Chefs to Hold Annual National Convention in San Antonio
Largest gathering of professional culinarians in United States takes place July 30-Aug. 2
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA., June 15, 2005 – The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., announces its 2005 National Convention at the Rivercenter Marriott and Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, July 29 - Aug. 2.
Thousands of culinarians, from students to certified master chefs, will converge on the eighth-largest city in the United States to capitalize on professional-development opportunities, discover emerging menu trends, hone technical skills and compete in cook-offs for cash prizes and awards, all under the banner of this year’s convention theme: “Brand Your Future!”
Highlights of this year’s ACF National Convention include an inaugural event and a milestone:
* Student Mentoring and Culinary Forum - One of the most exciting new additions to the ACF National Convention will be the Student Mentoring and Culinary Forum, hosted by President Edward G. Leonard, CMC. As one of the nation’s and ACF’s most celebrated chefs, this is a unique opportunity for students to be mentored by the ACF Culinary Team 2004 and 2008 captain and manager, and president of the organization.
The inaugural program, sponsored by Johnson & Wales University, will be held Saturday, July 30, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at the Rivercenter Marriott in San Antonio. All students are invited to attend the brunch and panel discussion followed by several skills-building demos. Attendees will be given a free copy of Cooking with America’s Championship Team: Sizzling Recipes from Chef Edward Leonard, CMC, and the American Culinary Team by Edward G. Leonard, CMC.
* Skills for Culinarians Day sponsored by Nestlé FoodServices, featuring The Ritz-Carlton Culinary Showcase – Nine internationally-renowned Nestlé and Ritz-Carlton chefs will take part in contemporary cooking demonstrations and share their knowledge with other culinarians. Nestlé’s seminars include Mid-Atlantic with a Touch of Low Country and Colorful Foods of the Caribbean Cuisine in the U.S., while the Ritz-Carlton chefs’ demos will feature a range of international flavors.
* Book signings - Join chef authors for a special book signing opportunity at the convention. Books and authors include Cooking with America’s Championship Team: Sizzling Recipes from Chef Edward Leonard, CMC, and the American Culinary Team by Edward G. Leonard, CMC; Tastes and Tales of a Chef: A Culinary Journey with Mr. A by Joe Amendola, CEPC, CCE, AAC, HOF; Tastes and Tales of a Chef: The Apprentice's Journey by Edward G. Leonard, CMC; Tastes and Tales of a Chef: Stories and Recipes by Frederic H. Sonnenschmidt, CMC, AAC; So You Want to be a Chef? by Brad Barnes, CMC, CCA, AAC; and American Culinary Federation’s Guide to Culinary Certification by Brad Barnes, CMC, CCA, AAC, and Michael Baskette, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC.
* Educator of the Year competition - This annual ACF award will be determined for the first time by a two-round competition in which each of four educators will give a 20-minute lecture on fabricating leg of lamb, then utilize that protein in an entrée.
* Golden Anniversary of the American Academy of Chefs - ACF’s honor society celebrates its 50th anniversary at this year’s ACF convention, marked by a gala dinner prepared by the Marriott Rivercenter’s executive chef, Donald Hoffman, CSC, and his team.
* Expanded Educators Symposium. ACF’s annual one-day symposium dedicated to foodservice-educator issues will expand into three 4 hour sessions, with a special segment targeting secondary (high school) teachers.
* Trade Show - From apparel to equipment and appetizers to utensils, ACF’s National Convention Trade Show, July 31- Aug. 1, offers an array of resources for the professional culinarians. The trade show, held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, also features a competition kitchen and chef demo stage. The show is open to the public and tickets may be purchased on site.
Additionally, ACF will host various competitions at the trade show, such as the second-annual Pastry Chef of the Year competition and the third-annual competition to name the U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year™ for 2005. The second-annual Nutritional Hot-Food Challenge, sponsored by Kraft Foodservice, a division of Kraft and Custom Culinary, Inc., will pit four chefs against each other to produce three-course meals that conform to prevailing health and wellness guidelines and excel in flavor and customer satisfaction.
Sponsors of the 2005 ACF National Convention include Butterball Farms, Inc., Canada Cutlery, Inc., Chef's Hat, Inc., Chef Designs, Custom Culinary, Inc., GFF, Inc., Johnson and Wales University, J. R. Simplot Company, Kraft Foodservice, a division of Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, MasterFoodServices, a division of Mars Incorporated, McCormick and Company, Mexican Shrimp Council, Nestlé FoodServices, National Pork Board, R.C. Fine Foods, R.L. Schreiber, Inc., Sara Lee Coffee & Tea, Schulstad Royal Danish, The American Lamb Board, The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Incorporated, The Art Institutes, Culinary Arts, The National Honey Board, Tyson Foods, Inc., Unilever Foodsolutions, US Foodservice and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in America. With nearly 20,000 members and 240 chapters nationwide, ACF offers educational resources, training, professional certification, apprenticeship and accreditation programs. In addition, the ACF is the presidium for the World Association of Cooks Societies (WACS), the international network of chefs associations, with more than eight million members globally. For more information, please visit www.acfchefs.org.
Chef2Chef News Desk