The American Culinary Federation, established in 1929, is one of the largest professional chef’s organizations in the U.S. with over 20,000 members. One of the most notable accomplishments by the ACF organization is working with the U.S. Department of Labor to raise the status of an executive chef to a professional category, which attracted many new people to the culinary profession. Every year ACF holds a national convention full of competitions, events, exhibits and more. This year, Chef Uniforms.com 

With the ACF being “The Authority on Cooking in America”, it’s easy to see why many flock to this event. There were plenty of laughter and the smell of good food. This event was clearly all about education and development in a fun environment with the culinary demos and exhibitions taking place all around.

Over the course of five days professional chefs, students, and industry experts attended 32 seminars, 24 culinary demos and 8 competitions. One such competition was The Pastry Chef of the Year competition which took place with top chefs from different regions in the U.S. This year’s winner Heather Hurlbert was all smiles in a women’s traditional chef coat with piping similar to our Women’s Traditional Chef Coat featured above.

 There was so much more to see and smell at the Sweet Decadence dessert party sponsored by Splenda. The mood was festive with all of the themed deserts, treats and fruit on display. It was amazing to see all of the top chefs and culinary masters dressed in traditional chef clothing, all mingling with each other and sharing tips and advice on being a culinary professional. One can truly see the dedication it takes to become a great chef and how much one can enjoy cooking.

At the 2009 ACF convention, there were many companies present and displaying their services to these culinary leaders. ChefUniforms.com was one of the top uniform companies in attendance presenting our new line of coats and pants for both Men & Women. We didn’t hesitate to outfit many of the professionals who enjoyed the fabric, fit and coolness of our garments. The feedback was positive and inspired us to continue to take interest in providing top quality chef uniforms at an affordable price.

Not only did we have fun but we learned a lot about the culinary arts, all while eating great food. Next year’s ACF National event is in August 2-5, 2010. We hope to see you there!

~ Contributing Editor
Tamara Taylor

Stop by and visit us at booth #1805 to receive a FREE CHEF HAT and enter a drawing for a restaurant makeover. One lucky winner will win 6 chef pants and 6 chef jackets by ChefUniforms.com FREE for their back of house staff. We are also offering FREE GROUND SHIPPING on orders over $99, an exclusive deal only for NRA attendees. You don’t have to be an NRA member to attend, however you must be affiliated with the restaurant/foodservice or lodging industry as the show is not open to the public. 

Not only does the show feature booths and exhibitions from the restaurant industry’s leading businesses, but also cooking demonstrations and book signings from world class chefs. Stop by the NRA bookstore and have your book signed by famed authors and chefs like Ming Tsai, Ted Turner, Art Smith, Daniel Boulud and more. 

Cooking demonstrations will be given at booth #2489 by celebrity chefs such as Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill and Tobolobampo (Chicago), Top Chef season four winner Stephanie Izard, Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit and Riingo (N.Y.C.), Chris Consentino of Boccalone and Incanto (San Francisco),  Erick Williams of MK (Chicago) and Aaron McCargo Jr., host of Big Daddy’s House on Food Network. 

Hear what Rick Bayless has to say about the NRA Show 2009

 Award-winning chef/restaurateur, cookbook author, and host of Mexico—One Plate at a Time on PBS. Chef Bayless will also be holding a culinary showcase on Saturday, May 16 at 12:30 p.m.

In addition, there will also be focused specialty pavilions created to help you easily find the latest food, beverage, technology, décor and more from around the world! The Technology Pavilion hosts special demonstrations, education sessions, and exhibits focusing on restaurants’ POS systems, wireless technologies, inventory control and more.

The Organic & Natural pavilion showcases certified organic and natural products for this fast growing industry.  The Kitchen Innovations pavilion displays the most innovative kitchen equipment available today. Also visit the International Cuisine pavilion, the premiere source for traditional food and beverages from around the world!

All in all, it’s looking like this will be an exciting year for the annual National Restaurant Industry show. We’re looking forward to showcasing our high quality chef coats, chef pants, kitchen shoes, chef hats and toques. The quality and value of our chef uniforms and chef shoes simply can’t be beat. Once you try on one of our pima cotton chef coats, you won’t want to wear anything else. Come and visit us at booth #1805, we hope to see you there!

For our full line of chef uniforms, chef shoes, chef & kitchen aprons and more, please visit us as www.ChefUniforms.com

~ Allison Cesaro
Contributing Editor

Why did you want to become a chef? 

21 years of working in the culinary field brought me to the point where I am today.  It’s the only field I could ever see myself in.  It’s my passion!

What education would you recommend for aspiring chefs?  

A good culinary program is great if it is affordable.  If not, hands on training in a strong culinary environment under a great chef can be an extremely valuable opportunity.

What do you recommend for on the job training? 

An open mind, positive attitude, and strong work ethic.

Do you see any changes in food trends? 

Definitely…  Molecular gastronomy is getting more and more popular.  Smaller portion sizes, bite-size desserts, local produce.

What is your greatest challenge in getting the ingredients you need? 

The price of product has sky rocketed along with the rest of the economy.

Has the price of energy affected your industry? 

Definitely, it affected everything from the number of guests going out to eat as well as the cost of needed product.

Do you see any dining trends within the US or abroad; including types of food today? 

Yes, smaller portion sizes, bite-size desserts, local produce.

How much of the recipes you create is corporate and how much is your own?

Our company doesn’t have a big corporate end. Original menus and recipes are my own creations since we are a new entity and I didn’t have any staff to turn in the beginning for input. Moving forward, I do accept feedback from my kitchen staff on certain recipes and my Sous Chefs assist me greatly with ideas that get placed on regular and seasonal menus as well as giving me their professional input on future creations. 

What fabric and style of uniform do you enjoy wearing most?      Pima cotton & Egyptian cotton. 

What is your method of developing your Sous Chefs? 

Giving them freedom to explore their knowledge.  Challenge their skills and lead by example.

Do you try to create a team spirit and environment with the kitchen staff? If so how do you accomplish it? 

Definitely.  I don’t want my staff feeling as if their job is a job.  I believe in allowing my staff to explore their talents and skills.  Giving them a bit of freedom with creating new dishes, specials and ideas allows them to challenge themselves as well as make mistakes which they usually learn from.

When preparing your menu do you consider health and try to prepare foods that are healthier? 

Yes…  My menu consists of a lot of fresh produce, low calorie items with an emphasis on fresh seafood and proteins. I don’t use much cream, thickeners or butter on my menu. 

Do you notice any resistance to unhealthy dishes? 

Yes.  Guests are definitely more health conscience when they come into my restaurant.  Therefore, salads and seafood definitely top the list of dishes I sell most on my menu.

Do you enjoy dining out in your free time?  

Yes, it is always nice to be waited on once in a while!

Do you try to experience the food at your competitors? Do you ever get ideas from competitors? 

Yes, I enjoy seeing dishes competitors are creating.  I wouldn’t necessarily say I get ideas.  I would say going out to dine sometimes gets my wheels spinning when I see ideas that interest me.

Do you think it is important to visit the markets rather than just have standard orders?  

Absolutely, quality of product changes like the wind.  Unless you check out what is new regularly, there is a lot to be missed out on.

How do you test a new recipe without putting it on the permanent menu? 

As a “special” or weekly feature.  Whether or not it sells or not, or I get positive or negative feedback from a dish lets me know if it is a good creation.

Do you pick the wines or is there a separate beverage manager?  There’s a separate manager who deals with the selected beverages.

If so, does he try to pick wines that work well with the type of food that you prepare?

One of the owners of the company is a leading producer of beverage alcohol brands so our wine list consists pf many of his products.

We thank Adam for his time, and as an added bonus, he shared a delicious recipe for his take on grilled Atlantic salmon. Sounds like a winner to us, thanks again Adam!

1-8oz. Portion Salmon Filet
2 oz. Yellow & Red Teardrop Tomatoes
1 Cup French Haricovert or Green Beans
1 Tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1 Cup Red Bliss Potatoes
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
 
Method:
Brush salmon filet with oil and season salmon filet with Montreal seasoning.  If Montreal is unavailable, salt & pepper is fine.  Boil green beans for 1-2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. 

Half red bliss potatoes, season with Montreal or salt & pepper, coat in a bit of olive oil and roast in 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.  In bowl, toss cooked potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes that are cut in half. 

Drizzle with Olive Oil and season with Montreal seasoning or salt & pepper and lemon juice.  On hot grill, place salmon filet on skin side up.  Cook for 2 minutes, turn filet 90 degrees for criss cross marks on fish.  Cook for another 2 minutes. 

Flip fish and finish cooking for 2 more minutes for a medium rare-medium degree of doneness. 
 
To plate, place salad mixture in center of large round plate.  Place fish on top of salad.  Drizzle plate with Olive Oil. 

I attended the annual Delray Beach, Florida Garlic Festival this past Valentine’s Day. A weekend long event celebrating the strong smelling, spicy flavored clove from the onion family. Chef Uniforms.com was one of the privileged sponsors of the event as we supplied the competing chefs with our luxurious executive chef coats embroidered with each chef’s restaurant logo, their name and our logo. The festivities also included vendors selling their garlic inspired food products, general family entertainment in the form of amusement park rides for the children and live music. However, the reason I was in attendance was to witness the Garlic Chef competition.

Garlic is widely used around the world for its strong flavor as a seasoning or condiment. The challenges for the chefs were to use identical ingredients and a mystery ingredient that they would only discover moments before they were to begin developing their recipes for the competition. The culinary masters have one hour to decide on what their dishes will be, prepare them, cook them and present them to a panel of judges.

Each meal the different chefs prepared for the event were outstanding. The speed in which they prepared their garlic inspired gourmet dishes was also incredibly impressive. The judges, which consisted of food critics, food magazine editors and restaurant industry professionals were descriptive and complimentary to each dish the chefs prepared for them.

One of the award winning meals during Saturdays competition that left a lasting impression on me, consisted of what appeared to my untrained eye to be a salad with skirt steak grilled medium rare over a bed of cold, crisp spinach leaves, accompanied with large crumbling pieces of feta cheese and cold black beans marinated in a garlic inspired vinaigrette dressing along with tomatoes and celery. The appetizer included the skirt steak smothered in a pesto garlic cream sauce placed between two pieces of Cuban bread. And finally the main course or entree was a mouth-watering presentation of skirt steak grilled medium rare over a bed of buttery mashed yucca with boiled asparagus and a breadcrumb garnish.

As I was only photographing the event, I unfortunately did not get to participate in the tasting. However, there is always next year. Perhaps I can persuade the event organizers to allow a lowly photographer the opportunity to exercise his palette with the wonderful dishes that are prepared for this annual event and competition.

On a quick side note, as I was unable to attend Sundays event I did not have the honor of witnessing the reigning 2008 Garlic Chef Champion Chef Andy Trousdale from Le Bistro. Chef Andy Trousdale put up a tough competition and was able to hold on to his top spot as the 2009 Garlic Fest Champion. Congratulations! 

~ Kelly Tickner

Photographer

The Chef featured above was wearing a Traditional Chef Coat style 63313 in steel grey – with fabric covered buttons, made with 100% Cotton by ChefUniforms.com.

For a full line of Chef Uniforms, Chef Coats, Chef Pants, Aprons, Hats, Shoes and more, please visit ChefUniforms.com.