news bites
1. ACF chefs are WACS judges
Thirteen ACF-approved culinary and pastry judges attended a
World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) judges seminar
in Orlando, Fla., in September 2011. The class was open
to ACF judges and international chefs from WACS member
countries. All attendees passed and were approved as WACS
judges. ACF chefs who are now national hot/cold category
judges are: Daniel Hugelier, CMC; Paul Jensen II, CEC, CCA,
AAC; David Longstaff, CEC, AAC; Rene Marquis, CEC, CCE,
CCA, AAC; Patricia Nash, CEPC; Hiroshi Noguchi, CEC, AAC;
Russell Scott, CMC, WGMC; Mark Spelman, CEC, AAC; Derek
Spendlove, CEPC, CCE, AAC; David St. John-Grubb, CEC, CCE,
MBA, CHE; David Turcotte, CEC, AAC; J. Kevin Walker, CMC,
AAC; and Mark Warren, CEC, AAC.
2. Kentucky chefs raise funds for farm
Sept. 22, 2011, chefs from ACF Kentucky Chapter prepared
dishes at the 2nd annual Field-to-Fork Dinner held at Big Spring
Country Club, Louisville, Ky. The evening included a five-course
meal featuring local products. More than $16,000 was raised to
benefit The Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm in Louisville,
which is currently developing a cooking curriculum that will
strengthen the organization’s program by inviting participants to
prepare a healthy dish with vegetables harvested on the farm.
3. Meet-and-greet with El Bulli’s Kaanache
Members of ICA-ACF Big Apple Chapter and their guests
welcomed Najat Kaanache, former chef at El Bulli, Roses, Spain,
to the chapter’s Oct. 10, 2011, meeting at Club 101, New York.
Kaanache presented a number of dishes from El Bulli and spoke
about her career.
4. Battle on the Coast
Students and professionals from Georgia, Florida, North Carolina
and South Carolina gathered at Trident Technical College in
Charleston, S.C., Oct. 14-15, 2011, for ACF Greater Charleston
South Carolina Chapter’s Battle on the Coast 2011. The two-day
event featured the South Carolina student team championship, as
well as individual competitions in several categories. The Trident
Technical College team will advance to the Southeast region
competition in February. In addition, individual medals earned
were gold ( 3), silver ( 5) and bronze (1).
5. Celebrating Childhood Nutrition Day
ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter celebrated Childhood Nutrition
Day Oct. 16, 2011, at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis,
where they presented a Chefs Outreach to the Community program
in collaboration with the museum and Indiana University Health.
More than 250 children and parents attended the event that
focused on healthy eating. Attendees tasted chili, made vegetable
superheroes and took home recipes. Chapter volunteers and
students manned each station to help promote better nutrition.
6. Oregon chapter honors its best
ACF Chefs de Cuisine Society of Oregon held its 52nd annual Chef
of the Year Awards Dinner Oct. 16, 2011, at Northwest Culinary
Institute in Vancouver, Wash. Jeffrey Thomas, CEC, executive chef,
Northwest Culinary Institute, was selected as the 2011 Chef of the
Year by previous winners for meeting the awards criteria, excelling
in the industry and volunteering with the chapter. In addition,
retired chef Leif Benson, CEC, AAC, received the Charles Altorfer
Professionalism Award, and George Akau, CCE, AAC, of Clark
College, Vancouver, received the Chef Emeritus honor.
7. Pumpkin extravaganza goes to school
It was all about color as David Bearl, CCC, CCE, AAC, cooked
seasonal squash and pumpkin dishes for first-graders at R.B. Hunt
Elementary School, St. Augustine, Fla., Oct. 18, in the Pumpkin
Extravaganza! Students celebrated National Farm to School month
and first lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move to Schools program with
the preparation and tasting of a colorful salad, whole-wheat-crust
pizza, flavorful chili and creamy soup, all made with varieties of
pumpkin and squash. Guests who joined the students and teachers
Lori Hall and Christine Skipp in the demo classroom included local
farmer Nick Jones and Dr. Janey Thornton, USDA Food, Nutrition
and Consumer Services Deputy Under Secretary. Bearl, who is
director of college advancement at First Coast Technical College,
St. Augustine, is a member of ACF St. Augustine Chapter.
8. Oyster fisherman
When he’s not working as executive chef at Belle Haven Country
Club in Alexandria, Va., Gregory Sharpe, CEC, spends his time on
the Chesapeake Bay maintaining an oyster reef he planted in Nomini
Creek off the Potomac River. Sharpe, who grew up on the Magothy
River and is an avid fisherman, loves life on the water and jumped
