Acf Northeast Regional Conference Brings Chefs, Cooks And Foodservice Professionals To Boston

The American Culinary Federation (ACF), Inc., is coming to Boston's Seaport district for its Northeast Regional Conference, held at the Westin Boston Waterfront, 425 Summer St., Boston, Feb. 7-9. The event, hosted by ACF Epicurean Club of Boston, combines networking and educational opportunities, a trade show, cooking competitions and demonstrations from the region's best chefs. The event is open to the public. More than 500 attended last year's Northeast Regional Conference in Cincinnati.

Saturday, Feb. 7:
�ACF Regional Student Team Championship, sponsored by R.L. Schreiber, Inc.: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Teams compete in a heated cooking competition for the chance to represent the region at ACF's national convention in Orlando this July.
�Sous Vide Cooking and Functional Ingredients: 8-9:30 a.m. This seminar explores sous vide cooking, which uses functional ingredients and new flavors and textures.
�Going Green to Save Green, sponsored by Enviro-Solutions and The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College: 8-9:30 a.m. Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, dean, The School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College, Chicago, discusses how to marry environmental sustainability with today's tough economic times.
�ACF Regional Pastry Chef of the Year competition, sponsored by Splenda�: 8:45-10 a.m. The region's best pastry chefs put the icing on the cake as they vie for the regional title.
�Global Flavors & Your Menu, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions: 10-11:30 a.m. Discover dishes from the hidden kitchens of Vietnam and Sicily during this demonstration.
�Trade Show: Culinary Experiences by Land and by Sea: noon-4 p.m. Attendees network and view the latest culinary products from local, regional and national exhibitors.

Sunday, Feb. 8:
�ACF Regional Student Team Championship: 7 a.m.-5 p.m., continued from Saturday
�U.S.A.'s Regional Chef of the Year� competition, sponsored by Unilever Foodsolutions: 8:15-10 a.m. Boston's Joseph Leonardi, CEC, executive chef at Somerset Club, competes against New York's Tab Daulton, CEC, for the title.
�ACF Regional Student Chef of the Year competition, sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc.: 9-11:30 a.m. Three students put their culinary skills to the test to see whose cooking reigns supreme.
�General Session featuring Dr. Henry Wainer and celebrity chef Ming Tsai, sponsored by Sid Wainer & Sons: 1-5:30 p.m. Wainer discusses the importance of slow food, sustainable agriculture and supporting local farmers. Tsai, owner of Blue Ginger, Wellesley, Mass., and host of "Simply Ming," demonstrates his East-West cuisine.

Monday, Feb. 9:
�Balancing the Plate: Building Nutritious Menus: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
�Stealth Health: Marketing Health and Wellness on Your Menu: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
�Chef Professionalism Lunch, sponsored by The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Inc. and GFF, Inc./ Girard's Dressings: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
�Dealing with Food Allergies: Avoiding the "Big Eight": 1:30-3 p.m.
�Diet, Health and Disease: Connection To Action: 3:30-5 p.m.
�Vice President's Gala, sponsored by Butterball Farms, Inc, Splenda� and Tyson Food Service: 7-10 p.m. All award winners will be announced at this formal dinner event.

The event is open to the public. A full-registration package for non-ACF members is $525. Daily badges are $75. Meal tickets can be purchased separately; tickets range from $40 to $125. Registration is available on-site. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org or call (800) 624-9458.

Sponsors of the 2009 ACF Northeast Regional Conference and ACF national award sponsors include: American Lamb Board; Barber Foods; Bon Chef, Inc.; Bunge Oils; Butterball Farms, Inc.; Canada Cutlery Inc.; Cargill Salt; Chartwells; The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, Inc.; Custom Culinary,