2022 ACF National Convention Report by President David Kasper
Posted by [email protected] on Aug. 20, 2022 / Subscribe 0
Chef David Kasper, President, ACF Rochester
The ACF National Conference offers incredible learning and chances to make valuable connections with ACF members and leaders throughout the nation. I came away from the three-day conference, inspired and energized me to share and implement innovative ideas for ACF Rochester. The conference also gave me the chance to impress other Chapters with what we’ve accomplished during our recovery from the COVID hiatus. Our Chapter gained valuable visibility on the National level.
I arrived in Vegas on Sunday July 24th. that evening, I attended a Board of Governor’s meeting followed by a Meet and Greet with other chapter leaders and a special early screening of celebrity Chef Elizabeth Falkner’s, movie that be coming out soon, “Sorry, We’re Closed,” a film relating to how chefs handled the Covid crisis.
Monday, Day 1 …
Chef Falkner, owner of Citizen Cake in San Francisco, kicked off the Conference with her keynote speech, Re-thinking the Food Experience. Michelin starred, Iron Chef Anita Lo followed with her Presentation, Cooking without Borders, in which she talked about how the food industry can cut down on waste and decrease carbon footprint by utilizing as much of the food product as possible. She shared recipes from her new cookbook, SoLo and I received a signed copy. I attended sessions that including: Seeking Excellence: Best Leadership Practices, an interactive session, lead by Victor Gielisse CMC, AAC, DBA, in which were we explored effective leadership, mentor and coaching practices; Elevating Your Program, an enlightening panel discussion featuring ACF Master Chefs Brian Beland, Ed Leonard, Shawn Loving and Daryl Shular; Chapters Supporting Chapters, a meeting of ACF chapter leaders. A grand welcome reception topped the evening. We enjoyed fine foods and beverages from over a dozen tasting stations, featuring amazing savory and dessert dishes, as well as wine & cocktails.
Tuesday, Day 2 …
… Another day filled with meeting colleagues, making new friends and eating very well! I listened to and later met, Celebrity Chef Larry Forgione, dubbed “The Godfather of American Cuisine. He explained in depth the simple philosophy of using seasonal local ingredients and we enjoyed samples od his demo: Seared mount Lassen trout, sweet-pea corn pudding and a Ragout of wild leeks, morel mushrooms & fava beans ragout. What a treat! I then attended Custom Culinary’s (renowned producers of soup bases, sauces and gravies) presentation and demo, Utilizing Speed Scratch Secrets from the Masters, focused on utilizing premade products with your fresh ingredients in creating signature dishes with less labor. I then perused the extensive Trade Show with a wealth of booths and stage demos. I felt honored and delighted to meet Chef Andre Rush, the celebrity chef and impressively fit (with 24” biceps), yet humble, military master sergeant who raised awareness for military suicide by doing 2222 pushups. I later went to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak and had to have the 24oz bone in ribeye, MR of course! I would always come and eat one of those anytime that you want to get together!
Wednesday, Day 3…
The day opened with Jorge Cespedes, star of YouTube channel’s, Good Food News, speaking on menu trends. Chef Lamar Moore, FoodTV’s Vegas Chef Prizefight winner, followed with his presentation, The Art of Southern Cooking, in which he emphasized the importance of cooking from the heart and from your roots. A panel discussion, sponsored by The James Beard Foundation, Open for Good Program, https://www.jamesbeard.org/openforgood, followed. The panel, moderated by Anne McBride consisted of Chef/Owners and industry professionals, Tom Foley, Lamar Moore & Jennifer Booker, who discussed best practices to attract and retain staff to survive and grow in in today’s restaurants business. Award winning chef, author and restaurateur Wilo Benit, who did not close for a single day during the recent Covid crisis, talked about how he pivoted and reinvented his restaurant. The day ended with a Chapters Supporting Chapters leaders meet-up, which was a fun and energetic good time with great food, drinks and new friends. I made several great networking connections at this event. I meet several chefs/culinarians willing to connect and help each other, which is great for continued growth and a career accelerator.
Thursday, Day 4…
… the final day of convention. We started the day, with Alan Bergo, “The Forager Chef”. He talked about his passion and the acquired taste & the art of foraging. Did you know that food is all around us? Our ancestors did. A seminar followed, Advanced Seafood Skills with Chef Mariya Russel, the first black woman to receive a Michelin star! She demonstrated dry ageing fish, similar to dry aged beef - very interesting. Next, we enjoyed a wonderful served brunch while listening to and watching Chefs Ryan Manning and Keith Sarasin present, Brunch from Guadalajara to Bengaluru. They demonstrated comparative cuisines from India and Mexico and discussed the similarities between two distinct cultures, emphasizing that food is our human common denominator. Next, I attended an open and honest discussion, Prioritizing Mental Wellness in our Industry, a topic I have talked about in the Stockpot. We concluded that, finally, we are breaking through and understanding that “it is ok to not be ok” and what can we do about it. Learn more about this important topic on Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness (CHOW) site: https://chowco.org/. The Conference ended with the President’s Gala and Awards Dinner, a spactacula event with more beautiful food and company. I made new friends from New Hampshire, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Indiana, Canada and Guatemala.
I’ll end by saying that not only was the ACF National Conference an educational, inspiring and energizing experience for me, I had a great time dining with and meeting dynamic chefs/culinarians from around the world! You can too at the 2023 ACF National Conference in New Orleans. Watch for more information in the ACFRoc Stockpot or visit acfchefs.org/ACF/Events/ACF/Events/.
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