Virginia Chefs Association Blog

Duncan Van Ness is looking for a Chef/Foodservice Director for a retail/foodservice operation. He owns several convenience stores at this time and is developing a concept with very a upscale foodservice. There will be seating and on and off premises beer and wine. The candidate will be responsible for menu developement as well as staffing and operations. The salary will be in the 60K range. This opportunity is in the Richmond area. Interested applicants should contact Duncan Van Ness. His email address is duncan@aligatorfuels.com.

Dear Culinary Friends,
We took a minute away from our hurricane preparations here at VIMS to post the draft agenda  for the 2011 Chefs Seafood Symposium.
You can find it here: http://web.vims.edu/adv/seafood/symposium/symp2011agenda.pdf?svr=www

I’m happy to announce that our guest chef presenter is Brent Wertz, Vice President of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef from Nemacolin Woodlands Resort (and formerly VP of Food & Beverage at Kingsmill Resort and Spa in Williamsburg). We’ll also have updates on shellfish aquaculture and how scientists are reducing the impact of commercial fishing on non-target species, with displays of actual commercial gear. More details to come!

Recipes for the souvenir cookbook are needed! Please send us yours, and student submissions are welcome, so share the form with your classes: www.vims.edu/research/units/centerspartners/map/seafood/symposium/recipeform.php

In the meantime be safe and stay tuned. Once Hurricane Irene is off the map, I’ll be back with more information!
Best,
Vicki vclark@vims.edu

Hell’s Kitchen Episode:

Chefs I have to admit I even watch some of these crazy culinary TV Shows and sometimes all I have to say is WOW!!!! Believe it or not I was watching Hell’s Kitchen and the Chefs from Moto Restaurant in Chicago were guest judges . They made a Dreamsicle Sorbet using Liquid Nitrogen and a Sound Generator…..VERY COOL AND UNIQUE !!!!! If you missed the episode check it out on hulu.com. http://www.hulu.com/watch/264147/hells-kitchen-13-chefs-compete

*** Also check out the restaurnt website http://www.motorestaurant.com/

Chefs and Colleagues,
I hope this email finds you in time, but due to a miscommunication our VCA
meeting has been postponed until August 29^th at 3PM. We are terribly
sorry for this inconvenience, but hope that you will be able to join us on the
29^th. I have listed the address below to the new meeting location.
Please remember to check out  the VCA website for any new updates and I
look forward to seeing you all soon.

Icelandic Seafood

190 Enterprise Drive
Newport News, VA 23603-1368

Please join us for our VCA chapter meeting on Monday, August 8th at 3:00
pm.  Our program will be at Key Impact Sales in Newport News, VA. The address is 190 Enterprise Drive Newport News,VA 23603. Members please do not forget to invite a guest to our meeting to show them the opportunities that the VCA has to offer… Look forward to seeing everyone there

Chef Rhys H. Lewis, CEC, is currently the Executive  Chef at the Williamsburg Lodge and Conference Center in historic Colonial Williamsburg.We honor him as the VCA’s August Member of the Month!

To get to know Chef Rhys Better and see his recipe for

Roasted Wild Mushroom Pizzette….CLICK HERE

Just got back from the convention a couple of days ago. Hotel was phenominal. Staff was very friendly and helpful. The convention was one of the best I have ever gone to. The educational programs were all very interesting. Alton Brown’s seminar was very educational and extremely funny. Nice guy too. Had a couple of books signed and he was very warm and genuine. I think what impressed me the most is how well everything ran. The National Staff seemed very much at ease and I heard very few complaints. This is not entirely surprising since Kevine Brune is running events management and he was very efficient when held the SE Regional a few years ago. The dates for the 2012 SE Regional in Winston Salem are February 19-22 so mark your calendar, and next year’s national convention will be in Orlando in late July. One last note…..the weather. It was between 104 and 106 every day. They have had over 30 days with the temperature at least 100 and have had no rain in that time period either……so it’s really not all that bad here in comparison

Please join us for
our July, 2011 VCA chapter meeting today, Monday, July 11th at 3:00
pm.  Our program will feature Chef Gary Whitecotton, C.E.C. and his
chefs’ garden at The Country Club of Virginia.  We will hold our
business meeting at CCV’s James River Clubhouse, 709 South Gaskins Road
and then proceed to the club’s outdoor culinary garden!

Very special program
indeed – and the weather will be dry!!

Calling all Competitive Chefs….

On July 14th there will be the 8th Annual Vegetable and Berry Field-day at the Virginia State University’s Randolph Farm in Petersburg. Where there is great local ingredients there should be great local chefs, also an Iron Chef Competition will  be included with this field-day, and it is a competition among 5 Virginia chefs, to prepare their plates with meat, fruits and vegetables grown only at Randolph Farm. The winner will take home $500.

If you are interested in participating please click the following link and follow the registation information. Best of Luck and May the Best Chef Win…..

Vegetable Field Day 2011 flyer (2)

Earlier this month was the third annual “Broad Apetit” festival highlighting Richmond’s finest independent restaurant kitchens and lifestyle businesses.  JSRCC was a founding partner and has been at the planning table since the inception of the event.  Whereas I have passed the torch to Chef Miller, I could not miss the excitement and spent the afternoon at the festival with my wife Sydney.  

You will be proud to know that our culinary arts faculty and students were out in full force.   Chefs Breckoff, Miller, Reres, Pendergrast and a cadre of students took time out from their weekend to represent the college and spread the Reynolds message.  In fact, certain of these individuals volunteered countless hours during the past week preparing our dishes for the event. They braved the threat of scattered thunderstorms and cooked for thousands of attendees in the heat and humidity (FYI – they chose to be attired in full chef’s uniforms, which while professionally appealing, adds immensly to the heat factor).

I cannot stress the commitment and selflessness our colleagues (and students) exhibit in the name of the college. 

Whereas we were Richmond’s first culinary school, we were joined today by three other schools.  Reynolds has fertilized the proverbial soil and proven that Richmond is a bona fide food lover’s capital.  The city’s other (read: new) culinary schools are attracting attention, but let it suffice to say that the line of attendees at our booth was the longest.  Our community flat out loves us.

Our students and local employers are quite privileged to have Chef Miller, Chef Breckoff and their team of adjunct faculty at the helm.  Every day they earn my respect and appreciation.