NOMADIC CHEF: October 2011

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The New York Produce Show and Conference

I have the honor of participating in the New York Produce Show and taking four JWU Culinary-Foodservice Management students with me to participate in the show. A special thank you goes out to the Perishable Pundit Jim Prevor for the invitation.

During the show I plan on blogging about the days events and as always provide you with plenty of pictures.

“Celebrating Fresh” is the theme of this year’s conference, and there’s no better way to start celebrating than to be in New York City on November 7-9, 2011.

About The New York Produce Show and Conference
The Eastern Produce Council and PRODUCE BUSINESS magazine have once again joined forces to present an exciting world-class event for the region. The three-day event will include networking opportunities, a trade show of over 300 booths, retail “thought-leader” panel hosted by Perishable Pundit Jim Prevor, micro-sessions and tours of the regional industry, including the Hunts Point Market, the new Philadelphia Market and local retailers, distributors and restaurants. The program also includes an outreach to students and faculty at regional universities as well as distinguished culinary schools; a press program involving print, radio, TV and online outlets, plus a “Consumer Influencer” program reaching out to bloggers, consumer editors and those working with all forms of social media.

New this year are two mini conferences for those who wish to come early and/or stay later. On Monday, November 7, the Global Trade Symposium will offer attendees the latest insights on produce importing and exporting to and from the Northeast Region. On Wednesday, November 9, the New York Produce Show Foodservice Forum will cover produce purchasing, practices and partnerships in the Northeast.

Until I blog again: Eat Well, Live Life and Be Safe

Friday, October 21, 2011

Food Day 2011

Mix one part farmers market, one part Rhode Island Locavores and Chef's, a large group of culinary students and a dash of folk music and you have Food Day!

On Friday October 21, 2011 the Johnson & Wales University Campus in Providence, Rhode Island celebrated their first ever Food Day at the Harborside Campus. The purpose of this food/farmer/culinary focused holiday is to bring together Americans from all walks of life—farmers, parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, foodies and eaters of all stripes—to push for local, healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way. Food Day leaders, volunteers and supporters will work with people around the country to create thousands of events in homes, schools, churches, farmers markets, city halls, and state capitals http://foodday.org/about-food-day/

Actually Food Day is to be celebrated on October 24th each year and is backed by an impressive advisory board that includes chefs, farmers, anti-hunger advocates, physicians, authors, politicians as well as JWU's own Karl J. Guggenmos, the university dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales. Although the official Food Day celebration on on Monday October 24, 2011, JWU decided to celebrate a few days early due to the fact that there are typically no classes on Fridays, thus giving all of the students a chance to participate.

Chef William Idel, Department Chair for the JWU culinary bachelor degree program was the organizer of the event. Chef Idel, was impressed with the turn out and thank full for the great New England autumnal weather.