National Culinary Review (March/April 2023)

Leaning Into Levantine Cuisine

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.

The Recruit

FEATURE STORIES 26

ACF Chefs talk about how they’re attracting the best of the best. Plus, what younger chefs are looking for in potential employers today.

DEPARTMENTS

10 Management

16

20

24

Time is everything; a look at how competition chefs and culinary educators teach how to manage it.

Main Course

Chefs are redefining Levantine cuisine by studying history and regional nuances.

On the Side

Israeli chefs are introducing babka, an ancient sweet, to a wider audience with modern twists.

Classical vs. Modern

Chef Josh Wasky, CSC, CWPC, executive chef, Virginia Tech Dining Services, presents a classic pulled pork plate and a deconstructed modern version.

34

38

42

Health

Tofu presents both a healthful meat alternative and a blank culinary canvas. Plus, one scientist debunks misconceptions about soy nutrition.

Segment Spotlight

High school culinary educators showcase a wide variety of culinary jobs to entice a new generation.

Pastry

Chefs and “pastai” discuss the important ingredients and inspiration behind artisanal pasta-making.

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, Lauren 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

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

Immediate Past President

Thomas Macrina, CEC®, CCA, AAC

National Secretary

Jeff Bacon, CEC, CCA, AAC

National Treasurer

Kent Andersen, CEC, CCA, AAC

American Academy of Chefs Chair

Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC

Vice President Central Region

Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC

Vice President Northeast Region

Barry R. Young, CEC, CCE®, AAC, MBA

Vice President Southeast Region

Bryan Frick, CEC, AAC

Vice President Western Region

Greg Matchett, CEC, AAC

Executive Director

Heidi Cramb

0747-7716), March/April 2023, Volume 47, Number 2, is owned by the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) and is produced six times per year by ACF, located at 6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216. A digital subscription to the National Culinary Review® is included with ACF membership dues; print subscriptions are available to ACF members for $25 per year, domestic; nonmember subscriptions are $40. Material from the National Culinary Review®, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission. All views and opinions expressed in the National Culinary Review® are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the officers or members of ACF. Changes of mailing address should be sent to ACF’s national office: 6816 Southpoint Parkway, Ste 400, Jacksonville, FL 32216; (800) 624-9458; Fax (904) 940-0741.

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

Spring is about to be sprung!

There’s a lot going on this time of year: Women’s History Month and National Nutrition Month in March, as well as major holidays like Easter and Passover in April. And I’m super geared up for the ACF National Qualifier and other upcoming competitions!

This issue is special to me because it’s focused on students and something near and dear to my heart: teaching and mentoring the next generation of chefs. Check out the main feature (page 26) covering that topic: Hear from experienced chefs on what they’re doing to attract and retain talent, and from recent culinary grads on what they’re looking for in employers. Turn to p. 22 to read about the two ACF Student Chef of the Year Award winners from 2022, both of whom have gone on to land great jobs and start their careers. There’s also some coverage of the 2022 ACF Student Team of the Year (p. 31).

If you’ve never mentored a younger chef before, consider doing that now. Pick one or two chefs working with you who are true go-getters. There’s nothing more rewarding than sharing and imparting your knowledge and recipes with others. Ask your chefs what their plan is for two years from now, five years from now or longer. Also: This wasn’t as commonplace in the past, but I’m finding it helpful to cross-train staff so that people can learn different jobs in the kitchen and help each other out more — especially amid ongoing labor challenges. It also creates a culture of learning, growth and engagement.

Collaboration is key, whether it’s between teacher and student, chef and chef or organization and organization. That’s why I’ve been so focused on collaborating with other groups like the James Beard Foundation (JBF) to bring more awareness about ACF. Last month, I was incredibly honored to have the U.S. Department of State invite me to be a member of its new “Kitchen Cabinet” as part of the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership — an initiative developed with JBF to promote American cuisine and ingredients around the globe. In celebration, I traveled to Washington, D.C., with four members of the ACF Young Chefs Club, who helped prepare a meal for those in attendance. Food is the vehicle to bring people together, and this new program proves that!

The future truly is now: Being a leader is important, especially if we want ACF to spearhead the charge in helping not only our industry but also the people within it evolve. The legendary Dolly Parton had a great quote last year that I’m going to borrow: “If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then you are an excellent leader.”

Let’s go!

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

Contact

The National Culinary Review® (ISSN

¡La primavera está a punto de florecer!

En esta época del año pasa de todo: El mes de la historia de la mujer y el mes nacional de la nutrición en marzo, así como también importantes días festivos como la pascua y la pascua judía en abril. ¡Y estoy súper entusiasmada por la ACF National Qualifier y las demás competencias que se vienen!

Esta es una edición especial para mí, porque se enfoca en los estudiantes y en algo que me apasiona: enseñar y acompañar a la próxima generación de chefs. Lean el artículo principal (en la página 26) que habla sobre este tema. Conozcan los testimonios de chefs con gran experiencia, quienes hablan sobre lo que están haciendo para atraer y retener talento, así como también los nuevos graduados culinarios, que nos cuentan qué es lo que buscan en posibles empleadores. Pasen a la pág. 22 para leer sobre los dos ganadores del premio ACF Student Chef of the Year 2022, quienes presentaron excelentes trabajos y comenzaron sus carreras. También hay algo de cobertura del Equipo Estudiantil del Año 2022 de la ACF (pág. 31).

Si nunca antes han sido mentores de un chef más joven, consideren hacerlo. Elijan uno o dos chefs que trabajen con ustedes y que sean verdaderos emprendedores. No hay nada más gratificante que compartir e impartir nuestros conocimientos y recetas con los demás. Pregunten a sus chefs qué plan tienen para dentro de dos años, dentro de cinco años o más. Además, esto no era tan común en el pasado, pero me resulta útil capacitar al personal para que las personas puedan aprender diferentes trabajos en la cocina y ayudarse más entre sí, especialmente en medio de los desafíos laborales actuales. Este tipo de formación también permite crear una cultura de aprendizaje, crecimiento y compromiso.

La colaboración es clave, ya sea entre profesores y alumnos, entre chefs o incluso entre organizaciones. Es por eso que me he centrado tanto en colaborar con otros grupos como la Fundación James Beard (JBF) para crear más conciencia sobre la ACF. El mes pasado tuve el gran honor de que el Departamento de Estado de los EE.UU. me invitara a ser miembro de su nuevo "Gabinete de cocina" como parte de la Asociación Culinaria Diplomática, una iniciativa desarrollada con JBF para promover la cocina y los ingredientes estadounidenses en todo el mundo. Para celebrar, viajé a Washington, D.C. junto con cuatro miembros del Club de Jóvenes Chefs de la ACF, quienes me ayudaron a preparar una comida para los asistentes. La comida es el vehículo para unir a las personas, ¡y este nuevo programa lo demuestra!

El futuro ya llegó, y es un hecho: es importante ser líderes, en especial si queremos que la ACF encabece la lucha para contribuir a la evolución tanto de nuestra industria como de las personas que la integran. La legendaria Dolly Parton dijo algo muy interesante el año pasado, así que tomaré prestada su cita: “Si tus acciones dejan un legado que inspira a otros a soñar más, aprender más, hacer más y convertirse en más, eso significa que eres un excelente líder”.

¡Adelante!

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

Online Exclusives at WeAreChefs.com

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

Mental Health Awareness Month

ACF Chef Lisa Dorfman, M.S., R.D., a licensed mental health counselor, offers tips on how to maintain a positive worklife balance, especially during tough times.

All About Veal

Ashley Russell with the New York Beef Council debunks common myths around the controversial protein and gives us the inside look at veal farms that are humanely raising calves.

National Nutrition Month

Chef Jason “Jay Z” Ziobrowski, CEC, Morrison Healthcare, talks about his experiences working with schoolchildren and shares some tips on presenting about healthy cooking and eating.

ACF ChefsForum Webinar Series

Visit WeAreChefs.com for detailed descriptions and registration links for our well-attended webinars! Here are the topics planned for March and April:

• Women Leaders in Foodservice (March 8, 1 p.m. ET) Join us as we celebrate International Women’s Day with a panel of women leaders in culinary and hospitality. Sponsored by Smithfield.

• L ive from The Greenbrier (March 10, 11 a.m. ET) Chef Nina Ryan from this award-winning resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, will take you step-by-step through a simple pâte brisée recipe, as well as demonstrate techniques and ingredients for making gluten-free pastry for pies, tarts and crusts.

• Culinary Entrepreneurship & Food Business (March 13, 1 p.m. ET)

The ACF Young Chefs Club president invites students and budding chefs to tune into this session on culinary entrepreneurship. Hear from ACF Chefs Daniel Kedan and Almir Da Fonseca, as they share best practices for financials, business planning, leadership, hiring and more.

• Spotlight on Culinary Cannabis Education (April 20, 4 p.m. ET)

Learn more about the ACF Specialized Certificate in Culinary Cannabis & Edibles from Chef Nathan Koscielski, CCE, culinary instructor at Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, who educates about proper handling and dosing of THC-laced ingredients, as well as non-THC ingredients, such as hemp and CBD.

ACF’s Online Learning Center

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

Follow the ACF on your favorite social media platforms:

@acfchefs

@acfchefs

@acf_chefs

@acfchefs

@acf_chefs

American Culinary Federation

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.

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!

NEWS BITES

2023 National Qualifying Competitions

March is host to several competitions, including qualifier competitions for ACF awards (Chair Randy Torres, CEC, AAC, randy.torres@socc.edu). For a complete list and to download guidelines for preparations, visit acfchefs.org/ Competitions. The following qualifier competitions will be held March 11-13 at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas:

• Chef of the Year National Qualifier

• Pastry Chef of the Year National Qualifier

• Student Chef of the Year National Qualifier

• Student Pastry Chef of the Year National Qualifier

• Student Team National Qualifier

2023 ACF National Convention Early Bird Rates

Early bird rates for the New Orleans convention end March 31. If you know you want to attend, register now! Visit acfchefs.org/Convention for more information on the rates for professionals, students, seniors and non-ACF members and to register.

Introducing the New ACF Sustainability Corner

Launched in January, the ACF Sustainability Corner offers tools to help educate you, your team and students on sustainable concepts to help minimize cost while reducing your carbon footprint. Members can earn two CEHs by completing the quiz on the Online Learning Center. Take note of these upcoming monthly articles and infographics:

• The Science of Climate Change in the Kitchen

• Dangers of Monocropping and Overfishing

• A ir, Water and Plastic Pollution

Visit acfchefs.org/Sustainability to learn more.

ACF Knowledge Bowl

Compete to become the next national champion in the 2023 ACF Culinary Knowledge Bowl! Teams compete in a “Jeopardy”-style competition with questions covering topics such as cooking techniques, nutrition, baking and safety/sanitation. Visit acfchefs.org/ KnowledgeBowl to register your team today! The deadline to register is May 15.

New Grant Opportunity!

To acknowledge the meaningful community work you do as ACF Chefs, the Community Outreach Granted program, continuing through the year, will feature chapters and ACF members who give back to their communities with a monthly opportunity to win a $250 grant. To participate, post once on your preferred social media channel about a culinary-related community project you’ve participated in within the last 60 days. Tell us a little about the project and the impact it had. Use the hashtag #ACFUnitedGrant.

Salut

ACF Membership Drive

January kicked off the ACF Chapter Challenge Membership Drive. Let’s keep it going! Check out the Chapter Leadership Newsletter or email daltieri@acfchefs.org for more information. Winners will be announced after March 31.

In this issue, we Salut the growing list of properties across the country that have signed on for ACF membership or that have renewed their membership this year.

New properties:

Saracen Casino Resort

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

The Everglades Club

Palm Beach, Florida

Detroit Athletic Club

Detroit, Michigan

Morrissey Hospitality

St. Paul, Minnesota

Rouge Valley Country Club

Medford, Oregon

The Landings Club

Savannah, Georgia

Renewing Properties:

Sodexo

Gaithersburg, Maryland

The Landings Club

Compass Group USA (Morrison Healthcare, Unidine, Morrison Living, Touchpoint)

Charlotte, North Carolina

Delaware North

Buffalo, New York

Lavish Roots Catering and Hospitality

Seattle, Washington

JACK Cleveland Casino

Cleveland, Ohio

Coeur d'Alene Resort

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Sullivan University

Louisville, Kentucky

Metropolitan Community College

Omaha, Nebraska

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

Anne Arundel Community College

Arnold, Maryland

Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, Georgia

Detroit Athletic Club

The Everglades Club

2023 American Academy of Chefs and Honorary AAC Candidates for Induction

The American Academy of Chefs (AAC), otherwise known as ACF’s honor society, represents the highest standards of professionalism in our organization and industry. The AAC’s primary mission is to promote the education of all culinarians through mentorship, student scholarships and grants for professional chefs looking to further their careers. We are proud to present our 2023 AAC and Honorary AAC candidates for induction. If you have any reason to disagree with these lists, please contact Americo S. DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC, academy chair, difronzoa@aol.com, or Karen Stamper, AAC administrator, kstamper@acfchefs.org

2023 AAC Candidates for Induction

Joseph M. Allison, CEC

ACF Professional Chefs of New Hampshire

Sponsored by: Perrin H. Long, CEC, CCE, AAC & Stefan Ryll, CEC, CCE, AAC

Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE

ACF Chef's Association of Arizona

Sponsored by: Carlton W. Brooks, CEPC, CCE, AAC & Garry W. Waldie, CEC, CEPC, CCE, AAC, HOF

Denise D. Baxter, CCE

ACF Nation's Capital Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Timothy D. Recher, CEC, AAC & Fritz H. Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC, HOF

John Casto, CEC

ACF Pikes Peak Chapter

Sponsored by: Jacqueline Hamilton, CEC, AAC & Greg Matchett, CEC, AAC

Joshua E. Diekman, CEC, CCA

ACF Middle Tennessee Chapter

Sponsored by: Jim Churches, CEC, CCA, AAC & Kurt Kwiatkowski, CEC, CCA, AAC

Kirk S. Kief, CEC, CCA, CPC

ACF Mid Florida East Coast

Sponsored by: David S. Bearl, CCC, CCE, AAC & Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC

Bradley D. Labarre, CEC

ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

Sponsored by: James F. Connolly, CEC, CCA, AAC & James V. DiMarzio, CEC, AAC

Brandon S. LaVielle, CEC

ACF Washington State Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Gary L. Fuller, CCE, CEC, AAC & Jerald Klinkenberg, CEC, CCA, AAC

Brian E. Lord, CEC

ACF Caxambas Chapter of Southwest Florida

Sponsored by: Mark H. Brown, CEC, CCA, AAC & Eric J. Karell, CEC, CCA, AAC

Maynard Meland, CEC, CCA

ACF Washington State Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Daniel Drumlake, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC & Christopher Plemmons, CEC, AAC

Fernando Mojica, CEC

ACF Cleveland Chapter

Sponsored by: Paul C. Jensen II, CEC, CCA, AAC & Steven Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC

Rick Neal, CEC

Texas Chefs Association

Sponsored by: Jack Bretzke, CEC, AAC & Patrick Mitchell, CEC, AAC

Susan E. Notter, CEPC

ACF Harrisburg Chapter

Sponsored by: Thomas J. Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, HOF, HBOT & Joseph J. Piazza, CEC, CCA, AAC

Hari Pulapaka, CEC

ACF Central Florida Chapter

Sponsored by: Joe Alfano, CEC, AAC & Roger Newell, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC

Brian G. Tatsukawa, CEC

Four Corners Chapter of the ACF

Sponsored by: Mark Cochran, CEC, CCA, AAC & Robert L. Witte, CEC, CCA, AAC

David D. Voelz, CEC, CWPC, CCA

ACF Raleigh-Durham Area Chef's Association

Sponsored by: Alan Romano, CEC, CCE, AAC & Eddie Wilson, CEC, PCEC

2023 HAAC Candidates for Induction

Timothy J. Foley

ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

Harris Heckelman

Executive Vice President of Protein for Chefs Warehouse, Allen Brothers

Jimmy Lee Hill

ACF Capital Professional Cooks & Chefs Association of Greater Lansing

Cheryl A. Molenda, CC

ACF Chefs of Northwest Indiana

Rocco Paradiso

American Culinary Chefs of Charlotte

Richard H. Simon, CSC, CCE

ACF Long Island Chapter

TIME TELLS ALL

Chefs and coaches teach how to plan ahead and work smarter // By Howard Riell

Will Rogers’ classic rationale for investing in real estate, “They ain’t makin’ any more,” applies just as well to time. Chefs can’t afford to waste it, so they’d better learn to manage it.

“Time is the most precious asset we can ever attain, more than anything you can earn, buy or dream of,” says ACF Culinary Team USA Captain Chef Dan Holtgrave, CEC (left), executive chef of the Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis. “The question is: How are you going to spend it? It really doesn’t matter where you are in your career; time is the most valuable asset we have.”

ACF Chef Les Eckert, CEPC, CCE, AAC, MBA (right), director of culinary for the Great Lakes Culinary Institute in Traverse City, Michigan, agrees. “Chefs deal with a lot of last-minute requests and unexpected changes, including staff call-outs,” she says. “Knowing what tasks can be moved around on the priority list helps with fitting in the lastminute pressures of an ever-changing list of responsibilities.”

INTENTIONAL TIME MANAGEMENT

Chef Eckert is convinced that the worst time management problem comes from staff being stretched too thin and not keeping an updated calendar. “This will lead to anxiety and a reduced quality of work and [less] desire to remain in your job,” she says.

Alexis Haselberger, a San Franciscobased coach and consultant, helps clients learn to use their time “intentionally.” This means separating the planning from the doing. “Spend a few minutes planning your prep and making a timeline before you get started,” she says, “and you'll work more quickly and be less stressed.”

Haselberger also feels that “the ‘Here's something that really worked well for me’ strategy works best because you're not demanding other folks do something your way. You're just showing them an opinion. People like a choice. And people like to be efficient. If you give them a choice that helps them to be more efficient, they'll likely take it.”

WORK AHEAD, WORK SMARTER

Business owners need to anticipate their needs far earlier now, according to ACF Chef Claire Stewart , associate professor, New York City College of Technology at the City University of

New York in Brooklyn. “A manager needs to project how much of an item they will need and how soon can they acquire it,” she says. “A savvy chef will also have a plan b and plan c. If I was waiting on a piece of kitchen equipment, I would have a plan for what to do in case it does not come. How else can I prepare this item? Can I change the menu or change its preparation? Preparing for the worst is always the best.”

Current trends also play a role. Due to ongoing supply chain challenges caused in part by the pandemic, Chef Eckert says, “you now have to think about research and ordering of products much earlier than normal, which means thinking further out in event prep and time management for that event.”

Chef Holtgrave’s advice for working ahead also revolves around staying organized. “Each night, my sous chefs

build out a daily plan of work for the next day that the staff then adds to their plans,” he says. “File the outline of the list into your computer and update as needed, and teach your staff how to prioritize the workload.” This level of organization leads to better time management and “will ultimately give you more time for yourself and your family. With two young children and my wife at home, it is a priority that I be there for them because I want to teach my children the same thing. Work hard, help one another and teach them to be better than you.”

TEACHING TIME MANAGEMENT

Chef Eckert believes that — now more than ever — time management tactics should be taught during training and built into policies and procedures

ACF Chef Claire Stewart (back row, fifth from left), associate professor at New York City College of Technology, seen here with her students foraging in Central Park, teaches time management by always having a plan a, b and c.

for supervisors and other higher-ups. In addition, she feels that every chef needs to understand exactly what time management is, how to do it, what tools are available “and which tool is the right fit for each person.” Her advice? “Have a daily, weekly, monthly plan, and make the plan visual,” she says. “As chefs, we are multitasking all day, and we need to have a visual plan that helps us forecast our time.”

Becca Rich (above), founder and CEO of The Holistic Time Coach in Annapolis, Maryland, suggests that leading by example to create a kitchen culture that emphasizes healthy “human-centric” time management is the best way to teach it.

“This looks like prioritizing each individual's health and recognizing that doing so is critical to their productivity and success in their role,” says Rich. “From this place, many of the unique and individual time management strategies needed to improve the organization often become clear. Also, ask the chefs and their staffs what is positively and negatively impacting each individual's time management and the team as a whole, and make those adjustments.”

In addition to using training manuals, people can incorporate time management

strategies into written policies, says ACF Chef Jason Fridrich, CEC, CCE, Ed.D., MBA, associate lecturer of foodservice and lodging management at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “The chef will decide what tasks each member of a team will do and in what order. Besides being a leader, the chef is also a teacher.”

Early in his career, Chef Fridrich recounts, “I was a sous chef at an Italian restaurant. The chef I worked for had us

refill all of our pots for pasta and other starches at the end of the shift while we were cleaning the kitchen. At the time it seemed to be silly, but over time I realized that when I opened the kitchen the next day all I had to do was turn on each burner. As I gathered my mise en place for my first tasks of the day, the water came to a boil and cooked all of the pasta and other items. This probably saved 30 minutes every morning. It also cleared the stove for other tasks.”

Indeed, carefully managing time frees harried chefs for a variety of activities they might otherwise have to forego — including having more fun with their art.

ACF Chef Jason Fridrich, CEC, CCE, Ed.D., MBA (far right), conducts a cooking demonstration and time management lesson for students at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando.

4 Tips for Better Kitchen Time

According to ACF Culinary Team USA Captain Chef Dan Holtgrave, CEC, executive chef of the Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, getting started on the road to better time management can be accomplished in four basic steps.

1. Stay organized by building a timeline/personal prep list. “As chefs, we all wear many hats in the day-to-day operations, and it can be challenging to keep it all together. For me, running the kitchen at Old Warson Country Club, along with being the captain of the U.S. culinary team, takes a strong daily/ weekly plan of work and sometimes monthly. For team practices, I have an eight-day prep list leading up to the time of travel. I prep stocks a month in advance and freeze them in portioned flat sheets that fit into my Cambro to use as ice packs. The week of practice I start mise-ing dry ingredients first, then the more perishable items the day before I leave. I do my best to pass these practices down to my staff and stress the importance of organization. Competing is a great way to learn how to better organize yourself and those around you.”

2. Stay informed. “Most of the time we know what events are coming up, so expect your staff to know the same. Reading the BEO the day before is too late; we must know weeks in advance of what’s coming up so we can properly plan for the event. Once you read the BEO, you’ve already started the planning process in your head. This can also help you keep your purveyors informed in advance. We all struggle with the current supply chain, and I don’t think that will change in the near future. This brings me to the next point.”

3. Be adaptable. “A chef has always had to be versatile in his/her work, but now more than ever, this holds true — whether it is supply issues, staff shortages, pop-up parties or, more importantly, something personal at home. So we throw in the towel when things don’t go our way? No. We acknowledge, embrace and adapt to the current situation. And in many instances, we end up teaching ourselves and our staff new techniques by navigating through the problems that arise. In return, that will make our personal stock go up.”

4. Networking. “Something we all have lost touch with is face-to-face networking, talking to other chefs. Go to a chapter meeting and see what they are doing to save time, along with physical and mental energy. There is something about seeing your peers and sharing your ups and downs with them that is very uplifting. That is something you cannot get from any social media platform. More times than not, you’ll see that you are not alone. We all face the same issues, whether you are in a large operation or a small 20-seat restaurant. Throw the ideas out there, and you’ll be surprised what answers you will get to help you navigate through your day-to-day operations.”

ACF Culinary Team USA Captain Dan Holtgrave, CEC (pictured, bottom) teaches his staff at the Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis how to stay organized to improve time management in the kitchen.

MICHIGAN CHEFS DE CUISINE ASSOCIATION MI102

By John Bartimole

One of the ACF’s larger chapters — the Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association (MCCA, headquartered in Detroit) — held on during the rocky past couple of years and has emerged ready to surge in 2023. The association was founded in 1970 by Master Chef Milos Cihelka, CMC, AAC, whose vision it was to create one of the most prestigious professional associations in the nation. The chapter consists of about 450 members.

“Thankfully we didn’t lose membership during COVID,” says Chef James Kokenyesdi, CEC, CCA, AAC, the chapter’s president.

Always important to any chapter’s membership, Chef Kokenyesdi says, is the recruitment and retention of younger chefs. “We lost a couple of college programs during COVID. At one time, we had 10 ACF-accredited culinary programs in our schools. We need to make a strong effort to recruit younger chefs and to continue to promote culinary as a profession to young people.”

Networking Activities

Activity-wise, the chapter is almost back to where it was pre-COVID-19. “We certainly lost meetings [during COVID],”

Chef Kokenyesdi says. “Obviously, we weren’t having in-person events, and Zoom meetings just didn’t seem to appeal to our members. For our in-person meetings, we used to have 150 chefs in attendance. Zoom just didn’t work for most of them, however.”

In addition to monthly meetings, in the past, the chapter has provided other networking opportunities, such as golf outings, an annual holiday party for members and families and more. The chapter has also hosted culinary “salons” so that students, as well as seasoned professionals, can stretch their culinary creativity to the maximum in competition. These salons offered the opportunity to demonstrate skills, as well as learn techniques. The chapter has also sponsored teams competing in the IKA Culinary Olympics, taking place every four years in Germany.

“No doubt, we’re active again,” Chef Kokenyesdi adds. “During COVID, we fluttered a bit, But at our most recent meeting, we had great attendance. We are definitely heading in the right direction.”

Charitable Work

One of the stated goals of the organization is to support charitable causes, such as its own scholarship fund. But the association does much more than that. It has worked with the Cranbrook Academy to raise funds for the academy and culinary scholarship. The association also has worked with the Children's Hospital of Michigan Auxiliary to raise money for neonatal intensive care equipment. Chefs have participated in the Grand Marnier Chef’s Ski Race to raise money for COTS (Coalition of Temporary Shelter). Members host events to support the ACFEF’s Chef and Child program and a local Detroit shelter for abused women and children. Recently, members hosted a fundraiser for a fellow culinarian who became disabled and was without health insurance. Most recently, the chapter hosted a fundraiser with Great Lakes Supply Co. that netted $70,000 for local charitable organizations.

One of the chapter’s most successful fundraisers, the Ford Field Project, helps to bring high-level visibility. The chapter provides ServSafe-certified culinarians, chefs and cooks to review each of the foodservice operations throughout Ford Field during events held at the Detroit stadium. “Many of those offering food there are run by nonprofits who may not have the expertise to make sure their food is prepared and preserved properly,” says Chef Kokenyesdi. The chapter works with Levy Restaurants (Compass Group), which oversees food operations at Ford Field, and with city of Detroit sanitarians to ensure food safety throughout the building.

From left: ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association President James Kokenyesdi, CEC, CCA, AAC; ACF Central Region Vice President Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC; ACF National President Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC, CCA, AAC; and ACF Chef Gerneil Franklin, CEC, CCA, AAC, at last year’s ACF National Convention in Las Vegas.

Compass Group pays the chapter $200 for each qualified chef, with a $75 stipend given to each chef for travel and such. The remaining $125 goes to the chapter’s scholarship fund, for a total of about $8,000 per year.

“Typically, our chefs work a four- to six-hour shift beginning before each game and ending shortly after the event has started,” Chef Kokenyesdi says. “Chefs are then free to either attend the event or leave — their choice.

“By doing this, we network with the sanitarians and work with the nonprofits to provide professional sanitation expertise, to ensure food safety and to help the organizations correct and understand any problems they may have.”

“We also partner with the Michigan Restaurant Association, because we believe we all have to work together,” Chef Kokenyesdi says. “Especially with today’s challenges, it’s important to work with other similar organizations.”

Education and Certification

Education and certification have always been mainstays for the chapter, as the chapter prides itself on the number of CECs it has in its membership. “We offer certification exams in four or five different locations, on an as-need basis,” Chef Kokenyesdi says. “We are proud of the availability we provide for the certification exams.”

Chef Kokenyesdi says the chapter already has two to three certifications planned by April and is in full planning mode to hold culinary competitions in the spring.

With COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, the path ahead for the chapter looks strikingly similar to its 50-year heritage of education and service to its members and the community.

Chef Kokenyesdi, who was recently re-elected for another term, says, “I’m eager to work with the new board to address some of the things we couldn’t address during COVID.”

The Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Officers

President

Chef James Kokenyesdi, CEC, CCA, AAC, Fraser High School

Treasurer

Chef Julie Selonke, CEC, Culinary Studies Institute at Oakland Community College

First Vice President, Communications/Social Media

Chef Alexander Termos, CEC, Walnut Creek Country Club

First Vice President, Communications/Social Media

Chef Jake Williams, CEC, Chef Jake's Catering

Second Vice President

Chef John Miller, CEC, CCA, AAC

Secretary

Chef Frank Turchan, CEC, University Of Michigan

Chair of the American Academy of Chefs

Chef Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, Michigan State University

Trustee; Chef Of The Year And Golf Outing Chair; Scholarship Chair, Finance Committee Chair

Chef Randall Smith, CEC, US Foods

Trustee

Chef Gerneil Franklin, CEC, CCA, AAC, Henry Ford Hospital

Trustee

Chef John Piazza, CEC, CCA, CCE, Soil2Service, Inc.; Detroit Institute Of Gastronomy; EdibleWOW; Adesso, Inc.

Associate Member Chair

Chef Roger Kreager, Chef Source

Chairman Emeritus; Board Advisor

Chef Kevin Enright, CEC, CCE, AAC

Sergeant of Arms

Chef James Niewolak, CCC

ACF Chef Kurt Kwiatkowski, CEC, CCA, AAC (left) and ACF Chef Frank Turchan, Jr., CEC, executive chef, Michigan Dining, secretary, Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association (right)

Leaning Levantine

Chefs are highlighting this Middle Eastern cuisine by studying history and regional nuances

There’s no better way to tell a global story than through food. A unifying, universal vessel, food can transport diners to different regions from their restaurant tables, introducing them to the flavors, spices and unique traditions of cultures the world over.

Levantine is a style of cuisine that’s growing in popularity but can easily create confusion. According to the Middle Eastern Institute, a nonprofit think tank and cultural center in Washington, D.C., the Levant region comprises Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine and Jordan, as well as parts of Egypt and Cyprus. Levantine food influences, however, influences stretch further into Turkey, Greece and the Mediterranean — and even into Armenia and Georgia.

Staple ingredients of Levantine cuisine include chickpeas, tahini, feta, halloumi, eggplant, peppers, zucchini, olives, dates, pomegranates, mint, lemon and yogurt. While not exclusive of animal proteins, Levantine cuisine and its plant-forward ingredients bring a fresh, light and flavorful approach to the many meze or small-plate dishes created from them.

So what’s the difference between Middle Eastern and Levantine cuisine? Questions like these make it difficult to quantify the growing popularity of Levantine food, says Claire Conaghan, Datassential’s associate

// By Lauren Kramer

director of content. The company has been watching the trend closely and notes that the flavors that define Levantine food are becoming more common.

“Levantine food is a huge trend,” Conaghan says, “and chefs are making this style of food, but they aren’t using the terms. For example, they might say it’s a Lebanese-inspired garlic sauce rather than toum, its traditional name.” Toum alone experienced a four-year growth rate of 175%, according to Datassential, making it one of the fastest growing dishes in the category. Shakshuka, an Israeli dish, was up 15%, just ahead of falafel, up 10%, and tahini, up 12%.

Executive Chef Erhan Kostepen describes Levantine food as food from the Ottoman Empire — historically from the palaces and otherwise known as the food of the kings.

“My city, Izmir, is surrounded by a lot of Levantine people; it’s the No. 1 place in Turkey for Levantines,” he says. “Many of them came by boat in the 1800s, bringing goods to Turkey, but ended up staying. Today the cuisine even features dishes influenced by Italy, France and Syria.”

Even specific regions matter when it comes to defining Levantine food. “In the western part of Turkey, we have different food — the cuisine is more about Turkish meze and includes heavier use of olive oil, garlic, fresh greens and tends to be lighter in general. Some people call it Mediterranean; we call it Aegean — a blend of Turkish and Greek foods. Levantine

food is just part of that.” Aegean is even in the name of Chef Kostepen’s restaurant Doya, a modern Aegean Meze + Bar restaurant, which opened in Miami last year.

For example, muhammara, a popular condiment or spread in the region, has origins in the Ottoman Empire and is enjoyed heavily throughout the eastern part of Turkey. “It’s an important dish for me,” says Chef Kostepen. “A lot of chefs make it, and there are different recipes. We roast our red peppers on top of charcoal, which is the traditional technique of cooking. After that we blend them carefully. We make a tomato and pepper paste, dry them in woodfired ovens. Our pomegranate molasses is from Turkey, and we add walnuts, garlic and breadcrumbs to this dish, mixing it together with olive oil. Our extra virgin olive oil is from Greece, and all these combinations together make an incredible muhammara.”

Chef Kostepen serves his muhammara with house-baked lavash, a Middle Eastern flatbread baked in a wood-fired oven. “Lavash and muhammara is an amazing combination and makes for a great, cold appetizer,” he says.

Other popular dishes on the Aegean/Levantine-influenced menu include octopus served like sashimi alongside other cold meze like roasted eggplant, as well as a zucchini-spinach pancake similar to what was made by Chef Kostepen’s nanny growing up — a mixture of eggs, feta, zucchini, spinach and scallions that is lightly fried in olive oil. “We serve it hot, but it can be served at room temperature, too,” he says.

Left: Chef Erhan Kostepen of Doya in Miami; Right: Chef Kostepen’s version of muhammara (credit: Miami Chef).

"My city, Izmir, is surrounded by a lot of Levantine people; it’s the No. 1 place in Turkey for Levantines."

- Chef Erhan Kostepen

Chef Daniel Asher, owner of Ash'Kara, with locations in Denver and Boulder, is passionate about Levantine cuisine. “People love this style of food because the flavor profiles are so vibrant and the food is light, clean and healthy, with notes of toasted spice, citrus, lemon, olive oil and chiles,” he says.

Chef Asher describes hummus and pita as forming the “soul” of his restaurant; the dishes are made with extreme care to showcase Colorado’s local artisans wherever possible. His pita is made using flours organically grown and milled in the state, and his hummus comes from organic Bulgarian chickpeas because “they’re creamier than other varieties,” he says.

“Our diners love our labneh, a Middle Eastern cheese made from strained yogurt,” Chef Asher says. “Ours is made with cows’ and goat milk, cultured lemon juice, olive oil and salt, and hung for 24 hours, and essentially, it’s comfort food from another region of the world.” The labneh is often served with baba ghanoush, pita and hummus.

Combined together, Levantine dishes create interesting conversations tableside, which is an enticing reason for menuing them, but pay close attention to names.

“A lot of dishes in levant, when you chase them across borders into different countries, one ingredient might change and the name of the dish will change, so the geographical boundaries eventually become arbitrary,”

says Chef Sayat Oz , owner of the event company Istanbul Modern in San Francisco. “For example, muhammara becomes Ajika [in regions further east of Turkey and Syria] — but both are red pepper dips. The geography dictates the agricultural production, which dictates the precise ingredients. But with small variations, the food ends up being very similar.”

Chefs also need to adapt the cuisines from which they’re borrowing to their own cultural context, Chef Oz says.

“Oftentimes what works in Egypt or southeastern Turkey may not be the best option for Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” he says. “But why not serve your roasted brussels appetizer with muhammara or use a garlic labneh for your fries? The flavors and presentations are very approachable if you know how to adapt them to your clients’ needs and expectations.”

For chefs interested in incorporating Levantine dishes on their menu, Chef Oz recommends starting with rice dishes like ghapama (with pumpkin), dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), and crispy Persian tahdig, as well as eggplant-based dips like baba

Above: Chef Daniel Asher, owner of Ash'Kara in Denver; Chefs Laura and Sayat Oz, owners of Istanbul Modern in San Francisco. Left: A deconstructed version of Persian tahdig (crispy rice with a khoresh lamb shank).

ghanoush and mutabbal. Then, there are the aforementioned nut-based sauces and spreads like muhammara and legume-based dishes like hummus, falafel and chilled bean salads. Kebabs, roasts, tandoors and yogurt-based dishes also make up this cuisine, he says.

At Mamnoon, a Seattle restaurant with Levantine roots, Executive Chef Nicco Muratore loves introducing diners to halloumi, a traditional Cypriot cheese made from a mixture of milk from goats, sheep and sometimes cows. With its high melting point, halloumi is easily fried or grilled, adding a beautiful texture easily used as a meat substitute. At Mamnoon, halloumi is served pan-seared with herbs as a meze dish. “I like to eat it drizzled with honey as a dessert, but it works well pan-seared with peaches or in a chilled salad with watermelon in the summer,” Chef Muratore says.

His lamb kefta with herbs is another popular Levantine dish; it consists of skewered, ground spring lamb containing a mixture of parsley, cilantro and dill. “We serve it with a yogurt sauce, which can help tone down the richness and fattiness of the lamb,” Chef Muratore says. In the summer, it comes with an apricot salad featuring rehydrated cherries and dried nuts.

Lamb is also featured in his lunch wrap, a traditional Lebanese street food called lahm bi ajeen. House-made flatbread is spread with ground lamb, tomato paste, pepper paste, chiles and spices and baked flat in a hearth oven. Before serving, it is drizzled with pomegranate molasses and topped with fried halloumi. “The molasses gives it a subtle sweetness and acidity, and the halloumi adds richness to this very balanced dish,” Chef Muratore says. The wrap can be rolled to go as a sandwich or cut into four and served on a platter as a shared dish.

Chef Asher sees the popularity of Levantine food only increasing. “Cooking has the power to transform and to impact conversation and dialogue,” he says. “My travels in the Levantine regions have impacted me profoundly, and I love that the regional influences on food keep us telling the stories of where they come from and sharing the legacies of others.”

Above: Lamb kefta with herbs by Executive Chef Nicco Muratore (right) of Mamnoon in Seattle (credit: American Lamb Board).

Bakers are putting their stamp on this age-old baked treat for the masses //

By ACF Pastry Chef Robert Wemischner

Babka has come a long way from its earliest incarnations, thought to have been first made in 19th century Eastern Europe. Its precursor, challah, that eggy, rich, yeasted bread iconic to Jewish cuisine, was often enhanced with a spread of jam or nut filling, thus becoming the early versions of what we now know as babka.

Etymologically speaking, babka comes from baba, the Polish word for grandmother. In the early days, babka was typically baked in a tall, fluted pan (called a gugelhupf or kugelhupf) to resemble a grandmother’s skirt. In the early 20th century, babkas were transformed into braided rings of dough filled with nuts, cinnamon sugar, raisins and a whole catalog of other delicacies.

Flash forward to the present, babka is enjoying a true renaissance in this time of creative ferment, thanks, in part, to a few committed artisans such as Gadi Peleg , owner of Breads Bakery (with three locations in New York City); Shimi Aaron, a maker of artisan babka in Los Angeles; and Guy Frenkel, owner of Céor Bread, also in Los Angeles. From sweet to savory, babka is enjoying its place on the menu beyond just at Jewish delis.

At Céor, Frenkel focuses on naturally leavened products, including what he calls his line of “babka couture.” One example is filled with roasted Tahitian squash, white chocolate ganache and candied walnuts — a far cry from traditional versions. “I like the idea of the breads changing with the season, going with the flow of what farmers bring to the market every week,” says Frenkel, who even makes a vegan ganache for the filling of one his babkas and sells his creations to

catering companies, restaurants, hotels, natural food stores and specialty food vendors throughout Los Angeles.

Aaron’s signature babka takes shape in different forms, from braided rings to loaves and individual rolls bejeweled with rose petals and house-made candied orange peel; the babka is then showered with pistachios, a staple ingredient from his Middle Eastern background. “My homeland, Israel, is a melting pot where people have come from everywhere,” he says. “My creative impulses were forged in a place with many different populations and ethnicities. Therefore, my babka reflects diverse influences. I intend it to be modern, certainly artisanal. Traditional babka is more bready; mine is meant to be eaten as a dessert, served perhaps with pistachio cardamom ice cream or poached seasonal fruit.”

His background in jewelry design can be seen in the eye-popping and luxurious look of his babkas that have taken Los Angeles by storm. Threaded throughout his creations are nods to the days when he cooked with his mother and grandmother. Making some of his loaves kosher and therefore dairy-free, he began his babka experiments using oil only. He then branched out to include a savory line of products featuring, in one case, a filling of za’atar, feta and mozzarella, enriched with olive oil. “I never wish to rest on my laurels; I enjoy changing the dough, making one more egg-rich and another enriched with butter, and still others in the savory category a bit leaner intended to end a dairy-based meal,” he says.

At Breads Bakery, Peleg uses a lightly sweetened laminated dough to create one-pound loaves. This dough lends itself

equally well to sweet and savory uses, such as a bialy-inspired version filled with onions and poppy seeds.

Nutella and chocolate chips are the attraction in another babka version, harkening back to Peleg’s childhood habit of eating the hazelnut spread on a spoon right from the jar. “I like to think that we have taken a product that was somewhat marginalized, even irrelevant, and made it fresh and new — all by hand using no preservatives or chemicals, while also spinning the flavor combinations just a little,” he says. “I am

fully focused — obsessed, even — with producing a line of babkas, baked several times daily, that have broad appeal for the traditionalists and those seeking something more ‘new wave,’ but above all, keeping it very accessible.”

Bourbon easily pairs with many foods, including apples pictured here, as well as veggies like carrots and savory dishes like short ribs.

The 2022 ACF Student Chef of the Year Award Winners // By John Bartimole

2022 ACF Student Chef of the Year Lindsay Peck, CC, Utah Valley University

Chef Lindsay Peck’s love of food came directly from the love that permeated her family’s dinners.

“Most important to me was having dinner together as a family,” she says. “To me, that was what made me love food — having dinner together. It was how we bonded, how we showed love.”

That fascination with food was only heightened by her affinity for a popular cable TV network.

“In my mid-teens, I started watching the Food Network, and I was absolutely blown away,” she says. “I watched these great dishes being created seemingly out of nowhere. I was hooked.”

Named the ACF 2022 Student Chef of the Year at the National Convention in Las Vegas in July last year, Chef Peck says she was “always fascinated” by food and the shows on the network — even though that didn’t translate immediately into a career path in culinary arts.

“My parents were very supportive of my life plans as I was deciding what to do. For a while, I wanted to go into marine biology — how much farther away from culinary arts can that be?” she says with a laugh. “But, after a while, I realized what I really liked was the idea of living on the ocean, not marine biology itself. I still love science, and when you think about it, the culinary arts really is a science.”

Chef Peck says she didn’t really know she would be going to culinary school until “about three months before the actual deadline” to apply. But, she says, when she was asked what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, the choice came into focus.

“I baked a lot as a teenager; I actually helped cater some wedding receptions and made some wedding cakes,” she says. “I always loved to learn from my dad, who also loves to cook.”

After graduating from Utah Valley University’s culinary program, Chef Peck is currently working under the

tutelage of ACF 2022 Chef of the Year Michael Shannon, CEC, at Boston’s Somerset Club, which traces its history to the mid-1800s. Already, Chef Peck has distinct plans laid out for her future — and that path was forged during her attendance at the ACF National Convention, where she was honored with her award.

Coincidentally, both the ACF Chef of the Year and Pastry Chef of the Year, Culinary Specialist First Class Petty Officer Danielle Hughes and Culinary Specialist Chief Petty Officer Troy Matthew Shaw, respectively, are in the U.S. Coast Guard; Chef Peck met both of them during the convention, where they were also honored. After learning about the Coast Guard’s culinary program, Chef Peck says she’s been seriously exploring that route.

“When I talked with them and they told me about the culinary opportunities available in the Coast Guard, I was both interested and impressed,” she says. “I love the ocean, I love to traveI, I love culinary — and this could be a golden opportunity to combine all of those loves into one career.”

For now, however, Chef Peck continues to hone her skills with Chef Shannon, and she plans to enter another compeition. “I still have so much to learn, especially the technical side of cooking,” she says. “Working with him is like being in culinary grad school. He’s teaching me so much, even about things such as menu planning and design.”

ACF Student Chef of the Year Lindsay Peck, CC, Utah Valley University

Despite her early accomplishments, Chef Peck remains humble about her skills. “Even during the competition, I never thought I was better than anyone else,” she says. “I did put a lot of work into the competition; I came up with 21 recipes, working with Chef (Todd) Leonard, CEC, the 2018 ACF Chef of the Year, to create absolutely delicious dishes. We worked around the clock to come up with those recipes.”

A recent culinary graduate, ACF Chef Sarrenity Dickson, CC , already has a busy but enjoyable life that has provided her with accolades for her baking prowess and a career that she says only recently came into focus during high school and college.

“When I was young, I baked all the time with my mom and grandma, and then it was just me doing most of the baking,” she says. “And though I loved to bake, I never thought it would become a career for me. At that time, I didn’t consider it a job option at all. I didn’t really realize the opportunity existed until I was out of high school and halfway through college.”

Slowly and as steadily as yeast causes dough to rise, the prospect of a career in culinary began to grow and take shape.

“I went to college at Utah Valley University, where I majored in education and math. I joined a dinner group and really enjoyed cooking, and the people in the group told me I was excellent at it. I then found out that UVU had a culinary major, so I thought I could double major. But then I discovered I liked culinary much more than I liked math,” she says with a laugh.

Unfortunately for Chef Dickson and millions of other students across the country, COVID-19 severely limited options

as the importance of social distancing eliminated most in-person opportunities, including competitions.

“Even though I was a culinary major, we couldn’t do competitions because of COVID,” she says. “Finally, I was able to enter a school competition at UVU, where my cake earned me a bronze medal. That’s when my competition journey really took off.”

Chef Dickson, whose father died in February last year, said that he, her mom and her mom’s husband were all very supportive of her culinary ambitions — and very appreciative of her talents. “I enjoy that. When I get together with my mom and her husband, we make coffee and have some of my cookies,” she says. “I could bake cookies all day, thousands of them. It doesn’t matter what they are — from fancy French cookies to regular chocolate chip cookies, I love to bake them all.”

Today, Chef Dickson continues to hone her craft at an assisted living facility — and she’s loving every minute of it, baking desserts for the residents for lunch and for dinner, and also serving as the culinary assistant manager of the facility.

“I derive so much joy from the people living here,” she says. “Let’s face it — almost everyone has a sweet tooth, and I look forward to giving the residents something sweet twice a day!”

Chef Dickson, who currently resides in Provo, Utah, plans to stay in the culinary industry for the long haul. “This is my career for life.”

2022 ACF Student Pastry Chef of the Year Sarrenity Dickson, CC, Utah Valley University

"I COULD BAKE COOKIES ALL DAY, THOUSANDS OF THEM. IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT THEY ARE — FROM FANCY FRENCH COOKIES TO REGULAR CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, I LOVE TO BAKE THEM ALL."

- 2022 ACF Student Pastry Chef of the Year Sarrenity Dickson, CC, Utah Valley University

2022 ACF Student Pastry Chef of the Year Sarrenity Dickson, CC, Utah Valley University

Classical

Chef Josh Wasky, CSC, CWPC, sous chef at the Roanoke Country Club in Roanoke, Virginia, fell in love with barbecue and pulled pork when he was a kid growing up in southern Maryland. “My parents took me to a barbecue restaurant for my fifth-grade graduation and it was life-altering for me,” says Chef Wasky, who’s been smoking his own meats for many years as a chef and has even participated in barbecue competitions. For his signature pulled pork , he starts with a bold rub blending spices like paprika, chili powder and a “good amount of black pepper,” and then smokes the meat strictly with cherrywood and applewood (no charcoal) in a reverse-flow trailer smoker outdoors for about eight hours. He sprays the pork with a touch of water every so often to help the smoke flavor “bind” to the meat and provide moisture. He serves the pork with the usual fixings: collard greens, homemade French fries, tangy coleslaw and cornbread.

Modern

For a modern version, Chef Wasky extracts the “money muscle” cut from the pork shoulder. He slices it into semi-thin chunks and tops it with pickled mustard seeds and pickled red onion, setting it all atop a cherry-bourbon gastrique. The super tender cut also gets paired with some crispy barbecue-spiced kale chips; a little caviar-topped rounded pommes soufflé for an elegant riff on the fries; a dollop of a bacon fat-egg white emulsion; and some bright green kale puree for color. “In most barbecue competitions, your pork box will have three different styles: the pulled pork, the chunks of meat on the bone and the money muscle you can slice thin for a super tender cut,” Chef Wasky says. Whether served classically or modernized, “It’s a goal of mine to make barbecue more available here in Southwest Virginia.”

For recipes, visit wearechefs.com .

CLASSICAL

CLASSICAL MODERN vs.

Photo credits: Eli Schopp

What it takes to attract the best and be a better employer today

By Jody Shee

Hiring solid young chefs is like speed dating. Hopefully you don’t have to go through too many to find your perfect match. As it is, two-thirds of operators report not having enough short-order cooks, and 32% say the culinary skill in their kitchen is lower than it was two years ago, according to Datassential’s “One Table: The State of the Operator & the Road Ahead” 2022 report.

During the pandemic, experienced workers used the downtime to reevaluate their priorities, and many changed careers, says Alice Cheng, founder and CEO of Culinary Agents Inc., a culinary career website that helps connect the hospitality industry with adept culinary workers nationwide.

As a result of staffing shortages, both skilled talent and those in training have many employment choices. It’s time to revisit and repackage your value proposition in order to attract top talent.

Sell Your Employer Brand

“We see cooks of all ages wanting to know up front what you offer — and not just compensation,” Cheng says. “Increase the level of transparency in the recruiting process. Explain out of the gate your benefits, available training and career advancement opportunities.”

“Think about those things and package your employer brand and value proposition, then put it out there,” Cheng

adds. “You are selling yourself. Make it clear, uncomplicated and genuine.”

Nowadays, there’s more backand-forth about the growth path with potential employees before hiring them, says Chef Jeremy Soares , chef tournant for The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Florida. Previously, promotion to the next level was assumed after working hard to get there, and that path was not set in stone. Now, he articulates up front what potential staffers will do for the first six months and where they will progress from there.

Casino Arizona in Scottsdale offers an apprenticeship program in concert with college culinary programs and the nonprofit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which reaches into high school culinary arts programs. The apprenticeship program pulls in aspiring chefs, which helps ACF member and Executive Chef Andrew Helmandollar

to fill and replenish his crew of 230 spanning nine food venues.

He is keenly aware that young culinarians have other appealing work options, including gig websites allowing them to work when they want. To answer that, Casino Arizona gives workers something more valuable. “They will get training, certification and have no debt through this program,” Chef Helmandollar says.

The Breakers Palm Beach luxury resort in Florida, sells itself through advertising, periodic on-premises job fairs, culinary school externships, and perhaps most effectively, employee referrals, says ACF member and Executive Chef Jeff Simms, HAAC.

When applying for a job, the younger generation frequently asks what The Breakers does for the community, Chef Simms says. A community-minded, giving-back ethos is actually one of the company’s selling points. New hires

Alice Cheng, founder and CEO of Culinary Agents Inc.

“ Increase the level of transparency in the recruiting process. Explain out of the gate your benefits, available training and career advancement opportunities.”

spend a half day of their orientation volunteering in the community. This may be at a food bank, animal shelter or Habitat for Humanity, for example. Additionally, each employee gets 16 hours of paid time off per year to volunteer. Sometimes, entire departments participate in a community initiative.

Convey Your Culture

Your company culture is far less tangible than the fringe benefits you offer, but culture contributes to job satisfaction and retention. “Find ways to creatively and directly give a glimpse into your company culture,” Cheng advises. “What does your website look like? Do you have a social media presence? What are others saying about you? Young cooks look online and on apps to get inspired and motivated.”

Part of culture is the way in which you validate your employees. “They want to feel they are contributing and that they mean something. Everyone wants to feel they are important,” Chef Helmandollar says. Thus, he emphasizes that there are no small jobs in the kitchen. “Every job has a purpose.”

Knowing the culture ahead of time is so important to 19-year-old student Alxs Norman Galit that he likes to stage for a day or two before applying to a job in order to get a feel for the environment. He is working on his associate degree in culinary arts at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona. “I love cooking, but I want to make sure it feels like a right fit for me and that I’m in the right spot and being taken care of,” he says.

A culture focus works both ways at The Breakers. The company website describes its team as being full of “driven, compassionate people devoted to giving back.” To achieve that, the company’s No. 1 hiring criteria is a good cultural fit. In fact, Chef Simms chooses

ACF Career Center

When was the last time you visited the ACF Career Center? As a job seeker, you can search through available job listings, as well as create a visible profile, post your resume and set preferences to receive alerts when there’s a potential match. The ACF Career Center also offers a list of career coaches to contact, as well as resources and consultants for building a new resume or updating an existing one, improving your LinkedIn profile for enhanced search engine optimization (SEO) and much more. As an employer, consider listing your available jobs to attract top talent through ACF; current data shows there are about 9,500 average page views for employers each month. Active ACF members earn discounts for posting jobs. Visit jobs.acfchefs.org to get started.

ACF Executive Chef Andrew Helmandollar with apprentices Silvia Urais and Carlos Lagardo at Scottsdale’s Casino Arizona, which offers an apprenticeship program on concert with C-CAP for high school studnts.

cultural fit over culinary experience. “We know how to cook. If applicants have a great attitude, we can teach them how to cook,” he says. “We hire great people and find a place to put them instead of hiring for positions.”

Focus on Training and Mentoring

Anyone aspiring to be a chef wants to work with and for people from whom they can learn, Cheng says. “Put some structure around training and show your new hires that you want to invest in their growth within your company, and you want to support them. Showing them that they will be set up for success is always well received.”

Through the C-CAP program, Casino Arizona is currently training 12 high school students via an apprenticeship program that allows them to work positions in each of the casino’s nine food venues. “They are learning skills, and they love it,” Chef Helmandollar says. Additionally, he participates in six different culinary education boards from the high school level through college. This puts him in touch with the best rising culinary talent. With the 24/7 casino operation, he’s able to work with the students’ school schedules.

Chef Soares with the Ritz-Carlton Orlando also prepares local high school and college students for culinary work in the hospitality industry. “This past year we held a culinary competition for local county high schools,” he says. “We gave them the ballroom and a one-plate challenge. We were the judges and mentors. These were 14- to 17-year-olds not ready for the work world, but we were sewing seeds to excite them about cooking and for our company.”

At The Breakers, Chef Simms crosstrains his team members among three areas (garde manger, banquet kitchen

“We know how to cook. If applicants have a great attitude, we can teach them how to cook. We hire great people and find a place to put them instead of hiring for positions.”

Chef Jeff Simms, HAAC

and pastry operation) so that all can fill in where needed. Additionally, after six months of employment, team members can apply for another position within the company, which includes cross-training or job shadowing, he says. This freedom of movement within the company may be one reason the company has an 80% average retention rate, according to internal data.

Improve the Hiring Experience

Tighten up your entire hiring process from the job post to how quickly you respond to potential candidates, Cheng says. “Every interaction counts and leaves an impression.” For large operations, this requires concerted coordination with the human resources department so that everyone understands and agrees on procedures and timeframes.

Lessons Learned from the 2022 ACF Student Team of the Year Award Winners

ACF Chef Frank Costantino, CEC, CCE, CCA, CEPC, AAC, knows the recipe for creating a successful student culinary team. “Of course, you have to have skilled students; that goes without saying,” he says. “But even more important is attitude and how coachable the students are. A lot of it is chemistry within the group members.”

Chef Costantino, dean of the Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College, certainly put together a winning team at his school: The team took home the ACF’s 2022 Student Team of the Year Award at the National Convention in July last year in Las Vegas. Since there were no regional qualifiers for the national competition last year, Chef Costantino knew he had to mold his team through practice and individual competitions to be prepared to compete for the first time together at convention.

“We began qualifying competitions for the team in December and started training camp in April for the national event,” he says. “I always liked our chances of winning the [ACF] national competition. The key was for them to work together and to stay focused. They were able to do that and to focus on the drama of accomplishment rather than the drama of day-to-day challenges.0”

Student Chef Kennedy Graves, the team’s student leader and captain, says it’s “impossible to sum up the experience in just one word. It was fun, it was harrowing, it was challenging. Of course, I was trying to keep everyone together and focused.”

“Speaking for the team, this was definitely an accomplishment,” she adds. “When I began here as a freshman almost two years ago, I couldn’t even imagine this. It’s just such a great feeling.”

Chef Costantino says the honor is something the team’s members can laud when they begin pursuing positions in the profession. “It’s a great calling card,” he says. “This experience really accelerated their learning. It’s a big boost for their careers.”

It’s a major boon for the college and its culinary program, too, he adds. “This is a validation of the type of program we run here at Monroe,” Chef Costantino says. “This will certainly help in the recruitment of future students.”

The 2022 ACF Student Team of the Year, the Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College

Quick and professional responses are just as important for busy smaller chef/ owner operations. “Remember, you and the candidate are both trying to find a fit. You have the upper hand. Put your best foot forward,” Cheng says.

When hiring, Chef Soares is now more focused on making better use of the interview set-up phone call. Rather than spend a few minutes on the phone finding out candidates’ availability to meet, he spends more time asking them to tell him about themselves. Besides gathering information more informally, he’s able to gauge their conversation comfort level. “If they aren’t as vocal, maybe I will set up our in-person meeting in the lobby, so they feel more comfortable and less targeted,” he says. “We’ve all seen people who are not good in interviews but are great employees.”

Hiring technique aside, Chef Soares is clear on one point. “We are losing a lot in culinary technique ability,” he says. “I emphasize they must hone their craft. Creativity will come along. Nowadays, they look for the glamorous parts now, but it takes experience and time to get to that point.”

“Creativity will come along. Nowadays, they look for the glamorous parts now, but it takes experience and time to get to that point.”

Chef Jeremy Soares, chef tournant for The RitzCarlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Orlando, Florida

What These 3 Up-and-Coming Chefs Want Hiring Chefs to Know

You’re a trained, experienced culinarian charged with hiring tomorrow’s professional chefs. Their idealism is not only commendable, it’s instructional. Check out the mindset of a few emerging chef hopefuls, including what they wish you knew about their generation.

When ACF Young Chefs Club President Isaiah Gerrard, 20, graduates from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley, California, he dreams of a positive work environment in several ways. He desires a hiring chef who will give him advice and discuss what he wants to do in the future. It would also make him feel more valuable if he was asked for ideas for specials or given the opportunity to provide input on the chef’s ideas, he says.

Gerrard also thinks kitchen staff family meals are important — even if it’s just 20 minutes. He says this fosters camaraderie and a better kitchen environment.

“Be patient with us,” are Gerrard’s words of advice to those hiring. “Leave room for mistakes, and understand they most likely will happen. Guide and mentor from there.” To lessen the mistakes, he suggests plenty of one-on-one time with the chef guiding the new employee in a task. Gerrard recalls how one chef timed him on a task, urging him to complete it in a specific timeframe. “That motivated me to push myself further,” he says.

The biggest pitfall to avoid when working with new young employees is “putting too much on their plate all at once. There are a lot of responsibilities in the kitchen. Incorporate more responsibility once you see their potential in everything,” Gerrard says. Burnout for new hires happens when they are thrown too many things to remember all at once. “Leave room for growth.”

In culinary school at Scottsdale Community College, Scottsdale, Arizona, Alxs Norman Galit, 19,

hears his classmates talk about the industry and what they would change if they were the ones doing the hiring. “Most of them say that our generation is looking for meaning, learning, growing, developing new skills and finding community,” he says. “We are the future industry leaders, and we want to learn from the best and leave an impact for the next generation to come.”

He likes to vet a potential job by staging first. Otherwise, in the past, he’s felt like he was thrown into a pit of fire. “There was no appropriate training and no learning being done. That’s not a place you want to work at,” he says.

Chef Julia Spondike, 24, is used to working hard, having already entered the culinary work world. A spring 2021 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York, she was recently named executive sous chef at The Hotel at Oberlin in Oberlin, Ohio. “I really feel young people need to be incentivized. If there’s a reward for good work and praise and encouragement, that goes a long way,” she says.

Those in her generation are easily bored and spend hours on their phone watching 15-second videos before moving on to the next thing, she says. She advises culinary employers to provide opportunities for cross-training and learning different stations and tasks on the line in the hot kitchen. “Keep their mind occupied and learning. If I’m not learning in a position, I start to phase myself out of that position.”

Chef Spondike knows the work-life balance suffers in the culinary field. “But what burns people out is not being able to take time for themselves and having to work too long and hard.” Have an acceptable set work schedule for good morale. “I want a place that makes me and others happy.”

A previous bad experience with a yelling boss left her in tears. “I don’t like the preconceptions of kitchens being hard with screaming and yelling at each other. That shouldn’t be what kitchen life is like. Encourage and work collaboratively.”

She’s also keen on competitive pay, meaning she would value three- to six-month job performance reviews. Those who work hard and show improvement should make more than those who are not willing to improve themselves, she says.

Let's Talk About TOFU

The menued tofu of yesteryear landed on the plate alongside bean sprouts and whole-grain bread at vegetarian cafes. Today, consumers and chefs look at the soy category through the modern lens of plant-based proteins.

While it’s rare for mainstream restaurant customers to specifically request soy, they do appreciate plant-forward and plantbased fare, says ACF Chef Jay Ziobrowski, CEC , corporate R&D chef for Morrison Healthcare, Charlotte, North Carolina, a part of Compass Group North America. His measured soy solution is to include tofu with other ingredients in plant-focused dishes, as in Quinoa Cauliflower Falafel with Tofu.

At David’s Restaurant and David’s 388 in Portland, Maine, ACF Chef/Proprietor David Gould Turin, CEC , notes that about 15% of guests are looking for plant-based alternatives. In his menu development, he thinks in terms of table makers. That is, if a party of six walks in and one has a special dietary concern, he wants to make sure there’s something on the menu that

Left: ACF Chef David Gould Turin, CEC, proprietor of David’s Restaurant and David’s 388 in Portland, Maine. Right: ACF Chef Jay Ziobrowski, CEC, corporate R&D chef for Morrison Healthcare, Charlotte, North Carolina, a part of Compass Group North America.

This ancient soy product offers many nutritional benefits, a clean label and a blank canvas for culinary exploration // By Jody Shee

will make the table, or appease the one who otherwise would not find anything satisfying on the menu. He’s careful to include and label menu items that are vegetarian or vegan, or can be made such, along with gluten-free and those containing nuts. Soy is one of his table-maker go-tos. He makes a vegan Bolognese sauce with textured soy protein.

Vegan Moorings

A good one-third of the student body at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, is vegan, says ACF Chef Scott Turley, CEC, AAC , executive chef and chief culinary officer. Thus, tofu is expected. The school goes through more than 700 pounds of tofu per week, serving 400 to 500 portions per meal period. Among the most popular dishes on offer are Asian Style Garlic Tofu, Tikka Masala Tofu, Spicy Tofu and Tempura-Style Tofu.

Chef Turley achieves the best tofu flavors following a few secrets he’s

Above: ACF Chef Scott Turley, CEC, AAC, executive chef and chief culinary officer, Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa. Right: Tofu dishes from Grinnel College.

discovered. One is purchasing fresh, local tofu. He buys extra firm tofu from a small producer about 70 miles away in Iowa City, Iowa. “I am not a tofu fan, but when you taste fresh tofu versus what’s been packaged for months, it’s like night and day,” he says. “It’s almost artisanal.”

Second, to heighten flavor absorption and to achieve the best texture, Chef Turley fries the tofu before he marinates it for 24 hours. For his Asian Garlic Tofu, he presses the tofu to release moisture, then cubes it and deep fries it to crispy. Then he marinates in a mixture of hoisin sauce, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and vegetable stock. For service, he heats sunflower oil and adds sesame seeds and the tofu. He garnishes with green onions.

The Nutritional Benefits of Soy

Soybeans are the legumes of dietary legend, having been consumed for centuries by some Asian populations. Mark Messina, Ph.D., M.S. , executive director of the Soy Nutrition Institute Global (pictured), offers these facts about soy.

Proteins differ in quality, which is determined by their digestibility and composition of amino acids — the building blocks of protein. While plant proteins are generally lower in quality than animal protein, the quality of the protein in tofu is similar to the quality of animal protein.

Pre-fried tofu leftovers freeze well and can later be added to the salad bar as fried tofu. “There’s almost zero waste with tofu,” Chef Turley says.

Tofu Stand-Ins

In his role at Morrison Healthcare, Chef Ziobrowski looks at food as medicine. “I have over 300 special diets I’m looking at and making sure I’m meeting them,” he says. “What you put in your body is what you get out of it. I believe in the power of food.”

With its position in the plant-forward camp, tofu works on the plate in multiple ways. For example, Chef Ziobrowski has developed tofu ribs. Tofu is sliced to look like ribs and then given a hard sear to give it a crust. Add barbecue sauce, and it’s a formidable stand-in for meat ribs. In similar fashion, he also makes Blackened Tofu Steak. He cuts a tofu block into strips, sears to blacken and then roasts, grills or pan fries on the flat top. He fans it out like steak strips or serves whole. This requires firm tofu and blackening seasoning, he adds.

Tofu can play along with many flavor profiles. For example, Chicken Coconut Curry easily becomes Tofu Coconut Curry, says Chef Johnny Curet, CEC, AAC , director of campus dining for Rice University, Houston. “If we are serving a TexMex night, our fajitas options might be grilled beef, chicken and tofu.” The grill station has marinated hot grilled tofu, while

In addition to being high in quality, soy protein directly lowers blood cholesterol levels. It provides healthful polyunsaturated fat and both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.

In Japan, individuals consume about nine grams of soy protein per day, compared to only about one gram among the U.S. population. Traditional Asian soy foods such as tofu are uniquely rich sources of isoflavones, which are naturally occurring plant compounds. Isoflavones are under study for a variety of health benefits, including protection against breast and prostate cancer.

Most food allergic reactions among Americans, about 90%, stem from any of eight allergens; soy is one. However, the prevalence of allergy for these eight foods varies markedly. Surveys indicate that only about three out of every 1,000 U.S. adults are allergic to soy protein.

Chef Johnny Curet, CEC, AAC, director of campus dining for Rice University, Houston, Texas.

the create-your-own deli station has seasoned sliced tofu to make a sandwich. Plain tofu is available on the custom salad action station and the salad bar.

Breakfast Breaks

Breakfast is a good place to launch a tofu item. According to the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot 2023 Culinary Forecast survey, veggie-forward breakfasts (as in vegan tofu scramble, breakfast relleno, etc.) rank in the top three breakfast trends.

At the “Eggs for You” station at Grinnell College, students can cook their own eggs, adding in the ingredients they want. The Vegan Tofu Scrambler features a premade batter with tofu, turmeric and spices. Students can add pre-sliced vegetables and scramble it all together. One breakfast wrap option features veggies, bean sprouts and tofu, Chef Turley says.

To make tofu scramble at Morrison Healthcare, Chef Ziobrowski pulses firm tofu in the Robot Coupe, adds oil to the hot pan and sautes such vegetables as spinach, onion, peppers and mushrooms to sweat them, then stirs in the crumbled tofu, soy sauce and curry powder.

But above all, Chef Ziobrowski warns that tofu doesn’t sell itself. “It’s all about educating your servers and those on the front line for us,” he says. “You need someone excited to push it. Training helps.”

"WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR BODY IS WHAT YOU GET OUT OF IT. I BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF FOOD."

- ACF Chef Jay Ziobrowski, CEC

The World is Their Oyster

Culinary educators today start earlier at the high school level to show the many career opportunities that await

Food stylist, winemaker, event planner, nutritionist. These are all jobs that fall within the realm of culinary arts but are not the jobs students typically think of when they apply to culinary school. Most usually aspire to become a restaurant chef.

Culinary educators, however, and especially those at the secondary level, find great joy in opening their pupils’ eyes to the much broader world in foodservice that awaits students upon graduation.

Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas, regularly hosts guest speakers to show students different career options. Recently, the general manager and a human resources employee from the local Hilton hotel visited to talk about different roles students could pursue at the hotel.

Educators at the high school also take students on field trips to different establishments. “Some of them have never seen a giant hotel or the back of house of an operation,” says ACF Chef Victoria Hooker, CCC, CCE, MBA , academy facilitator and culinary arts instructor at Byron Nelson, the only ACFaccredited secondary school in Texas. “Until they see it, it’s empty words coming out of my mouth. We can now take them on more field trips so they have more exposure.” One field trip took students to a local community college, also to expose them to available paths they could follow.

Students also get to practice their skills on campus by running the dining room — cooking, serving, providing customer service and learning how to deal with mistakes. “It’s really pushing them,” Chef Hooker points out.

Another school training kids for a career in culinary is Arizona College Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, which is now in its second year.

One of the first things students accomplish is getting their food handler’s permit “so right away they’re employable, and some go out and get jobs,” says teacher and ACF Chef Jennifer Hudson, who is pursuing both her ACF certification and accreditation for the school. She keeps a job board showing what’s available and how much the jobs pay; she updates it regularly.

With this permit, students can also begin working culinary events and hopefully making a product that’s consistent enough to sell at the school store, Chef Hudson says. The dream, however, is to have a food truck the students can run. If and when that happens, Chef Hudson plans to put the students to work on that

By Amanda Baltazar

front, researching how much it will cost, how they could pay for it, how to handle insurance for it and so forth.

To learn about different careers, students at the school undertake a research project and present it to the class. “They look at entry-level careers and research technical careers that require an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree and more advanced jobs that need a bachelor’s degree or Ph.D.,” Chef Hudson says.

“Some of these kids are very good at math and science and are very interested in food science,” she says. “Some do internships at places like NASA; they think about what type of foods astronauts need and what are their nutritional needs in space.” For the record, ACF maintains a longstanding partnership with NASA’s HUNCH program, which recruits students for its annual culinary challenge to create a recipe for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

Even if students don’t end up pursuing a culinary career, Chef Hudson says, “we’re setting them up for life. We talk about cost analysis, how to buy ingredients and shopping in season.” Students learn how to lead, follow, resolve conflict and correct mistakes, she adds.

Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, Arizona, draws in high school graduates for its culinary program, where ACF Chef Ashley Holian is in her first year as program director, having graduated from the school in 2009.

First and foremost, the goal is to develop wellrounded culinary students, says Chef Holian. One way she’s doing that is by bringing in a lot of guest speakers. Because the school is ACF-accredited, a lot of ACF members visit. “We offer opportunities for our students to engage with professionals in the industry who are no longer kitchen-bound and have gone into sales or marketing or have their own coffee places,” she says. “So we do try to get them in front of industry people.”

Speakers might include a sommelier talking about his or her transition from culinary to wine; or someone might talk about their experience in culinary school

//

and how they went from that to where they are now. The school is also trying to bring in a lot of female chefs. “These people can answer questions and give more context for students who have preconceived notions,” says Chef Holian.

For experience, the culinary program has intentionally stayed away from internships in favor of its own student-run restaurant. That way, “they can do that simulation [of a restaurant experience] without going outside, and it’s a little more controlled,” says Chef Holian, who notes that the 30 enrolled students are broken up into pods of 10. “So at any given moment, we have a cohort making the breads and desserts; another making hot foods and appetizers; and another doing the front of house.”

As for discussing the students’ future careers, there are rarely, if ever, formal one-on-one talks. “We’re in the trenches daily with them so these conversations are mostly had in real time, especially once we get to know them,” Chef Holian says. “The conversations tend to happen organically, and it makes for a bit more of an enjoyable conversation rather than putting them on the spot. More conversations come up, too, and that sparks discussion.”

ACFEF Accreditation

Accreditation is the primary public symbol of legitimate higher education and that standards of the highest quality are being met. Attending a culinary program that is accredited by the ACFEF assures that the program is meeting standards for faculty, curriculum and student services and that students are learning and obtaining relevant industry skill competencies.

Here are some of the benefits of ACFEF accreditation:

• Increases program prestige at a national level

• Can be used as a strong marketing tool for recruiting students

• H elps to obtain Perkins funding and federal grants

• Students earn industry-recognized ACF certification upon graduation

To learn more about seeking ACFEF accreditation for your school or program, visit acfchefs.org/ACF/ Education

To find a program, visit acfchefs.org/ACF/Education/ Programs

Clockwise from left: ACF Chef Victoria Hooker, CEC, CCE, MBA, academy facilitator for Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas (far right) with students; ACF Chef Jennifer Hudson, a culinary arts teacher at Arizona College Prep High School; ACF Chef Ashley Holian, program director, Scottsdale Community College; students in the kitchen at Scottsdale Community College.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CORPORATE SALES CHEF:

ACF Chef Peter Hyde, Catania Oils

Q: How did you transition to your role as corporate sales chef with Catania Oils after many years in the industry?

A: I’ve been with Catania Oils for three and a half years. I’ve been a chef for 30 years, having owned my own restaurant and worked my way up from dishwasher, line cook, sous chef and eventually to executive chef of several hotels and resorts. I’ve worked in specialty food sales as well, but I really like my current job because I get to meet with other chefs from all segments of the industry. Recently, I was traveling with a sales rep, going in the back door of restaurants and country clubs and multiunit locations. The sales rep warned me that the chef we were going to visit was very particular about certain products and might not want to consider something different. However, when I met with him for our appointment, we talked about food and exchanged ideas and had a great conversation. It’s a chef thing; chefs know how to talk to other chefs, and they enjoy it! I am fortunate that I get to do that all day long, which is essential to my job.

Q: What’s a typical day like for you?

A: I have my own customer base, so I manage that and then I also travel to sales meetings, trade shows, events, conventions. I might be at a sales meeting, presenting in front of people one day, meeting with a potential new customer another day, cooking and serving samples at a trade show or giving an educational presentation at a convention another day. It’s all about organized multitasking and working with lots of different people in different roles.

Q: How do you educate other chefs about your products?

A: I love the education piece of my job. There’s nothing better than to not only educate other chefs, but also salespeople about why certain products work better in certain dishes. Since salespeople are not often trained chefs, a corporate chef can help them understand how to better sell their product. When you’re a corporate chef, you’re the one who gets to create that excitement and energy that gives sales reps more motivation to sell the product. I also spend time in test kitchens experimenting with our products, so I can come up with new ideas to share with our customers and stay up to date on my own knowledge and skills.

Q: What are some of the tools you use to educate others about your products?

A: I use a variety of training materials, including digital and even some printed documents, although we’re getting away from that. I also enjoy filming short videos under three minutes and sharing them on LinkedIn and Instagram. One day, I’d love to create or help create a course that’s ACF-approved on plant-based oils. Another thing I’m seeing is that you must keep up with changes in foodservice to improve your training tools. To that end, I’ve been working on making our training tools geared specifically toward Spanish-speaking chefs and foodservice employees. It’s not as simple as just translating the English materials verbatim. By doing this, we are the ones who are adapting by being able to reach a chef or restaurant owner through their native language; the chef doesn’t have to adapt or change. It’s our job to keep up with changes in the industry.

Q: What are some of the benefits of being a corporate chef?

A: As mentioned, I enjoy talking to chefs all day about food and cooking. I also get to travel quite a bit, so I get to work in all different parts of the country with a lot of different people. It’s exciting to visit new places and definitely keeps me on my toes!

Q: What’s your advice for budding chefs or students who might want a career as a corporate chef one day?

A: The first thing I would say is get as much experience as you can working in a kitchen and really exhaust all of those possibilities. You need to be able to go into your toolbox of knowledge and draw from any of those experiences. For example, when I set up for a show and I’m cooking food, I have to be able to make that happen quickly, stay very organized, have all my mise en place, and be prepared to cook for 50 people, 500, 1,000 or even more people at a time. You have to be prepared to do that and one thing that teaches you how is actually working in a kitchen and learning how to manage your time, your ingredients, and remain calm under pressure. I also suggest getting a job in foodservice sales for a while to learn what it’s all about. I was a rep for a specialty food company and that helped me learn how to listen and communicate with others and not get frazzled. If you do both of those things, you will have kitchen skills and business skills and can put them together. You can become a very well-rounded chef who has the ability to market yourself in ways that pays dividends in the end!

Cooking by his mother’s side as a child and working in restaurants as a teen, ACF Chef Peter Hyde embraced the culinary world at a young age. He trained in hotels and resorts in the U.S. and traveled to Europe, including Rome, Italy, to visit where he was born; he eventually began working as a chef at the Hotel Bellevue Palace in Bern, Switzerland. Returning to Boston, Chef Hyde served as the executive sous chef for Swissotel and then furthered his career as an executive chef for DoubleTree Hotels, Hyatt and Starwood. Eventually finding his way to Cape Cod, he culminated his career with his own restaurant, the Blue Moon Bistro. Chef Hyde also served as president of the ACF Cape Cod & Islands chapter for more than 10 years and was awarded the President’s Medallion by the Epicurean Club of Boston.

Pasta Perfection

Forget paleo. Forget keto. Forget gluten-free. Despite the inroads made by those special diets, pasta perennially takes center stage on restaurant menus, from fast-casual to finedining. Whether extruded from precision

If you need to be convinced of the virtues of putting pasta front and center on a menu, talk to Chef Jeff Michaud , owner of the almost 16-year-old Osteria in Philadelphia, where he runs a highly successful house-made pasta program. “Pasta made in house can’t be beat,” he says. “We offer seasonal pasta-based dishes family style that become the centerpieces of our menu.”

To keep abreast of trends and instill a love of Italy for those lucky few who travel with him, Chef Michaud leads food tours, focusing on different parts of the country — from the Piedmont region to Lombardy, Friuli and the Italian Alps.

“Inspired by these food trips, I bring back new ideas for dishes using our in-housemade pastas such as fazzoletti, which are incredibly thin sheets of dough like handkerchiefs topped with a guinea hen ragu and caramelized pears,” he says.

machines in a restaurant kitchen, mixed and rolled by hand or purchased from an artisanal pasta maker, this comforting favorite appeals to restaurant owners and the dining public alike.

“We have also made tiny, ring-shaped anellini with a saffron besciamella (bechamel sauce) and poached mussels. From Lombardy, I was inspired to recreate casoncelli bresciani, large rustic ravioli-like pasta filled with sausage,

Made in-house or sourced from outside, this dough-based favorite stands the test of time // By ACF Pastry Chef Robert Wemischner

honey, butternut squash and sage.”

Another popular dish includes the specialties of two regions: Campania for the pasta and EmiliaRomagna in the north for the sauce. “This mashup works well in cooler months when we make candele (long tubular candleshaped pasta) with a cinghiale (wild boar) Bolognese sauce,” says Chef Michaud. “Spring has its own pleasures, with lighter, vegetable-forward presentations with fresh peas, asparagus and other jewels of the season.”

Chef Michaud always creates his pasta dishes being mindful of how the shape of the pasta holds or absorbs the sauce with which the dish is served.

“Using flour from nearby Castle Valley Mill, which uses a stone mill to process Pennsylvania-grown grain, we can create a reliably consistent set of pasta shapes,” he says. “We dedicate a few people to the pasta-making section of our kitchen, which is outfitted with equipment that allows us to produce a great variety of shapes, both filled and flat.”

Fueling this in-house pasta-making trend is Emilio Mitidieri , owner of Emiliomiti, which provides a wide range of machines including extruders, sheeters, pasta dryers and ravioli makers, among others, all of which are made to fit into a kitchen’s batterie de cuisine. “Dishes including pasta have a certain added pizzazz when in the hands of American chefs such as Michaud, Marc Vetri , Jonathan Benno and many others,” Mitidieri says. “These genius chefs add a certain something even to the traditional

"Pastaia," or pasta maker, Leah Ferrazzani, Semolina Artisanal Pasta, supplies chefs with artisan pastas using locally milled fresh grains. Products include her rotini (opposite) and strozzapreti (above, credit Shanley Kellis).; There are a wide variety of pasta-making devices and machinery available for chefs to make their own noodles in-house (bottom).

“DISHES INCLUDING PASTA HAVE A CERTAIN ADDED PIZZAZZ WHEN IN THE HANDS OF AMERICAN CHEFS.”

- Emilio Mitidieri

dishes of my homeland. I am inspired by the passion of chefs who wish to incorporate authentic pastas onto their menus. I design machines that can facilitate the making of small and large batches of pasta from a wide range of American-grown wheat varieties. Working with flour when making pasta is a science that we take seriously. It’s part of our culture, and I try to transmit that information to curious and enterprising chefs who are committed to presenting the great pasta dishes of all parts of my country.”

For the past eight years, Leah Ferrazzani, “pastaia,” or pasta maker, and owner of Semolina Artisanal Pasta, based in Pasadena, California, has provided freshly made pasta to local chefs and consumers alike. Ferrazzani turns out about 150,000 pounds of pasta per year; all of her products are certified organic and dried at low temperatures, only using precision bronze dyes to create a rough surface texture that holds sauce just so. “We are still very hands-on and therefore responsive to the changes seasonally in the flour,” she says. “Using 100% Americangrown milled wheat from North Dakota and Montana, we focus on making [pasta] that’s high quality, flavorful and actually tastes like something instead of merely

“USING 100% AMERICAN-GROWN MILLED WHEAT FROM NORTH DAKOTA AND MONTANA, WE FOCUS ON MAKING [PASTA] THAT’S HIGH QUALITY, FLAVORFUL AND ACTUALLY TASTES LIKE SOMETHING INSTEAD OF MERELY BEING A SAUCE DELIVERY SYSTEM.”

- Leah Ferrazzani

Left: Chefs are sourcing heritage wheats for new wave pasta dough; Right: Pasta-maker Leah Ferrazzani’s organic rigatoni with a simple marinara.

being a sauce delivery system. We strive for that wheat-driven nutty aromatic quality that adds one more layer of complexity to a dish.”

Instagram star Linda Miller Nicholson , founder of Salty Seattle, a boutique pasta producer, and author of “Pasta, Pretty Please: A Vibrant Approach to Handmade Noodles,” creates rainbow-colored, ricotta-based gnocchi, which she calls crocchi due to its micro-croissant shape. “Depending on its type (flour, potato, ricotta) and its place of origin, the humble gnocchi could arguably be included in the broader category of pasta,” she says. “I don’t split hairs and instead focus on weaving vegetable-based colors into the gnocchi mix. Using real vegetables including kale, spinach, beets and spices such as turmeric and annatto, among others, our pasta is nutrient-dense and holds its vibrant color with quick boiling directly from the freezer.”

Endlessly diverse and appealing, whether served simply sauced or filled, made in house or outsourced, pasta dishes offer a taste of history and tradition in one bite.

4 Pasta Books

Considering making your own pasta in house? Check out these helpful books.

“Sauces

and Shapes: Pasta the Italian Way” by Oretta Zanini de Vita and Maureen B. Fant

“Pasta by Design” by George L. Legendre

“Pasta by Hand: A Collection of Italy’s Regional HandShaped Pasta” by Jenn Louis

“Pasta, Pretty Please: A Vibrant Approach to Handmade Noodles” by Linda Miller Nicholson

NCR Quiz

March/April 2023

By Robert Penry

Chef Jeremy Soares of the Ritz-Carlton Orlando has used what method to get 14- to 17-year-olds excited about the foodservice industry and potentially one day working for Ritz-Carlton?

a. Field Trips

b. Culinary Competitions

c. A pprenticeships

d. Stages

What is the main flavor component of the Lebanese-inspired sauce traditionally named Toum?

Which organization, that reaches into high school culinary arts programs, does Casino Arizona in Scottsdale work with as part of building their apprenticeship program?

a. ProStart

b. SkillsUSA

c. FCCLA

d. C -CAP

Which author wrote “Pasta by Hand: A Collection of Italy’s Regional HandShaped Pasta”?

a. Jenn Louis

What causes the worst time management problem according to ACF Chef Les Eckert, CEPC, CCE, AAC, MBA?

a. Staff being stretched too thin

b. Poor anticipation of needs

c. Not keeping an updated calendar

d. Both A and C

In an effort to keep competition practice ingredients chilled, ACF Culinary Team USA Captain Chef Dan Holtgrave, CEC, uses portioned stock that has been frozen into flat sheets as ice packs.

a. Tr ue

b. Fa lse

Etymologically speaking, babka comes from baba, which is the Polish word for what?

a. Mother

b. Father

c. Grandmother

d. Grandfather

Staple ingredients of Levantine cuisine include chickpeas, feta, eggplant, peppers, mint, yogurt and an abundance of animal proteins.

a. Tr ue

b. Fa lse

Which popular condiment or spread has origins in the Ottoman Empire and is consumed heavily throughout the eastern part of Turkey?

a. Muhammara

b. L abneh

c. Ti rokafteri

d. Moutabel

a. Su mac

b. R ose water

c. Garlic

d. Parsley

Although the quality of soy protein is similar to animal protein, individuals in the U.S. population only consume about one gram per day compared to the consumed daily by individuals in Japan.

a. f ive grams

b. seven grams

c. nine grams

d. eleven grams

b. Oretta Zanini

c. L inda Miller Nicholson

d. George L. Legendre

What is a benefit of having an educational culinary program accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF)?

a. Helps to obtain Perkins funding and federal grants

b. Can be used as a strong marketing tool for recruiting

c. Increases program prestige at a national level

d. A ll of the above

ACF Thanks Our Loyalty Partners