We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
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We Are Chefs is American Culinary Federation's blog focusing on issues affecting chefs, student culinarians and food from an industry perspective. Blog topics will focus on issues affecting chefs, students and food from an industry perspective as well as in-depth features on food and culture.
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
4M ago
As told to Lauren Kramer
As the director and executive chef of Cheney School District Nutrition Services in Spokane, Wash., ACF Chef LJ Klinkenberg, CEC, CCA, AAC, leads the foodservice program for the district feeding thousands every school day. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Spokane Community College. We caught up with Chef Klinkenberg to learn more about this background and work.
Q: How did you get into the culinary industry?
A: My grandparents owned grocery stores and restaurants in the 60’s and 70’s, so I grew up in a restaurant family. My grandmother would teach me mat ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
5M ago
Author: Adrian Brown
Sponsored Content
Wrapmaster® – the ultimate chef wrap system – is calling on chefs and operators to act now on food waste and embed cost-saving habits as hospitality moves towards a sustainable future.
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We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
5M ago
By Howard Riell
Adecade-long career as a respected culinary educator and a place on the 2024 ACF Culinary Team USA apparently left ACF Chef Ted Polfelt, CEC, CCA, CEPC, AAC, too much free time — so he decided to open a restaurant.
“It has always been a goal of mine,” Chef Polfelt says. “I grew up in the restaurant business, and I have always loved it. It has changed so much since I started, in a lot of ways for the better. I want to foster that same passion that I learned when I started, create an environment that I would feel comfortable for my own kids to work in, and create a good work-life ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
5M ago
By John Bartimole
As president of the ACF Monterey Bay Chapter in California, ACF Chef Jacques Wilson, CEC, AAC, believes strongly not only in helping current chefs thrive but also in attracting and nurturing to-be chefs as well.
That philosophy was — and still is — crucial as the chapter, like so many others, has had its membership numbers recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, and is bolstering its efforts to attract new chefs to the profession.
Through it all, the chapter has held steadfast to its mission statement: “To make a positive difference for culinarians internationally through educat ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
5M ago
By Kenya McCullum
ACF Chef Xiomara Mora Rivera didn’t know about ACF until ACF President Rene Marquis, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, came to visit a class she was attending at the Art Institute of Tampa. When Chef Marquis extended an invitation to the class to attend an awards ceremony, she jumped at the chance — and she’s been devoted to the federation ever since.
When Chef Mora Rivera soon after became a student member of the Tampa Bay chapter in 2018, she was all in. She volunteered and even joined the board of directors as the Student Chapter President. She was also able to win a scholarship ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
5M ago
ACF Chef Bradley Labarre, CEC, AAC, of the Epicurean Club of Boston, has been planning holiday buffets for years — whether for his current full-time job as the executive chef at WestBridge, a mental health and substance abuse treatment center in Manchester, New Hampshire, or in the private catering work he’s done for over a decade. Over the years, he has developed many holiday buffet menus — and faced many challenges along the way — so we spoke to Chef Labarre about some of the most important lessons he’s learned.
Do encourage RSVPs. Although Chef Labarre’s clients may be clear about their own ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
7M ago
ACF Chef Chris Scrivano’s culinary career has been full of pivots. Although he fell in love with working in kitchens as a teenager, after graduating from high school, he enrolled in a radiology program at his parents’ suggestion. He found himself bored with the program and quit to go into culinary education. Since then, Chef Scrivano, who currently is the culinary network senior manager at Chartwells, talks about his work serving fans at sporting arenas.
Q: How did you end up getting into sports foodservice?
A: I worked for Delaware North and was the executive chef for their corporate h ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
7M ago
ACF Chef Bouakhanh Greene, CEC, executive chef at the University of Michigan’s M Dining, had been aware of the ACF for quite some time, but had never taken the plunge to participate in any events until her employer gave her the opportunity to attend the national convention this year in 2023. The experience opened her eyes about the impact of the ACF, and she shared her first impressions with us.
Q: What did you learn about the ACF when you attended the conference?
A: I honestly didn’t know how big the ACF is. Going to this conference has opened my eyes to a lot of stuff that the ACF doe ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
7M ago
By John Bartimole
Although ACF Chef Aaron Bruck, CEC, has been a member for several years and participates in his chapter in Detroit (ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association), this year was the first time he made a trip to the ACF National Convention (this year in 2023 in New Orleans). As an industry veteran who has worked in numerous environments from hotels to restaurants to his current position at University of Michigan Dining, you’d think there wouldn’t be much new for him to learn. But he says quite the contrary. We spoke to Chef Bruck about what his first ACF convention experien ..read more
We Are Chefs – The Official Blog of the American Culinary Federation
7M ago
By John Bartimole
Chef Travis Johnson has been in college for 21 years — and he doesn’t want to leave any time soon.
“I’ve been working in college for more than two decades, and it’s just so exciting to me,” he says. “Just to be in an educational environment, where we are constantly learning. It’s just fun, there’s a lot of energy, lots of new initiatives. It’s where I want to be.”
March 31, 2023; Travis Johnson (Photo by Leah Ingle/University of Notre Dame)
Chef Johnson currently serves as executive chef for the University of Notre Dame’s foodservice provider, Levy Restaurants. As such ..read more