The educational program at our May 9th meeting was centered on restaurant equipment and design. Arnoldo Torres of Savannah Restaurant Equipment and Supply talked about what was needed from a designer’s perspective for creating a restaurant facility. Those attending viewed two new restaurant designs that were in development. He also showed the newest kitchen toys, including a new stem thermometer, an ergonomic meat hammer and a new chef’s hat that keeps you cool for four hours. He mentioned after testing, Belford’s has ordered the hats for their entire kitchen crew. Bobby Kennedy from Cadco demonstrated their Combi showing the difference between a boilerless and boiler Combi. He also illustrated how to cook a prime rib that was perfectly rare. The prime rib was rare and evenly red from the outside to the center. Mr. Kennedy explained the cooking process and how it was incorporated into the Cadco Combi. At the end of the seminar, Mr. Torres gave each attendee a 12” knife. The next workshop will be conducted by Second Harvest and will cover the federal Good Samaritan Law (which the ACF was instrumental in passing), how to donate food, and how as chefs we can help Second Harvest teach children about nutrition. Chef Cynthia Creighton-Jones has already held one class for one of Second Harvest’s centers.

Chef and the Child

It is a sad statistic that one in four children in this country is hungry or suffers from malnutrition. Yet, one may ask, how can there be hunger when there is also obesity?

Hunger and obesity are often flip sides of the same coin. Hunger and obesity both increase when families cannot afford to purchase the most nutritious food possible. The Savannah Area chefs & Cooks Association is committed to education and assisting the family in understanding proper nutrition, and in the fight against childhood hunger.

How are we doing this? We are donating leftover food from our restaurants and hotels to The Community Kitchen which uses it to prepare meals for the Kid’s Café’s Café’s. I am sure that Chef Mike Wilson often faces the challenge of how to turn Chicken Wellington into a kid friendly meal! Last year, we had our pilot Chef and the Child Program at St. Pius Community Centre. It is till undetermined who had the most fun – the chefs or the kids! Chef Mike Wilson, Tracy Maureen Horvath Horvath, and I donated our time over a five week period, during which the kids prepared nutritious kid friendly meals. When school starts up in the Fall we will run another program, hopefully with more chef volunteers. Every October, approximately 15 or more chefs get together and participate in Chef’s Table Table. This event, during which the chefs culinary services are auctioned off, raises money (last year was around 150 thousand dollars) which is used for the Kids Café project. We have to thank the chefs for donating their time – and for leaving their egos at home. The teamwork demonstrated by these chefs is amazing. This September, ACF, in a partnership with Second Harvest Harvest, is having a Beer Dinner (it is surprising how elegantly beer and food can be paired). It will be a lovely evening at the Gingerbread House House, starting with hors d’oeuvres and then a four course dinner paired with different international beers. Once again, the proceeds of the event will to the Kids Café Café. Thanks are extended to the Gingerbread House and the Chefs for donating the space and their time. We also have to thank our community. Without your continued support all that we attempt to do would remain pipe dreams. The Savannah Area Chefs & Cooks Association is committed to continuing to forge a closer partnership with Second Harvest food bank, and is dedicated to ending childhood hunger in Coastal Georgia. Thank You.

– Chef Cynthia Creighton-Jones

Savannah Chefs
P.O. Box 10752
Savannah GA 31412

President
Rocco Caggiano