Chefs, students and foodservice professionals gathered for professional development and culinary trend seminars at the 2014 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Central Regional Conference. The conference took place at the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, St. Louis, March 16-19.
More than 40 chefs, students, chapters, restaurants and foodservice professionals were presented with American Culinary Federation awards during the conference. Award competitions took place to determine ACF Central Region Chef of the Year, Pastry Chef of the Year, Student Chef of the Year, Student Team Championship and Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl.
The conference theme was “Embracing a Sustainable Future,” and many of the demonstrations and seminars focused on how to incorporate green and sustainable cooking concepts into restaurant kitchens and onto menus. Attendees enjoyed presentations from keynote speakers, US Foods’ Mark Eggerding, vice president of product sales and support, and David Mulholland, product sales and culinary trainer; and demonstrations from presenters such as Steven Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC, corporate executive chef, Unilever Food Solutions, on Nordic cuisine, and University of California, Davis, chef Salvatore Gagliano on sustainable kitchen trends for restaurants.
The following ACF Central Region competition award winners will compete for their respective national titles at the 2014 ACF National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., July 25-29.
ACF Central Region Chef of the Year, sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions
- Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, executive chef, The Fort Worth club, Fort Worth, Texas, Texas Chefs Association
ACF Central Region Pastry Chef of the Year, sponsored by Plugrá European-Style Butter
- Stephan Schubert, executive pastry chef, River City Casino & Hotel, St. Louis, Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
ACF Central Region Chef Educator of the Year
- Todd Gold, CEC, CCA, AAC, dean, Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, Little Rock, Ark., ACF Central Arkansas Cooks Association
ACF Central Region Hermann G. Rusch Chef’s Achievement Award
- Frances Jean Jedneak, CEC, executive chef, Sodexo—Excelsior Crossing, Hopkins, Minn., ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter
ACF Central Region Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award, sponsored by MINOR’S
- Michael Garbin, CEC, AAC, executive chef, Union League Club of Chicago, Chicago, ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
ACF Central Region Student Chef of the Year, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.
- Chase Grove, student, Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Neb., ACF Professional Chefs of the Heartland
ACF Central Region Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers
- Students representing Kendall College, Chicago
ACF Central Region Student Team Regional Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.
- Students representing ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association who attend Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kan.
The 2014 ACF Central Regional Conference award recipients listed below were recognized for their outstanding contributions to ACF, goodwill in their communities and/or culinary excellence.
ACF Central Region Chapter of the Year
- Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis
ACF Central Region Chapter Achievement Award
- Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis
- ACF Louis Joliet Chapter, Joliet, Ill.
- ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association, Kansas City, Mo.
- ACF Chefs of Northwest Indiana, Schererville, Ind.
- ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter, Minneapolis
- ACF Texas Panhandle Chefs de Cuisine, Lubbock, Texas
- ACF Chefs of Milwaukee, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.
ACF Central Region Cutting Edge Award
- John Kaufmann, CEC, AAC, HOF, retired, Antioch, Ill., ACF Chicago Chefs of Cuisine Inc.
- John Kukucka, AAC, executive chef, Essex Golf & Country Club, LaSalle, Ontario, ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association
- Jonathan Moosmiller, CEC, executive chef, Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla., ACF Tulsa Chapter
- L. Fernando Mojica, CSC, chef, LFM Culinary, Chicago, ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
- Mark Spelman, CEC, AAC, corporate executive chef, Helen of Troy, El Paso, Texas, Texas Chefs Association
ACF Central Region President’s Medallion
- Brian Beland, CMC, executive chef/director of food & beverage, Country Club of Detroit, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association
- Jess Barbosa, CEC, AAC, retired, Kansas City, Mo., ACF Greater Kansas City Chefs Association
- Andy Chlebana, II, CEPC, CCA, culinary arts instructor/pastry chef, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill., ACF Louis Joliet Chapter
- Deborah Bando-Duit, CEC, AAC, executive chef/owner, Bando’s, Beaumont, Texas, Texas Chefs Association
- Doug Ganhs, CEC, chef instructor, Oakland Community College, Farmington Hills, Mich., ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association
- Cheryl Molenda, sous chef, Inn at Aberdeen, Valparaiso, Ind., ACF Chefs of Northwest Indiana
- Mark Schneider, CEC, CCE, AAC, culinary arts department chair, Texas State Technical College, Waco, Texas, Texas Chefs Association
ACF Central Region Achievement of Excellence Awards
- Big Rock Chop House, Birmingham, Mich.
- Carlucci, Rosemont, Ill.
- Country Club of Detroit, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.
- Jilly’s Cup Cake Bar & Cafe, St Louis
- Mezzaluna, Fargo, N.D.
- Orchard Lake Country Club, Orchard Lake, Mich.
- Redstone American Grill, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.
- Steve & Rocky’s, Novi, Mich.
- Sole Mio Ristorante, Woodbury, Minn.
- Southern Hills Country Club, Tulsa, Okla.
- The Purple Pig, Chicago
- Walnut Creek Country Club, Mansfield, Texas
ACF World of Thanks
- Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis, Inc., St. Louis
Extra Mile Award
- Todd Gold, CEC, CCA, AAC, dean, Pulaski Technical College Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, Little Rock, Ark., ACF Central Arkansas Cooks Association
The 2014 ACF Central Regional Conference, hosted by Chefs de Cuisine of Association of St. Louis Inc., provided attendees with opportunities to advance their professional development and enhance their culinary skills through business seminars, cooking demonstrations featuring the latest trends and techniques, culinary competitions and awards. Learn more about the conference at www.acfchefs.org/Central, or on Facebook and Twitter.
Regional and national sponsors of the 2014 ACF event series are: Alabama Gulf Seafood; Allen Brothers; American Technical Publishers; Barilla Foodservice; Barry Callebaut; BelGioioso Cheese, Inc.; California Avocado Commission; Campbell’s Culinary & Baking Institute; Central Region State Beef Councils; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Ecolab; Evo, Inc.; Fabbri USA 1905, LLC.; Fortune Fish Company; Ghirardelli Chocolate Company; Gordon Food Service; Idaho Potato Commission; J.R. Simplot Company; JTM Food Group; Johnson & Wales University; Jones Dairy Farm; Kern Meat Co., Inc.; Lactalis Foodservice; Lang Manufacturing Company; Maines Paper & Food Service, Inc.; Mercer Cutlery; MINOR’S; Monini North America, Inc.; Mooney Farms; Moore Food Distribution; National Pasteurized Eggs, Inc.; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative; Ole Tyme Produce Inc.; Par-Way Tryson, makers of Vegalene; Performance Foodservice; Plugrá European-Style Butter; Publix Super Markets; RC Fine Foods; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Rosenthal Sambonet USA Ltd; S&D Coffee; Saint Louis Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation; Sartori Company; Sysco; The Beef Checkoff; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Food Solutions; US Foods; Valrhona; Villeroy & Boch; Vitamix Corporation; Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board.
About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc. (ACF), established in 1929, is the standard of excellence for chefs in North America. With nearly 20,000 members spanning 200 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States, with the Certified Executive Chef, Certified Sous Chef and Certified Executive Pastry Chef designations the only culinary credentials accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. Find ACF on Facebook and on Twitter.
