Happy Holidays!

Projeto Mandioca

IACP member Fran Osseo-Asare was in Rio de Janeiro and met with fellow colleagues Margarida Nogueira and Teresa Corçao during the Tapioca cooking contest for brazilian school children. Check out Fran's video here or visit Betumi blog.

Menu For Hope

IACP members are going crazy! Giving away their hard earned books, precious personal kitchen favorites, cooking dinners and teaching classes—all for FREE!
Where, Why, How? Find out how IACP members and other food bloggers are making a giant holiday present together at www.ChezPim.com.

A Lesson on The Power of the weB-LOG.
When Pim Techamuanvivit of the very popular blog- Chez Pim calls her food blogging friends to arms, they listen. That’s because she is as smart as she is kind. Pim recognized the power of blogs long before most of us even knew what one was. Food & Wine magazine, The New York Times, London’s Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald all have written about Pim and her blog. Thousands of readers check in with her everyday to see what she is writing about—from Michelin-starred restaurants to her fiery homemade Thai chili sauce.

What would you do if you had that kind of audience? In 2004, Pim tested the waters of reader’s and fellow food bloggers’ generosity after the Indonesian tsunami by establishing an on-line raffle called Menu For Hope. For just $10 dollars, you could buy a raffle ticket to win one of hundreds of prized foodie prizes: dinners at top restaurants, private cooking lessons, baskets of favored gourmet food from around the blogging world. And there were cook books and more cook books- signed, annotated and well-loved. It was a wild success.

Since then, Pim focused her attentions on a single wonderful idea dear to many hearts including mine. Through The UN World Food Program there is a special school lunch program in Lesotho, Africa that will benefit from the proceeds raised by this year’s Menu for Hope IV. The food used to feed the children (sometimes their only daily meal) is grown locally and benefits the farming families themselves. In Pim’s words, “We chose to support the school lunch program because providing food for the children not only keeps them alive, but keeps them in school so that they learn the skills to feed themselves in the future. We chose to support the program in Lesotho because it is a model program in local procurement - buying food locally to support local farmers and the local economy.”

Today, in the last week of the 4th annual Menu for Hope, we are well shy to surpass last year’s $62,000 raised. We just have a few days to meet this goal left- deadline of Dec 21st has been extended over the weekend. IACP member blogging participants offering great personal prizes include Dorie Greenspan, Judy Witts, David Lebovitz, Heidi Swansonand many more. Want to win a Kitchenaid mixer with ice cream attachment? A week in Tuscany? One of my prized Cassoulet bowls? To check out the list of all prizes offered worldwide got to http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2007/12/menu-for-hope-4.html. For donating just $10 US, you might win a prized El Bulli tour with Ferran Adria in Spain, dinner at Dan Barber’s Blue Hills restaurant, or lunch with charming Harold McGee. Go to http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope4 and help IACP international members reach out. Instructions for choosing prizes and donating are also on my blog at http://katehill.blogspot.com/2007/12/menu-for-hope-cassoulet-dreams.html

Since IACP members now have our own Global Blog where we, too, have an immediate voice in our extended worldwide community, I ask my fellow IACP members to join me in supporting this generous food blogging community. Thanks Elena Hernández and Scott Givot for inviting this post.

In Peace and Friendship,
Kate Hill- cooking and writing in Southwest France at www.katehill.blogspot.com

d' Pintxos: I World Fair & Congress on bite-size cooking

D'Pintxos will take place for the first time in San Sebastian, Spain from December 12 - 14. Pinxtos is the Basque word for "pinchos", which in Spanish means "brochette" or any food served on a skewer. The event will feature Spain's top chefs Juan Mari Arzak and his daughter Elena, Andoni Luis Adúriz, Manuel Tejedor, Sergi Arola, Pedro Subijana, and international chefs from the USA, Japan, Mexico, and Venezuela. For more information on this original event, visit the event's website here.

Young Chef Spotlight Joanna (Ioanna) Kremmida

"Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean."

Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)


From the surface of a magnificent infinity pool on the island of Kefalonia, my mind is temporarily suspended in time. It is no ordinary scene from my daily life, but rather the gift of blissful contentment in a Shangri La of sorts, which I may refer to in the future and reflect as I do now. What did I ponder as I looked out onto the Ionian island of Ithaca in the distance? My evening meal…

There is a young Chef at the Hotel Emilisse named Joanna Kremmida. Although she is only 24 at the time that I write about this memory, she is a master of food preparation and of the very sort that I sought on my culinary adventure in Greece. The menu, which she is responsible for, is designed for a “Continental” audience, however, she is clearly inspired by her roots and the food she loved as a child. She knew that she wanted to be a Chef from the age of 18 upon her completion of high school.

Her extraordinary cooking talents were inspired by her Mother’s kitchen in the town of Megara, 40 kilometers to the west of Athens. Joanna arrived at Hotel Emilisse four years ago, but first under the tutelage of another Chef with whom she worked with on the island of Spetses. It was in this year that she recalls tasting a seafood risotto prepared by this Chef that transformed her life. It was “magic food” she recalled to me. Within a year she found herself on her own and has been in charge of this premiere seasonal restaurant kitchen ever since.

Even though Chef Kremmida’s belief is that global trends suggest a continued rise and appreciation in the cuisine of China and Japan, she is challenged by the “discipline and details” of French culinary arts and a desire to master the art of pasta making. Still when asked about her favorite food to prepare, she will answer, “Greek! In addition it is difficult to prepare, one reason being that there is a lot of olive oil in the preparation of so many Greek dishes, thus, it is necessary to find the perfect delicate balance. “Not too much and not too little”, she added. No dish that I tasted at the restaurant probably offered as much satisfaction as the lobster and spaghetti platter, which requires a 24-hour advance order. Naturally the appearance of fresh steamed colossal lobsters will delight any seafood loving audience, but somehow it was the fresh and simple tomato sauce for the spaghetti, which I recall most.

Chef Kremmida’s recipe for Fresh Tomato Sauce (Spaghetti for 2)

2 tblsp butter
½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
5 firm ripe tomatoes, grated
2 spring onion, chopped
1 glass dry white wine
2 tblsp dry basil (or 1 tablespoon of prepared basil pesto)
½ tsp sea salt
Pinch of hot paprika
1 ½ tblsp white sugar

To garnish:
Fresh basil for garnish
Fresh cracked black pepper


Melt the butter in a pan. Add the onions and garlic and sauté the mixture until golden brown. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients. Reduce the sauce until the juice from the tomatoes has thickened. Pour the mixture over fresh cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with fresh basil and cracked black pepper.


My final evening at Hotel Emilisse was one, which I actually dreaded. To soften the harsh reality of departure, Chef Kremmida asked what I would like for my party’s farewell supper. I knew that her season at the hotel was coming to a close and that within a matter of days, she would be returning to her home and her Mother’s kitchen. “What is the dish which you miss the most and would like your Mother to cook for you when you come home?” I asked. “It is a slow cooked meal, prepared in a cast iron casserole. She combines chunks of lamb, veal and pork along with three cheeses, feta, Kefalouturi (a yellow goat cheese from Crete and harder than feta) and Metsovone (a smoked local goat cheese). She adds (red bell) peppers, tomatoes, a little olive oil and water, covers the dish and lets it slow cook at a very low temperature for at least 4 hours. I will make it for you and your guests as a farewell dinner.”

I can still recall the arrival of this dish! It appeared as a feast for the gods, a shared memory of home and all under the stars burning in the sky like butter lamps of the ancient Greek temples. The world must keep its eyes on this upcoming Chef. Her kindness even extended in presenting to me my favorite dessert in the world, “galaktoboureko”, the ultimate comfort dish with layers of filo dough and slow cooked semolina in sugar and milk. She understands how the power of food can translate as an expression of the soul and delight the occasional “accidental tourist”.
For the visit of a lifetime check out the link for Hotel Emilisse and the other expertly managed properties of the family owned Tsimaris boutique hotels at

www.arthotel.gr/emelisse

While you are there, rent a car and explore the array of small fishing villages, delightful tavernas and dreamy hidden white-pebbled beaches in the land of “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin”.

by Scott Givot, CCP - IACP Secretary-Treasurer
Oslo, Norway

191 Michelin stars for Tokyo restaurants

The announcement ceremonies crowning Tokyo as the world`s top culinary destination may have been a surprise to those outside of Japan. The Michelin Guide has presented 191 Michelin Stars to Tokyo, beating out New York City with 49 stars, and Paris with 65 stars. The most notable point is that every restaurant included in the guide has at least one star. The importance that this will play on the culinary world has yet to be seen.

For those of us who live, or have lived, in Tokyo, it is a long-deserved recognition. Hopefully this will encourage gourmands around the world to book that ticket to Japan. The city is easy to access, clean, safe, and offers a dizzying array of options for the food-savvy. And, with the current exchange rate, Tokyo has become an affordable destination. To read the complete article, click here.

Cooking for Solutions 2008

Cooking for Solutions is an event organized by the Monterey Bay Aquarium through the Seafood Watch program, which promotes the health of the oceans and seafood sustainability. In 2008, the event will take place on May 16-17 and will be hosted by celebrity chef Alton Brown and feature international guest chefs Darina Allen from Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland and Kylie Kwong from Australia. Read more about this event here.

Japanese chefs bring authentic cuisine to New York

Master chefs from Kyoto, Japan, traveled to the Big Apple to meet the city's top chefs and French Culinary Institute students to teach them about classic and contemporary japanese cuisine. Yukari Pratt writes about this exchange in the Japan Times.

Julie & Julia goes to the big screen

Julie & Julia, the bestselling novel by Julie Powell, a blogger- turned writer, who cooked the 524 recipes in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in 365 days in her tiny Queens apartment kitchen, is going to the big screen. Blockbuster star Meryl Streep will play our beloved Julia Child in the Columbia Pictures production. Read more about this story here.

Madrid Fusion 2008

Gastronomy, the Internet and New Technologies is the title for the 6th version of Madrid Fusion to take place from January 21-24 of 2008 in Madrid, Spain.

Topics such as: Travelling chefs, the Rural Chef in the 21st Century,
a Homage to TV Chefs, Radical Minimalism, Culinary Inspiration beyond perfection, and Aromas:cooking with esential oils which will be presented by American chef Daniel Patterson of Coi Restaurant in San Francisco.

For more information and registration materials visit : Madrid Fusion online.

Tasting Australia

Adelaide, named Australia's capital of fine food, beverages, and arts, will be host to Tasting Australia on Oct 13 to 20. IACP members Madhur Jaffrey, André Cointreau, Patrick Martin from Le Cordon Bleu, International Chair Kate McGhie, and former President Lauraine Jacobs will be among the event's speakers.

IACP unveils its New Website!

After many months of hard work, IACP launches it's totally revamped website. Visit us now at www.iacp.com.

The Fifth Element: Changing your eating habits with Umami

Yukari Pratt writes about Umami.


Sweet, sour, salty, and bitter are the four tastes recognized on the palate in the Western world. In Japan, it has long been accepted that there is a fifth: umami. What exactly is umami, and can it change your life? I went to an expert, Jacqueline B. Marcus, to set the record straight. A registered dietitian and nutrition consultant based in the Chicago area, Jacqueline speaks around the world on the topic of umami.

First of all, there are taste receptors all over the mouth for sweet, sour, salty, bitter—and, yes, umami. “Umami is perceived as savory or meatiness,” Marcus says. “Examples in the Western world include Parmesan cheese or ripe tomatoes.” In Japan there are several examples of umami-rich food including kombu, katsuobushi (smoked bonito) and niboshi (dried sardines). Voila—these are the basic components of dashi, the essential stock without which Japanese cuisine would not exist. Umami is an integral part of Japanese cooking, and you’ll find it in miso soup or anything cooked with dashi.

Read the rest of this article here.

Star Chefs Congress 2007

This year's Star Chefs Congress kicks off this coming Sunday featuring an impressive line-up of top chefs from around the world. For more information visit this page and make sure to watch the video from last year's event.

2007 Japanese Food & Restaurant Show

New York Mutual Trading has organized 14 consecutive Japanese Food & Restaurant Shows in New Jersey and New York.
In 2007, the show will be held on Monday, October 1st at Metropolitan Pavilion and The Altman Building located on 18th Street between 6th & 7th Avenues, NYC.

It is open to retailers, restaurateurs, foodservice professionals, and members of the media. Admission is free.

Some of the world's finest artisan-made ingredients made their U.S. debut last year at the Japanese Food & Restaurant Show in New York. Real Wagyu beef, sea salt smoked over cherry wood fires, live miso, and soy sauce aged in 100 year old cider barrels were just a few of the items that became an instant sensation among the nation's culinary cognoscenti. This year's show promises to be the most exciting one yet, with more artisanal ingredients, and more workshops, demonstrations and tastings than ever before.


Learn and Taste with the Experts
Japanese cuisine authority and James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo heads up the demonstration kitchen. She will be joined by Sara Moulton - Executive Chef of Gourmet magazine and star of Sara's Secrets on the Food Network--and Chef Yosuke Suga of L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon. They, along with more of New York's favorite chefs, will present ideas for using Japanese ingredients in innovative preparations.

Saké & Shochu Education
Throughout the day, saké expert Michael Simkin and shochu expert Yukari Pratt will lead workshops, guided tastings, and food pairing seminars, and mixologists will shake up creative cocktails behind the shochu bar. Saké is to Japan as wine is to France, and saké production in Japan dates back to 300 B.C. Today, ancient tradition has met modern technique to craft some of the finest sakés ever. Though shochu was traditionally known as an unrefined "poor man's drink," it has been enjoying a revolution in Japan. Not confined to just one base ingredient, shochu is made out of everything from sweet potatoes, rice, barley, black sugar, or even buckwheat. This wide range of ingredients creates richly varied flavor profiles, making every bottle of shochu distinct.

For more information visit this page.

Food & Wine Festival in Boquete, Panama

Anthony Bourdain visits Venezuela

Lidia Bastianich to lead Columbus Day March

Photo via Foodtalk

IACP member Lidia Bastianich is the first chef/restaurateur to lead New York City's Columbus Day March on Oct 8. Ms. Bastianich said that her selection sends “a message about the importance of food culturally, and it really elevates Italian food.”

Via the New York Times.

Slow Food International Congress 2007

“Arrivederci a Puebla!” See you in Puebla. These were the very last words of president Carlo Petrini’s closing speech to delegates at the last International Slow Food Congress in Naples in 2003 and will be the first Slow Food Congress held in a non European country.

“The choice of Mexico was strategic and the congress in Puebla will mark the definitive launch, both symbolic and actual, of the network we have been building since 2004 through Terra Madre ” explained Paolo Di Croce, head of Slow Food International.

The fifth International Slow Food Congress will take place November 8 - 11, 2007, in Puebla, Mexico. The meeting will convene 700 delegates from all over the world representing 85,000 members and is the movement’s most important event. It will be here that the executive body is elected, strategies will be decided upon for the international develop-ment of the association itself, the Terra Madre network and for projects in defense of biodiversity.

Puebla 2007 marks a momentous transition in the movement, ratifying a new pact be-tween producers, co-producers (informed consumers), cooks, educators and scholars in the name of truly sustainable local economies.

For more information visit Slow Food

On the Road to NOLA

We're back after a break to bring you plenty of information about the food world and our upcoming Annual Conference in New Orleans to take place April 16-19 of 2008. The IACP NOLA Conference program and host committees have been working very hard to put together an excellent program that will feature a line-up of world famous speakers, the best workshops, tours, and optional events for the week that we will be there. We hope that many of you will join us in a collective effort to support our fellow culinary professionals in the city. We leave you with the following video.

The Bento Box

Bento image care of Wikipedia.

Check out what a Japanese Bento Box can do for your lunch in this article from the Washington Post, written by Andrea Sachs. IACP member Yukari Pratt also gives tips on how to prepare a harmonious meal utilizing the concept of goshiki. Click here to read the complete article.

International Conference on Food Styling and Photography

Boston University will host the International Conference on Food Styling and Photography: A World of Business, Techniques, and Design from June 1-4. Quite a few IACP members are featured speakers at this event. Board Director Darra Goldstein, Ignacio Urquiza from Mexico, James Scherzi, Lisa Golden Schroeder, Delores Custer, and Shirley Corriher are among them. For more information click here.

Depachika

In the Market
by Yukari Pratt
yukari.pratt@gmail.com


It goes without saying that Japan is a paradise for any foodie. This is the country where cows are indulged with beer and massages. Fruit is fondled and coddled like a newborn. Bread from Poilane is flown in weekly from France and handmade wagashi from Kyoto is whisked to Tokyo via shinkansen.

This outright obsession with food is perhaps nowhere more evident than in Tokyo's department-store food floors, or depachika. Working as the sommelier at Takashimaya's Nihonbashi depachika, I am surrounded by the familiar, such as background music from the Carpenters, and the not-so-familiar, like the endless variety of fish. My workplace is constantly evolving, and so massive that I feel I will never fully understand its intricacies. Nevertheless, the depachika is one of the greatest places for anyone who is passionate or slightly curious about food to get a taste of Japanese cuisine and culture-and to begin to unlock their many secrets. Read complete article here.

Image property of Lifestyle Japan.

Top 50 restaurants in the World 2007

El Bulli made first place again followed by The Fat Duck and Pierre Gagnaire in second and third best restaurants in the World. The French Laundry, Per Se, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin, Daniel, Charlie Trotter in the US ranked in the top 50. Alinea, in Chicago, ranked 36. Tsesuya's in Australia came in 5th place. France ranked first with 12 restaurants in the top 50.
DOM, Alex Atala´s restaurant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, ranked as only Latin America. Astrid y Gastón in Lima, Peru, ranked 72.
To see the complete list, click here.

Hervé This - Molecular Gastronomy at the IACP 29th Annual Conference

Hervé This, the famed french chemist, author of Molecular Gastronomy, and director of the INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) in France, was the keynote speaker on Friday, April 13 at the IACP's 29th Annual Conference in Chicago. Dr. This came on stage to talk about Constructivism and performed a couple of experiments to proove his points. The following is a very short sample of his presentation. You can read a summary of the session here. If you are interested in getting a full transcript of Dr. Hervé This's plenary session, as well as other presentations and workshops of the IACP Chicago Conference, you can do so by accessing this website.

International Event - Latin Fiesta at Nacional 27

Nacional 27 in Chicago was the venue for the IACP's International Committee Latin American Fiesta. The party was co-hosted by Adam Seger, CCP, General Manager at Nacional 27. Chef Randy Zweiban served an outstanding array of latin american foods featuring delicious tapas and grazing stations. Guests loved the interactive Mojito station and the music. Latin Rhythms taught some of the guests a few salsa steps. Door prizes were drawn for those who left their business cards, members from Panama and Mexico kindly donated bags of fresh Panamanian and Colombian gourmet coffee beans, bottles of aged rum, Molas, and Mexican sweets. We had fun! Come join us next year in New Orleans!!!

After an intense day of workshops and committee meetings, a little exercise helps to loosen our bodies!

Host City Opening Reception at the Merchandise Mart

The Opening reception took place at the Merchandise Mart on the Chicago River. Traditionally closed to the public, today the first floor houses LuxeHome, the world’s largest collection of luxury kitchen and bath showrooms. It is a mecca of design from modern European to classic American innovation, displaying the highest quality resources for the kitchen.

As we walked through the 30 different boutiques we were able to admire edible artistic creations by Chicago's most innovative artists. Of particular interest was the gelatin sculpture of a man, complete with internal organs that showed through the transparent material.





We had great fun with the guys from Moto, who prepared a Banana Fosters Cocktail, in well... the very post modern way.

IACP 29th Annual Conference Day 2, Cooking Schools and Teachers Section Forum

Day 2 at Conference is usually when the professional sections hold their forums. This year the Cooking Schools and Teachers Section held its forum early in the morning with quite a large audience. Jonathan Zearfoss of the Culinary Institute of America, Molly Stevens, cooking teacher and author, Andy Schloss of Culinary Generations, cookbook author and teacher, Albert Schmid of Sullivan College and Elena Hernandez of the Academia de Artes Culinarias in Panama, were invited to sit on a panel of expert teachers to talk about teaching techniques. The panel entitled "From Socrates to You…to Infinity and Beyond! Raising Your Teaching Skills to the Celestial Level" was moderated by Dan Traster, the Section Chair and cooking instructor.

The second part of the session consisted of roundtable discussions and the attendees were able to interact with peers from all over the world. The roundtables were coordinated by Betty Ann Litvak, the Section Vice-Chair. Attendees included members from Panama, Mexico, Canada, Italy, and the USA, among others.

IACP 29th Annual Conference Internet Coverage

A list of websites that covered portions of our Chicago 2007 Annual Conference.

The Chicago Reader
Cooking with Amy
101 Cookbooks
Betumi Blog
The Chicago Tribune 1
The Chicago Tribune 2
The Chicago Tribune 3
foodmomiac.com
foodesigns.com
Andrew Dornenburg & Karen Page
Menu Pages Blog 1 (The Business of Organics)
Menu Pages Blog 2 (Hervé This)
IACP Website
La Prensa (Panamá)
The Cooking Diva Blog



More links to come!

IACP Annual Conference First Timers Report

I'm not your typical culinary professional, if there is such a thing. I began writing on the web, specifically on my blog Cooking with Amy almost four years ago and that more than anything else launched my culinary career. So I was happy to discover the IACP blog and to take this opportunity to share my first impressions of the conference and some personal highlights.

Wednesday
The first night reception was full of surprises! I really was amazed at the artistic culinary displays and how well they integrated into the Merchandise Mart. I saw molecular gastronomy cocktails being made and vibrant flowers suspended in gelatin. I met wonderful people all evening and saw more folks from home than I could have imagined. Great food, great fun.


Thursday
The speakers at the general session this morning represented a terrific range of perspectives on the topic of organics. We heard about the future of organics and the roots. I heard how organics is part of a bigger movement that includes ethical treatment of animals, ecological sustainability and safer employment conditions for workers. We've seen considerable focus on all of these issues recently.


Friday
The afternoon culinary showcase was like a mini version of the Fancy Food Show, with booths, vendors and new products. At the showcase I discovered some new products like an "antigriddle" which was used for making creamy frozen lollipops, collected samples and made some great new business contacts.


Saturday
It was a treat to see authors, editors and chefs I respect being honored for their contributions at the awards ceremony. Rick Bayless and Judith Jones were both inspiring to hear. Their connection to the pleasure and conviviality of the table was something I think everyone could relate to. I was especially excited for Karen Page and Andrew Dorenburg who won the Book of the Year because their book What to Drink with What you Eat (and my review of it) helped me to gain another recipe development client.

What an exciting experience! After having read about the conference in Seattle I was determined to come this year and I'm glad I did. The people I met were friendly and there were seemingly endless opportunities to learn and make great connections.

My tips for first-timers:

1. Come early so you can be well rested and ready to take advantage of more of the conference.

2. Wear comfortable but business casual clothes. You never know who you will meet or what great business contacts you will make. Wear layers as some conference rooms may feel warm while others are cool.

3. Bring your camera, there are lots of great photo opportunities.

4. Plan for at least one special meal in your host city and make reservations ahead of time! Popular places book up fast.

5. When there is an opportunity, ask a question of speakers but try to make it a question that others will want to hear the answer to, if not, contact them privately.

6. Bring plenty of business cards. I met three people who ran out.

7. Take notes at the tastings, sessions and lectures you attend. I know I will be referring to my notes for a long time to come.

8. Sit with strangers and introduce yourself. If you sit with your friends, you won't make as many new friends.

My last tip was going to be to have fun, but really that happens without trying. Thanks everyone, for a wonderful conference!

Amy Sherman
Cooking with Amy
San Francisco, CA

IACP 29th Annual Conference Day 1

The 29th IACP Annual Conference in Chicago, IL, began yesterday with a series of tours, food related of course.

Chocolate and Vanilla was the tour I chose. It began at 9:30am at Kendall College where we were received by Chris Koetke, Dean of the College of Culinary Arts. The class was conducted by Elaine Gonzalez, author of "The Art of Chocolate" and Camilla Nielson of Nielson-Massey Vanilla. We tasted vanilla extracts from different beans and we also tasted Chocolate de Gala, a hot chocolate made with chipotle and ancho chili powders.

The tour then continued on to TRU restaurant. We were welcomed by pastry chef and co-owner Gale Gand. We had a delicious lunch of poached Maine Lobster with a vanilla infused lobster jus. For dessert chef Gand served us a lemon chiffon cake, vanilla pot de creme, vanilla-lemon ice cream and citrus salad. We then went on to purchase her latest cookbook, Chocolate and Vanilla, we she kindly autographed for us. Then on to a tour of the restaurant kitchen.

After the excellent lunch we proceeded to take a walking tour of Michigan Ave in seek of the best chocolate Chicago has to offer. We stopped at Vosges au Chocolat where owner Katrina Markoff greeted us and graciously offered us a tasting of her latest creations. We couldn't resist her exotic truffles and hot white chocolate with a lemon thyme infusion.

Our next stop before we went back to our hotel was Sarah's Bakery, where we admired the beautiful diplay of pastries and enjoyed talking to the staff.

As they say, a picture says more than a thousand words, here I leave you with a few pictures of our wonderful day. Enjoy!

by Elena Hernandez
IACP, International Committee Chair

2007 Gourmand World Media Awards

Congratulations to Kate McGhie, IACP International Committee Vice-Chair, for winning the "Best in the World" award for first cookbook for "Cook: Recipes, Stories and Kitchen Wisdom" at the 2007 Gourmand World Media Awards. The award ceremony took place last night in Beijing, China. To see the complete list of winners click here.

2007 IACP Cookbook Awards Finalists Announced

American Category
Cookbooks that focus on ethnic, cultural, historic, or regional cooking in the United States.

Dishes From the Wild Horse Desert: Norteño cooking of South Texas

Author: Melissa Guerra
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Editor: Anne Ficklen

Winner
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: stories and recipes for southerners and would-be southerners
Authors: Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli

Sharing the Table at Garland's Lodge
Authors: Amanda Stine and Mary Garland
Publisher: Garland's Oak Creek Lodge
Editor: Carol Haralson

Bread, Other Baking and Sweets Category

Cookbooks that focus on bread making, desserts, confections and sweet or savory pastries or doughs.

About Professional Baking
Author: Gail Sokol
Publisher: Thomson Delmar Learning
Editor: Matthew Hart

Baking: from my home to yours
Author: Dorie Greenspan
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Editor: Rux Martin

Winner
Bread Matters: The State of Modern Bread and a Definitive
Guide to Baking Your Own

Author: Andrew Whitley
Publisher: Fourth Estate
Editor: Louise Haines

Chefs and Restaurants Category
The California Table Grape Commission Award
Cookbooks by or about chefs, collections of recipe's from chefs,
or books that focus on the cuisine of specific restaurants.

Winner
Allegra McEvedy's Colour Cookbook
Authors: Allegra McEvedy and Fred Dickieson
Publisher: Kyle Cathie Ltd
Editor: Sophie Allen

Happy in the Kitchen
Authors: Michel Richard, Susie Heller and Peter Kaminsky
Publisher: Artisan
Editor: Ann Bramson

Heston Blumenthal: in search of perfection; reinventing kitchen classics
Author: Heston Blumenthal
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Editor: Nick Trautwein

Compilations Category
Cookbooks comprised of material previously published in another format, or compiled by a staff of writers or editors.



The 150 Best American Recipes: Indispensable Dishes from
Legendary Chefs and Undiscovered Cooks
Author: Fran McCullough
Molly Stevens
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Editor: Rux Martin

Winner
All-New Complete Cooking Light Cookbook
Publisher: Oxmoor House
Editor: Anne C. Cain


The Professional Chef/the Culinary Institute of America-8th Edition
Author: The Culinary Institute of America
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Editor: Pam Chirls

First Book: The Julia Child Award
Cookbooks by writers who have not previously authored, co-authored,
or significantly contributed to a food or beverage related book.


Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: treasured foodways, modern flavors
Author: Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Editor: Aaron Wehner

Winner
The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook: stories and recipes
for southerners and would-be southerners
Authors: Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli

Memories of Philippine Kitchens: stories and recipes from far and near
Authors: Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang
Editor: Marisa Bulzone

Food Photography and Styling Category
Awarded to a photographer and stylist for food photography and styling that clearly, accurately and artistically represents the book's recipes or cooking techniques, enhances the text with stimulating visual images and reflects the overall tone of the book.

The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate
Photographer: Deborah Jones
Food Stylist: Susie Heller
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Editor: Leslie Wells

Secret Destinations: Asian spa cuisine
Photographer: Edmond Ho
Food Stylist: Susie Donald
Publisher: Foodstyle Editions
Editor: Poppy Fields

Winner
Simple Chinese Cooking
Photographer: Earl Carter
Publisher: Penguin Group - Australia
Editor: Alison Cowan

Food Reference/Technical Category
Reference books of culinary terms, histories, techniques or ingredients.

Culinary Biographies
Author: Alice Arndt
Publisher: Yes Press, Inc
Editor: Alice Arndt

Winner
Modern Garde Manger
Author: Robert Garlough
Angus Campbell
Publisher: Thomson Delmar Learning
Editor: Matthew Hart

The Spice and Herb Bible, Second Edition
Author: Ian Hemphill
Publisher: Robert Rose Inc
Editor: Sue Sumeraj

General Category
Multiple-subject recipe books, including all-purpose cookbooks and personal recipe collections.
The Filipino-American Kitchen: traditional recipes, contemporary flavors
Author: Jennifer M. Aranas
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing, a member of the Periplus Publishing Group
Editor: Holly Jennings

Winner
The Improvisational Cook
Author: Sally Schneider
Publisher: HarperCollins
Editor: Harriet Bell
Opera Lovers Cookbook: menus for elegant entertaining
Author: Francine Segan
Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang
Editor: Leslie Stoker

Health and Special Diets Category
Cookbooks and diet books that focus on healthful eating, nutrition, dietary concerns
and special or restrictive diets.
Winner
Lunch Lessons: changing the way we feed our children
Authors: Ann Cooper and Lisa M. Holmes
Publisher: HarperCollins
Editor: Mary Ellen O'Neill

Spa Cuisine by Charlie Trotter
Author: Charlie Trotter
Editor: Sari Zernich
William-Sonoma New Healthy Kitchen: Desserts
Author: Annabel Langbein
Publisher: Free Press
Editor: Suzanne Donahue

International Category
The Le Cordon Bleu Award
Cookbooks that focus on foods of a particular geographical region or cultural
identity outside the United States.
Winner
Cradle of Flavor: home cooking from the spice islands of
Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore
Author: James Oseland
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Editor: Maria Guarnaschelli

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: treasured foodways, modern flavors
Author: Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Editor: Aaron Wehner

The Soul of a New Cuisine: a discovery of the food and flavors of Africa
Author: Marcus Samuelsson
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Inc.
Editor: Pam Chirls

Literary Food Writing Category
The Cuisinart Award
Non-fiction or fiction food or beverage books that are distinguished by the quality of their prose.
These books may or may not include recipes.

The Kitchen Diaries: a year in the kitchen with Nigel Slater
Author: Nigel Slater
Publisher: Gotham Books
Editor: Erin Moore

Winner
My Life in France
Authors: Julia Child Alex Prud'homme
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Editor: Judith Jones

The United States of Arugula: how we became a gourmet nation
Author: David Kamp
Publisher: Broadway Books
Editor: Charlie Conrad

Single Subject Category
Cookbooks that focus on specific foods, cooking methods, techniques or appliances.
Hot Chocolate: 50 heavenly cups of comfort
Author: Fred Thompson
Publisher: The Harvard Common Press
Editor: Valerie Cimino

Winner
A Passion for Ice Cream: 95 recipes for fabulous desserts
Author: Emily Luchetti
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Editor: Bill LeBlond

Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen
Author: Deborah Madison
Publisher: Broadway Books
Editor: Jennifer Josephy

Wine, Beer or Spirits Category
Books on the history, evaluation or production of alcoholic beverages; mixology; serving or pairing with food.


Perfect Pairings: a master sommelier's practical advice
for partnering wine with food
Authors: Evan Goldstein and Joyce Goldstein
Publisher: University of California Press
Editor: Blake Edgar

The Ultimate Bar Book: the comprehensive guide to over 1,000 cocktails
Author: Mittie Hellmich
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Editor: Bill LeBlond

Winner
Winner Cookbook of the Year
What to Drink with What You Eat: the definitive guide to pairing food with wine, beer, spirits, coffee, tea - even water - based on expert advice from America's best sommeliers
Authors: Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page
Publisher: Bulfinch Press
Editor: Michael Sand