Award-winning Recipes And High-res Photos Available For The Holidays

As the holidays approach, the American Culinary Federation (ACF) offers journalists 10 recipes to provide readers with during the holidays, from baked pears to matzo ball soup and crispy Long Island duck breast. ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative of the U.S. in national and international culinary competitions, created all recipes. Complete recipes and professional high-res images are available upon request.

Salads
Baked Pears Stuffed with Saga Blue Cheese
Port Wine Poached Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Panna Cotta

Soups
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Matzo Ball Soup with Stuffed Turkey Wing and Vegetables
Smoked Gouda, Peppered Bacon and Mushroom Soup

Main dishes
Crispy Long Island Duck Breast, Grand Marnier Orange Sauce, Mustard Sp�etzle and Red Cabbage
Olive-Brined Lamb Loin with Sun-Dried Red Pepper and Herb Crust, Potato Sponge, Braised Lamb Neck and Shallot Marmalade

Desserts
Apple Layers
Chocolate Custard with Coconut Sorbet and Chocolate-Banana Empanadas and Cinnamon-Almond Cookies
Trio of Chocolate: Dark Chocolate Fritter, Milk Chocolate Cr�me and White Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream with Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch

Recipes are from Cooking with America's Championship Team (LTD Publishing llc., 2009).

To receive complete recipes and photos for upcoming stories, contact Leah Craig at lcraig@acfchefs.net or (904) 484-0213.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.