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Official e-Newsletter of the American Personal & Private Chef Association

Official e-Newsletter of the
American Personal & Private Chef Association

November/December 2008

In this edition ...

This e-Newsletter was sent to you by American Personal & Private Chef Association. Please add info@personalchef.com or personalchef.com to your address book. This will ensure delivery into your Inbox (not your bulk or junk folders).

From Candy Wallace, Executive Director

CHANGE is in the air.

We live in times that may be viewed as frightening, stressful and even unstable, and simultaneously as exciting, filled with possibilities and even as opportunities "in disguise." YOU get to choose!

Your perception of your circumstances will always contribute to how you view and respond to what is going on in your world. As entrepreneurs and small business owners, you are most likely to perceive your circumstances as opportunities to grow and change. More than any other attribute of small businesses, the ability to adapt and change quickly is the most evident. We can sense the need for change and make it happen quickly.

We would not be in business for ourselves if we were unable to sense trends, economic change, marketplace indicators, or to see opportunity to adapt to change, and this is the time to don the mantle of adaptability and flexibility to address all of the change in the wind of our world. Open your eyes and look around. Your world is changing, and you are in a position to contribute to and receive the effects of that change.

We, as personal chefs, are in the business of contribution and personal service to our clients' needs. Get out there and let the world know about that!

We can, as educators and facilitators of change, affect our clients' lives and quality of life. Let's USE that level of contribution to point out to clients and the population at large the enormous contributions we make to the lives of those we serve. If you aren't already telling the world about that, why?

We do so much more than cook. We are scrupulous protectors of our clients' wants and needs. Get the word out about who you are and what you do, and WHY your clients and soon-to-be-clients NEED you!

We are here to educate and facilitate change in programs where our clients have a medical challenge. We can be here to teach and assist the children of our clients to make healthy choices so they can grow up to be well-nourished, fully informed adults. We can provide support and nutrition to our senior clients who may need to be "checked on" as much as they need delicious healthy meals. We can be the source of stress relief as well as agents to bring active families (with both parents in the workplace) back to the table, as well as provide the level of service and good food to our childless professional clients who know how to use personal services to facilitate their well being and busy social and professional schedules. Not to mention the clients who want the experience of dining OUT at home.

Adaptability and customization are our words to live by for these clients. They and FLEXIBILITY will help you build and operate successful businesses. We can sense opportunity in the marketplace and act on it quickly to reap the benefits of our vision and ability to change.

Customization is the word we use to describe what we do for each client: customization of a program that provides palate-specific meals. Think of yourself as your own client and CUSTOMIZE your business to provide palate-specific services you choose to offer and then get out there and tell the world!

Can you guess where this is going? You guessed it. MARKETING is the way you get the word out about who you are and why potential clients need your services. If you are not working up and sending press releases regularly, you are missing the biggest opportunity that exists to promote your business.

In these exciting, sometimes scary, changing times, you should use the print media to reach your audience regularly. If you are not doing it, you cannot sit by your phone and complain that it's not ringing. MAKE it ring! Get out there.

Have a happy and successful holiday season, and I hope to see you in Las Vegas in February!

Candy Sign

Personal-Chef Training through February 2009

The personal-chef segment of the foodservice industry has expanded enormously and blossomed into a recognized career path, with demand for high-quality food and service growing each year throughout the country. Join us at one of the following scheduled training sessions, where APPCA will deliver a dynamic one- or two-day, high-intensity seminar or Webinar providing the best tools and educational materials in the industry for you to build a successful personal-chef business.

Click here for more..

Agenda Announced for 2009 Personal Chef Summit

APPCA is pleased to announce its 2009 Personal & Private Chef Summit in Las Vegas during the immensely popular catersource Conference and Trade Show. Our theme in 2009:

How to Survive and THRIVE in a Recession Economy.

We'll begin with a cocktail reception on Sunday evening, Feb. 22, followed by a full day of programming on Monday, Feb. 23 (which is also National Personal Chef Day). Presentations will focus on adopting smart business-building strategies, understanding the "new" nutrition landscape, image-enhancing sources of income for personal chefs, social networking and much more.

Plus, if you can remain in Las Vegas after the Summit, our special arrangement with catersource allows you to take advantage of the not-to-be-missed complimentary trade show on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 24-25.

2009 Personal Chef Summit Agenda

Sunday, Feb. 22
6 – 8 p.m. Welcome cocktail reception

Monday, Feb. 23
8 a.m. Continental breakfast
8:30 a.m. "Get Motivated for Your Business!" Dr. Fred Mayo, Mayo Consulting Services
10 a.m. Morning break
10:30 a.m. "One Recipe Can Change Your Lifestyle!" Mary Carter, Jazz Gourmet Foods
Noon Luncheon, "Social Networking to Build Your Brand." Brent T. Frei, APPCA
1:30 p.m. "Beyond Special Diets: Better Nutrition for All Your Clients." Suzanne Vieira, Johnson & Wales University
3 p.m. Afternoon break
3:30 p.m. "Maximize Your Creative Genius: Additional Incomes for the Personal-Chef Entrepreneur." Tom Herndon, Full Fridge
5 p.m. Successful personal-chef business Q&A
6 p.m. Conclusion of Summit

Registration: $199, includes Sunday's reception on Feb. 22 and all programming and meals on Monday, Feb. 23. To register for the 2009 Personal & Private Chef Summit, visit www.personalchefsummit.com or call (800) 644-8389.

Where we'll be
Enjoy the beauty of Italy in Las Vegas! Tuscany Suites and Casino provides an exciting and enchanting atmosphere for the 2009 Personal Chef Summit, featuring roomy, 625-square-feet suites situated among curved pathways winding through 27 acres of plush landscape, pools and fountains. Tuscany Casino offers more than 800 machines and popular table games such as blackjack, roulette, Super Fun 21 and craps. Several on-property dining options include Tuscany Gardens, and across the street are Lawry's The Prime Rib and McCormick & Schmick's. Or, walk or take a short cab ride to the myriad choices awaiting diners on the nearby Las Vegas Strip!

APPCA has negotiated a room block for the low rate of only $85 per night on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights, single or double occupancy (+tax), and $135 on Friday and Saturday. To reserve lodging, call (877) 887-2261 and mention the American Personal & Private Chef Association to receive our negotiated rate. Reservations must be made no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Time on January 23, 2009. (Your credit card will be charged the first night's deposit plus tax.) For more information on Tuscany Suites and Casino, visit www.tuscanylv.com.

Launch Your New Business!
APPCA will offer a full-day accelerated training seminar for prospective personal chefs on Sunday, Feb. 22, preceding the Summit at the Tuscany Suites and Casino, concluding in time for the Welcome Reception that evening. Visit https://www.personalchefmall.com/product.php?id=60 to register for this one-of-a-kind training and learning opportunity that incurs an additional fee.

Wallace Judges Inaugural U.S. Navy "Iron Chef" Competition

The first U.S. Navy Iron Chef competition for the culinary specialists' community was held at the 32nd Street galley, Naval Station, San Diego, on November 6, 2008. Nine teams from across the country competed and were judged by a panel of chef judges including:

Personal Chef News Letter        Personal Chef News Letter

Charlie Ayers, former executive chef for The Grateful Dead and Google; Keith Darling, corporate executive chef, Basic American Foods; Christopher Day, Mercer Tool; Ed Glebus, CEC, executive chef, San Diego Marriott; Brian Malarkey, executive chef, Oceanaire, ; and a recent finalist on Bravo TV's "Top Chef"; Brandon Parry, PCEC, U.S. Navy; Dean Thomas, CEC, CCE, executive chef, Barona Valley Resort & Casino; Candy Wallace, chief executive officer, APPCA.

Each team representing Moral, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) clubs, ships' galleys and ashore galleys had three hours in which to prepare three entrées and sides of starch and vegetables. Three "secret" ingredients were prepared and presented with high flavor and presented in hotel pans for line service. Skills and knife work were judged, as were safety, sanitation and nutrition.

"It was an exciting competition for all participants," Wallace says. Winners received an array of prizes, from trophies to professional knife kits, culinary textbooks and chefwear. The first-place team was the U.S.S. Nimitz (CV-68); the second-place team was Naval Station, Norfolk, Va.

Personal Chef News Letter        Personal Chef News Letter

Congratulations to the winners!

APPCA Promotes "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" through Partnership with FoodRoutes Network

The American Personal & Private Chef Association is proud to align with FoodRoutes Network (FRN), announced by Candy Wallace, executive director of APPCA, and Tim Schlitzer, executive director of FRN in October.

FoodRoutes Network is a nonprofit organization based in Pennsylvania that provides communications tools, organizing support and marketing resources to grassroots chapters throughout the United States that are working to rebuild local food systems and promote sustainable agriculture. Buy Fresh, Buy Local chapters are connecting consumers to the freshest, most delicious locally grown and produced foods available in their communities. Through outreach events, local food guides and educational materials, Buy Fresh, Buy Local makes it easy for consumers to find and connect with local food from farmers they can know and trust.

FoodRoutes Network of regional chapter affiliates and local volunteer chapters work within the community at the state and local levels to involve more consumers in the revitalization of our local food systems. From farmers' markets, restaurants, grocery stores, co-ops and community-supported farms to large-scale institutions such as colleges and retirement homes, Buy Fresh, Buy Local Chapters are bringing back the base for locally grown food in communities across the country.

FRN's strategic communications programs include:

  1. The FoodRoutes Web site
  2. National polling research
  3. "Buy Fresh Buy Local" chapter development to support sustainable food and farming systems
  4. Communications tools-including Communicator's and Buy Local Tools
  5. Implementation strategies for rebuilding state and local food systems
  6. Conservancy of our food heritage while working to rebuild the ever-eroding loss of farms, food processors and food producers in the United States as well as internationally

Another objective of FRN is to communicate with the general public about the multiple benefits beyond food production that sustainable agriculture contributes to communities and the environment. FRN is collaborating on multiple-benefits research and will work with other NGOs to educate the public about these benefits and develop state and local policies which support sustainable farming systems.

Save the date! FoodRoutes' 2nd National Gathering will take place April 27-29, 2009, in Charles Town, W.Va. For more information on FoodRoutes Network, including Buy Fresh, Buy Local chapters nationwide and how you can make a difference in your own community, visit www.foodroutes.org.

Harvest Couscous Salad with American Grana, Caramelized Apples & Cider Dressing

A palate-specific recipe from
Larry London, CEC, chef/owner
Big Tomatoes, Green Bay, Wis.
Yield: 4 portions

Chef London has developed a Harvest Couscous Salad for his casual-upscale restaurant that uses a blend of seasonal ingredients perfect for a fall or winter menu. He incorporates American Grana ®, a premium Parmesan from BelGioioso Cheese, Inc., to complement the nutty flavor of the walnuts and the slightly spicy fennel and chives. The use of cranberries, caramelized apple and a cider dressing adds a sweet and tangy finish. What's more, the salad is presented in a delightfully edible bowl crafted from melting and shaping pre-shredded American Grana.

1 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
1 oz. minced shallot
4 oz. diced green apple
4 oz. shaved fennel
2 oz. dried cranberries
8 oz. cooked Israeli couscous
8 oz. Cider Dressing (recipe follows), divided
2 oz. shredded BelGioioso American Grana ®
2 oz. toasted walnuts
2 Tbs. chopped chive
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup salad greens
12 Caramelized Apple Wedges (recipe follows)
Shredded BelGioioso American Grana ® for garnish

Method:
Heat oil in sauté pan. Add shallot and diced apple and sauté until caramelized. Add fennel and cranberries and continue to sauté. Add couscous and toss to warm through. Remove from heat and add half of the cider dressing, 2 oz. American Grana, walnuts and chive. Toss to incorporate. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. To serve, mound or mold warm couscous salad in the center of 4 plates. Arrange caramelized apple wedges around couscous. Divide greens into four bouquets; dip in remaining cider dressing to coat. Place on top of couscous. Drizzle remaining dressing onto plates and garnish with shredded American Grana. Serve with freshly ground pepper.

To make an edible American Grana bowl: Sprinkle shredded American Grana on a Silpat or lightly oiled cookie sheet. Spread to desired diameter and shape loosely to form a disk. Bake at 350 °F until just golden brown. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, form and shape the melted American Granaover the bottom of a small soup bowl or large ramekin. Let cool; remove. Reserve for service.

Cider Dressing
Yield: 12-14 oz

1 qt. apple cider
2 Tbs. minced shallot
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 oz. red-wine vinegar
4 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Bring cider to a simmer in saucepan and reduce volume to 8 ounces. Remove from heat and cool. Combine cider reduction, shallot, mustard and vinegar in a mixing bowl. Mix with an immersion blender and slowly drizzle in olive oil, forming an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve for service.

Caramelized Apple Wedges
Yield: 12 pieces

1 Tbs. whole butter
12 peeled green-apple wedges, sliced Ľ" thick
1/2 oz. brandy
1 Tbs. brown sugar
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Pinch kosher salt
¼ cup shredded BelGioioso American Grana ®

Method:
Heat butter in sauté pan and add apple wedges. Sauté until nicely caramelized. Deglaze with brandy. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; toss to incorporate. Remove from heat. Toss with American Grana. Reserve for service.

Facing Life's Challenges One Plate at a Time

Todd Redfern of Georgia confronts his diabetes head on through his second-career calling as a personal chef.
By Lisa Shames

It's not that Todd Redfern was unhappy with his job as sound technician at Orlando's SeaWorld-in fact, he says, he truly appreciates the time he spent there-just that after 18-plus years he was ready for a new challenge. But deciding to chuck it all and enroll in culinary school was just the tip of the iceberg that this aspiring personal chef has had to face. A recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes has led him down another path less traveled, and it is one Redfern's facing gracefully and passionately.

APPCA: How did you get interesting in cooking?
Redfern: When I was in my first year of college, I realized I didn't know much about cooking. So, I figured if I was going to be on my own then I needed to learn how to cook. I got the very basic of cookbooks-a Betty Crocker cookbook, I believe-started cooking and realized I liked it. I picked some more and I started to do other things. Sometimes it came out good, sometimes great, and sometimes not great at all. But the more I did it the more I liked it.

Also, I grew up with my family that always went to interesting places. When time led to adulthood, I went back to the places I remembered or places I hadn't been. Every time I went somewhere I would buy a local cookbook to appreciate what that region of the country was about, and when I got home I would try to recreate the recipes. I got married in 1990 to my wife, Joy, and I think I've cooked almost every meal. On our first date, I made homemade deep-dish pizza. Still to this day, I do all the shopping and the cooking. I love it. I'll go into a store for an hour just looking at items on the shelf to see what's new. The more I cooked, my wife, and I, as well, realized that there was more to life besides what I did at SeaWorld.

APPCA: Tell me about the cooking contests you've entered.
Redfern: I started entering cooking contests as a hobby. My first one was a pie contest. I entered and I won. It was great. I made something good to eat and I made people happy, too. I started entering contests here and there. I've placed in some national contests a few times. It was about cooking and seeing what I could do and adding new flavors to my repertoire.

APPCA: What do you like about cooking?
Redfern: Everything. It doesn't matter what I have in my pantry, I can make something. I like the physicality of working in the kitchen and knowing the elements that I have. When I make something and it comes out great, then that's all that really matters.

APPCA: Tell me about your culinary training.
Redfern: When I was at SeaWorld, Le Cordon Bleu opened up in Orlando. It had been there about a year and half before I started in January 2004. I had gone and visited the facility. At the ripe age of 41, I left SeaWorld and I started a new career. I left SeaWorld on a Friday, January 2. I had the weekend off, and the first day of school was January 5. When I finished, I did my externship in Stonewood, a chain restaurant at the time in Florida and North Carolina. After that, I worked at the Peabody Hotel and then I went to California Grill. I also went back to SeaWorld for a stint at Shark's Underwater Grill, their fine-dining restaurant, for almost a year.

APPCA: What made you decide to move to Georgia?
Redfern: After the hurricanes of 2004, we thought about moving to Georgia since I have roots there. We moved to Hahira, Ga., and that's where I reside now. It's been a rocky road, I would say, to transition from Florida and going to Georgia, but I'm learning from my experiences and learning more ways of cooking.

APPCA: Why did you decide to become a personal chef?
Redfern: I wanted to be my own boss and I wanted to be able to take time with my family. I wanted more time to do things I care about in life.

APPCA: Describe your reaction after you were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes earlier this year.
Redfern: I got diabetes at age 46. The day I was told, I was put in the ICU immediately. I had been working at a restaurant and hadn't been feeling good. I didn't know what was going on. After I found out, I did exactly what my doctor told me to and a lot more. Because of my culinary experience and education at Le Cordon Bleu, I lost 47 pounds in 47 weeks. I'm off one of my medications and two-thirds off another. If everything goes as planned, I'll be medicine free by Christmas day. I'm not a doctor, but I know about health and nutrition.

APPCA: How has this diagnosis changed your life?
Redfern: I want to help. That's my thing. I get to speak in classes about diabetes, I get to eat healthier and I get to help other people eat healthier. I'm going to die from diabetes one day, but I'm not going to die tomorrow. I have a lot of things to tell people about how they can help themselves. I have been transformed into another human being because of my diabetes. It's changed me internally, mentally, physically and spiritually. It's made me a better person overall, to my family and others around me.

I meet people along the way who tell me, "You don't look like a diabetic." But what does a diabetic look like? It can be anybody. It's one of the fastest-growing diseases in the U.S. We are eating more and more of the wrong things, in restaurants and at home. A lot of times we don't realize how bad they are until it's too late. I don't take anything for granted anymore. I can have a seizure any given day. I've got to watch everything I eat and I have to read every label. After seven months of shopping, I'm doing a lot better. I care about what I put in my body, about what I eat and what my family eats. If we all eat healthier and know what we are putting in our bodies as far as cooking or non-cooking, then we are all going to live longer and happier lives.

APPCA: How will these affect what you do professionally?
Redfern: People look at me so differently now because of my diabetes. They tell me, "You're touching our community by not hiding it and you're making people aware of it." I will grow with diabetes just like in my cooking. I will get better and know more about it. It's possible to tie the two together. There doesn't have to be a disconnect. I hate the diabetic cookbooks. So, I found ways that are better and healthier. I don't cook diabetic food; I cook healthy for all people.

I've done seminars for health classes in elementary schools in the area. I did a class not too long ago; they were studying about diabetes for a fitness class. I told the teacher that I'm diabetic, and then I set the whole thing up in my chef outfit. I told them why it's important to eat healthier when you're young, to exercise and to take care of your body. The healthier you are now, the healthier you will be later in life.

APPCA: What skills make for a good personal chef?
Redfern: Having a positive attitude, good social skills and being good to people in general. If they know you have a love of cooking, it won't always be about the taste of the food, but the person inside who made it for them.

APPCA: What kind of advice can you offer those seeking to become personal chefs?
Redfern: Have patience. I have a 10-year-old daughter and I learn from her every day. Don't ever give up, and follow what you love.

APPCA: What plans do you have for the future?
Redfern: I want to be a personal chef for people who want to get healthier. I would love to be a private chef for somebody one day, but it won't be tomorrow. I have to build myself and build my career. All of us are on this earth for a reason, and a lot of times you don't know where you're going. I've been a risk-taker all my life. That's how I enjoy life. I'll just do what I love to do. Having diabetes has changed my whole life-for the better, not the worse-so I can expand my cooking and help others.

A Day in the Life

Evan Lewis of Evan‘s Supper Club in Lake Forest, Calif., fills empty spots in her personal-chef schedule with dinner-party service.

In today’s tough economy, it is hard to thrive in a service-oriented business; many services are always the first things cut when people scale back. Yet there are perks to being a personal chef when times are tough. 

I am talking about the small dinner party. Oh yeah! The "small dinner party" is how I pay my mortgage. My clients who have scaled back services always call me first to help them with their entertaining needs. I was a caterer before I became a personal chef, and my PC clients have boosted my business tremendously with their entertaining needs.

This "small dinner party" is for six people and must impress my clients’ business partners from Mexico City. This is the menu we agree to with suggested wine pairings; they opt to serve wine (Bordeaux) with the main course only.

Appetizers
Roasted potatoes topped with smoked salmon and horseradish
Baked prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella on rosemary skewers
Sparkling wine

Six-course sit-down dinner with wines
Roasted-butternut-squash soup 
Arugula salad with shaved Parmesan 
Individual beef Wellingtons with spinach pâté and wild-mushroom duxelle
Caramelized-shallot mashed potatoes
Roast asparagus and fennel
Crème brûlée

The dinner party ...

Friday,
10:00 a.m. Shop for the party. Armed with a cooler in my car. I limit my shopping to three stores including Costco for the fillet. I like to buy a whole peeled tenderloin and trim it myself.

12:00 p.m. Unload groceries and start to prep for party. I am prepping the soup, potatoes, and beef Wellingtons ahead.

4:00 p.m. Everything is ready to go for tomorrow’s event.

Saturday,
3:00 p.m. Pack up groceries and prepped food for the event.

4:00 p.m. Arrive with a server at my client’s residence to get ready for the event. I let my clients know that with beef Wellington timing is crucial, and if they need to change the schedule that I need 30 minutes start to finish to prepare the beef. 

6:00 p.m. Guests arrive, appetizers are passed and everyone is enjoying themselves.

7:30 p.m. Sit down for dinner. I am pleased that my client has a top-of-the-line Viking convection oven. My Wellington is better than ever.

9:00 p.m. Crème brûlée is served, and we are finished.

10:00 p.m. We are cleaned up and ready to go. My clients are extremely pleased and give my server and me an outstanding gratuity.

This is an example of a dream dinner party with a generous budget. Not all of my small dinner parties start with these parameters, but I am happy that they end with the same result: a satisfied client!

Americans Eating More at Home: an Opportunity for Personal Chefs

Candy Wallace, executive director of APPCA, says personal chefs can capitalize on the growing penchant of American diners for convenient quality meals at home, evidenced by recent market-trend data.

"If taste and freshness of food are the most important factors in choosing to purchase a supermarket-prepared meal when there is so much room for improvement among supermarkets to make such meals fresher and more interesting, then that's a huge opportunity for personal chefs to grab market share," Wallace says.

The NPD Group, a leading market research company, recently released its 23rd Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America, which takes a comprehensive look into Americans' eating habits and how the approximately 15 food and beverage choices Americans make every day are changing.

"This is a time of high anxiety for food marketers. It's clear that what Americans say they are doing to deal with rising food prices is not always what they are really doing," says Harry Balzer, vice president and chief industry analyst at NPD, and an author of Eating Patterns in America.

Among the trends Balzer identified for this year's edition of Eating Patterns in America are:

  1. Americans are eating more at home ... but that doesn't mean they're using restaurants less.
  2. Breakfast bars and yogurt hit a new high at breakfast, but stopping at restaurants for breakfast also hit a new high this year.
  3. Americans are losing interest in losing weight, as dieting hits a new low this year.
  4. Snacking is not as impulsive as you might think. Most snacks are planned more than six hours earlier. There is a shift in when the most snacking occurs - more in the morning and less in the evening.
  5. Probiotics is the "new" health topic, as concerns about trans fat fades.
  6. Winter is becoming a new grilling season.


Meanwhile, according to a new report from foodservice consultants Technomic, three out of five consumers (62%) who report purchasing more supermarket-prepared meals than a year ago are doing so at the expense of fast-food restaurants. The survey of more than 1,500 consumers found that family-style and casual-dining restaurants also were impacted to a somewhat lesser extent. Convenience was cited by 86% as the reason for buying more retailer meal solutions.

"Retail food chains, eager to recapture share-of-stomach, have been actively developing retailer meal solutions with strong consumer appeal, allowing retailers to reposition themselves as competitors to restaurants," says Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic. "The economic downturn may alter consumers' food sourcing habits. To stay in the game, retailers and restaurant operators will have to continue to adapt their value equations to meet the market's changing needs."

The vast majority of consumers (91%) who are cutting back on restaurant spending say they are dining out less frequently. However, one-third (32%) are purchasing less-expensive food when eating out, and one-fifth (19%) are ordering smaller amounts and portions.

The findings come from Technomic's Retailer Meal Solutions Consumer Trend Report, which provides an in-depth analysis of consumers' purchases of retailer meal solutions (RMS), their motivations and unmet needs, as well as why they chose RMS over restaurant meals. Select findings include:

SIDE DISH

Personal Chef News Letter

APPCA Visits Johnson & Wales University. In mid-November, Candy Wallace, executive director of APPCA, met with Master Chef Karl Guggenmos, AAC, university dean of culinary education for Johnson & Wales University's College of Culinary Arts, in Providence, R.I., to discuss ways in which the association and America's professional personal chefs might work in tandem with the recognized leader in career education representing more than 5,000 culinary students at four campuses nationwide. Wallace also discussed planned innovations to APPCA's certification program with Guggenmos, who serves as chair of the American Culinary Federation's Certification Commission. (APPCA is the only organization to offer third-party professional certification of personal chefs, through ACF.) While at J&W, Wallace answered questions from bachelor-degree students on the personal-chef career path, toured the university's renowned Culinary Archives and Museum, and consulted with department chair Suzanne Vieira, MS, RD, LDN, on promoting APPCA's successful business tools to prospective personal chefs seeking culinary-nutrition degrees, and APPCA member and chef Douglas Stuchel, culinary team lead and co-op employment specialist, on helping students and alumni discover APPCA's wealth of educational and business-building support. Says Wallace, the warm reception and sincere hospitality she received from the university speaks to Johnson & Wales' standing among culinary-training programs nationwide as well as its leadership in recognizing the tremendous interest in personal-chef careers among culinary-arts students and graduates.

"Top Chef"... the Game. Manage your stations, create a culinary masterpiece, impress host Padma Lakshmi and head judge Tom Colicchio, and win Top Chef: The Game from Brighter Minds Media, modeled after Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning hit series, "Top Chef." Top Chef: The Game invites fans of the show and food aficionados to test their skills against fellow chefs in a virtual kitchen, where players must choose wisely among ingredients to craft cuisine according to style and taste. Available for PC or Mac, Top Chef: The Game released in stores November 11 ($19.95), and can also be purchased via download to your computer. To see if you can stand the heat, visit www.TopChefTheGame.com for a free, downloadable demo.

Now in Bloom: Edible Wild Hibiscus.The Wild Hibiscus Flower Company recently released Wild Hibiscus, an elegant, deliciously edible garnish that ideal for desserts, cocktails and any dish that calls for a unique enhancement. Wild Hibiscus Flower is a family-owned company devoted to producing this edible wild flower from the Australian outback with the utmost care and highest quality standards. Only sustainable farming practices are used by a dedicated network of growers, many of whom are certified organic. Suggested retail price for an 8.8-ounce jar (11 flowers) is $9.99 to $11.99. A foodservice-size party-pack jar (2.5 lb.) supplies 50 flowers. Contact Muir with sales inquiries or retail/foodservice sample requests at (800) 499-8490 or chris@wildhibiscus.com. For more info, visit www.wildhibiscus.com.

Americans Will Spend More on Quality Ingredients. Though consumers are spending less on dining out, foodservice consultants Technomic found that many are willing to spend more on "higher quality" menu items if they include premium ingredients. For instance, in a new study, The Consumer Pricing Strategy Report, more than six out of 10 consumers (61%) said they would spend more for a higher quality sandwich if it contained premium meat; 41% if it were made with premium cheese; and 34% if it contained premium bread.

Up the Ante with Umami. What exactly is the fifth taste sense, and why is it named so differently from salt, sour, bitter and sweet? In fact, taste receptors in the mouth that identify the sensation that can be variously described as "savory," brothy," "earthy," "full" or "meaty" weren't discovered until 2000 by researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Now, everyone's jumping on the umami bandwagon, with several new cookbooks such as The Fifth Taste: Cooking with Umami by David and Anna Kasabian (www.the-fifth-taste.com). The Mushroom Council describes strategic use of umami in dish development through white papers available at www.mushroomcouncil.com, and you can also visit the Umami Information Center at www.umamiinfo.com for more.

© 2008 American Personal & Private Chef Association.
All rights reserved. Reproduction of content without permission strictly prohibited.