Exciting Details for Tastes of CCFCC Canada

Sunday June 12, 2011

5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Renaissance Hotel Harbourside
1130 West Hastings St., Vancouver

Tastes of CCFCC Canada is not to be missed this year! Featuring 15 stations from regions across Canada manned by junior chefs and their mentors, guests will enjoy food creations and beverage pairings celebrating Canada’s culinary identity. Also joining us this year are guest chefs from the American Culinary Federation and Washington State Junior Chefs, as well as Aboriginal Culinary Team Canada. Look out for the Aboriginal Culinary team, as they will be presenting dinner for Monday, June 13, 2011 during the conference.

Stations will showcase regional foods, as well as beverages to match—beer, cider, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic options. Attendants will be graced with fantastic food and drink, as well as the opportunity to meet and greet with some of the best chefs in the world.

Take a look at what the stations have to offer:

Prince Edward Island

Junior Chef: Jennifer Bryant

Mentor: Chef Hans Anderegg

Serving Prince Edward Island Style Lobster Macaroni with Aged Cheddar Cheese, paired with Chardonnay.

Nova Scotia

Junior Chef: Brenan Madill

Mentor: Chef Luis Clavel

Serving Nova Scotian farmed Arctic Char, Hodge Podge, Char Cracker, and Oulton’s Smoked Pork Belly paired with Blueberry Iced Tea, Van Dyke’s Blueberry Bomb, and Blueberry Powder.

Quebec

Junior Chef: Stephanie Lavergne

Mentor: Chef Marcel Kretz

Serving Quail stuffed with Fiddleheads, wrapped in boar bacon and presented with celeriac, apple puree, and St. Nicholas apple cider jus. Paired with apple cider.

Ontario

Junior Chef: Nikki Carriere

Mentor: Chef Marcia Budd

Serving pan-fried potato and goat cheese perogies with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, candied double smoked bacon, and scallion cream. Paired with a Syrah.

Manitoba

Junior Chef: Joel MacDonald

Mentor: Chef Tim Appleton

Serving Manitoban smoked goldeye terrine with a beet and goat cheese puree, sautéed pickerel cheeks, micro green, and a flax seed vinaigrette. Paired with a Pinot Gris.

Saskatchewan

Junior Chef: Tom Wood

Mentor: Chef Rob Harrison

Serving a mustard-cured duck bacon, Lac la Ronge wild rice and a barley galette with Carmine Jewel cherry preserve. Paired with a dark Saskatchewan Ale.

Alberta

Junior Chef: Debbie Poulin

Mentor: Chef Hong Chew

Serving pulled pork in a pinto bean cornmeal muffin, topped with a maple buttercream frosting and finished with a smoked chipotle crackle. Paired with a Sap Vampire Maple Lager from Albertan Brewing Company, Amber’s.

British Columbia (Kelowna)

Junior Chef: Jon Garratt

Mentor: Chef Geoffrey Couper

Serving venison bresola with young arugala, drizzled with cold pressed canola and local verjus. Paired with Spirit Bear Gin: an Okanagan elderflower spirit shaken with citrus, and topped with a local sparkling rhubarb bitter.

British Columbia (Vancouver)

Junior Chef: Rachelle Thompson

Mentor: Chef Kevin Greehy and Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside

Serving BC Hazelnut s’mores with Philadelphia Cream Cheese and Christy Graham Cracker crumbs, topped with a dark chocolate and chef-made marshmallows. Paired with a hazelnut iced coffee.

British Columbia Oyster Bar

Serving BC’s finest from K’ómoks First Nation.

- Komo Gway, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Rough-shelled with a firm ivory meat and a fresh briny finish.

- Comox, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Plump oyster with a dark velvety mantle, medium salt and a nice cucumber finish.

- Goose Spit, North Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Beach grown and hardened. Firm meats and have a clean briny flavor and mild cucumber finish.

- Tree Island, North Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Unique dark mantle and a full creamy flavor.

- Gartley Beach, North Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Ivory meats and a dark, almost black mantle, rough shell, classic cucumber finish.

- Baynes Sound, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Multi-coloured and highly fluted shells hold nice firm and plump meats with a dark mantle.

- Buckley Bay, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Beach grown oysters have the classic oyster flavour, mild brine, nice and creamy.

- Brooklyn Creek, Comox, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Multi-coloured highly fluted shell offer creamy, plump full meats with medium salt.

- Goose Berry Point, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• Sweet oyster, beach hardened and harvested, creamy white meats surrounded by a dark mantel.

- Sengoku, Baynes Sound, BC, Canada

• A classic oyster, medium salt, clean flavour and a mild cucumber finish.

Youth Team Canada

Mentor: John Carlo Felicella

Serving Qualicum goat cheese, braised organic cippolini onion, mulled tomato and micro greens with a salt and vinegar cracker with emulsified chimichurri.

Aboriginal Team Canada

Junior Chefs from Vancouver Community College’s Aboriginal Culinary Class

Mentor: Chef Ben Genaille

Serving “Kayuukws” from the people of the Nass River—wind-dried salmon and sweet potato rostis, topped with herring egg caviar and served with bannock. Paired with wild herbal tea, hot or iced: a choice of spearmint leaves, lavender blossoms, rose petals, elder flowers, and red clover.

Canadian Cheese Table

Junior Chef: John Dashney

Mentor: Judson Simpson, CCFCC President

Serving a selection of Aged Cheddars, Blues, Bocconcini, Brie, Camembert, Canadian Swiss, Feta, Gouda, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Raclette, Saint-Poulin and Tomme.

Canadian cheeses pair well with wines, beers, and cocktails—they’re fantastic!

Renton Washington, USA

Junior Chef with Mentor Chef John Fisher

Martini Bar

Hosted by Von Albrecht and Associates

Serving XFour (“Times Four”) Handcrafted Vodka, BC’s first handcrafted premium corn and rye-based vodka. Distilled four times by master distiller Frank Deiter, with hints of fruit and anise.

Tickets for Tastes of CCFCC Canada are included in full delegates package, and early bird individual tickets are only $90.00 including taxes. Tickets include all food and beverages, with $30 from the sale of each ticket supporting Canadian Junior Chefs Culinary Programs.

For tickets and details, see www.tastesccfcc.eventbrite.com

Thank You to Tourism Vancouver!

Tourism Vancouver has helped the CCFCC Conference extensively over the past two years, and this year will be no exception as the city of Vancouver prepares to host the CCFCC 2011 National Conference and events.

The list is long, but Tourism Vancouver has been integral in promoting the conference with their destination video, image bank, and the “Destination Vancouver” mailout package sent to chapters of the CCFCC across Canada. They will also be supplying delegates at the 2011 National Conference with complementary visitor guides, city maps, and postcards.

All this and so much more, the assistance of Tourism Vancouver in bringing this year’s conference to fruition is greatly appreciated and we are excited to be working with them.

Vancouver, with its fantastic natural setting, accessible city-scape, and vibrant culinary

and cultural scene, is certain to make an unforgettable backdrop for the CCFCC 2011 National Conference.

Take a look at www.tourismvancouver.com for more details.

Photo credits to Tourism Vancouver.

Thank You to Tourism Montreal!

The CCFCC 2011 National Conference Team is pleased to announce that Tourism Montreal will co-sponsor the Women in the Industry Luncheon during the CCFCC 2011 National Conference on Monday, June 13, 2011. The luncheon will be opened by Tourism Montreal International Relations Manager Marc-André Gemme. Thank you for your generous support, we look forward to our partnership!

Please take a look at their website and blog to learn more about the wonderful city of Montreal, Canada, and all it has to offer:

www.tourisme-montreal.org

www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog

BC Junior COTY Competition, March 12, 2011

Pictured left, 2011 BC Junior Chef of the year, Jasper Cruickshank.

Below is a message from Corey Jessup, President of the Victoria Branch of the Canadian Culinary Federation:

Hello Everyone,

Yesterday (Saturday, March 12, 2011) we held the 2011 BC Junior COTY competition and from what I saw we have some great young talent in all regions of this province. We would first like to start out by thanking Gilbert Noussitou and Camosun College for in only three days notice being able to accommodate the competition and pulling it off as if it was planned to be hosted there from day one.

Competitions like these would never be possible without support from our industry partners so thanks goes out to InterCity Packers for contributing the cash prizes and Certified Angus beef chuck flats and top sirloin for the black boxes. Sysco Victoria for contributing the whole Dungeness crab, Coho salmon, Little Qualicum blue claire cheese, wild mushroom blend, parsnips, golden beets and sunflower shoots for each black box. Ronald St Pierre for securing the wine for the peoples tasting table I know they were very grateful for that and Spatula Media for the amazing trophies, plaques and posters for all the competitors as keepsakes.

But without further adieu we would like to acknowledge the winners of this years event with the first place finisher going on to represent the province of BC at the National Junior COTY competition June 2011 in Vancouver.

1st place - Jasper Cruickshank, Vancouver

2nd place - Jenna Angle, Okanagan

3rd place - John Lance, Victoria

We would also like to thank the judges from this years event in no particular order, Bruno Marti, Willi Franz, JC Feliella, Leslie Stav, David Lang, Rick Choy, Terry Lockhart Rust, Gilbert Noussitou, Jeffrey Brothers and Dr Jane Ruddick for assisting in all the administration details the day of the event.

On behalf of the Victoria & North Island Branches

Thank you,

Corey

Pastry Chef of the Year Competition

Wednesday June 15, 2011

8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Vancouver Community College
250 West Pender Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

The 2011 Pastry Chef of the Year Competition will take place the same day as the CCFCC National Junior Chefs Challenge at Vancouver Community College on June 15, 2011.

Over the course of an eight-hour day, six candidates will demonstrate their expertise in the pastry field. The only rules? Everything must be prepared from scratch, and proficiency in sugar and chocolate sculpting must be demonstrated in some shape or form.

Your $50.00 ticket will give you the exciting experience of witnessing this event, and a taste of the goodies from the kitchens to satiate your sweet tooth.

Visit http://pastrychefchallenge-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for tickets and further details on the competition.

CCFCC National Junior Chefs Challenge

Wednesday June 15, 2011

7:00 am – 2:00 pm

Vancouver Community College
250 West Pender Street
Vancouver, British Columbia

At the CCFCC National Junior Chefs Challenge at Vancouver Community College this June, witness the next generation of Canadian culinary wonders as they compete in the National Championship round. Competitors representing each province in Canada will show off their prowess in the kitchen for the 2011 title.

Tickets for the challenge are $75.00 plus a $2.49 service fee. Tickets include lunch from one of the competitor’s kitchens. Competition details will be announced soon.

See http://ccfccjuniors-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for further details.

Hans Bueschkens Junior Culinary Challenge

Sunday June 12, 2011

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

Vancouver Convention Centre West

1055 Canada Place

Vancouver, British Columbia

Watch Junior Chefs from across the globe compete for title of 'World Junior Champion' and the Hans Bueschkens Memorial trophy at the Hans Bueschkens Junior Culinary Challenge June 12, 2011.

As with the National Chefs Challenge and WACS Global Chefs Challenge, the competition will take place as a part of the Eat! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival. Free entry for Eat! Vancouver onlookers and CCFCC 2011 full delegates.

The 2011 competition and overview will be announced soon, but it is guaranteed to be an afternoon filled with excitement.

See http://worldjuniors-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for more details.

Thank You to Unilever Food Solutions

While we are on the topic of the 2011 National Chefs Challenge, we would like to thank Unilever Food Solutions for their generous sponsorship of the event.

Unilever Food Solutions has been in the food business since the 1880s, and continues to maintain a high standard of quality in the ingredients they produce today.

www.unileverfoodsolutions.ca

2011 National Chefs Challenge Presented by Unilever Food Solutions

There are some exciting challenges planned for the CCFCC 2011 National Conference, the first of which will be the National Chefs Challenge presented by Unilever Food Solutions.

Friday June 10, 2011

2:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Vancouver Convention Centre West
1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, British Columbia

Competitors in the 2011 National Chefs Challenge will whip up a 3-course meal before a panel of judges, who will evaluate their creations based on preparation, presentation, and taste.

For the first course, competitors will be provided with salmon and scallops; for the second course, beef chuck and flank; and for the third course they may contrive a dessert of their choice.

Competing chefs will make 16 meals, but only 10 of these exclusive creations will be available to the public for purchase. Keep checking back, tickets will be available soon but they are sure to disappear quickly!

Watching the challenges is free; all Eat! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival attendees are welcome to witness the excitement.

See http://nationalchefschallenge-eorg.eventbrite.com/ for more details.

CCFCC 2011 Golf Tournament

Thursday June 16, 2011

9:30 am - 6:30 pm
Furry Creek Golf & Country Club
150 Country Club Road
Furry Creek, British Columbia

A tidy way to round off the conference's festivities, join us at the picturesque Furry Creek Golf Course just outside of Squamish, B.C. for a day of golf, networking, and of course, culinary delights.

Registration will start at 10:00 am, with coffee, tea, Mimosas and Caesars served. A “Best of BC” brunch buffet follows registration, and complementary on-course snacks, samples, and beverages. Awards and prizes will be given out throughout the day. Reception, food, and beverage stations from 4:00 – 6:00 pm to close the day.

Golf Attire and Sports Casual will be the attire for the event. Everyone is welcome!

Schedule:
Registration 10:00 am – 10:30 am
Brunch Buffet – the Best of BC
Welcome Address 10:45 am
Shotgun Start 11:00 am
Scramble Format Golf Tournament 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Afternoon Tea for the non-golfers at 3:30 pm
End of Golf 4:00 pm
Reception, Food and Beverages Stations 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Awards and Prizes ongoing
Close of Day 6:30 pm

See http://ccfccgolf.eventbrite.com/ for tickets and more event details.

www.golfbc.com/courses/furry_creek

A Pre-Conference Planning Guide

Keith Ferrazzi, an expert on relationship development and author of Never Eat Alone and Who’s Got Your Back? provides these tips for getting the most out of attending conferences and social events.

In brief, they are:

1. Consider why you’re attending the event and write down what you want to accomplish and/or who you want to meet to better plan your time;

2. Use your sleuthing skills to get a list of attendees and keep it with you at all times to take notes about the people you meet;

3. From the attendee list, see if you can learn more about the people you want to meet - not just their business interests - to find topics of conversation;

4. Try to arrange a meeting with your top three targets before the conference begins or, failing that, leave a message at their hotel (quite possibly the same one you’re staying in) inviting them to join you and friends for drinks the first evening;

5. To get noticed, take advantage of Q&As. Stand up tall, state your name and company, and ask an intelligent question about the presenter’s topic. You’ll be remembered as a thoughtful listener with keen insights.

6. Don’t stand in a queue to meet the speakers; venture out and meet other attendees who will also have information to share;

7. Try to find a buddy to support and guide you as you work the conference crowd - and be sure to tell your buddy exactly why you’re at the conference (refer back to tip #1);

8. Instead of checking emails during breaks, mingle with the crowds. In many instances, you can eat during the presentations - as long as it’s not overly odoriferous;

9. If seating is not assigned at dinner, invite folks you meet during the day to join your table and get into deeper conversations to establish your connection.

Keith offers more sage advice and free resources on connecting with others on his website, http://www.keithferrazzi.com/.

CCFCC Presidents Ball

Wednesday June 15, 2011

5:00 pm – 11:55 pm

Renaissance Hotel Harbourside
1133 West Hastings Street, Vancouver

Another exciting event at this year's CCFCC 2011 National Conference will be the CCFCC Presidents Ball.

Marking the climax of the conference, attendees at the Presidents Ball will enjoy a cocktail reception, an awards ceremony for the 5 chefs challenges taking place during the CCFCC 2011 National Conference, as well as a fundraiser for Culinary Team Canada, junior chefs programs, and culinary scholarships.

Culinary Team Canada will serve a six-course award winning dinner, with wine pairings, based on the theme “Canada welcomes the Americas”.

As with the rest of the conference, don't miss this opportunity to meet some of the world’s best chefs and industry professionals.

Dress up in your shiniest shoes, the dress code is black tie optional.

Conference Full Delegate packages include ticket to the Presidents Ball, see http://ccfcc.eventbrite.com for Conference tickets.

Individuals tickets are $196.00, corporate packages available as well.

For Presidents Ball ticket information, see http://presidentsball.eventbrite.com/

Contact conference2011@bcchefs.com.

Why do people attend conferences?

The following is from an article by Dawn Donahue, Director of the CCFCC National Conference, and President & CEO of Go Golf Events Management. It was published in Mis En Place in the fall of 2010:

Why do people attend conferences?

Some go to learn, some go to play, some go to teach.

However, the paramount reason to attend a conference: Take all of the above, add in the networking, business development opportunities, and the health advantages, (a change is as good as a rest) and then you have all the reasons to attend the 48^th Annual CCFCC 2011 conference. CCFCC 2011 Conference will be held in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, from June 12 to 16, 2011, and you are invited to participate.

What a conference it will be.

Attending the CCFCC 2011 Conference will be President Gissur Gudmundsson, World Association Of Chefs Societies (WACS), President Diego Silva Lehmann of the Asociación de Restauradores Gastronómicos de las Américas ((AREGALA) Association of Culinary Restorers of the Americas), President Michael Ty of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), and Dr. David Roman Tauber, Director of Poland, Vice President – Europe, and Director of the European Academy of Hotel Management and Catering Industry.

All delegates are welcome to arrive early in the beautiful city of Vancouver. The Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside Hotel has a very special rate for our CCFCC2011 delegates and guests, a rate of $189.00. The Vancouver Convention Centre is across the street, Stanley Park is a beautiful 10 minute walk by seawall, and transit from the airport to the hotel is direct. No need to worry about vehicle rentals, parking fees, or getting lost.

Delegate registration will open Saturday and Sunday, June 11 & 12. All delegates will receive a complimentary ticket to attend Eat Vancouver www.eat-vancouver.com - a food, beverage and cooking festival that will delight all. Eat Vancouver is on June 10 to 12.

The National Board meetings will start Monday with the Presidents Day Meetings, followed by the AGM, Tuesday, June 14, and the President’s Ball on Wednesday evening, June 15.

Sunday, June 12 - The Icebreaker and Welcome Reception will be a taste of Canada. Each province and territory is invited to host a grazing station, food, beverages, with chefs as a representative of each province and territory. Of course, Canadians being renowned for hospitality have invited our guests from the north and south Americas, as well as our WACS guests to host a station, should they desire. The format of the icebreaker is a prelude of the educational component of the conference – each station will have a mentor and a junior. The goal, for the mentor to be the Junior’s apprentice. All welcome to be involved – contact us now!

The International Chefs Challenge and the Hans Bueschkens Junior Challenge will be hosted in conjunction with Eat Vancouver 2011; the competitions will be on June 10 and 11. These two competitions will garner world attention, as the Media will be in full attendance in the new Vancouver Convention Center.

Vancouver Community College will host the CCFCC competitions, starting with the Juniors on Monday, followed by Chef of the Year and Pastry Chef of the Year on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Culinary Competitions are a vital and evolving branch any Culinary Federation. Some competitions are single events taking place at local and regional chapters. Whereas other student and professional competitions that include individual and team events engage in a rigorous qualifying process that begins at the local chapter level, advances at the Regional Conferences and culminates with the finals at the National Conventions. Regardless of the level, the purpose is the same: to continually raise the standards of culinary excellence in the world while promoting camaraderie and educational opportunities among culinary professionals.

Conference Chair, Chef Marcus Von Albrecht, says: “The Conference is jammed packed with seminars, educational sessions, healthy eating, a taste of BC, fabulous meals from farm to fork, from sea to service, from gate to plate.”

BC Chefs Association, President Don Gyurkovits states “The educational seminars, breakout sessions and destinations are designed with professional development, networking and food functions, as well as countless opportunities for camaraderie.”

What people always say – “I’m also going to conferences to learn. I’m attending a number of tutorials at CCFCC 2011, as well as the educational sessions and tours organized by the conference.”

What people always think: “Of course I am going to play, and Vancouver will not disappoint you. It’s not possible to travel to Vancouver BC, foodie mecca heaven, chefs delight with all the regional products, for purely a business trip. Not with a straight face it isn’t. The Conference Organizers will insure there are always smiles on everyone’s faces, food galore, and many moments that make memories.

What all conference delegates offer – their time, expertise and knowledge. The National Chefs Conference is very much a transfer of knowledge. Our Senior Chefs lead by example, teach merely by their presence, share tales, tell stories, break bread – our Juniors gain experience just by being in the same room.

None of these reasons are as excellent as the underlying theme of any conference, however. We all participate in something more important, more useful. Conferences offer the highest potential to advance our careers and industry. Why? Face time.

Throw four hundred like-minded people in a room and you’re bound to get something good out of it. Conversation is the inspiration for innovation. When you attend a conference the opportunity to contribute to our careers is huge.

Conferences like CCFCC2011 present a unique opportunity for innovation due to the vast melting pot of expertise and interest. When Chefs from across the world come together, the sharing of products, ideas, and flavours create that fabulous global pot of culinary expertise.

To those who are attending a conference that interests them, I encourage you to get out and talk to people. You have unique knowledge and unique interests that can pollinate new ideas. Breakout sessions, and hospitality suites, more than conference sessions, offer a low barrier to entry to talk to like-minded culinary professionals. Consider those sessions as the jumping point for new and interesting conversation. Sessions are designed to make you think. Conferences are designed to make you think together. That’s where The Next Big Thing lies in waiting.

To those who are not attending conferences, but have the means, I offer a truism. Anyone can sit at home reading books and consume knowledge. Likewise, anyone can approach the world and provide knowledge. Choose to give back, that’s how we grow. That’s what Chefs excel at.

To conclude this thought, go to conferences to teach, learn, and play. We attend conferences to make things happen - the culinary and hospitality industry can benefit by everyone being there.

See you in Vancouver, June 9 to 16, 2011.

Dawn Donahue,

CCFCC National Conference Director,

President & CEO, Go Golf Events Management