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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY What 2021 holds for the changing culinary landscape

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 If you like to play with fire, you belong with us

Membership. Certification. Online Learning Center. Apprenticeship. Events. WeAreChefs.com. ACFchefs.org. FEATURE STORIES 28 For the Long Run ACF members from across the industry share the pandemic-driven positive changes they’ve made that have become permanent fixtures — and will ensure their future success. 36 Plight of Packaging COVID-19 and quarantines have driven an increase in takeout, and that means more to-go packaging. These chefs are making sure they don’t harm the environment as a result.

If you like to DEPARTMENTS play with fire, 10 Management Chef Ashten Garrett discusses the need for culture to become more diverse and inclusive. you belong 16 Main with us A look at melting — perfect for cold-weather days and comfort dishes. 19 On the Side Potatoes offer a low-cost, versatile option for chefs looking to stretch their budget and creativity. 24 Pastry These cakes feature seasonal fruit for another layer of flavor, nutrition and finesse. 26 Classical vs. Modern Cuban-American Chef Carlos Villanueva prepares Boliche Cubano, a classic passed to him from his grandmother; a modern version swaps beef for quail. 44 Health Culinary medicine has been a growing interest over the past decade, but a global pandemic — combined with chef initiatives —could push it to the forefront of modern menuing.

IN EACH ISSUE 4 President’s Message 6 On the Line 22 ACF Chef Profile 7 News Bites 42 Chef-to-Chef 14 Chapter Close-Up 50 The Quiz Membership. Certification. Online Learning Center. Apprenticeship. Events. WeAreChefs.com. ACFchefs.org. WEARECHEFS.COM 3 | President’s Message | Un Mensaje Del Presidente |

There’s something about a new year. A new year gives us the chance to make resolutions, of course, but also to do some soul searching and decide what we want to change and accomplish in the coming year. It’s a way to start fresh. It’s a time to renew, recharge, and Editor-in-Chief Amelia Levin perhaps work to better ourselves a little. Creative Services Manager David Ristau I think I speak for most of us when I say Graphic Designer 2021 couldn’t be a more welcome new year. The pandemic and economic Armando Mitra Advertising and Event Sales woes have strained our mental, emotional and financial resources. But Eric Gershowitz now there is a light at the end of the tunnel. News about effective vaccines Jeff Rhodes Director of Marketing and Communications and improved treatments bring hope. This winter has been a rough one, Alan Sterling but we hunker down now so we can emerge safely and be together again. American Culinary Federation, Inc. That said, I cannot be more excited about what we have planned 180 Center Place Way • St. Augustine, FL 32095 for this year, including four ACF ChefsForum events: St. Louis and (800) 624-9458 • (904) 824-4468 • Fax: (904) 940-0741 Pittsburgh in March, and Tucson (Arizona) and Nashville (Tennessee) in [email protected] • [email protected] www.acfchefs.org April. Like many of you, I have missed seeing my friends and colleagues in the industry. We have put in place rigid COVID-19 safety guidelines Board of Directors that will help us stay safe when we meet again. As a supplement, we President Thomas Macrina, CEC®, CCA®, AAC® have a strong digital and virtual platform that offers yet another way to National Secretary maintain our close connections and access ongoing educational content Mark Wright, CEC, AAC National Treasurer for learning and growth. James Taylor, CEC, AAC, MBA I’m even more excited for the ACF National Convention this summer American Academy of Chefs Chair Americo “Rico” DiFronzo, CEC, CCA, AAC in Orlando, Florida. The annual convention is a highlight of my year Vice President Central Region and, I’m sure, for many of you as well. This year’s event will be a little Steven Jilleba, CMC®, CCE®, AAC Vice President Northeast Region bittersweet, as my interim presidency will come to an end, but I look Barry R. Young, CEC, CCE, AAC forward to passing the gavel to the next president who will lead our Vice President Southeast Region Kimberly Brock Brown, CEPC®, CCA, AAC federation toward a bright future. Vice President Western Region Robert W. Phillips, CEC, CCA, AAC Speaking of a bright future, I encourage you to consider using this Executive Director time to learn and try something new. Visit the ACF Online Learning Heidi Cramb Center to check out the popular COVID-19 Training and Certificate to The National Culinary Review® (ISSN 0747-7716), January/ help you navigate ongoing industry changes and assure customers that February 2021, Volume 45, Number 1, is owned by the American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF) and is produced 6 times a year your operation has met the highest standards for safety. Also, consider by ACF, located at 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095. A digital subscription to the National Culinary Review® participating in a competition this year; we’re in the process of building is included with ACF membership dues; print subscriptions are available to ACF members for $25 per year, domestic; the 2024 ACF Culinary Team USA and scheduling competitions for next nonmember subscriptions are $40. Material from the National year (visit acfchefs.org for more information). Culinary Review®, in whole or in part, may not be reproduced without written permission. All views and opinions expressed Above all, now’s the time to stick together. We’re all in this change as in the National Culinary Review® are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the officers or an industry, and as ACF members, we can progress — no, blast — into members of ACF. Changes of mailing address should be sent to ACF’s national office: 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL the future as a united and powerful front. 32095; (800) 624-9458; Fax (904) 940-0741. The National Culinary Review® is mailed and periodical postage Happy New Year and see you soon, is paid at St. Augustine, Fla., and additional post offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the National Culinary Review®, 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095.

Thomas “Tom” Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC National President American Culinary Federation

Contact me at [email protected] or follow me on Twitter @cheftommacrina and Instagram @cheftommacrina

4 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 El año nuevo siempre trae algo especial. Un año nuevo nos da la oportunidad de tener nuevos propósitos, por supuesto, pero también de hacer un examen de conciencia y decidir qué queremos cambiar y lograr el próximo año. Es una forma de empezar de cero. Es un momento para renovarnos, recargarnos y quizás trabajar para mejorar un poco. Creo que hablo por la mayoría de nosotros cuando digo que el 2021 no podría ser un año más esperado. La pandemia y las turbulencias económicas han agotado nuestros recursos mentales, emocionales y financieros. Pero ahora hay una luz al final del túnel. Las noticias sobre vacunas eficaces y tratamientos mejorados traen esperanza. Este invierno ha sido difícil, pero ahora nos refugiamos para poder resurgir y estar juntos de nuevo. Habiendo dicho esto, no puedo estar más emocionado con los eventos que organizamos este año, incluidos cuatro foros de chefs de la ACF: St. Louis y Pittsburgh en marzo, y Tucson (Arizona) y Nashville (Tennessee) en abril. Como muchos de ustedes, he echado de menos a mis amigos y colegas de la industria. Hemos implementado pautas de seguridad rígidas para combatir el COVID-19 que nos ayudarán a mantenernos seguros cuando nos encontremos en persona. Como complemento, contamos con una sólida plataforma digital y virtual que ofrece otra forma de mantener nuestras conexiones cercanas y acceder a contenidos educativos continuos para el aprendizaje y el crecimiento. Y estoy aún más emocionado por la Convención Nacional de la ACF este verano en Orlando, Florida. La convención anual siempre es lo más destacado del año para mí, y estoy seguro que es igual para muchos de ustedes. El evento de este año será un poco agridulce, ya que mi presidencia interina llegará a su fin, pero espero pasar la posta al próximo presidente que guiará a nuestra federación hacia un futuro brillante. Hablando de un futuro brillante, los invito a que piensen en aprovechar este tiempo para aprender y probar algo nuevo. Visiten el Centro de aprendizaje en línea de la ACF para consultar la popular Capacitación y certificación de COVID-19, que los ayudará a transitar los cambios continuos de la industria y garantizar los más altos estándares de seguridad para sus clientes. También les pido que consideren participar de una competencia este año; Estamos en el proceso de desarrollar el Equipo Culinario de la ACF 2024 en Estados Unidos y programar competencias para el próximo año (ingresen en acfchefs.org para acceder a más información). Y por sobre todas las cosas, este es el momento para mantenernos unidos. Todos estamos atravesando este cambio como industria, y como miembros de la ACF, podemos transitar este avance, ¡o mejor dicho, esta explosión! hacia el futuro como un frente unido y poderoso. Les deseo un feliz Año Nuevo y nos vemos pronto,

Thomas “Tom” Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC Presidente Nacional American Culinary Federation

WEARECHEFS.COM 5 | On the Line |

What’s on WeAreChefs.com Visit WeAreChefs.com, the official content hub for the American Culinary Federation, to read online exclusive articles, including industry trends, interviews, COVID-19 coverage, recipes and more. Datassential’s 2021 Food Trends Forecast This trendspotting, third-party research firm offers ACF members an exclusive look at some of the types of and that will likely grow in popularity this year and beyond. ACF’s Partnership with Jamaica Tourism Read about the ACF’s close partnership with the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation’s Tourism Enhancement Fund, which raises funds to educate the world and support local chefs in their careers, including providing funding for ACF membership and certification testing. Dissecting the Dish In this new online series, Chef Christian Darcoli, director of culinary for Servino Ristorante in Tiburon, California, discusses the ins and outs of his popular wood-oven-roasted branzino with arugula and tomatoes, perfect for lighter cooking in the New Year. Maximizing More ideas for making your outdoor patio and dining areas cozy and comfortable during the winter while indoor dining restrictions continue.

The Culinary Insider, the ACF’s bi-weekly newsletter, offers timely information about events, certification, member discounts, the newest blog posts, competitions, contests and much more. Sign up at acfchefs.org/tci.

Follow the ACF on your favorite social media platforms: @acfchefs Sure, digital is environmentally friendly... but paper smells better. @acfchefs Twitter question of A digital subscription to NCR is included with ACF membership, @acf_chefs but members can now get a one-year print subscription for just the month: $25! Visit acfchefs.org/ncr to get yours today. What do you predict will make the @acfchefs list of top food trends in 2021? American Tweet us your answer using the Culinary hashtag #ACFasks and we’ll retweet Federation our favorites.

6 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | News Bites | NEWS BITES

ACF FlexPay Continues for Members Get Excited for the 2021 ACF FlexPay was created after members said they wanted a better ACF ChefsForum Event Series and more practical way to renew their membership. The “one- lump-sum renewal” was not possible for many affected by the With stringent COVID-19 safety measures in place and pandemic. FlexPay allows Members to renew by paying just one vaccines on the way, we’re gearing up for an exciting lineup of month of dues when they commit to paying the remainder over 11 events in 2021. We’ve renamed our ChefConnect events “ACF equal monthly payments. Depending on one’s Membership level ChefsForum” to reflect the combination of in-person and online and local dues rate, Members can renew for as little as $9 monthly components that will bring us together no matter what, as well as for Students and $19 monthly for Professional Culinarians. the dynamic platform we are creating to engage more members Members can sign up for FlexPay when they call the Membership while delivering opportunities for ongoing learning. We hope Team at (800) 624-9458 (ext. 504) and ask to participate. They the ACF ChefsForum events, held in Pittsburgh and St. Louis can also enroll by emailing [email protected]. in March and Nashville (Tennessee) and Tucson (Arizona) in April, followed by the highly anticipated ACF 2021 ChefsForum National Convention in Orlando, Florida, in July, will “Ignite Your 90-Day Introductory Offer Passion” and remind you why you chose this career in the first for First-time ACF Members place. Get more details at acfchefs.org/ACF/Events. ACF continues to offer a 90-day complimentary membership for ACF New Mentor first-time members looking to explore all that the Federation has to offer, including opportunities for networking, competitions, Match Program certification, continuing education, original content and more.

ACF launched a new mentor program, Mentor Match, in December. Members can access the program by visiting Chef’s Table, ACF’s online member community. While the early stages of the debut focused on enrolling mentor candidates, in January, those looking for support in their culinary career will be invited to register as mentee candidates. Mentor and mentee candidates will be able to search the directory to find the right matches for them. Consider helping others make their way in the profession by signing up to be a mentor. For questions, email or call Joe Syrowik, ACF membership director, [email protected] and (904) 484-0210.

WEARECHEFS.COM 7 | News Bites |

ACF Partners with ACF Culinary Team USA

StarChapter This month, the ACF will be conducting preliminary interviews for the selection of its Culinary Team USA, which will participate ACF has collaborated with StarChapter to provide access to a in various international competitions, including the 2024 variety of resources intended to help chapter leaders save time, Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) Culinary Olympics increase member participation and grow membership. These tools in Stuttgart, Germany. Chef J. Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, include turnkey chapter websites, platforms for event registration executive chef at Bellerive Country Club St. Louis, will serve as and e-commerce, email communication/management tips, manager, and Chef Randy Torres, CEC, AAC, executive director membership and board management resources, and more. ACF of culinary for Southwestern Oregon Community College, was Chicago, ACF Columbus (Ohio) and ACF St. Louis are long- named assistant manager. Additional team support members will term users of the platform, and others are considering the switch. be announced soon. Chef Storm served as assistant manager for StarChapter is offering a 20% discount on its one-time set-up fee the 2020 ACF Culinary Team USA, which took home several top for chapters with more than 50 members. To learn more, visit awards in Germany last February. He also was a team member in starchapter.com. 2012 and a coach for the 2008 ACF Youth Team. Chef Torres was a member of the 2008 Regional Team USA and coached the 2012 Culinary Youth Team USA. To learn more about ACF Culinary Team USA, visit www.acfchefs.org/Team.

ACF Culinarian’s Code

As we enter 2021, why not refresh your memory of the Want Your Own Community Culinarian’s Code? “As a proud member of the American Culinary Federation, in Chef’s Table? I pledge to share my professional knowledge and skill with all culinarians. I will place honor, fairness, cooperation Late last year, eight ACF Chapters formed chapter-specific and consideration first when dealing with my colleagues. communities through the ACF’s new, online forum, Chef’s I will keep all comments professional and respectful when Table. These communities give ACF Chapters another way dealing with my colleagues. I will protect all members from to build connectivity and engagement among local members, the use of unfair means, unnecessary risks and unethical especially if in-person meetings are limited. Chapters can use behavior when used against them for another’s personal these communities to announce meetings, foster discussion on gain. I will support the success, growth, and future of my topics of local interest, and gain input to help guide the future colleagues and this great federation.” direction of their chapters. Email or call Joe Syrowik, ACF membership director, [email protected], or call (904) 484-0210 to sign up your chapter.

8 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Healthy Grant Recipients

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF), through the Chef & Child initiative, offers ACF chefs and chapters grant funding to support nutrition outreach activities in their communities. The following ACF chefs received grants to organize programs in 2020: • Annette Besnilian, ACF Chefs de Association of Letters to the Editor: California Why I’m an ACF Member • Leslie Moyer, ACF Treasure Coast Chapter • Jamie Bostian, CEC, ACF Chefs of Charlotte Chapter ACF Charlotte’s virtual meetup in November included three ACF testimonials on why it’s vital to remain an ACF Member today, • Maria Anderson, ACF Chicago Chapter especially during this challenging time. • Vince Blancato, ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association “[ACF Certification] enhances your reputation. If you become • Angela Wilson, CEPC, CCE, ACF New Orleans Chapter a certified chef, I feel strongly that you have proved yourself in • Michael Garahan, CEC, FMP, Greater Kansas City Chef’s terms of knowledge and skills for a position before you even have Association to show up for a job interview. Certification also jumpstarts your career from the student level on up, and it offers an opportunity to • Benjamin Whitmore, CEC, ACF Red River Valley Chef’s better yourself throughout your entire career. If you’re a certified Association chef, it proves that you embrace continuing education. It also • Joseph Leonardi, CMC, AAC, ACF Rhode Island Chapter instills self-confidence, and shows that you’re ready to take on the world and improve your skills as you go on.” – Chef Sandra Dawn Birmingham, treasurer, ACF Chefs of Charlotte Chapter “My legacy as a chef is not what I personally accomplish, but the accomplishments of the people I train. ACF has made me realize that. One of my mentors, Chef Kevin Ives, told me never forget where you come from and never forget where you’re going, but never forget who helped you get there.”—Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, president, ACF Chefs of the Low Country “Finding [good] help is one of the hardest things to do, even right now with so many unemployed, so when you have a fellow ACF chef and colleague you trust and they send you people, it takes a lot of guesswork out of the whole equation.” – Chef Jamie Bostian, CEC, vice president, ACF Chefs of Charlotte “I represent the voice of diversity; I’m a chef-educator, and I feel like [I need to] stand up and be a voice for some of the students in my classroom and in my kitchen, and help advocate for our brown, black, non-binary, and gender-non-conforming brothers and sisters. For me, it’s really important that I keep showing up to the ACF to represent diversity, equity and inclusion, and I’ve really appreciated being a part of first the women’s task force many years ago, and now, the diversity and inclusion task force.”

— Chef Dina Altieri, CEC, CCE, CHE, president, ACF Chef's Students learned the benefits of cooking healthfully through the ACFEF Chef & Association of Arizona Child Initiative

WEARECHEFS.COM 9 | Management |

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE One ACF Chef offers tips on how to grow and diversify for the future

In addition to a global pandemic, last Q: From your perspective, what is the current state of diversity year brought some of the most active civil in culinary culture and kitchen operations? unrest this country has seen in more than A: As a young chef, it can be a daunting enough task to remain 50 years. It led to some positive changes, motivated and inspired in environments that are continually though: Many business leaders have changing every day. But adversity comes in many different done more than just vow to put a greater forms, and for me, the most difficult adversary is the lack of emphasis on diversity; they are taking diversity in the industry. real, calculated steps to build a more Imagine a room full of people, and the majority of them do inclusive culture. not look like you, walk like you or speak like you. This is the case The culinary industry — here and for most minority chefs and hospitality workers. Most kitchens around the world — has certainly that I have worked or spent time in have been diverse — but had its struggles when it comes to only to a certain extent. We navigate these spaces as “foreigners” diversity and inclusion, but that has with the hopes of being accepted. This can be intimidating, been improving in recent years, and will and if we are working in establishments that aren’t open to continue to improve as more chefs in diversity and inclusion, or do not understand or recognize the leadership roles make equity a priority significance of accepting it, it can diminish the quality of our in their recruitment, training and day- work and performance. to-day operations. We caught up with I would like to say most 21st-century chefs and Chef Ashten Garrett — president of owners have grasped how workplace diversity brings a the ACF Young Chefs Club and senior new perspective, energy, and quality of performance to an manager for Marriott establishment. But unfortunately, this is not always the case. International, who presented on The acceptance of diversity and inclusivity sometimes veers diversity in the kitchen during a webinar in different directions depending on the current social and last fall — for his thoughts on the topic. economic climate. But if we truly wish to change the narrative This interview has been edited for clarity of this beloved and important industry, it will take more than a and condensed. few posts on Facebook or a 15-minute Zoom call. It will require

10 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 immediate and consistent pressure to elucidate and eradicate bias in culinary? Why? Or if not, is there the difficulties minorities face. anything in traditional culinary culture Q: What progress has the industry made over the past few that impedes inclusion? decades to be more inclusive and accepting of different A: Any great chef is a mere reflection backgrounds and ideas? of his/her team, as they alone cannot A: I think that the advent of social media has played an integral be successful. That said, I do not think role in the push to accept chefs who are minorities and/or that the brigade system is the sole issue women. When new voices are amplified, it sparks a call to action when it comes to diversity. The brigade to accept diversification and inclusivity. system’s organization and management is Now, some can argue that little to no progress has been necessary and important in any kitchen. When service is at its busiest peak, it is made to advance inclusivity in the industry. There are still important to have one or two designated major hindrances to the progress of minorities, women, and leaders conducting the orchestra by ambitious young chefs. Women and women of color are still directing and delegating, because too underrepresented and disenfranchised; young chefs are opting many voices and opinions (or “too many to pursue more entrepreneurial careers due to longstanding coaches and not enough players”) can industry pressures and lack of acceptance; and minority voices create conflict and slow service. are still being drowned out by implicit bias and systemic racism. All of these have a direct impact on the longevity and sustainability of the culinary and hospitality industry. As the industry remains in limbo, one thing is certain: In order to evolve, we all must be willing to change, as no problem can be solved until we first recognize that there is one. Q: What areas of the culinary industry in particular are in most need of diversifying and opening up to different backgrounds, ideas, and cultures? Why? A: I think the most pivotal areas are restaurant ownership/ proprietorship, food writing, investing/funding, and the executive chef role. I think anyone can relate when I say it is more possible to summon the motivation to do something when someone who looks like you has done it or is doing it. Ownership is especially important because when you own, you have the control. Support via funding, sponsorships and Instead, the issue lies with the endorsements for those that wish to become owners will be a character and personality of the one who game changer for the industry. is building the culture. An establishment’s The same can be said about writers and bloggers: culture needs leadership, consistency, Those behind the keyboard and holding the pen control integrity, and diversity. Ask: Does this the narrative. When writers and bloggers do not highlight particular brigade system help create a safe, minority establishments or create opportunities for inviting, professional and nurturing work minority voices in the industry to be heard, it creates a cycle environment that is conducive to growth? of alienation, because minorities then feel they have no Does the team feel they can freely express voice. Consequently, that also can lead industry leaders to themselves via questions and interactions? abandon diversity efforts, causing minorities to venture out I think that most people focus on the effect on their own. Think of the phrase, “If you do not have a seat and not necessarily the cause. at the table, go and create your own.” Many minority chefs, Q: What is your advice to the industry unfortunately, have had to adopt this approach. to help identify and remove bias and be Q: Is the traditional brigade system of a kitchen part of the more inclusive to all backgrounds and problem when it comes to accepting diversity and reinforcing cultures in culinary operations?

WEARECHEFS.COM 11 | Management |

A: My advice would be to genuinely listen, learn and be empathetic. We all have a story to tell, and cooking is an expressive craft that helps us all do that. Food knows no gender, age, race, ethnicity, or disability; it exists to be enjoyed. As chefs, we do not discount a particular cuisine or culture when we just because it is different or not indigenous to our own; rather, we take the courageous leap to learn more about it and explore its flavors and ingredients. Therefore, we should not discount each other, but rather accept our differences. We all have a voice and the right to explain why cooking is so important to us. Q: In your own experience of moving up in the industry from where you started to where you are today, do you have a story that illustrates the importance of an inclusive culinary environment, and the advantages of companies re-branding from problematic an operation that is welcoming and open-minded to diverse logos or names. cultures and backgrounds? There is power in our voices, in A: I have been extremely blessed to have worked in many kitchens the white coat, and in diversity. My around the world in operations that welcome and celebrate diversity. personal call to action would be not for As an example, I studied abroad in Florence, Italy. I was timid a bill to be passed, or for the CEO of and nervous about my place in an international kitchen working a major company to issue a newsletter alongside experienced chefs, and I did not speak the language. or campaign, or for companies around Prior to this experience, I had spoken with colleagues who the world to immediately change their had worked abroad and attributed their many personal and business models. My call to action is professional problems due to race and gender barriers and that we all recognize and accept there biases. Hearing this information amplified my uncertainty is a universal issue: the inequity of about the decision to work internationally, but I decided to equal access to opportunity in the stay with it. And to my amazement, the respect and acceptance workforce caused by implicit bias, lack I received from the very beginning was overwhelming, and of diversity and inclusivity, and minority subsequently made me want to perform at an even higher indifference. It will take a concerted level. Once that barrier was broken and I felt as if I belonged, it effort and a lot of investment to lead us to intensified my passion and allowed me to focus on and enjoy the a better way of operating. craft of cooking. If we take the time now to plant and nurture the seeds of reorientation and Q: What would you say as a call to action for our industry? change, those that come after us can A: I am a firm believer we all want what is best for our industry, harvest the fruit. Much like our ancestors and that is for it to thrive, not just survive. Collectively, it will did when pioneering the way for us, we mean holding those in power accountable to drive change. There must leave our industry better than we is a great quote along the lines of, “Those that have the ability found it. To cite an African proverb, “For also have the responsibility.” Change is internal but expressed if we wish to go fast, we will go alone, but outwardly. It demands self-exploration and genuine compassion. if we wish to go far, we must go together.” The current state of our industry is changing every day to deal To learn more about Chef Ashton, visit with new demands and new clientele, as seen in the plethora of chefashten.com.

12 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021

| Chapter Close-Up |

CHAPTER CLOSE-UP: ACF OF KALAMAZOO/BATTLE CREEK

Today, the ACF of Kalamazoo/Battle Creek (Michigan) chapter is 30 members strong. Just four years ago, that number was seven // By Amelia Levin

Chef Eric Gillish inherited quite the challenge when he came Fundraising Success on board as president: reviving the leadership and growing This past November, the chapter hosted a sold-out, socially membership. He credits the camaraderie and collaboration distanced chef’s tasting event to raise funds for scholarships. with other Michigan ACF chapters for helping him expand the The “Seven Courses of Gold” was modeled after a member base more than fourfold. previous chapter event that “originally connected me with “We have an open-door policy with all Michigan chapters, the ACF, way before I ever considered being a member,” Chef welcoming anyone from any other chapter to attend not only Gillish says. “It was considered a big honor to be asked to our meetings, but our events as well,” says Gillish, corporate participate in this dinner, which celebrated seven courses from chef for the Millennium Restaurant Group, which operates nine seven local chefs with wine pairings, followed by the chapter’s (11, pre-COVID-19) as well as a robust catering annual awards. Unfortunately, about eight to 10 years ago, the program. “We frequently share chapter calendars, schedules, event fizzled out [due to low attendance].” event announcements and so on. Last year, Chef Gillish brought That has been a huge help for our up the idea of resurrecting the chapter to pull ideas that others are fundraising dinner, but without the doing, and vice versa.” awards, as the chapter already had an The first thing Chef Gillish did established annual awards dinner in as president was create a schedule partnership with a new local culinary for monthly chapter meetings school. “We kept the same concept and board meetings to introduce of seven chef courses, encouraged some consistency, as well as chefs to partner with a local farmer add educational components to or vendor for their course [to drive meetings for members, to give them product donations], offered cocktail/ something of value to take away. spirits pairings using local distillers, He also reached out to his and had two surprise student courses vendor-partners to collaborate on by local area tech center students,” he fun cooking and learning events, says. The dinner was a hit, helping the including homemade vinegar- chapter to raise $3,500, with most of making classes, the ingredients donated. This, in turn, tastings, mushroom foraging allowed the chapter to offer its largest lessons, microbeer and artisanal scholarship yet at $1,500, plus two pairings, and more. All other $1,000 scholarships. chefs, ACF members and non- “This year, even with COVID-19 members alike, were (and will Chef Eric Gillish, president of ACF Kalamzoo/Battle Creek and state and local restrictions, be, when events resume in the future) encouraged to attend we were able to hold the dinner with restricted capacity at to boost membership. Many events were also open to the 600 Kitchen and Bar, an amazing farm-to-table restaurant in public for a cost to foster idea-sharing, with discounts offered Kalamazoo,” Chef Gillish says. to chapter members as an incentive to attend. Members also The chapter also hosted another fundraising dinner-to- receive access to events. go, supported by ingredient/product donations and time

14 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Left: Chef Eric Gillish, president of ACF Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, addresses his team before a recent fundraising dinner. Right: Chef Gillish at the pass at 600 Kitchen and Bar in Kalamazoo, Michigan, during the dinner. volunteered by chefs and students, to “Aside from that, we have participated “We have come a long way in four raise money for a local chef who tragically in local farmers market demos, and years,” he says. “All of this sounds like had lost his son. “We raised between whenever possible, we try to support a lot, but sometimes it doesn't feel $4,000 and $5,000 for the family,” Chef and work with the local ACF-accredited like enough. We are doing our best to Gillish says. “Even though this chef is not culinary school,” he says. “This year, we keep our head above water, support an ACF chef, he’s part of our community. created a student chair to liaise between those in need, and, unfortunately, By showing our support this way, we our chapter and their student food groups. mourn the closing of some of our local show that the ACF is not just a prestigious When COVID-19 hit, I did my best to stay establishments due to the pandemic. organization; it’s an organization for all connected with other chapters by sharing That’s why it’s very important that we chefs and their communities.” information and simply reaching out to not only stick together, but actually see how everyone was doing.” help and support each other to keep our A Bright Future To boost chapter membership, Chef community strong.” The work is not over. This summer, Gillish even looked up memberships the chapter plans to host a members- that had lapsed in the last two years and only catered family , and Chef invited those chefs to attend meetings Gillish hopes to bring back the annual and participate with the chapter once awards dinner. He also aims to continue again, and is exploring ways to subsidize fundraising to help other chefs in need. membership, if need be.

"WE HAVE AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY WITH ALL MICHIGAN CHAPTERS, WELCOMING ANYONE FROM ANY OTHER CHAPTER TO ATTEND NOT ONLY OUR MEETINGS, BUT OUR EVENTS AS WELL." -CHEF ERIC GILLISH

WEARECHEFS.COM 15 | |

MELT THE DAY AWAY The times we’re living through demand comfort food — the cheesier, the better By Liz Barrett Foster

We’ve always used cheesy foods to make ourselves feel better, whether it’s a gooey paired with chicken noodle soup to help a cold go away faster, or a big cheese after a hard work week. Now we’re all living through a global pandemic. As everyone looks for small and simple ways to boost their moods (even if just temporarily), consumers are craving — and seeking out — familiar foods that drum up feelings of warmth and comfort. Here, we explore a few new ways to integrate the comforting vibe of melted cheese into your . MAKING CHEESE MELT It’s true that most cheeses will melt, if they get warm enough. However, there’s a scientific reason why some cheeses melt easily while others hold their structure long after hitting the heat.

16 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 The act of melting cheese is a delicate If you’re in a pinch and need to melt balance between moisture, age and cheese fast without making a acid content, according to Chef Chris base or using the traditional two-to- Bugher, CEC (opposite), chef-instructor three-minutes-under- of culinary arts at Asheville-Buncombe the-broiler method, Chef Technical Community College in Dave Woolley (above), "YOUNG CHEESE Asheville, North Carolina. “A really, “director of deliciousness” really fresh cheese can melt decently, for Atlanta-based Buffalo IS PROBABLY THE but it can also curdle,” he says. “A young Wild Wings, says that he cheese is probably the best for melting. regularly uses a Searzall, BEST CHEESE An aged cheese can melt, but it can be a blowtorch attachment FOR MELTING. tough, because the protein structure is so that diffuses the flame and tight due to moisture loss.” helps cheese melt quickly AN AGED CHEESE Another factor in how well a cheese and efficiently. melts has to do with acidulation, CAN MELT, BUT IT according to Chef Bugher, which occurs NEWLY TRENDY when an acid element is added to a cheese. CHEESES CAN BE TOUGH" “Animal rennet melts really well, but if you add acid to cheese, it interferes with Cheddar and - CHEF CHRIS BUGHER the denaturing process of the proteins,” he mozzarella have been the says. “So, for example, a cheese like feta, go-to melting cheeses for decades, but which is brined, won’t melt very well.” with so many cheeses to choose from Whichever cheese you choose to now, chefs are getting more adventurous melt, Chef Bugher suggests opting for in their offerings. a low-and-slow method over cooking Chef Bugher says he’s seeing a cheese too quickly, which can extract the resurgence of Swiss (which butterfat too soon. “Take a little bit of means “to scrape” in French), a cornstarch and mix that with white wine traditional Alpine cheese that is usually as a base before you even start [melting],” served over pickled vegetables and he says. “It’s a version of the slurry that potatoes. Just before the pandemic hit creates a traditional Swiss fondue.” last year, social media feeds were flooded

WEARECHEFS.COM 17 | Main Course |

Melting Cheeses at a Glance As cheese offerings expand at mass-market grocers and local cheese shops alike, consumers are faced with dozens of new cheese decisions. Author and cheese expert Laura Werlin (left) believes chefs and restaurant owners have the ability to close that loop, demystifying cheese the same way they demystify wine. “When a chef uses any ingredient, it’s basically an endorsement of that ingredient,” she says. “If I’m sitting in a New Orleans restaurant enjoying a dish that incorporates a delicious local cheese, I may go to that cheese shop the next day and ask for it.” Here’s a look at some of her favorite smaller-batch cheeses:

Le Crémeux from Kaltbach: a washed-rind, cave-aged cow’s-milk cheese from with a firm yet creamy mouthfeel with videos showing wheels of raclette on heat lamps being Alpha Tolman from Jasper Hill Farm: dense and great for melting, this cheese tastes nutty and scraped onto the plates of awestruck customers. fruity when young and develops meaty flavors Anne Hoyt, cheesemaker and co-owner of Leelanau Cheese, as it matures in Suttons Bay, Michigan, makes Swiss raclette, and points out Promontory Cheddar from Beehive Cheese that French and Swiss raclettes are two very different cheeses. Company: sweet and creamy cow’s-milk cheddar cheese The French raclette, which is what most retailers in the U.S. sell, Flagship from Beecher’s Handmade Cheese: a is used almost exclusively for melting, due to its softness and semi-hard cow’s-milk cheese that is aged for 15 pungency, according to Hoyt. The Swiss raclette is sweeter and months to develop its nutty flavor more versatile, able to be melted or sliced for a variety of menu Wagon Wheel from Cowgirl Creamery: aged a minimum of 75 days, this organic, single-source applications. “I like to say that Swiss raclette has the consistency cheese tastes of salted brown butter, heavy cream, of Gouda and the nuttiness of Gruyere,” she says. roasted leeks and roasted garlic when melted Blue cheeses, such as Roquefort, are becoming popular to Reading from Spring Brook Farm: raclette- melt over eggs, steak or potatoes. “I like to crumble Roquefort style cheese made from raw Jersey cow milk and aged three months cheese over skillet- and onions and serve that Thomasville Tomme from Sweet Grass Dairy: alongside a steak,” Chef Woolley says. “The Roquefort starts to cow’s-milk French farmhouse table cheese with melt, but not all the way, and it tastes great over the potatoes.” an earthy flavor and creamy texture Sometimes, cheese blends are the way to go. Chef Woolley Burrata from Di Stefano Cheese: a mozzarella pouch filled with fresh, creamy Stracciatella cheese says he’ll create a traditional mac and cheese with Monterey Jack, Snowmass Raclette from Haystack Mountain mozzarella and cheddar, and then grate nontraditional cheeses, Cheese: made with pasteurized Colorado cow’s such as raclette, on top to create different layers of flavor. milk, this raclette-style cheese is designed for melting and topping meats or veggies, or to be Liz Barrett Foster is a Mississippi-based writer who enjoys fishing the star of a cheese board and growing vegetables with her Mississippi-native husband.

18 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 | On the Side |

HOT ! How to make the most out of these versatile and tasty tubers in this cost- conscious time // By Liz Barrett Foster

Versatile, affordable and long-lasting, crowd-pleasing potatoes are everything you could ask for in an ingredient. Whether you’re creating savory garlic mashed potatoes, , or Asian curry, potatoes work in almost any cuisine, and chefs who may have used rice or other grains as a base in the past now are taking a closer look at them. Versatile and Profitable Very few ingredients rank as highly as the humble potato in the categories of affordability, versatility and profitability. “The long shelf life of potatoes also helps reduce waste — especially useful with the cyclical, up-and-down nature of business right now,” says Alan Kahn, vice president of for the Idaho Potato Commission.

WEARECHEFS.COM 19 | On the Side |

“WE’RE SENDING THE MESSAGE THAT A VARIETY OF POTATO DISHES AND SIDES CAN BE PROFITABLE, INNOVATIVE AND PORTABLE.” -Alan Kahn, vice president of foodservice, Idaho Potato Commission

With the continuing popularity of , and eating local — even in the midst of a pandemic — chefs are becoming more conscious of ways to fill the plate with flavor and color while decreasing cost and allowing for cross-utilization of product, according to Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, corporate executive R&D chef for Sandy Springs, Georgia-based Morrison Healthcare. Chef Quasha says by simply adding a few starchy potatoes to their kitchens, chefs have access to crispy garnishes, hashes for breakfast, a seasonal soup option and potato appetizers. The potato is a perfect vehicle for chefs to use to create a masterpiece, he adds. “From goat-cheese-and-chive potato cakes stuffed with smoked salmon, to smoked sweet potatoes and kale drizzled with Shropshire blue cheese, charred balsamic onions and fresh herbs, potatoes are cheese’s best friend,” he says. Whether the dish is four-cheese scalloped potatoes or a classic Above: potato and poblano . Opposite: potato puff pizza (both courtesy of the Idaho Potato Commission). topped with melty cheddar, potatoes and cheese have been natural partners for ages. He adds that one of his favorite potato dishes is mashed potatoes with creamy brie folded in, garnished with crème fraiche and scallions. Because the past year has resulted in a restaurant takeout and delivery boom, “We’re sending the message that a variety of potato dishes and sides can be profitable, innovative and portable,” Kahn says.

20 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Potato Mashups Global fusion cuisine has helped stir up a potato revival over the past few years, according to Chef Quasha. Potatoes, after all, are an inexpensive way to introduce new or unique flavor profiles to consumers. In addition to traditional potato applications, Chef Quasha says he’s noticed potatoes used in a growing number of international menu applications in places such as food halls and food trucks. Some examples he points to include combined with bulgogi short ribs and sautéed kimchi, and ethnic potato dishes like potato , Czech dumplings, breakfast hash, and that feature global flavor profiles and elevated fillers. “My new obsessions are elote fries, Old Bay-dusted handcrafted potato chips, and pickle-brined ,” he says. “Most recently, my favorite applications have been classic Indian curries, Japanese curries, and dal, made using purple, golden and Red Bliss potatoes.” Whether you’re creating a comforting cheese-layered , a potato-topped pizza Genovese, seasoned , or a simple, crisp-skinned baked russet, keeping a bag of potatoes nearby is essential for many quick, inexpensive, impressive and takeout-ready dishes. For recipes, visit WeAreChefs.com.

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WEARECHEFS.COM 21 | ACF Chef Profile |

CHEF ANA LEBRÓN, CEC

Chef-Owner, Linea Gourmet Catering Services CEO and President, Correre, Srl

By Amelia Levin

Chef Ana Lebrón turned heads when she Sadly, her husband passed away that time, and her team took home a gold medal when her daughter was just three years at last year’s IKA Culinary Olympics in old, which meant she had to navigate Stuttgart, Germany. raising a child as a single mother while “This win is not from Ana Lebrón,” running her own business. she told the media at the time. “It belongs to the country that In typical Chef Lebrón fashion, that saw me born and allowed me to channel my interest in the challenge didn’t slow her down. She went highest-level professional cuisine. It belongs to all Dominicans on to build a substantial client base over who believe in my talent. It also belongs to my teachers in the the last 12 years, including high-profile restaurants of the world.” companies like Microsoft and World As the first chef from the Dominican Republic to achieve such Bank. She has also served as a consulting victory, the journey to gold was a tough one, but Chef Lebrón — who chef for foodservice brands, including is also the founder and current president of ACF Chapter República a rice company, and has worked with Dominicana — has never shied away from a challenge. And over the the Dominican Republic Ministry of course of her life and career, she has had to overcome a few. Tourism. In addition, Chef Lebrón has written and spoken extensively about THE MAKING OF A FIERCE COMPETITOR gastronomy and the culinary arts. Though Chef Lebrón has clocked more than 25 years in the culinary profession, her love of cooking goes back even GETTING TO GOLD further — to when she was a child, making pasta in her Italian Over the course of her career, Chef grandmother’s kitchen. Lebrón traveled regularly to ACF events “Every time my grandma was making gnocchi, I liked to be in the U.S., where she met board members with her — it was like playing with clay,” she recalls. “Throughout and other active chefs who would help her the years, as I grew up, whenever there was a party [or] during the in her career. holidays, I was always in the kitchen. But I knew if I wanted to work “I wasn’t shy — I told the current ACF in this field professionally, I would have to learn it by the book.” president I was interested in starting an Chef Lebrón went on to receive her hospitality bachelor’s ACF chapter in the Dominican Republic degree in 1989 from Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre to increase our knowledge and skills here, y Maestra, a Dominican Republic-based Cornell University and promised to commit myself to that,” affiliate program. She then interned and worked in the kitchens Lebrón says. “I did everything the ACF of five-star hotels (including for chains such as Sheraton and asked me to do, and didn’t sleep on it — I Sofitel) in Brussels, Germany, and Milan. moved quickly.” The chapter, founded in It was in Italy where she met her husband, and together they 2015, now has 15 members. moved back to the Dominican Republic. She officially opened In 2012, competing became her her catering and private chef business, Linea Gourmet, in 2002. bread and butter. She recruited and

22 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 trained a group of young chefs in the Dominican Republic who would go on to take top honors at an international culinary competition in Costa Rica two years in a row and, later, earn that gold medal at the Culinary Olympics. Chef Lebrón credits four highly acclaimed ACF Left: Chef Ana Lebron inspecting her kitchen as she prepares for reopening after COVID-19 shutdowns. Right: chefs who mentored her ACF Dominican Republic’s modern ceviche presented and her team for the past during the 2020 IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany. eight years, and for helping cheese, chenchén (Dominican cracked-corn establish the Dominican ) and a coconut-cilantro shrimp sauce. The Republic chapter: Chefs meat dish was Brangus beef tenderloin with veal Louis Perrote, CEC, AAC; mousseline, wild mushrooms and deconstructed Victor Sommo; Stafford DeCambra, mondongo (beef tripe and vegetable soup), with tongue wrapped in brioche alongside a CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC; and George tomato ragout and artichokes with wild oregano hollandaise. was a play on coconut Castañeda, CEC. She points to Chef cremoux with gelled mango, chinola (passionfruit) ganache, citrus sorbet and candy made Castañeda for helping bring her gold- with guava, white chocolate and fresh mango, to represent the various fruits of the region. winning team to Germany. “Normally, “When we came back, we were planning to host a big party to celebrate with our it takes at least two years to practice for colleagues, and invite the media, but within two weeks, COVID-19 happened and the competition, but we put together everything closed,” she says. Like so many chefs in the industry, Chef Lebrón had to our program in just three months,” Chef pivot her business model quickly to pay her staff and the bills, through new tactics like Lebrón says, nothing she stepped away preparing boxes for Microsoft employees who were now working from home. from other responsibilities so she could Times are still tough, of course, but Chef Lebrón says she refuses to stay idle. devote all her time to practice. “We Instead, she’s been keeping busy by preparing for the next competition — were just repeating and repeating and she also is the only Certified Judge in the Dominican Republic for worldwide remaking dishes all the time until we competitions sanctioned by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies and the ACF mastered the techniques.” — as well as remaining in close contact with her chapter members and finding ways One of the team’s most successful to educate the community. dishes on the competition menu was a She has also been working with the local government and tourism department modern interpretation of sancocho, a to raise funds to support ACF certification for cooks in the area, which would help traditional beef and root vegetable stew, them find jobs and elevate their careers. In the meantime, she has established a in this case made as a clarified broth with training program for local chefs, tackling everything from ServSafe, COVID-19 safety seven types of meats, along with pumpkin, protocols, and nutrition, through small, socially distanced, masked gatherings in rice, corn, root vegetables and plantain large spaces. Chapter members have also gotten together to prepare for chips. For the salad, Chef Lebrón and her residents of a local nursing home. team prepared a colorful terrine of hearts “I have to keep busy, or I’ll go crazy,” she says. “People who like to compete … want of palm and avocado, served with celery to [compete] all the time, so that’s what I have been doing, and we are having fun. We ribbons, baby greens, toasted macadamia are focused on presenting the gastronomy of our country. One of my ideas is to present nuts and citrus olive oil. Dominican Republic cuisine in one bite.” For the fish course, Chef Lebrón took Having passed the practical portion of the Certified Executive Chef exam, Chef inspiration from an ancestral fish-and- Lebrón also hopes to travel to the U.S. to complete the written portion of the exam coconut dish, preparing poached red when it’s safe to do so. snapper, Caribbean shrimp roulade, Ever-cheerful, Chef Lebrón says she’s “trying to stay calm and positive” even as the charred pepper with Dominican farm future remains uncertain. After all, that’s the Dominican way.

WEARECHEFS.COM 23 | Pastry |

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FRUIT

Pastry chefs are expanding their repertoire of cake recipes with this naturally sweet ingredient // By Robert Wemischner

Who doesn’t love a good cake? The grand dame of never goes out of fashion. From rustic to refined, new wave to classic, and everything in between, cakes hold a place of pride on in restaurants, hotels and any place where the desire for sugary treats at teatime and dessert time cannot be denied. Cakes offer something sweet and satisfying, and adding fruit creates a new dimension of flavor. Executive Miro Uskokovic of Gramercy in New York reaches for seasonal fruits when making his cakes. “Fall and winter lead me to use locally grown New York apples, paired with organic carrots, in our apple-and-carrot cake,” he says, noting this plated dessert also features whipped sheep’s- milk vanilla yogurt and an apple-and-raisin compote. “I might sneak some rye or buckwheat flour into that at times, or into my upside-down apple or pear cakes, for textural interest and a boost of nutty flavor. I also like to add some fruity accents in the fillings in our layered cakes. House-made jams and frostings edged with fruit play important roles here, too.” Chef Uskokovic doesn’t shy away from using bleached flour for his fruit-based cakes. “Though vilified [in some health circles], it tastes better, and I get an impressive rise from the cakes, while avoiding that ‘floury’ taste of the unbleached form,” he says. “I have also expanded my pantry to include alternative sugars like jaggery, sorghum and maple syrup to amp up flavor in the cakes.” Patrick Fahy, executive pastry chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California, likes to dip into locally grown flours, which, he says “add texture and character to our recipes.” Sonora is a soft, white heritage wheat with low protein and mellow gluten, while Red Fife is a nutty heritage grain that was the standard wheat flour across North America years ago. Chef Fahy also uses rye for a little extra bite to the flavor. “At the hotel, we mill our own flour from these grains for freshness and maximum flavor,” he says. “I find they pair with everything from chocolate and nuts to fruits, including citrus. Depending on the texture desired, for cakes featuring fruit, I’ll go a little lighter on the rye and Red Fife to keep

24 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 the flavors in balance. For lighter results, I will cut the flour with a higher percentage of cake flour to achieve that tender, even-crumb structure.” Dana Johnson, corporate pastry chef for the PIER 22 restaurant group in Tampa, Florida, enjoys pairing spent grain with pear and apple cider when making cakes in the winter months, which, he says, adds moisture to the cakes as well as enhanced flavor and added rise. He’s also a fan of using alternative flours to balance out the sweetness of fruit cakes, with creations that use quinoa and almond flours. On the West Coast, fresh produce abounds, even in winter. Meadow Ramsey, pastry chef at Kismet in Hollywood, says, “We are very lucky to have farmers markets, which provide all of the fruits I use in my cakes during this season, from persimmons and pomegranates to quince and grapes. I make a quince cake filled with Swiss buttercream and cubes of the cooked fruit for an almost mosaic effect. For this cake, I finish off the buttercream with a bit of labneh — well-strained, full-fat yogurt with a texture similar to whipped cream cheese — which adds a mellow, rich flavor that marries well with this Mediterranean fruit. My Swiss buttercream uses a straight-up 1-2-3 ratio: one cup of egg whites, two cups of sugar and three pounds of butter, converted to weights, of course, with a dash of salt. For some of the cakes, I might even throw 10% fruit puree into the buttercream for an intense fruity flavor.” As the title suggests, in his new book, “Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker,” author Jason Schreiber finds adding seasonal fruits to his creations helps cut down on the need for refined sweeteners. “[By using fruit], there are minimum amounts of sugar necessary for sweet recipes to work,” he notes. “I tend to steer as close to those minimums as I can, allowing other, more nuanced flavors to shine.” In the book, his recipes showcase fruit in freeze-dried and powdered forms as well as jams, and use poached fruit and exotic fruits like mamey, guava, kiwi and ume in layer cakes, Bundt cakes and more, going way beyond the strawberry shortcake of the classic American canon. In addition to taking advantage of the seasons, expanding the use of fruit in cake also adds a healthful note to desserts, with the extra fiber and nutrition cutting down on the guilt. “People want delicious things that are easy to comprehend, and offering cakes with a reminder of what’s in season is always a plus,” Chef Ramsey says. “It’s a win-win, too, for bakers looking for a challenge to develop something new based on something growing locally. Asking, ‘What’s in season, and what can I do Opposite from top: Nectarine kuchen and blackberry breton from “Fruit Cake: with it?’ can lead to some delicious and even health-conscious Recipes for the Curious Baker” by Jason Schreiber; Above from top: Schreiber’s raspberry dacquoise cake and chocolate-orange babka; seasonal fruit cake by results all year long.’” Grammercy Tavern's Chef Miro Uskokovic.

Robert Wemischner is a longtime instructor of professional baking at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and the author of four books, including “The Dessert Architect.”

WEARECHEFS.COM 25 | Classical vs. Modern |

Classical Cuban-American Chef Carlos Villanueva, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and the director of culinary and operations for Puff ‘n Stuff Catering in Orlando, Florida, has nostalgic memories about Boliche Cubano, a classic dish from his heritage that his grandmother Aya often made. The dish features an eye of round roast beef stuffed with Spanish chorizo that has marinated overnight in a mixture of sour orange juice and other citrus juices. As with many Cuban dishes, the cooking process begins with sofrito — a sauté of onions, garlic, bell peppers and a touch of tomato paste. White wine, stock, bay leaves, cumin, oregano and olives are added to a Dutch oven or large, ovenproof pot, and in goes the meat for a braise until tender. While the type of meat can be changed up between a top round or eye, the key ingredients are the citrus, chorizo and sofrito, Chef Villanueva says.

26 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Modern For a modern spin on the classic Boliche Cubano, and to elevate it to fine-dining status, Chef Villanueva swaps the beef for quail, stuffing the legs and breast meat with a homemade sausage of pork shoulder, heart and blood. He then cooks the quail sous vide until tender, and finishes off the dish with a pan-sear while basting with a thyme-garlic butter. As a nod to the fall and winter seasons, he pairs the quail with a puree of yellow and red beets straight from his garden, along with an onion brûlée, pea tendrils, and a pistachio-puree crumble for a pop of color. See the classical and modern recipes, as well as more, photos at wearechefs.com.

WEARECHEFS.COM 27 | State of the Industry |

28 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 In keeping with the theme of the newly launched ACF ChefsForum, we brought together a group of members to discuss the changing nature of their jobs, careers and industries as we head into a new year and a new era in the culinary landscape.

by Amelia Levin

he year 2020 was like no other for so many of us. It’s important to note the chefs highlighted in this group* TWe faced a global pandemic that led to hundreds of do not speak for other chefs in their respective industries or thousands of deaths and brought so many industries to even for chefs as a collective group; rather, they are here to share their knees. It was a dark and grim moment in time, to their individual stories by discussing how they have coped, say the least, and we’re still in the throes of it. But with what they have changed, and how they plan to move forward, vaccine development pressing ahead and a new push so that others perhaps can glean some ideas and inspiration. to get this public health crisis under control, there’s For this article, we also took a closer look at non-commercial hope on the horizon. segments to bring more awareness to what’s happening behind Independent restaurants, caterers and other those kitchen doors, as coverage about independent restaurants operators that rely on dine-in and event sales were hit remains pretty steady in the news. particularly hard in the last year as social distancing The stories don’t end here. Look for more across all ACF and stay-at-home measures shut doors. Culinary content platforms, including on WeAreChefs.com, in the educators had it rough, too — in most cases they coming year. And if you have a story you would like to share, had to switch to all- or mostly-remote learning and please reach out. We’re all in this together as we enter what will adopt the technologies and skills to do that as best hopefully be a bright new year. they could. Even some fully employed healthcare and senior living chefs found themselves busier than ever ON BECOMING AN OBSERVANT when they volunteered to deliver food to high-risk CHEF-EDUCATOR people who couldn’t leave their homes. So many chefs in all types of jobs and segments have had to make Chef Susanne Ebacher-Grier, culinary arts instructor, Center changes and “pivot” (as the business cliché goes) by Grove High School (Indianapolis), and president of the ACF adopting new practices, philosophies and mindsets, Greater Indianapolis Chapter and, in general, dig really deep to stay above waters. This year, I started in a new district at a high school where Last year was hard, but after talking with so many the superintendent wanted to grow the culinary program. This ACF chefs (not just those interviewed for his article), fall, we had an in-person blended schedule, with 90-minute things seem to be looking up. Their responses were classes reduced to 45-minute classes. Half of the students in measured and cautiously optimistic, for sure, but one class will come one day, and the other half comes in person overwhelmingly positive. And there are some silver the next day. When the students are not in class, we have some linings to the pandemic and the related economic e-learning assignments for them, but I’ve tried to keep it light, challenges, as hard as that might be to fathom. Many because some of the students are having a really hard time right chefs have greatly improved or streamlined their now. I was notified that I was listed as a suicide watch contact operations to work smarter, not harder, and to set for three of my students — that was mind-blowing to hear. I themselves up to be more profitable in the future. Like have never before dealt with so many mental illness issues at boxers, they’ve put in the training in order to be ready once in all of my years as a culinary educator. for the next one-two, the next surprise punch. Bring it My students have a lot of pressure put on them to be high on, they told us. achievers, so my approach is a little different than these kids

WEARECHEFS.COM 29 | State of the Industry |

are used to from traditional teachers. One week I had educator at the high school level, you definitely have them watch a clip about Sean Sherman, The Sioux to be. But we have also had to figure out how to teach Chef, and Indigenous food. I’ve noticed the kids have content differently, learn more about digital learning, gravitated to me. In the mornings before class starts, create our own resource communities to support I’ll often have 15 students come to hang out, and each other, read our crowd. When I see the students many want to have study hall with me. They feel like are having an especially rough day, I just stop and they’re safe and can talk to me openly and candidly. say, “You know what? We’re not doing anything Maybe it’s helpful that my hair is multiple colors. today. Let’s just talk things out.” Maybe it’s because I’m very open, and possibly that’s Another student I had was starting to fail every to my own detriment. But I have had to focus more on class during the pandemic. I found out he hunts deer, making my students feel like they matter. so I told him to develop three different venison dishes, I have had to become more of an observant take pictures and tell me how they turned out, and educator, and look into a students’ eyes and see he improved his grade because of that. I also have a what’s going on and ask if they are OK. It’s not lot of athletes in my class, and when we’re learning enough for about nutrition and cooking, I tell them, “Some of me anymore you might go on to play Division 1 sports, so you to just have need to understand how to fuel your bodies.” They good teaching might remember nothing about trigonometry, but still skills and remember how to make a healthy for themselves communicate and others. Right now, probably one of the most about nutrition rewarding takeaways from my job is being able to help and wellness develop life skills while providing a safe and secure and mother space. Even though it’s challenging because we never sauces. I have know what’s going to happen day to day, I have learned to provide how to be an even more go-with-the-flow type of a platform educator, and focus on staying innovative and keeping where kids feel engagement up. That will never go away.

Chef Susanne Ebacher-Grier, culinary comfortable, arts instructor, Center Grove High School and tell them ON TEACHING FOR TAKEOUT (Indianapolis), and president of the ACF Greater Indianapolis Chapter that I believe Chef Michael McGreal, CEC, CCE, culinary arts in them, department chair, Joliet Junior College, City Center especially if they have never felt success in their Campus (Joliet, Illinois) lives, or if they have been told they are a “bad kid” In the past, when I taught plating and presentation or not good at this or that. When I talk to my other in our restaurant teaching kitchens Thrive and Saveur, educator friends, what we’re learning is that we our goal was to make each dish absolutely stunning need to be fluid, more than ever before. Many of us — we focused on the perfect dish, the perfect way are already compassionate — if you’re a culinary to spoon the sauce, getting the protein or vegetable

“We have tailored down our menu significantly. Before COVID, we had 24 offerings; now, we have 15 or less. The smaller production actually works better because you have more control over what you’re selling, your product is fresher and you have a better return on your purchasing. We’re also able to minimize waste and maximize ingredients — instead of 30 pounds of fresh fish fillets, we’ll order one large whole fish that we can portion and serve quickly. The smaller menu makes it easy to do your own R&D on the fly and see what will stick, and what needs to be fixed to sell better in the future.” -Chef Andres Prüssing, CEC, executive chef, Marriott Charlotte City Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

30 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 centered perfectly. Now, restaurant. Meal-kit companies have been doing this with the restaurants successfully for years now. closed for dine-in service, We have been teaching our students this model everything is being using a hybrid of in-person and remote formats. When prepared for takeout. In they are in school, they watch the chef plate the dish the past, maybe we would both on permanent ware and in a to-go container, and just put all the food in then we have them take pictures. Students can then a container or, at most, recreate the dish at home, plating it in a to-go container make it into some kind of as well and maybe trying out ways to do it differently. TV-dinner-looking thing We’re teaching our future chefs how to perfect with the vegetable in a their dishes and future brands not just inside four little triangle and the rest walls, but outside them as well. The silver lining to of the dish in the main Chef Michael McGreal, CEC, CCE, culinary all of this is that we’re more innovative than ever arts department chair, Joliet Junior College, part of the container. before. Even if the way we taught culinary arts in City Center Campus (Joliet, Illinois) By the time you take the past wasn’t broken, we now know that we can that home, though, everything becomes a jumbled, congealed transform the future of education into something . For our wedding anniversary, my wife and I deliberated bigger and better. whether or not to order takeout from our favorite restaurant for this very reason. Sure enough, we ordered takeout, but when we ON PIVOTING TO OUTDOOR got home, I don’t even remember all the components of the dish DINING AND EVENTS because it was so slopped-up in the container. As a chef-educator, it’s my job to help students rethink to-go Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, director of culinary meals, because this could be the basis of a restaurant operator’s operations, The Country Club, Brookline, entire concept in the future. Sure, you can choose packaging Massachusetts that has vents so steam can escape and keep fries crispy, but The challenges we faced this past year were it goes beyond that. Not only do we have to choose the right different; they depended on where in the country you packaging; we also have to learn how to make dishes with work. Here in carryover cooking in mind. Massachusetts, I’ve been teaching my students to make things like mac and we’re definitely cheese, risotto, casseroles and dishes with rich sauces a little taking a looser, so that by the time the food travels to someone’s home, conservative everything sets up just nice. Or maybe you make a beautiful red approach to wine reduction with a slightly heavier, thicker body, so it doesn’t the virus, so run right off the steak or pool in the container. In the past, we’ve we have not taught carryover cooking for in-person dining, but never for had any indoor takeout. And then there’s the hospitality aspect of it all. Sure, events. One many restaurants have been able to set up tents and other ways thing we have to have outdoor dining, but not everyone is going to sit in a tent done is put up when it’s zero degrees out. And even when we can dine indoors a temporary outside event Chef Joseph Leonardi, CMC, director of again, plenty of people will still want takeout from their favorite culinary operations, The Country Club, restaurants, because maybe they don’t want to deal with going space, so we Brookline, Massachusetts out, but want a chef-prepared meal. could move So the question is, what are you going to do to make your any events outside for better air flow and less risk. We takeout food still feel like it came from a restaurant when it gets built a structure that we are planning to make more to someone’s home? Maybe elements of the dish are packaged in permanent for future outdoor events, because if the mini containers with a note or even a photo they can use to help pandemic continues through April and May, we want put it all together. Maybe with a nice, pan-seared seabass, you to be able to still host some golf outings. If we can have package the sauce and crisp-fried julienned leeks separately, so people socially distanced and wearing masks, and when you put it all together, it looks like it would if served in the have the right number of people per square footage, we

WEARECHEFS.COM 31 | State of the Industry |

would like to be able to have those events outdoors. 20-minute Last year, we had a very successful dining series out on the turnaround, fairways that we plan to bring back this year. We plan to set so we’re up a temporary kitchen with a small outdoor grill, and maybe delivering some cassette stoves and a smoker, and have tables spaced 300 meals in between six and 12 feet apart — whatever the latest guidelines an hour. Even will recommend. The details are still in the works, but it will if residents be reservation-only to keep things small and safe. We have 240 aren’t there, acres here, but golf is still in play, so we will have to be out of they can leave the way, and will likely have members take golf carts out to the a note telling fairways. We will likely cook in the main clubhouse and transfer us to leave food to the temporary kitchen and finish plating there. their meal preference During the winter, we installed four igloos on our balconies Chef Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, director of dining overlooking the fairway for safe dining outside. We ran power at the door. We services, Presbyterian Village North, Dallas to each one and installed space heaters and even Bluetooth do have some speakers that you can connect to and play music. But we only leftovers each day, but we use them to feed the use them for one turn a night for dinner, and then everything nursing staff, mainly the COVID-19-unit nurses is broken down and cleaned and sanitized for the next day. We who can’t come and go as easily as others. I’m so felt that was the best way to ensure people would be safe inside proud of our team — everyone stepped up when them. The igloos have been very popular — we were sold out we made this shift. We said to our employees early every night through December. on that we didn’t know what this was going to We have also continued to offer takeout from our a la look like, but we will keep them busy, and that has carte menu, as well as meal kits and prepared meals— all of turned out to be true — we haven’t cut any staff, which have led to very steady business. The hardest part of the and we’re actually hiring. pandemic has been the uncertainty; where we are, it seems like In addition to the deliveries, we have added a food every week, the local government changes restrictions, so we truck concept three days a week to get out more meals have had to constantly update and adjust our procedures to across our campus. The has been great; it ensure the safety of our team members and guests. has allowed our chefs to come up with creative menus and concepts that help us use leftover product and ON MOBILIZING FOODSERVICE AND also do some fun things. We have been parking the DELIVERY FOR SENIORS truck near a gazebo, so residents can take their food and eat outside, which is safer than indoors right now, Chef Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, director of dining services, while also getting some protection from the elements. Presbyterian Village North, Dallas The truck is equipped with a smoker, a griddle, and At the beginning of the pandemic, we switched to an all- prep table that can hold both hot and delivery program. We’ve been preparing about 1,000 meals a cold items. We have served pulled pork , day, including three meals a day for our assisted living residents plates, homemade pastrami sandwiches, and and about 300 meals a day for those in independent living. We items like burgers and fries that might not travel as post the menu each week for the following week. We use our well in our delivery program. own vans, staffed with some of the servers from our closed dine- Even if and when pandemic goes away, I definitely in spaces, who drive around with two choices already prepped see the truck sticking around, because it’s just another and ready to go. We have been doing this for 200 days or so way we can feed our residents, and we can use it while now, so we have a good idea which menu item will be the more we go through some planned construction in our popular one, and can prep more of that item. . It’s also great for marketing purposes, We do the delivery in two runs. We will have one group and we’ve used it during times when our kitchen shut go on an early delivery run, and they call the kitchen if we down, such as when we had two tornadoes in the area need more of one dish choice, so by the time they come and lost power. With the truck, we’re always able to back, we have adjusted the numbers for the second run. We get out and feed those in need, regardless of what’s have been able to get our delivery route times down to a happening in our main kitchen.

32 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Cherry yogurt custard developed by Chef Jimmy MacMillan, owner, Pastry Virtuosity, a consultancy.

ON CONSULTING AND RETAIL FOR THE FUTURE Chef Jimmy MacMillan, owner, Pastry Virtuosity, a chef consultancy in Chicago I have a background in luxury hotels and saw that segment quickly start to struggle during the last year. Grocery, on the other hand, has flourished now that more people are cooking at home and shopping every week. The retail side of a foodservice operation is the most viable right now and I don’t think that will change. It’s hard to predict what this year will look like, but we do know there have been positive gains from some of the new, retail-oriented business models that have come up during the pandemic as a way for companies to stay afloat. Those who were already in the process of launching chef-curated products, market corner stores, or other forms of grab-and-go offerings — their timing was right. I can also see continued growth of the pick-up windows we saw more of last year. If some of these restaurants hadn’t had a walk-up window and the ability to open up partially to continue serving food, they might have closed by now. In working with Mariano’s a major grocery chain in the Chicago area, I’ve seen sales of freshly prepared meals increasing. This trend goes beyond shutdowns and COVID-19; this is a lifestyle trend that has resulted from people’s ability to work remotely, or, in the last year, the need to work remotely. Having a traditional restaurant will be difficult when we

Chef Jimmy MacMillan, owner, Pastry “go back to normal” because people Virtuosity, a chef consultancy in Chicago are getting used to the ability to get

WEARECHEFS.COM 33 | State of the Industry |

everything delivered. They like having that limited We have more than 950 hospitals where we run not only contact, or just going in and grabbing lunch and taking patient services, but also , coffee shops and other retail. it home. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see more Many of those closed down for in-person dining. so we had to growth of ghost or virtual kitchens, which maximizes rewrite our game plan. If you told me last March that I would be the space of one facility to showcase multiple chefs building pop-up markets and grocery stores and selling toilet or operators and can cater to a wider customer base. paper to hospital staff so they had all the necessities, I would never Some chefs and operators are having difficulty with have imagined that would be the case. Now, we have 38 — and these changing models, but I think it’s important to counting — pop-up restaurant concepts that we rotate regularly look at it as less about serving different groups and in our kitchen spaces. Instead of doing a huge menu with full more about serving the same group of customers in pizza, deli and grill stations, we have had to downsize and focus different ways. These will be some of the ways we on a more streamlined menu that’s enticing and constantly bring back hospitality. changing. In the early stages of the pandemic, everyone wanted comfort food, but as we moved further along, our customers, ON RE-ENGINEERING MENUS especially younger ones, wanted more diversity in their food, and AND SPACES they didn’t just want a pre-made salad, either. Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, corporate We found immediate success with our Flat Top pop-up executive R&D chef, Morrison Healthcare concept, which serves signature and a play on When COVID-19 hit in March, we at first sat back elote Mexican street corn with Flaming Hot Cheeto dust. and went with the flow, but after a couple of weeks, we Also popular: our K Steak concept, which serves items like realized as a $1 billion company, we needed to go on bulgogi , and Lobster Shack, which is a lobster the offensive. roll concept. Most recently we launched in a Bowl for Some of the keto and Paleo eaters. I was surprised by how popular our Beet ideas we’ve Root concept was. It offers a signature roasted beet sandwich had in the last on brioche with goat cheese, caramelized balsamic onions three to five and arugula, as well as other items like beet hummus and side years, before salads, and uses a zero-waste, stem-to-root philosophy. We sold COVID-19, 200 beet sandwiches in a day at a Jersey Shore hospital. This rapidly month, we are launching Cauli Club, which is a 100-percent accelerated cauliflower-based menu, with catchy menu items like the because of the “Going Back to Cauli” bowl with roasted cauliflowers, peppers pandemic, as sad and onions atop cauliflower hummus, avocado, black beans, as that is to say. cilantro and cauliflower rice. In tests, the breaded buffalo cauliflower sandwich with blue cheese sauce on a brioche bun Chef Jeffrey Quasha, CEC, CCA, ACE, We knew this corporate executive R&D chef, Morrison was the time has also been popular, because it’s a hearty sandwich that even Healthcare when industry meat eaters can enjoy if they want to skip the meat that day. was going to take a good look in the mirror and decide In addition to revamping our menus, we’re also looking into what we’re going to stand for. Companies who were reimaging our retail and dining spaces; we’re building a ghost thinking about mobile ordering, ghost kitchens, kitchen in a Jacksonville, Florida, facility to be able to rotate delivery and smaller dining rooms are acting on these menus with easy pickup using cubbies and lockers, and we are new models now, because it’s become a necessity. even designing outdoor kitchens.

“It’s up to us as culinary-educators at the high school level to help our students look at different career paths in the culinary arts profession, and to get employers to invest in these students and provide the necessary foundational skills for entry-level employees in their businesses. Employers will also need to have more continuing education opportunities, and ACF chefs can help with that. Our membership base is truly in a position to grow the future of foodservice and develop lifelong culinarians and team members.” – Chef Robert Miera, culinary arts instructor, Cuba Independent School, Albuquerque, New Mexico

34 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 From a culinary standpoint, constantly staying when they can have on top of trends and change in the industry has kept parties again, they plan us on our toes, but we also want to make our guests to call us. Some of the happy. We are serving literal superheroes — the first best comments we have responders who are taking care of our country. We need been getting is that our chefs now, and will continue to in the future. I always food is great, but also tell our staff before every service that this could be the our attention to detail is most important meal they ever make, because it could off the charts. We always be someone’s first, or someone’s last. It has to be the best throw in some extra meal it can be — ever single time. touches. For example, through the month ON BRINGING BACK HOSPITALITY of November, when people picked up their IN CATERING Chef Brandon LaVielle, CEC, director of Chef Brandon LaVielle, CEC, WCEC, director of curbside meals, we gave culinary and partner, Lavish Roots Catering and Hospitality, Seattle culinary and partner, Lavish Roots Catering and everyone in the car a Hospitality, Seattle warm cup of apple cider While we have lost big parties and some clients — with our logo on the side of the cup, so they remember us. are on hold since switching to online ordering, we We include notes and instructions for reheating in all our meals. are actually getting a bunch of new clients and guests, It’s nice because, as caterers, we don’t always get that face-to- because our business has never before been open face interaction. Being able to interject a little hospitality in our to the public. Up until last March, we always had a to-go meals has been really special, and by cooking in smaller high minimum order, but now that we’re not catering batches, we have really been able to ramp up our quality control events, we’re selling package meals for families and and consistency even more. This has led us to plan to build a others on a smaller scale. We have had former wedding public-facing bar and mini-restaurant, when it’s safe to do so in and party clients, and even people who live down the the future. street, excited to try our food, and we have customers *these interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity who order from us regularly. Many have said that

Steak bulgogi cheesesteaks with sautéed kimchi on the menu at Morrison Healthcare's K Steak pop-up concept.

WEARECHEFS.COM 35 THE PLIGHT OF PACKAGING Restaurants and foodservice operations are looking for more environmentally friendly products, especially as takeout increases during the pandemic

by Amanda Baltazar

ut your ear to the ground and listen. The rumblings And the timing was unfortunate for the Pyou’re hearing are from the movement to reduce environment, as restaurants had been starting to move packaging waste, with much of the clamor coming toward reusable containers and compostable and from today’s biggest groups of consumers: millennials recyclable packaging. and Gen Z, according to New York-based market Coronavirus can be blamed for a lot of the increase research and consulting agency Kantar. in packaging waste, but there is a silver lining, says The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has Pamela Goodfellow, director, retail insights, at reported that containers and packaging constitute Kantar. “With [everyone] spending so much more 30% of all waste. Most packaging is not recycled or time at home, we’ve become much more aware of the recyclable, so it instead makes its way to the landfill garbage that results from takeout restaurant meals, or is incinerated, creating noxious pollution. Not only which we perhaps didn’t so much realize when we that, it’s harming and killing ocean creatures as they were in offices,” she explains. get entangled in or consume plastic — sometimes Before the pandemic, Chef Ryan Ratino, owner before we consume them. of Bresca in Washington, D.C., eschewed plastic In the past 10 months, the problem has become completely, except for plastic wrap. He even uses much worse. Many restaurant dining rooms closed, metal tasting spoons, which keeps around 125,000 and consumers have been limited to delivery or plastic spoons out of the garbage annually, he says. takeout, which meant restaurants were using far But he’s had to make concessions recently. With more packaging. Bresca’s dining room closed, he switched to takeout,

WEARECHEFS.COM 37 | The Plight of Packaging |

but has yet to find a good packaging solution. Fully compostable containers would cost about $4 for a “WE’RE TRYING TO LEAD $40 meal, so he’s gone to his second-best option: packaging with a compostable base and a plastic lid, A CULTURAL SHIFT IN which costs about $2 per meal. “It’s proven to be very challenging, and [our staff WHICH UTENSILS ARE has] talked about this multiple times,” he says. “We’re trying to stick with our core values regardless of the NOT AN EXPECTATION.” situation around us.” -JUST SALAD CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY Chef Aaron Adams is also finding it difficult. SANDRA NOONAN He’s temporarily closed his restaurant, Farm Spirit, in Portland, Oregon, and is only operating his retail business, Fermenter, which sells products like kimchi, kombucha and vegan charcuterie. He sells his products in mostly paper-based eco- friendly containers and reusable glass jars; customers pay a $2 deposit for the latter. When they return the container, that deposit goes toward their next purchase. Before the current crisis, Chef Adams sold everything in reusable containers. Customers who didn’t want to pay the deposit could use plastic for a charge, which he would donate to the organization Zero Foodprint for carbon offsets. And while he has come across reusable packaging options throughout his lengthy research, he says there’s always a sticking point: It comes from too far away, which adds to the overall costs due to pricier shipping, or it doesn’t stack, or it’s simply too expensive. And he has to consider the other costs of reusables: He needs a and a person to operate it. The costs to him, he says, are far greater than using plastic. Like Chef Ratino, Chef Adams sometimes questions what he does. “It’s hard when you see what the major corporations are doing. But at the same time, I want to be responsible, and there are customers who really care about these issues.” REUSABLES TO GO Marc Schechter and Danny Stoller opened Square Pie Guys in San Francisco in July 2019 and have been working with startup Dispatch Goods since this past summer. When customers order from the restaurant, they’re given the option of reusable containers (for $1.50 more per meal). When they’ve finished their meal, they contact Dispatch Goods to pick up the packaging. So far, between 3% and 4% of Square Pie customers are opting for the reusable packaging, Your Daily Probiotic Beverage from Fermenter in Portland, Oregon.

38 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Reusable containers from Dispatch Goods in San Francisco, California. which in the second half of September translated to 172 pizza boxes, 155 containers and 200 bags saved from the landfill. “That’s a big win,” Stoller says. Lindsey Hoell launched Dispatch Goods in October 2019, partnering with restaurants in downtown San Francisco. The company put return bins for disposables in five nearby offices, and was preparing to ramp up when March brought COVID-19 to the city. She rethought her business plan, then relaunched this past summer with a handful of restaurants — now 20 — using the same model that she uses for Square Pie Guys. In its first year, she says, Dispatch Goods has saved more than 7,000 containers from the waste stream. Now, a Dispatch Goods van picks up the reusable containers, visiting certain neighborhoods on certain days. Because the routes are optimized, this is still a more eco- friendly option than non-reusable containers, even with the carbon emissions of the van, Hoell says. She plans to transition to electric vans eventually. So far, Hoell’s found that around 10% of customers select the reusable containers, but her goal is 50% or more. Next will be memberships to Dispatch Goods; customers would pay $20 a month, which covers everything — the cost of the reusables plus the pickup costs (pickup costs are currently covered by the $1.50 surcharge). This, she believes, will be the “best way to get people on board.” Hoell’s hopeful for the future, and some San Francisco restaurants are coming up with their own ideas, too. Zuni Café

WEARECHEFS.COM 39 | The Plight of Packaging |

is building the cost of disposables into its meals and soon will switch to 100% disposables; another, The Morris, is launching Dispatch Good's reusable program at $5 per order. It’s not just packaging that’s an issue for the environment; cutlery is also a problem. Just Salad, which is pioneering a reusable bowl program that saves 75,000 pounds of single-use plastic annually, debuted a utensil opt-in program on its own online ordering platform in the spring. “We wanted to look at reducing waste before it happens,” says Just Salad’s Chief Sustainability Officer Sandra Noonan. Now, instead of customers opting out of plastic cutlery, she says, they have to opt in by checking a box in their order. “We’re reversing the default, and we’re trying to lead a cultural shift in which utensils are not an expectation,” she explains. Since this program started, Just Salad has seen an 88% reduction in cutlery opt-in on its own food ordering platform NON-COMMERCIAL LOCATIONS ARE IMPACTED, TOO Moves like these are not just happening in the restaurant industry; they’re also occurring in the non-commercial foodservice business. At Perth Amboy Technical High School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, culinary arts instructor Stephen Moir eliminated Styrofoam and disposable plates and cutlery in September 2015 and switched to reusable products. Although they cost close to $1,000, “The lifespan of non-disposable plates, silverware and cups are 10 years, and the outlay of initial costs is recovered within two years,” he says. Due to COVID-19, he’s been forced Just Salad's online ordering app offers an opt in or opt out for plastic utensils to cut down on waste. to switch, temporarily, to compostable takeout containers, which cost about 4% more. OhioHealth, a large not-for-profit based in Columbus, Ohio, identified sustainability as one of its four top initiatives in its five-year plan. In May, OhioHealth decided to stop using foam products for its packaging needs, and implemented the move in August at two hospitals, Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Medical Center, with more to follow. The biggest challenge, says Lisa Roberson, senior national director of wellness and sustainability for Morrison Healthcare (the contractor that runs the foodservice for OhioHealth), which was the compartmentalized clamshells “because there’s not a suitable replacement for them.” Another non-commercial example: The University of Vermont in Burlington opened this fall with a new mobile app; all food ordered through it is provided in reusable containers. The university’s foodservice contractor, Sodexo, created 20 collection stations around the campus where students can return the containers. In the first six weeks, the contractor saw

40 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 18,000 containers go through the system, “which is amazing The eight participating retirement homes, which began when you think of the packaging waste that would be,” says Lara room delivery in response to COVID-19, are still delivering Seng, Sodexo’s sustainable living manager, office of corporate some meals. They shifted to reusable to-go containers in May social responsibility. and recovered the cost of the investment within three months, What’s important, she points out, is making the return of the Seng explains. items as convenient as possible. Sodexo launched the program strategically, she says, with She expects to see a return on the $25,000 investment in the messaging, FAQs and multiple collection bins around the reusable products in about six months and admits it hinges on community. Residents also saw two immediate benefits of the students returning containers in a timely manner; otherwise, reusable packaging: They were less flimsy and kept the food Sodexo has to buy more. And the cost doesn’t just come from warmer. purchasing the containers, Seng points out. Sodexo also has to From boosting the bottom line, keeping food intact and pay to wash them and had to buy drying racks and storage and helping to take care of the planet, the benefits of non-disposable collection bins. packaging are becoming clearer to all of us — those in Sodexo’s young customers aren’t the only ones buying into foodservice, and the consumers using these products. reusables. The contractor also switched to reusable containers Amanda Baltazar is a food and beverage reporter based in the at Asbury Communities, a group of retirement homes soggy Pacific Northwest, who writes for and about chefs and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. restaurant operations.

Senior Sous Chef Brock Kaltenbach of OhioHealth, a not-for-profit based in Columbus, Ohio

WEARECHEFS.COM 41 | Chef-to-Chef |

FERMENTING FOR THE FUTURE Maximizing vegetable prep reduces waste and expands the diversity of our food system By Jamie Simpson executive chef, Culinary Vegetable Institute at The Chef’s Garden, Huron, Ohio

As a chef, you know how buzzwords waste is inherent. Try opening your come and go in the culinary world — dining room only once a month, Chef. and food waste concepts have risen to As part of our solution, we preserve the top of today’s conversations. For vegetables for flavor, texture and the Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI), sustainability (which includes optimizing though, waste management is not a inventory and managing food cost), marketing phrase or a bandwagon ploy to and this also allows us to simply watch garner attention. It is a way of living. biology happen in real time. Preservation, We’ve definitely had to grapple though, is something much greater than a with food waste at the CVI. Here’s method of reducing food waste. why. We’re not a hotel or inn, having To explain what I mean, here’s a just one suite available to rent. We’re section from Michael Pollan’s book, not corporate chefs, although we work “Cooked: A Natural History of for The Chef’s Garden. We’re not a Transformation,” that has stuck with me: banquet hall, although we host weddings, “To ferment your own food is to lodge anniversaries and birthdays. What we a small but eloquent protest — on behalf are is a place for forward-thinking, like- of the senses and the microbes — against minded food and beverage professionals the homogenization of flavors and food to explore the future of food, often by experiences now rolling like a great, examining the past. undifferentiated lawn across the globe. The challenge with this model? Waste. It is also a declaration of independence Without a regular outlet for overage, from an economy that would much

42 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 prefer we remain passive consumers of its standardized commodities, rather than creators of idiosyncratic products expressive of ourselves and of the places where we live …” In other words, fermenting food allows chefs to be at the front of a culinary revolution. Imagine a world where ketchup and mustard taste exactly the same everywhere you go — and you’ll quickly realize that’s called America (don’t yell at me, Chef! The big-name brands still have a place in my heart). What I’m saying is we’re suffering from a gross lack of diversity and substance in our food. Our way of living and eating has changed faster than our genetic makeup can cope with it. We are sicker, fuller and hungrier, all at the same time—and, thanks to medical innovations, we get to live like this longer. Our food is largely homogenous from coast to coast and border to border in the U.S. — and one way CVI has broken this sameness up is by tackling one of this industry’s biggest problems, or should I say opportunities: waste. We’ve found valuable ways to make the most Above: The Chef’s Garden in Huron Ohio. Below: Farmer Lee Jones (left) and Executive Chef Jamie Simpson (right) of our inventory and, in turn, we have chefs can resume cooking in ways our society has forgotten. Our created an ecosystem of flavors, textures declaration of independence from homogeneity will allow us to and aromas that may only be possible wean ourselves from broadline “food” distributors and lean into through fermentation. products that are expressive of the seasons, ourselves, and the Fermentation doesn’t have to happen place we call home. in an attic or in a hole in your yard. It In January, the CVI is offering an onlinePreservation doesn’t have to happen on a counter for Workshop where we can celebrate the past by demonstrating six weeks, either. We utilize our kitchen culinary techniques derived from thousands of years of trial and and the equipment on hand to produce error — many of which are gone from today’s kitchens. We’ll highs and lows on the spectrum of flavor. also be celebrating the future by bringing this concept into We’ve modified rice cookers to hold tomorrow and beyond through the power of the internet, which ingredients at 130 degrees Fahrenheit for will allow us to host this event safely while reaching a wider months, which slowly caramelizes sugars audience than we would by hosting in Huron, Ohio. Learn more present in vegetables while keeping them at culinaryvegetableinstitute.com. well above pasteurization temperatures. Baby steps like preservation and fermentation, and others We do short, overnight ferments and we plan to present in our workshop, will ultimately build a dehydrate the results fully for seasoned better environment for our industry. Our diners could leave powders or rubs. healthier than when they arrived, and our restaurants can better With a clear understanding of pH, manage their food costs and waste. The future of our industry salt-level ratios, time and temperature, rests in our collective hands.

WEARECHEFS.COM 43 | Health | CULINARY MEDICINE TODAY Chefs and doctors work together to tackle some of our biggest health issues - especially during a global pandemic // By Samantha Lande

Gone are the days where a heart-healthy meal in a At a time when consumers are savvy to the need restaurant, denoted by a heart icon on the menu, for healthy food, chefs have access to more ingredients meant a bland piece of fish and steamed vegetables. than ever before, and physicians are battling a slew of These days, many consumers are more aware of ways preventable long-term diseases, culinary medicine is to make healthier choices in restaurants, and perhaps becoming more of a focus in educational institutions. more willing to trust that chefs can make dishes tasty and healthy. CULINARY MEDICINE DEFINED Obesity, heart disease and diabetes remain major Culinary medicine isn’t a new concept; The problems in our country. Throw in a pandemic, and Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine (GCCM) at things get even more complicated; the Centers for Tulane University was founded nearly a decade ago, in Disease Control (CDC), noted that those with a BMI 2012, as the first teaching kitchen operated within a over 30 are at an increased risk of contracting a more medical school. severe course of COVID-19, and are three times as “We built a teaching kitchen with the idea that we likely to be hospitalized. were going to teach medical students how to cook, At the same time, As many as 85% of Americans to help change dialogues about food with patients,” have made changes in the food they eat or how says Dr. Timothy Harlan, GCCM’s former executive they prepare food because of the coronavirus director and the current executive director at George (COVID-19) pandemic, according to the Washington University Culinary Medicine Program International Food Information Council’s (IFIC) in Washington, D.C. 2020 Food and Health Survey. About 20% reported Dr. Harlan is no stranger to the kitchen, having eating healthier than usual, eating more than usual worked as a chef and himself in the ‘80s and eating more pre-made meals from their pantry before returning to medical school. or freezer. Some of these changes had direct links to “What many doctors used to do was hand their special diets; 43% of consumers reported following patients a piece of paper denoting a list of foods a specific diet or eating pattern (such as intermittent they should and should not eat with their particular fasting, and ketogenic diets), up from 38% in 2019 disease or diagnosis,” he says. “It was then up to and 36% in 2018. Nearly 30% of consumers said they the patients to figure it out.” Dr. Harlan, therefore, ate more protein from plant sources, and 24% said searched for a way to meet “at the intersection they ate more plant-based dairy. of food and health,” he says. Part of this includes

44 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Left: Dr. Timothy Harlan, GCCM’s former executive director and the current executive director at George Washington University Culinary Medicine Program in Washington, D.C. Right: Robb Seltzer, Hospitality instructor at the University of Central Florida

examining Eastern medicine practices and cultures food combinations that can help prevent or manage that use certain foods like turmeric and other spices ailments such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and herbs for healing, although Dr. Harlan’s quick to renal (kidney) disease, diabetes and more. note his program focuses on evidence-based studies Programs like this, whether in a medical school when making final recommendations. or a culinary school, are geared toward meeting the TEACHING CULINARY MEDICINE guest, patient and other members of the community where they are, in terms of what they enjoy eating, and Dr. Harlan’s health-meets-food curriculum is now helping them understand how they can improve their taught in more than 60 programs across the country, health through different foods. “The goal is to train from medical schools to nursing and other residency our chefs to go out and teach people how to cook and programs. One of those schools is the University eat better,” Seltzer says. of Central Florida, where Hospitality Instructor Robb Seltzer leads a collaboration between the OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHEFS Rosen College of Hospitality Management and the As culinary medicine becomes a bigger part UFC College of Medicine. Much of his culinary nutrition curriculum is based around elements of our vernacular and more consumers seek out of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, healthy foods, there will be an even bigger role for vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. chefs to play. Chefs who cook in nursing homes, “There has been evidence showing a Mediterranean restaurants, schools or just about anywhere have diet can reduce risk of death from causes like heart the opportunity to learn about and add nutrition to disease, diabetes and even some cancers by” he says. whatever they cook. The coursework starts with basic knife skills As Chef Leah Sarris, RD, LDN, executive director, and sanitation before moving onto disease-specific New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, says, courses focusing on the Mediterranean diet foods and “Chefs have a moral obligation to serve people healthy

WEARECHEFS.COM 45 | Health |

“IF YOU USE INNOVATIVE COOKING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NATURALLY BETTER FOR YOU, LIKE SOUS VIDE, OR PESTO INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM SAUCES, YOUR GUESTS WILL GET A FLAVOR-PACKED, HEALTHY MEAL WITHOUT THE BLUNT ADVERTISING.” -CHEF LEAH SARRIS, RD, LDN

food.” Even small tweaks to dishes can make a huge Kitchen in New Orleans, who is in the process of difference in health. building a teaching kitchen and program in the Bronx Hyperlocal and hyper-seasonal ingredients are not in New York, thinks it’s essential to “take favorites just tasty and trendy, she says; they also make food and show people small changes they can make to healthier because they are typically more nutrient- these dishes and make them better for them,” she dense. “You can actually save money by [focusing] on says. For instance, the Bronx has large Puerto Rican beautiful, fresh veggies and interesting grains while and Dominican communities, so she’s focused on including fewer ounces of a protein,” she says. “healthifying” dishes like arroz con pollo by using Another tip from Chef Sarris is to make vegetarian salt-free or DIY spice blends, as well as using unsalted options more filling. “A plate of vegetables will likely chicken stock or sodium-free chicken bouillon to leave your vegetarian guests unsatisfied, so learning reduce sodium, and swapping white rice for brown. how to make it filling with elements of protein, fat and As we continue to navigate the COVID-19 fiber is key.” pandemic, Dr. Harlan says, “We can certainly Still, she doesn’t necessarily recommend hypothesize that [the pandemic] has increased advertising these dishes as the “healthier option.” people’s awareness of obesity as a primarily “Guests often think the ‘healthy’ option won’t taste inflammatory disease.” That means chefs who know good,” she says. “If you use innovative cooking how to cook and use food as medicine can literally techniques that are naturally better for you, like sous help save lives. vide, or pesto instead of heavy cream sauces, your Samantha Lande is a freelance writer based in Chicago. guests will get a flavor-packed, healthy meal without Her work has appeared in Food Network, Chowhound, the blunt advertising.” Time Out and other local and national publications. Chef Emily Schlag, RD, the former director at SBH Center for Culinary Medicine and Teaching

46 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 IT’S ALL CONNECTED understand,” Dr. Fenster says. From our brains and guts to our individual genetic makeup, Hospitality fits directly into this solution. “When we’re our bodies have a symbiotic relationship with the foods we dining out, and we are relaxed and happy because our food choose to eat. experience was so good, this has a direct impact on our health,” That’s the message that Chef Michael Fenster, M.D. (aka, he adds. “That’s why a medical approach alone — eat more Chef Dr. Mike), promotes greens, take this pill and stop going to the drive-thru — doesn’t for understanding the work.” Chefs who focus on the experience as much as on the evolution of nutrition. He’s food can be contribute to this more holistic approach. Even the professor of culinary if it’s a take-out meal with a little note attached or a healthy medicine at the University of meal kit with personalized recipe instructions, hospitality can Montana Missoula College transcend brick-and-mortar borders. and the University of Focus on helping customers improve their gut health. Montana’s College of Health. We now know that our overall wellness is, in part, directly Sure, we know now that tied to our gut health and gut microbiome. whole foods are better for “The types of foods we eat can grow healthy bacteria in our you than processed ones. gut that can [produce] serotonin and literally make us happier,” “You could be a vegan, but Dr. Fenster says. The wrong food and choices can also if you subsist on French strip away this good bacteria, making the center of our bodies fries and vegan brownies, that doesn’t make you healthier than a breeding ground for less-beneficial bacteria that affect our someone who eats grass-fed beef in moderation,” he says. organs as well as our brain and mental health. There’s also plenty we still don’t know about the ways While many plant foods like garlic, onion and leafy greens foods interact with our bodies. Scientists can identify introduce prebiotics to our system, fermented foods are the certain vitamins and minerals in fruits, vegetables and probiotic powerhouses of which we don’t get nearly enough. proteins, but these foods also have lesser-understood Ferments such as kimchi and sauerkraut — not sugary yogurt bioactive compounds that can have an even more profound or a pill — help us achieve better gut health. impact on our health. Dr. Fenster also points out, “All fermented foods are The story gets even more complicated when you introduce pickled, but not all pickled foods are fermented.” For chefs, genes into the mix. Depending on our individual DNA and genetic makeup, certain foods can have good or bad health fermented foods can be challenging to menu, depending implications for us. “I can eat walnuts and pecans, which are a on local health department regulations or the nature of great source of pleasure, taste and nutrition for me, but if my their customer base (e.g., high-risk populations), but it’s wife eats them, she could die,” he says. worth looking into what’s possible. Even putting sourdough These individualized nuances make it challenging for bread—a natural ferment— on the menu, or exploring FDA- doctors and dietitians to develop a one-size-fits all diet or approved fermented products counts. nutrition solution for the general public. It also makes things Educate, educate, educate. more complicated for chefs trying to figure out what to serve or The third piece of the puzzle is education. “It’s not enough not serve on menus. anymore to just source organically or from the farmers market; However, chefs can incorporate some of the basic premises of whenever [chefs] do so, they need to let their customer know, culinary medicine into their practice to help consumers improve because those who are interested in improving their health will their overall health and wellness — and by doing so, set their seek out those [restaurants] first,” Dr. Fenster says. “Those are cuisine apart from the competition. Check out these three tips. also the places I encourage my patients to visit.” Create opportunities for mindful eating. Indeed, when it comes to modern culinary medicine, chefs The idea of mindful eating goes beyond just choosing to can benefit from educating their customers, Dr. Fenster says: eat healthful foods. “We’re seeing more studies that show how “When chefs make an effort to source the best ingredients and we eat, when we eat, with whom we eat, and our mental state create the best experiences for enjoying those foods, and also when we engage in the act of consumption have a profound educate their customers about their menu choices, [health- impact on our health, in ways we’re only beginning to driven people] develop true brand loyalty.” – Amelia Levin

WEARECHEFS.COM 47 IgniteIgnite Your Your PASPASSIONSION At the ACF ChefsForum nearest you

Learn more at www.acfchefs.org/events ACF ChefsForm PITTSBURGH ST. LOUIS NASHVILLE TUCSON March 6-8 March 27-29 April 11-14 April 17-19 IgniteIgnite Your Your PASPASSIONSION ACF ChefsForum Sponsors At the ACF ChefsForum NORTHEAST nearest you PROMOTION INITIATIVE

Learn more at www.acfchefs.org/events ACF ChefsForm PITTSBURGH ST. LOUIS NASHVILLE TUCSON March 6-8 March 27-29 April 11-14 April 17-19 | Quiz |

NCR Quiz January/February 2021 By LeeAnn Corrao, CFC®

What is sofrito? a. An Indian dish b. A spice c. A base used in Latin American cooking d. A drink with lime juice

Which of the following is not an ingredient in the classical preparation of Boliche Cubano? a. Citrus b. Chorizo c. Onions d. Eggs

The U.S Environmental Protection Agency reported that containers and packaging constitute of all waste? a. 10% b. 20% c. 30% d. 40% In addition to helping the environment, what is a benefit of non- disposable packaging? a. Non-disposable containers keep food warmer b. Non-disposable containers are less flimsy c. Non-disposable containers can boost your bottom line d. All of the above

The long shelf-life of a potato helps reduce food waste. a. True b. False

According to the IFIC, 85% of Americans claimed that they have made changes in their diet because of . a. Food allergies b. The COVID-19 pandemic c. Heart disease d. Fad dieting

According to Chef Chris Bugher, the act of melting cheese is a balance between moisture, age and . a. Acid content b. Time c. Temperature d. Salt content

Who is the current president of the ACF Young Chef's Club? a. Ashten Garrett b. Jamie Simpson c. Julia Spondike d. Alain Ducasse

See the rest of the questions, finish the quiz and earn 4 CEHs toward your certification on ACF’s new Online Learning Center at acfchefs.org/olc.

50 NCR | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 Let your customers know you have their safety in mind.

New ACF COVID-19 Safety Training Topics Covered: Take the ACF COVID-19 Safety Training • Key Features of for Foodservice course and earn a COVID-19 certificate and verifiable digital badge that can be displayed on your website • Minimizing Risk and and social media channels. Preventing Spread • Best Practices for Available in the ACF Online Learning Foodservice Center. Visit acfchefs.org/OLC • Examples from Chefs in the Industry