and digital media, hands-on learning still takes the cake in pastry education.

“Hands-on instruction to individuals or pairs of students allows me to help the students follow the correct path to successful completion [of the course],” says Chef Jackson. “Students enter with little to no experience working in the field so my pleasure as a teacher is to watch them evolve, seeing their hand skills improve and knowing that I have had a small part in leading them to success. Teaching the introductory classes gives me the opportunity to set students off on the right path. I also impart that just because things have been done one way over time does not preclude the possibility of applying a new technique to achieve a great result.”

Chef Kirschner focuses on encouraging students to take advantage of tutoring when

ACF Chef Jesse Jackson III , a certified master baker and instructor in baking and pastry at the CIA in Hyde Park, posts video demos on Moodle, a collaboration app, for further reinforcement of concepts and techniques. “I require the students to do the homework of

needed and counseling about career choices as well. “From learning to don an apron properly to fitting the mixing bowl onto the machine, the first semester is the wake-up call time,” she says. “We all help and nurture as best we can, but usually from the teacher’s perspective it is clear which students are serious about joining the industry or which might not make the cut. It shows in their work, plain and simple.”

Expanded Career Paths

ACF Chef/Instructor Chris Cwierz, MBA , Scottsdale Community College, Arizona, encourages his students to explore both traditional and nontraditional careers in the pastry arts. “I see the importance of exposing students career-wise to a broad view of options, from food writing, styling, photographer, R&D work, to developing a social media presence,” says Chef Cwierz, who himself works as a consultant in product R&D outside of teaching classes. “Dietary concerns including the demand for gluten-free, vegan and dairy-free products are also trending, and students need to be attuned to these as part of their education.”

Chef Cwierz has many students who start off with one area of interest at the beginning of his courses, but those interests often change over time. “By the end of the program, their ideas about where they wish to work in the industry frequently are radically different from what they voiced at the beginning,” he says. “And this is natural as they gain exposure to the range of possibilities out there. With my close ties to the resorts in the Phoenix area, I see the importance of partnering with these businesses and arrange tours of the properties for our students to get a real-world view of jobs in the industry.”

Chef Jackson also encourages his students to learn about different career paths available to them. At the CIA, a key element of the program involves an externship, which typically happens in the middle of students’ time at the school. “I tell the students when they first enter my class that they don’t need to have a clear idea of where they wish to land in the industry,” he says. “Working as a paid extern, things will become clearer. For those who are undecided, I recommend that they do

their externship of 15 weeks in hotels where they will gain a better understanding of many aspects of the industry, which will help them to clarify their thinking about their career goals. I tell students that education is the currency for success, and with time, they will zero in on a particular area of interest and seek employment that suits their goals and temperament.”

Learning about changes or new developments in baking is also important to broaden students’ knowledge base

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Fri., Oct. 20, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. ET Johnson & Wales University Charlotte Campus

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ACF Chef/Instructor Chris Cwierz, MBA

and skills. ACF Chef Andy Chlebana, CMPC, CCA , a pastry chef/ instructor at Joliet Junior College in Illinois (see ACF Chef Profile, p. 56), teaches his students specialty baking techniques such as baking without the use of eggs, as well as glutenand dairy-free

baking. “These are not mere trends,” he says. “[Gluten-, egg- and dairy-free baking techniques] are here to stay, and the more we can educate our students about these developments on the baking scene, the more marketable and hirable our graduates will be.”

Ready for Hire

Pastry chefs and instructors have mixed views on the hiring forecast for the industry post-pandemic. “I am getting mixed messages from our industry partners,” says Chef Chlebana. “Those tasked with hiring are saying, ‘I need people,’ but now candidates might be subject to multiple rounds of interviews. It could take weeks to seal the deal. Even though the industry is bouncing back, it has certainly changed. Gone is the badge of honor that used to trumpet proudly that an employee worked 70 hours in a week. People are waking up to the need for a work/life balance now more than ever.”

Echoing words about work opportunities is Chef Rachel Cuzzone a chef/instructor at Escoffier. “The labor

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need is there, and also is the wish for employee longevity in hotels, bakeries and restaurants,” she says. “I find that now employers are seeking people with that piece of paper documenting graduation from educational programs with substance with a successful track record of placing students in jobs. Fifteen years ago, this was largely not so. The more our graduates work for prestige businesses, the more these employers wish to return to that same well to find other prospective employees.”

Many roads in education use multiple modalities, both in-person and online. The chefs interviewed say there is plenty of room in the baking business to embrace new, well-trained individuals with enthusiasm and that creative spark. Now’s the time for students to explore new opportunities with a chance to put their own contemporary and stylistic stamp onto what emerges from hotel and restaurant pastry kitchens, bakeshops, catering companies, wholesale production facilities and more.

Chef/Instructor Rachel Cuzzone

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NCR Quiz

September/October 2023

By Robert Penry

What are some of the current big trends in the foodservice industry according to ACF Chef Michael Thrash, CEC, CCA, CCE, AAC?

a. Italian cuisines and spicy flavors

b. R egional barbecue and Asian influences

c. French pastries and Mediterranean dishes

d. Fusion cuisine and fast food

What program aims to provide training and education for high school students interested in foodservice and restaurant careers?

a. ProStart

b. Kid s’ Café

c. L akeland Sales

d. Toby Landgraf Foundation

Who currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees and as the treasurer for the ACF Minneapolis chapter?

a. R obert Velarde, CEC

b. F. Christian Freeman, CEC

c. Christopher Dwyer, CEC, CCA, AAC

d. Trent Anderson, CEC

How has the Air Force's foodservice program evolved in recent years?

a. By offering limited options

b. By focusing on fast food

c. By introducing a retail-style approach

d. By reducing menu diversity

What is ube, a tuber indigenous to the Philippines, often used for in Filipino cuisine?

a. Savory soups

b. Main course dishes

c. Desserts and sweets with coconut milk

d. Gr illed meat skewers

What traditional Filipino dish does Chef Roy Villacrusis discuss as being originally made with goat meat but is now often prepared with lamb shank?

a. K aldereta

b. L echon

c. K are-Kare

d. Bicol Express

How does ACF Chef James Zeisler Jr., CEC, CCA, achieve high-volume consistency when making the sauce for his classic eggs benedict?

a. W hisking vigorously by hand

b. Using a blender

c. Using a food processor

d. Add ing extra egg yolks

How does ACF Chef Jeffrey Schlissel help his team develop communication and teamwork in the kitchen?

a. By hosting team-building events outside of work

b. By assigning kitchen staff to judge each other’s menu ideas

c. By providing regular feedback on their cooking techniques

d. By rotating kitchen roles frequently

According to ACF Chef Lance Nitahara, CEC, what is the direction that consumers are going regarding food and wellness?

a. A preference for fast food

b. A foc us on convenience over health

c. A preference for traditional cooking methods

d. A n interest in food as medicine and nutritional cuisine

What is aspergillus oryzae, an ingredient better known to chefs as koji?

a. A t ype of fungus

b. A t ype of spice

c. A t ype of soy sauce

d. A t ype of rice

What impact does the training program implemented by ACF Chef Colella, CEC, CCA, have on airmen when they leave the military?

a. It prepares them to become culinary instructors

b. It equips them to start their own restaurants

c. It sets them up for success in civilian foodservice careers

d. It encourages them to pursue careers in hotels

THIS LABOR SHORTAGE ISN’T A CRISIS IT’S A TOTAL AWAKENING

Let’s be honest, the current workforce reckoning is long overdue. And while our industry will be better because of it, much of the burden falls on you. We get it. And whether you need help rethinking your menu or finding more time to support employees, we are here for you.

Let’s fi gure this out together.

Take your skills to the next level.