IACP Conference Buzz from Nashville

The Nashville Scene reports on the upcoming 2010 IACP Annual Conference in Portland and the incredible, in-depth educational programming offered.  Nicki Wood writes, "the IACP is the awesomest [food association], if only for its incredible annual conference."  Thanks, Nicki!

Gumbo Giveback

Grab a bowl and gather 'round the gumbo pot! It's time for Gumbo Giveback, this year's fundraiser to benefit the Crescent City Farmers Market. The event, which is sponsored by the International Association of CulinaryProfessionals, kicks off Saturday, April 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the corner of Girod Street and Magazine, with live music and some of the city's best chefs stirring up big pots of the signature Louisiana dish.






Join us for this rare opportunity to sample Seafood Gumbo, Duck Gumbo and traditional Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo prepared by a stellar trio of guest chefs: Chef Paul Prudhomme, of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen; Darin Nesbit, executive chef at Bourbon House and Palace Café; and Chef Donald Link of Herbsaint and Cochon. We will have a traditional Louisiana crawfish boil, Cafe Brulot courtesy of CDM Coffee distributor Reily Co., and Mojo Catering will be preparing Gumbo Z'Herbes, shrimp and grits and more. It's also a chance to celebrate New Orleans' culinary history and mingle with food lovers from all over the world while supporting marketumbrella.org's efforts to grow the region's food community and create vibrant public spaces centered around our shared love of fresh, local food.



The International Association of Culinary Professionals, which is holding its annual conference in New Orleans April 15-19, is a non-profit professional association made up of some 4,000 chefs, restaurateurs, food writers, cookbook authors and cooking instructors from more than 35 countries. We are proud that the IACP has recognized our role in the rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and that the group has chosen to close out its meeting with a "give back" bash to benefit the Crescent City Farmers Market.

Tickets for the event are $95 per person, and can be purchased online at the International Association of Culinary Professionals Web site, www.iacp.com. Please join us for great food, live music and a night of celebrating the best in New Orleans cooking. The Crescent City Farmers Market has helped local farmers, fishers and food producers rebound since the devastating 2005 hurricane season and helped establish and encourage other regional markets. Get your tickets for the Gumbo Giveback and help us keep the momentum going!

Chef Jam!: Emeril Lagasse at 2008 IACP Annual Conference

Come join us at this year's Culinary Trust Fundraising Event featuring chef Emeril Lagasse in what promises to be an unforgettable evening of "Rhythm on the Plate". Tickets are available for $150. The event kicks off at 6:30pm. If you happen to be in town, that is, New Orleans, you do not want to miss this special event!

Le Cordon Bleu North America offers Fat Tuesday Menu

Hoffman Estates, Il. (Vocus/PRWEB ) The 14 culinary schools in the Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America family have joined forces to support the ongoing efforts in the Gulf Coast region and New Orleans during the rebuilding process.
Beginning Fat Tuesday and through the end of the week, February 2-8, twelve of the schools will feature Cajun and Creole menus in their student-run restaurants, which are open to the public. Three schools will contribute flat donations. Proceeds of the national “Give-Back” project will support the Crescent City Farmers Market, in New Orleans.

Although it has been over two years since the area was devastated, there is still a great deal to do in order to get the once vibrant culinary community back on its feet,” said Kirk T. Bachmann, vice president of education and corporate executive chef for Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America.

Bachmann, who also serves as serve as the chair for the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Chefs, Restaurateurs and Sommeliers Committee, said the project was conceived in committee following the 2007 IACP Annual Conference, held in Chicago. And, given that the 2008 conference will be held in New Orleans, it “seemed a natural fit”.

Bachmann and his team pitched the concept to the schools and created a suggested menu for the project; the executive chefs, with their students, made the final decisions.

Some schools will offer a Louisiana-inspired menu for lunch and dinner; others, such as Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, in Minneapolis/St. Paul and in Atlanta, will offer a special Pris Fixe Mardi Gras menu all week at both lunch and dinner, and all revenues from that menu will be donated to the project. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami has added a kick-off breakfast and New Orleans jazz to the menu.

At each of the culinary schools, with the exception of Pennsylvania Culinary Institute (PCI), students manage and staff a restaurant under the direct supervision of chef instructors. As an academic laboratory, the restaurants provide students with the opportunity to gain experience while managing and operating a full-service restaurant. In lieu of a restaurant, PCI students take full advantage of externships in local establishments.

“Our students in the culinary arts and hospitality and restaurant management program are thrilled to be part of this important project”, said Kelly Bozarth, president of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami.

According to the Economics Institute at Loyola University New Orleans, the Crescent City Farmers Market serves has changed the way New Orleanians shop and eat, how they spend their Saturday mornings, and their awareness of their dependence upon regional growers, fishers, and other food producers. Last year, the Crescent City Farmers Market—now open four days a week at four locations throughout New Orleans — directly impacted the bottom line of more than 60 local farmers and fishers, enabling them to achieve an economic stability—and profitability—they once could only imagine.

“The collective commitment of our schools illustrates that our faculty and students are engaged in not only their local culinary communities, but the larger national community as well. The New Orleans area will directly benefit from our contributions and I am honored to be part of the Le Cordon Bleu family as well as a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, who have made this project a priority.”

A complete list of the Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America student-run restaurants is attached.

About Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America
Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America is the largest provider of quality culinary arts education. Few institutions possess the distinguished reputation of Le Cordon Bleu, which established its first culinary school in Paris in 1895. For more information about Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, go to: www.lecordonbleuschoolsusa.com

Join us for the 2008 International Event

A Night of Bliss, Bubbles & Blues

What is traditionally becoming a much awaited highlight at the IACP conference, the international members of our organization have planned a fabulous event again this year, in New Orleans.—“A Night of Bliss, Bubbles and Blues” on Friday evening immediately following the Awards presentation. This is a very popular event, with members from all over the World joining in, making it an excellent opportunity to informally celebrate the global fraternity of IACP.

This year’s event will be at the Rio Mar restaurant. To kick the evening festivities off and to set the mood of the magic of New Orleans, masks will be available with entry. The Rio Mar restaurant is a top notch restaurant specialising in seafood with flavours of Spain and a touch of New Orleans. Executive chef, Chef Adolfo Garcia was named Chef of the Year by New Orleans Magazine in 2006 so we are in for a treat. Fabulous tastes prepared by Chef Adolfo accompanied by a local blues singer are just some of the high points of the evening. And we have other terrific surprises in store for you too.

Hope to see you there!

April 18, 2008
9pm - midnight
800 South Peters Street
(Corner of Julia and South Peters)
Warehouse District
New Orleans

Tickets are available for $75
includes food & drinks, masks and prizes!

IACP 2008 Annual Conference @ New Orleans

IACP members will meet in New Orleans on the week of April 14, to celebrate its 30th Anniversary and participate in "Rhythm on the Plate" - this year's Annual Conference. If you arrive early, you may want to check out the culinary tours being offered on Tuesday - a nice start to the week that lies ahead. Wednesday is when our professional sections have their forums, and also when we hold our opening reception. From Thursday through Saturday you may attend our workshops, but I warn you, you are going to have a very hard time deciding on which to attend, because they are all very good. Among the chefs, writers, and bloggers that will participate in the IACP 2008 Annual Conference are:

* Paul Prudhomme
* Emeril Lagasse
* John Besh
* Susan Spicer
* Jessica Harris
* Pim Techamuanvivit
* Nina Simonds
* David Thompson
* Mai Pham
* Rick Bayless
* Raymond Blanc
* Mark Hix
* Donald Link
* Mas Masumoto
* Suvir Saran
* Patricia Mc Causland-Gallo

If you would like to help the New Orleans culinary community get back on its feet, join us during IACP 's 30th Annual Conference at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside for a memorable week. If you are not an IACP member, you can still attend the conference. For more information and to read the conference program, click here.

And if you would like to help us promote the New Orleans Conference, do so by displaying a Conference Banner on your blog or website. The banners are really cool and you can choose among three designs. Go to this page to pick your banner.

A peek into the biodynamic farm at La Provence, with Chef John Besh

Not sure on which optional culinary tour to register for on the Tuesday of the IACP Conference? Take a peek into John Besh's Biodynamic Farm at his first restaurant, La Provence. This is part of OP-04 Northshore Terroir Tour where you'll travel to Lacombe, Louisianna and enjoy a great meal at La Provence, followed by a stop at Pontchartrain Vineyards where you'll tour the grounds and taste fine local wines.

Join us for our 30th Annual Conference in New Orleans, April 15 - 20. For more information visit the IACP website at www.iacp.com.

If you are not an IACP member, you too can join us in New Orleans. For more information on IACP's special offer for non-members contact Emily Pohler at (800) 928 4227 or email her at epohler@hqtrs.com

The following video is directed by David Aman, of DocNO Productions.

A Taste of New Orleans' traditional foods

The IACP 2008 Annual Conference will take place in the city of New Orleans, the week of April 14.  If you're planning to attend this event and if this will be your first time in the city, here are a few places you'd like to check out and experience the traditional foods of Louisiana.  We hope to see you there!

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.

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

Dianne Jacob

It's always exciting to receive e-mail from our members indicating that they are visiting this blog. This space was created by and for our membership, with the idea of showing the World who we are as an organization.

IACP is composed of 4,000 food professionals from 35 countries: from Malaysia to Argentina; from Spain to the United States. We are food writers, chefs, entrepreneurs, cooking school owners and teachers, food photographers and stylists, food scientists, culinary students, and more. We are unique in the sense that we represent different areas of the profession, different parts of the planet, united by one common denominator: food.

One of the greatest advantages of belonging to the IACP is to have access to continuing educational opportunities, not only in the specific area that we move in, but to extend our possibilities to other areas within our field.

The first book I read about food writing in English was Will Write for Food, by Dianne Jacob. I devoured the book in a week. Then I signed up for Dianne's workshop on writing last year at the IACP Conference in Seattle, but I was unable to attend at the last minute. So, when I learned that Dianne will be teaching a week-long class next summer on food writing in one of my favorite parts of the world, the South of France, I was very interested. How could I miss this unique opportunity to learn with one of the best food writing teachers around? Plus the cooking in this part of the country is so good: Cassoulet, Coq au Vin, Foie Gras...delicieux! je veux être là!

I set myself to find out more about Dianne's class. I found out it will take place from June 9-16 at a place called the Lot Valley. Dianne will teach about how food affects memory, place, and identity. You might write about cooking, meals around the family table, restaurants, travel, your mother’s kitchen or friendships - whatever inspires you. You will stroll around the local markets to get inspired by the people and the food, you will visit wineries and medieval villages. If you are already at work on a cookbook idea or writing a book, this workshop makes room to pursue your project.

I want to be there!

If you want to go (like me), please read the complete program and details by visiting Dianne's website here.

If you want to meet Dianne you might want to sign up for one of her two very interesting workshops during our Chicago Conference next April: Pizza, The Heart and Soul of Chicago and Eco-Gastronomy. For more information, click here. If you are not an IACP member and wish to attend our Conference this year, we are offering for the first time ever a special fee that includes a 6-month trial membership plus registration. Come to Chicago and celebrate the world of food with us!

And please keep those e-mails coming.

by Elena Hernandez
Chair, International Committe

Homaru Cantu

Postmodern Cuisine in IACP's 29th Annual Conference
by Elena Hernandez
photo taken at Madrid Fusion 2006

One of the workshops that I am looking forward to attend during our upcoming Conference in Chicago is "A Savory and Sweet look into Postmodern Cuisine" on Thursday April 12.

The presenter in no other than world reknown chef Homaru Cantu, of Cantu Designs and Moto Restaurant in Chicago. He will be joined by Ben Roche, Moto's pastry chef.

But, who is Homaru Cantu, some of you may be asking yourselves? And what is all this business about "postmodern cuisine"? According to the Star Chefs website, "since opening Moto, Chef Homaro Cantu has attracted much attention with his interpretation of Postmodern Cuisine. While Postmodern Cuisine is in its infancy in America, it seems that many diners and critics weighing-in on this new style of cuisine still view it as the Wild West of whimsy. And this is true at Moto, because the sky is the limit as Cantu stretches known scientific and gastronomic boundaries.

Postmodern Cuisine, often times referred to as Avant-Garde cuisine, found its roots in Spain with Ferrán Adrià of El Bulli leading the evolution. With the exact definition of Postmodern Cuisine still open for interpretation, it is safe to describe this culinary movement as one that reacts against earlier modernist principles. It reintroduces traditional or classical elements, typically carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes. Or Chef Cantu simply describes it as, “The human race has been eating the same way for hundreds and hundreds of years. At Moto, we strip away the rules, stretch the imagination and entice guests with never-before seen dishes. It’s about being open-minded and having a lot of fun with food.” To read Homaru Cantu's biography and a list of his inventions, click here.

I had the chance to see chef Cantu in action last year at Madrid Fusion, and he blew everyone's mind off. Do NOT miss this workshop.

To tickle your curiosity about what his presentations are about, here is a video to watch.

Hervé This at IACP 2007 Chicago Conference

Hervé This is a French physical chemist who works at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA). His main area of interest is molecular gastronomy, or how our knowledge of chemistry, and science in general, can be used as a tool to enhance culinary experiences, rather than the purely empirical knowledge which more often than not dictates the rules in the kitchen.

About the name “molecular gastronomy”, Hervé This writes:

Molecular gastronomy, why such a pompous name? And is it some useless activity of the idle rich or wealthy foodies? Of course not! First, a differentiation should be made between cooking and gastronomy. Cooking means preparing dishes, whereas gastronomy, according to the promoter of the word, means “intelligent knowledge of whatever concerns man’s nourishment” (Brillat-Savarin 2006). When this knowledge is history, the activity is “historical gastronomy,” but when it comes to the study of chemical and physical transformations involved in culinary practice, then it is “molecular gastronomy.”

He goes on to distinguish it from culinology (which BTW is a trademark - “How can science be patented?” Hervé asks). What is even more interesting, is that he includes a modification of the original five points that were published in his PhD thesis (and also included in the 2002 article “Molecular gastronomy” in Angewandte Chemie):

1. investigate recipes
2. collect and test culinary proverbs, old wives’ tales, and so on
3. invent new dishes based on 1 and 2
4. introduce new tools, ingredients, and methods in the kitchen
5. use cooking to show that the physical and biological sciences are wonderful

He writes that this was a major mistake because 3 and 4 are technological, not scientific, and 5 is political. Because of this, he has recently changed the objectives of what he thinks molecular gastronomy should be. He notes that a dish contains a “love” component, an “art” component and a “technical” component. And molecular gastronomy should investigate these three, but only from a scientific point of view. Read more about definitions of molecular gastronomy.

Source: blog.khymos.org

IACP is very proud to present Dr. This as Keynote Speaker during the Plenary Session on Friday, April 13 during this year's Annual Conference. Do not miss this unique opportunity to witness this lecture by one of the founders of Molecular Gastronomy and one of the greatest minds alive. In preparation for this day, you can read Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History).


Following the plenary session, Dr. This will go on to WS-26 for a Conversation with Board member Darra Goldstein and answer questions to those conference attendees who have signed for the workshop.

Chicago's Avant Garde Cuisine

If you are planning to be in Chicago in April to attend IACP's annual Conference, then you might be interested in knowing that the city is home to some of the finest restaurants in the country. In fact, culinarily speaking, Chicago has been named the "Barcelona of North America".

We are fortunate because we will be able to meet a few of the chefs of these restaurants during our Annual Conference. Chef Charlie Trotter will give a cooking demonstration on sous vide and other modern techniques. His restaurant ranks 26 among the top 50 in the World. Make sure to make a reservation 8 to 10 weeks in advance if you plan on having dinner there.

Homaru Cantu and Ben Roche of Moto Restaurant in Chicago will give us a demonstration on their latest inventions on Thursday April 12 in the workshop named "A Savory and Sweet Look into Postmodern Cuisine". Make sure not to miss this unique opportunity to see chef Cantu in action.

Tru will be represented by Chef Gale Gand, who we will meet us on the Chocolate and Vanilla tour on Tuesday which includes lunch at the restaurant; she will also join us during the Kids in the Kitchen workshop on Wednesday afternoon.

Finally, there is Alinea, named the Best Restaurant in the USA in 2006 by Gourmet Magazine. The Chef is Grant Achatz, who worked with Thomas Keller at the French Laundry and did a brief "stage" with Ferrán Adriá at El Bulli. Called the new wunderkid, Chef Achatz marveled the audience at Madrid Fusion last week. Chef Achatz is not scheduled on our program but we are sure many of you will be interested in his cuisine and visit his restaurant.

If you are curious about what the food at Alinea looks like, here is a set of photos taken recently by a diner.

Enjoy!