From the WACS President

I wrote this message in Dubai, where l judged the Culinary Salon along with fellow judges from around the world. I also had an opportunity to meet with the Guild of Chefs of Dubai and visited the hotels and convention site, which will host our congress in 2008.

Our work regarding the Tsunami Relief Effort is continuing and I again appeal to all member countries to fully participate and support this important initiative.

In previous messages I talked to you about the concept of C-H-E-F, which stands for Cuisine, Hospitality, Education and Food. Today I want to highlight the many reasons why HOSPITALITY is so very important to all of us.

In the context of WACS, hospitality is paramount to everything we are doing. It is the very glue that assures the fraternal bond, which transcends our geographic, cultural and historic differences. Our commitment to make others feel comfortable, cared for and appreciated reflects an attitude, which allows us to overcome the occasional misunderstanding and even some friendly disagreements.

In essence, hospitality is a direct reflection of our feelings, sincerity and attitude towards others. In today's pressure-packed world, a keen sense of hospitality is most likely the single most important element which paves the way for a cordial and cooperative atmosphere and one, which facilitates fruitful discussions and negotiations.

In our business, well practiced and sincere hospitality is one of the most effective ways to differentiate us, our co-workers and our entire establishment from the competition, as we strive every day to please our customers and deliver beyond their most lofty expectations. Small courtesies like remembering a customer's name, opening a door, offering a seat or providing refreshments go a long way to make people feel good and even special. More specifically, a great meal, served in the absence of hospitality is reduced to mere nourishment, whereas an average dinner, enhanced by friendly, yet unobtrusive service will evoke memories of a wonderful time for years to come. In other words friendliness and caring go a long way towards making our guests happy.

A pastry-arts instructor is the latest culinarian to be certified as a master pastry chef by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc.Frank Vollkommer, a lecturing instructor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Hyde Park, N.Y., passed the 10-day test of patisserie skill and knowledge that ended Feb. 5 at the CIA's main campus. Certified master chef (CMC) and certified master pastry chef (CMPC) are the highest and most demanding levels of cooking achievement in the U.S. foodservice industry. The program began in 1981 when ACF bestowed CMC status upon five chefs. The next year, ACF's master-chef program was presented to WACS and was granted official recognition. Vollkommer teaches Contemporary Cakes and Desserts to students pursuing CIA degrees in baking and pastry arts. He joins the ranks of ACF-certified master pastry chefs bringing the total certified master chefs and pastry chefs in the United States to 72. Of these, 13 are certified master pastry chefs and 59 are certified master chefs.

Just in time to celebrate its first year, the Egyptian Chefs Association website has gone through a revamp. Along with its clean lines and new colors, the site has many added features that enable users to sign up for an E-newsletter, submit a quiz entry, fill out a membership form, post their contact information to be considered for employment and browse through available job openings, links to recipe sites and to favourite culinary sites for professionals. Users can also familiarize themselves with competition rules and regulations, view photo galleries of past culinary competitions, and the names of past winners. Companies are able to submit their information online to be included in a comprehensive Market Directory for the food industry and hotel supplies in Egypt. The ECA will continue developing its website so Egyptian chefs can stay connected to their colleagues on the national and global level.

Visit www.egyptchefs.com

The Myanmar chefs are members of the F&B industry will pit their soccer skills against each other in the Annual Inter-Hotel Football Tournament Bagan on 3rd March 2005. Sponsored by Balloons Over Bagan,MMC - Bagan & Popa Region,Myanmar Chefs Association - Bagan & Upper Myanmar, Bagan Hotel ,Tharabar Hotel and Ministry of Hotels & Tourism, the tournament will be held over 10 days at the Football ground at Shwezigone Pagoda. Those interested should contact RM Roland Roeder at Tharabar Hotel Bagan.

Gary Griffiths,19-year-old chef de partie at The Castle Hotel, Conwy, has been crowned National Junior Chef of Wales at the Welsh International Salon Culinaire at North Wales Theatre and Conference Centre, Llandudno. His prize for winning the prestigious competition, which is sponsored jointly by Hybu Cig Cymru/ Meat Promotion Wales and the Welsh Development Agency, is an exciting trip to the World Association of Cooks Societies' Junior Forum in New Zealand in 2006 where he will represent Wales. Runner up with a silver medal was Craig Beacham, 20, sous chef at Frolics Restaurant, Southerndown and bronze medallists were Joe Thomas, 18, and Christopher Lloyd,18, workmates at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel, Newport.

Four chefs are vying vie for the top post of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., in a race that will culminate with a new president at ACF's 2005 National Convention in San Antonio, Texas, which will be held from 30 July to 3 August. The four candidates for president of ACF for the 2005-2009 term are Klaus Friedenreich, John Kinsella, James R. Taylor and John Zehnder. Besides president, ACF's 20,000 members will vote for their respective regional vice presidents, as well as a national secretary and treasurer.

In its continuing efforts to improve the level of culinary skills in Egypt, the Egyptian Chefs Association (ECA) has just concluded the Host Sharm Salon Culinaire'05, in conjunction with the Host Sharm Exhibition which took place from 10 till 13 February at the Savoy Hotel Sharm El Sheikh. More than 60 chefs from various five-star hotels participated in different culinary arts categories, and praised the ECA for its efforts to reach out to its members nationwide. This is the first culinary competition of its type organized in the Sharm El Sheikh providing the chefs of Sinai with the great opportunity to meet, exchange knowledge, and improve their culinary arts skills to get ready for the National Salon Culinaire'05. The Egyptian Chefs Association was awarded in total three gold, five silver and nine bronze medals at Host Sharm Salon Culinaire'05, which was hosted by the Egyptian Group for Marketing and sponsored by Egyptian Engineering Office for Hotel Supplies V. Fayez Guindi, Heinz Egypt and Swiss Premium Foods Company.

For more information on the Host Sharm Salon Culinaire 2005 or pictures of culinary exhibits call 362 7217 / 532 8187 / 532 8188 or visit www.egyptchefs.com

The third Moscow International Culinary Salon “Restaurant World” will take place from 12 to 14 April, 2005 at Moscow Gostiny Dvor. Among the categories are the Open Russian Chefs and Pastry Chefs Championship where the 24 best chefs and 24 pastry chefs from Moscow, St.Petersburg, different regions of Russia as well and foreign chefs and pastry Chefs working in Russia will take part. The national culinary teams of Russia, Ukraine, Buelorussia, Kazakhstan, Azerbajzhan, Montenegro are participating in “Restaurant of the Nations”. Teams of Latvia, Israel and Czech Republic have also been invited.

For more details, visit www.nta-rus.com or contact Olga Passutina at passutina@nta-rus.com.

The Greek chefs recently concluded this annual event in Athens which included an exhibition as well as a culinary competition. This year, 15,000 daily visitors had a look at what more than 350 exhibitors had to offer in equipment for hotels, caterers and restaurants. Taking part in the culinary competition were 600 chefs in 30 categories such as live cooking, fruit and vegetable carving and gala menu presentation. With an audience of 2000 people daily, they were encouraged to demonstrate their culinary ability. The festival is organised by the Chefs Club of Greece and is approved by the Ministry of Tourism.

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA., February 24, 2005-The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., announces its second-annual Nutritional Hot-Food Challenge, open to all professional cooks in the United States.

ACF seeks entries consisting of recipes for three courses - soup, entrée and dessert - that serve four people and meet criteria based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recently released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

All recipe entries, which must be evaluated by nutrition software and incorporate the use of pork tenderloin, will be reviewed by a panel of ACF-certified chefs and a registered dietitian. Besides nutritional criteria, recipe entries will be judged on creativity and unique utilization of mandatory products; flavor, taste, texture and ingredient compatibility; visual presentation; balanced use of protein, starch and vegetables; and appropriate portion size.

Of all entries received, four finalists will compete in a two-hour cook-off at ACF's 2005 National Convention at the Rivercenter Marriott in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, July 31.

The 2005 ACF Nutritional Hot-Food Challenge is sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc., Oak Brook, Ill., and Kraft Foodservice, a division of Kraft Foods Global, Inc., Glenview, Ill. First prize in the cook-off is $2,500, with second, third and fourth prizes of $1,500, $1,000 and $500, respectively. First-, second- and third-place winners will receive a trophy; all finalists are eligible for ACF medals. Deadline for entry is May 27, 2005.

The winner of ACF's inaugural Nutritional Hot-Food Challenge in 2004 was Daryl Shular, a certified chef de cuisine (CCC) and culinary-arts instructor at The Art Institute of Atlanta.

Complete guidelines and criteria for the 2005 ACF Nutritional Hot-Food Challenge are listed on ACF's Web site at www.acfchefs.org. For more information, call (800) 624-9458 or e-mail acf@acfchefs.net.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., founded in 1929, establishes and upholds the highest standards of cooking, thereby making a positive difference for culinarians internationally through education and creation of a fraternal bond of respect and integrity.

(Kurzfassung)
Die Jury hat entschieden: Nach einer spannenden praktischen Endrunde konnten sich Heiko Antoniewicz, Thomas Brunk und Johannes Goll beim neuen Wettbewerb "Kochen mit Kaffee" behaupten. Der Verband der Köche Deutschlands hatte gemeinsam mit Melitta SystemService und seiner Fachzeitschrift KÜCHE zum Finale eingeladen.

Sechs kreative Finalmenüs, sechs festlich gedeckte Tische und 36 zufriedene Gäste: Mit einem gelungenen Abend endete am 18. Februar 2005 im Erfurter Gastro Bildungswerk (ErGaB) das spannende Finale des neuen Wettbewerbs "Kochen mit Kaffee", den der Verband der Köche Deutschlands (VKD) gemeinsam mit Melitta SystemService und seiner Fachzeitschrift KÜCHE erstmals ausgeschrieben hatte. In der bestens ausgestatteten Lehrküche waren die sechs Finalisten aufgefordert, ihre eingereichten Menüs für jeweils sechs Gäste in die Praxis umzusetzen. Unter den kritischen Augen der Fachjury aus Klaus-Wilfried Meyer, Siegfried Schaber, Martin Öxle und Marian Schneider hatten die Finalteilnehmer dafür insgesamt vier Stunden Zeit.

"Ein denkbar knappes Ergebnis", so Jury-Vorsitzender Klaus-Wilfried Meyer, führte zu dem abschließenden Urteil der Fachjuroren, die sich von den kreativen Leistungen der Finalisten beeindruckt zeigten. "Es ist eine wirkliche Herausforderung, die Zutat Kaffee mit Fingerspitzengefühl und Kreativität insbesondere in einem Fisch- oder Fleischgang einzusetzen", fasste Klaus-Wilfried Meyer zusammen. Diejenigen, die diese Aufgabe in der praktischen Endrunde am überzeugendsten lösen konnten, sind Heiko Antoniewicz (Babenhausen), Thomas Brunk (Finsterwalde) und Johannes Goll (Ortenberg). Damit behaupteten sie sich vor den weiteren starken Finalisten Sören Billhardt (Eisenach), Jens Woitzik (Großostheim) sowie Christian Zimmermann (Zirndorf) und gewinnen jeweils einen von drei wertvollen Reisegutscheinen. "Alle, die hier im Finale stehen, sind Gewinner", betonte Michael Müller, Leiter Werbung bei Melitta SystemService, und VKD-Präsident Reinhold Metz freute sich über die Tatsache, dass "ein so wertvolles, altes Produkt wie Kaffee mit diesem Wettbewerb eine besondere Anerkennung in der Küche findet". Insgesamt hatten sich mehr als 30 Köchinnen und Köche beim Wettbewerb um den Melitta Cup beworben; die sechs besten kamen in die Finalrunde.

Dass der Abend des praktischen Finales in Erfurt rundum positiv und entspannt verlief, dazu hatten nicht zuletzt die engagierten Lehrkräfte, Schüler und Helfer des ErGaB beigetragen. Unter der Leitung von Joachim Köhler sowie seinen Sous-chefs in der Lehrküche und von Frau Kallenberg mit ihrer freundlichen und motivierten "schwarzen Brigade" klappte in Küche und Restaurant alles reibungslos.

Welcher der drei Besten welchen wertvollen Preis entgegen nehmen und auf die Malediven, nach Mexiko oder in eine europäische Hauptstadt reisen darf, bleibt spannend. Am Abend des 8. März 2005 werden die Platzierungen im Rahmen einer Preisverleihung in Hamburg bekannt gegeben.

Four chefs vie for the top post of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., in a race that will culminate with a new president at ACF's 2005 National Convention in San Antonio, Texas, July 30-Aug.

ACF's president - and a newly elected board of directors - will lead ACF for four years immediately following the federation's convention. Edward G. Leonard, CMC, AAC, current president of ACF, will retain a vote on the board as past president. He will remain vice president of the World Association of Cooks Societies through 2007 and captain of ACF Culinary Team USA through 2008.

The four candidates for president of ACF for the 2005-2009 term are:

* Klaus Friedenreich, a certified master chef (CMC) and member of ACF's honor society, the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), is director of culinary at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in Florida.

* John Kinsella, a certified culinary educator (CCE) as well as a CMC and member of AAC, is president and CEO of Kincom, Inc., and senior chef instructor at Midwest Culinary Institute, Cincinnati.

* James R. Taylor, CEC, AAC, currently leads ACF's Northeastern Region as vice president and is assistant professor at Columbus State Community College in Ohio.

* John Zehnder, CEC, AAC, currently leads ACF's Central Region as vice president and is executive chef and F&B director of Zehnder's Restaurant, Frankenmuth, Mich.

Besides president, ACF's 20,000 members will vote for their respective regional vice presidents, as well as a national secretary and treasurer. Remaining candidates to lead ACF beginning August 2005 are:

SECRETARY
* Walter Bronowitz, CEC, CCE, AAC, culinary-apprenticeship coordinator for Washington state, Seattle. * Dennie Streeter, CEC, CCE, culinary educator, CULINARD, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College, Birmingham, Ala. * William J. Tillinghast, CEC, AAC, academy chef director, culinary and pastry programs, The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

TREASURER
* Joe G. Aiello, CEC, AAC, chef/owner, Apropo Catering, Schiller Park, Ill.
* Louis Perrotte, CEC, AAC, chef/owner, Le Coq au Vin, Orlando, Fla.

VICE PRESIDENT, CENTRAL REGION
* Thomas Berg, CEC, AAC, chef/owner, Tom Berg Catering, St. Louis Park, Minn.
* Kelly Cook, CEC, lead instructor, culinary-arts program, Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, Texas.
* David C. Russell, CEC, AAC, division corporate chef, Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill.

VICE PRESIDENT, NORTHEASTERN REGION
* Mark Wright, CEC, AAC, instructor, Erie Community College, Buffalo, N.Y., and executive chef, Crag Burn Golf Club, Elma, N.Y.

VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTHEASTERN REGION
* Elizabeth A. Baase, CEC, chef/owner, Avolines Private Catering & Consulting, Perry, Ga.
* Michael P. Bologna, CEC, CCE, AAC, chef/owner, The Awakened Palate, and lead chef instructor, Culinary Institute at Chattahoochee Technical College, Marietta, Ga.
* Keith Gardiner, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, chair, department of hospitality education, Guilford Technical Community College, Jamestown, N.C.

VICE PRESIDENT, WESTERN REGION
* Harry Brockwell, CEC, AAC, chef/owner, Oceanside Caterers, Westlake Village, Calif.
* Patricia Gilbert Curfman, CEC, AAC, owner/operator, Patti Cakes, Stayton, Ore.
* Joe Eidem, CEC, AAC, director and executive chef, Food and Nutrition Services, Washoe Medical Center, Reno, Nev.
* Elizabeth Mikesell, CEC, AAC, culinary educator, Pima Community College, Tucson, Ariz.

The offices of chair and vice-chair of the American Academy of Chefs are determined by the approximately 700 fellows of the academy and carry two-year terms. The academy chair is a voting member of ACF's national board. Candidates for academy offices for the 2005-2007 term are running unopposed.

CHAIR, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS
* John Minniti, CEC, AAC, culinary-arts coordinator, Cinnaminson Board of Education, Cinnaminson, N.J.

VICE-CHAIR, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHEFS
* Thomas Macrina, CEC, AAC, executive corporate chef, Desmond Great Valley Hotel, Plymouth Meeting, Pa.

The American Culinary Federation, founded in 1929, establishes and upholds the highest standards of cooking and enhances the culinary profession internationally through education, certification and a fraternal bond of respect and integrity.

To be held from 12 to 15 September 2005 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour, the Fine Food Australia exhibition is a huge event for the supermarket, restaurant and hotel industry. The event comprises of three complementary exhibitions, which are Fine Food, which showcases food for the retail and food service sectors, Hotel Australia which features equipment for hotels, motels and restaurants and Fine Wine & Spirits which is designed just for liquor buyers. Major exhibitors in the food area include Arnotts, Baiada, Dairy Farmers, Hans, Heinz, Kraft, Lactos, National Foods, Riviana and Sanitarium. Overseas groups include Britain, China, Denmark, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, Spain and Thailand. There will also be a special industry events, which are C-Store Conference, Hospitality in Healthcare Conference, Bakeskills Competition, National Pizza Challenge, Sydney Culinary Challenge and much more. A small number of stands are still available.

Companies looking to exhibit should call the organisers at (03) 9261 4500 or visit the website at www.finefood.com.au.

The highly successful World Gourmet Summit (WGS) is coming to Singapore once again. Held from 18 to 29 April 2005, WGS is Asia's foremost gastronomic event, hosting 12 internationally- acclaimed star chefs and eight winemakers from prestigious wineries. With events such as Masterclass Safaris, Culinary Workshops, Wine Tastings, Vinter Dinners and more, it is an experience not to be missed.

For more information on the various events and the line-up for WGS 2005, visit www.worldgourmetsummit.com.

The International Food Exhibition 2005 will be held from 13 to 16 March 2005 at ExCeL, London. The extensive varieties of food and drink on display from major international suppliers and manufacturers will be a good platform for visitors to discover the latest trends in the industry. Besides the wares of an estimated 1,350 suppliers from 43 countries, there are also interactive hands-on demonstrations from professionals.

For more information, visit www.ife.co.uk

Held from 16 to 18 March 2005 at COEX Seoul, the event is Korea's major international trade-only food and hospitality industry exhibition, Food & Hotel KOREA is a must for anyone interested in Asia Pacific's third-largest market for imported food and drink, and abundant opportunities in hospitality and bakery sectors.

For more information, visit www.fhko.com

Held from 11 to 13 March in Albuquerque Convention Centre, New Mexico, this unique show attracts attendees from around the globe and more than 10,000 general public attendance. Exhibitors in the show can take advantage of this opportunity to meet and greet new buyers, introduce their line of products or services, and reaffirm their commitment to their current customers. Consumers will have a terrific time at the show tasting new product--and buying them if they enjoy them. There are cooking demonstrations by top chefs, cookbook signings by noted authors, plus many nonfood items such as clothing and other chile pepper memorabilia. There is an astonishing variety of hot and spicy foods on display, including hot sauces, salsas, barbecue sauces, candies, honeys, chips, pestos, nuts, jams, jellies, snacks, soups, salad dressings, mustards, beans, ketchup, and many more. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, there will be various cooking demonstrations by famous guest chefs.

For more information, visit www.fiery-foods.com/shows.asp