Two American Culinary Federation Chefs Receive Cordon D' Or - Gold Ribbon International Culinary Academy Awards

Two American Culinary Federation (ACF) members received International Culinary Academy Awards at the 2011 Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon awards presentation, held at The Don CeSar, St. Pete Beach, Fla., May 15.

In the Academy of Culinary Arts category, Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, HGT, AAC, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., executive chef at Desmond Great Valley Hotel and Conference Center, Malvern, Pa., received the Chef Educator/Executive Chef award. Macrina is chair of the American Academy of Chefs, ACF's honor society, and is a member of ACF Philadelphia Chapter.

"It is a great honor and privilege to receive the Chef Educator/Executive Chef award," said Macrina. "The Desmond Great Valley Hotel and Conference Center and the Community College of Philadelphia run an ACF apprenticeship program, which is a great example of how executive chefs can work as educators. A young culinarian who learns through real-life experiences and college education will be an excellent chef."

Also in the Academy of Culinary Arts category, Charles Carroll, CEC, AAC, of Houston, executive chef at River Oaks Country Club, Houston, received the Culinary Life Achievement Award. Carroll is a seven-time "culinary Olympian," an inspirational speaker and a member of ACF Professional Chefs Association of Houston. In addition, he received a Cookbook Award in the Culinary Literature category for Tasting Success: Your Guide to Becoming a Professional Chef (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010).

"Anytime your peers recognize your hard work, it is pretty special," Carroll said. "But to have the Cordon d' Or recognize Tasting Success: Your Guide to Becoming a Professional Chef was amazing, and a privilege. I am blessed that this book has been so overwhelmingly accepted in our hospitality business and at so many schools.

"The Culinary Life Achievement Award ... well, that totally blew me away. I have so much to be thankful for, but would like to thank ACF for all the wonderful opportunities it has given me over the years, and thank you to Cordon d' Or for being so gracious in recognizing my work."

The Cordon D' Or - Gold Ribbon Awards program is part of Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon, Inc., located in St. Petersburg, Fla. The program was established in 1985 in Europe and has been in the U.S. since 1990, according to Noreen Kinney, president. For the Academy of Culinary Arts awards, Academy members nominate and vote for winners. For the Cookbook Awards, entries are accepted from around the world. All entries are reviewed and judged to determine award recipients. For more information, and a complete list of this year's award recipients, visit www.cordondorcuisine.com.

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 20,000 members spanning 225 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic 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.