March 17, 2007

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AGM and Gala Dinner

Our last AGM meeting and dinner at the Star room at the Langham Place hotel was a great success and had the highest attendance of members and guest, since the last 3 years.

The AGM meeting went with out a hitch. The committee presented their last years activities with a glimpse into the 2007 happenings and it will be on the same pattern. A lot of effort went in to training, education local and international competition, newest professional info update at the website and news letter, international chefs drive and charity events… and we also had a bit of fun and our calendar was spiced by social events, for us to come together relax and exchange work related issues amongst other things.

End of the meeting the 40 something eligible members with voting rights, confirmed the nominee Rudolf Muller as their new President for 2007. Perry, to everybody’s dismay had to step down as he hold a general Managers position in his new working place, but he is still a very active member in our association and is credited in creating together with Dominique Grandjean the Hong Kong young chefs club.

Most of the remaining committee will stay on and serve the association with the same dedication and professionalism as done in the past,

Also Denis Lartigue was confirmed as a new member.

After the meeting we proceeded to the dinner, up to the Star room up on 43 floor overlooking Mongkok was stunning, specially after dark when all the lights come out and you have the big sky above you, then you know why they choose the name.

It was a great evening and everybody had fun and was well taken care off.

The food was very good and chef Lorraine was able to put a excellent dinner and dessert buffet for us.

It is also worth wile to mention it that all the ex-president we able to make it for the dinner.

Later that night we introduced our newest Baby the young chefs club to our members and they made a great impact on all of us as this is our future, and it is bright indeed with newly set up committee under Francis Lo from the HKJC.

This is our future, our tomorrow and defiantly a good start in the right direction.

This would have not been possible without our great supporter and sponsors. Thank you so much from the bottom of our heart for your generous contribution.

You made this evening a success.

Once again; to everybody, thank you very much for have made this evening a memorable event for all the members of the Hong Kong Chefs Association

Best Regards

Rudy Muller, President HKCA

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Hong Kong edition of WACS Global Chef's Challange

12/13 March 2007

Once Again the Hong Kong Chefs Association in collaboration with the Hospitality Industry Training and Development Centre of the Vocational Training Council proudly organized and held the culinary pre-selection competition “Global Chef” Challenge on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th March 2007 at the Pokfulam Training Centre Complex, 145 Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong to determinate the Hong Kong representatives.

The winning team, Global Chef with assistant (below 23 years) will represent Hong Kong competing in the Asia Pacific regional final, which will be held during Hofex 2007, 14th May in Hong Kong. The winner of the Asian Rim will compete against the other 6 continental winners for the crown of the “World Global Chef” during the WACS Congress 2008 in Dubai. 

On day one 4 selected culinary teams received the “Global Mystery Box” containing the ingredients. Competitors had time to study then write a 4 course menu based on the food ingredient items. The next day the competitors returned to the competition venue in the morning to prepare the 4 course menu for 8 persons; Starter, Entrée, Main Course and Dessert, which had to be prepared and served within 5 hours from start of preparation to service of the last course.

A team of 8 judges, Hong Kong Chefs Association members, divided into 2 groups, 4 judging preparation and skill performance in the kitchen and 4 for blind tasting the presentation and taste to assure an ultimate result.

The standard from each team was excellent, everybody was geared up to give their very best and in the end it was a very close call for the winner which was the team from the Hollywood Hotel Hong Kong Disneyland Park, Chef Eddy Chu Chi Leung with assistant Ms. Wong Ka Yi.

They runner-up teams were from the HITDC- Boris Leung with Antony Lo, Ritz Carlton - Leung Chi Hung Chris with Hui Ka, Royal and Casa Nostra Restaurant-Christopher Gallaga with Wong Chi Kit.

This competition was another great opportunity and motivational tool for our young chefs and establishments, to compete in a friendly and professional manner, in the true spirit of our hospitality industry and all the best goes to the winning team and wish the very success in the next round at Hofex 2007.

The Winning Menu

 Starter/ First Course

Warm Vegetable Salad with Herbs, Tossed with Butter Poached Salmon and Scallops

 Entrée/ Second Course

Leek and Potato Soup with Julienne of Chicken

 Main Course

Pan-fried Beef Medallion and Prawns Accompanied by Lamb Brochette in a Ginger Mushroom Broth

 Dessert

Cream of Mascarpone Cheese Served with Apple Puree and Caramelized Apple Candy Accompanied by Lemon Cream Brulee

 

And a big thank you goes out to all our sponsors!

By HR Nussbaumer

 

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In Memoriam

It is with regret that we received this message from Hubertus Timmel that Gunther Kiehm, the founder of Rolling Pin past away last Saturday.

Chefs Association Inauguration Macau

Last Wednesday Perry Yuen and I were invited to join the official launch for the MACAU CULINARY ASSOCIATION.

At the Venue; the elegant restaurant if the Institute of Tourism Studies we were greeted by President Raimund Pichlmaier and General Secretary David Wong and other members of the committee.

Chefs were encouraged to come in uniforms and together with all the other distinguished guests of the industry, it has given the whole setting an uplifting feel of sophistication and professionalism. The Guest of Honour, Director of Macau Government Tourism Office, Eng Antunes opened and endorsed the Association which was witnessed by all guests Television and Media.

It is great to see how eager and supportive everybody is,  to get this much needed Association of the ground. Macau has seen an unprecedented boom of hotel over the past few year and the influx of international chef who arrive in this city almost daily. They are plans for 28 more hotels to open. Just a few weeks ago the new Lisboa had his debut. The next big one will be the Crown Macau, followed by the Venetian.

Up to date the MACAU CULINARY ASSOCIATION has 120 members already and I am sure this number will grow steadily over the next few months.

We; the Hong Kong Chefs Association congratulate the MACAU CULINARY ASSOCIATION to its inauguration, support its goal to become a WACS member and offer our Help and Friendship.

We are looking forward to an active rapport based on mutual interests, professionalism and trust across the Pearl River Delta.

Rudolf Muller, President HKCA

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Invitation - Dairy Speak Workshop: Cheese & Butter

You are cordially invited to the Dairy Speak Workshop: Cheese & Butter in Hong Kong:

 Date:                Tuesday, 27 March

Registration:      8.30 – 9am

Workshop:         9am – 6pm (including lunch)

Venue:              the Australian Showroom,

Australian Consulate General, 24/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai

The Workshop aims to:

·          provide a better knowledge of the Australian cheese and butter, as well as the Australian dairy industry and quality systems.

·          focus on the functionality and applications of cheese and butter, especially in the food service and bakery sectors.

Representatives from Dairy Australia and a dairy consultant from Australia will present on the topics of:

1)       Milk composition and major dairy unit operations

2)       Cheese overview: types, classifications and manufacturing; grading and quality

3)       Cheese functionality and applications

4)       Butter and AMF overview

5)       Butter: grading, functionality and applications

6)       Australian dairy industry overview & world dairy market update

7)       Cheese trends in Australia

8)       Tasting of six types of Australian cheese and two types of Australian butter

Please fill in the Reply Form on the next page and fax it back to Mr William Lin, Austrade Hong Kong on or before Wednesday 21 March.

We look forward to seeing you at the Workshop.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Xu, Market Manager – Greater China, Dairy Australia

download the reply slip here

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All about Bolete/Cepes/Porcini hunting

Mushroom hunting has always been popular worldwide, especially in European

countries; this consists of searching for mushrooms in the wild, typically for

consumption. Often view it as a sport — one in which the mushrooms may

actually have a chance of "winning" if the person is not used too, or not “good” at

it. A basic understanding is necessary. If at all feasible, your first few forays into

the forest should be with a knowledgeable and experienced mushroom hunter.

Check for a mycological society in your area; while its members may not be

generous with information about their favorite spots, they commonly offer classes

and field trips with trained mycologists on hand who can identify the fungi you

collect.

 

 

 

The best period to hunt is just after a period of rain (July – October). Try to go

when the light is good but not to bright, because cèpes tend to blend with their

surroundings and are usually hard to spot.

Identification is not the only element of mushroom hunting that takes practice —

knowing where to search does as well. Most mushroom species require very

specific conditions -- some will only grow at the base of a certain type of tree, for

example. Finding a desired species that is known to grow in a certain region can

be a challenge. It is usual for a particular fungus to produce a visible fruiting body

only under a precise combination of conditions, including geographic location,

elevation, temperature, humidity, light level, and surrounding flora, so you may

only see a particular species very rarely -- similar to bird-watching. Unlike birdwatching,

however, when you find a choice edible you can gather it and make

dinner with it, knowing that its mycelium lives on and will produce another crop

next season.

There is a large number of species of mushrooms that are regularly consumed

by mushroom hunters. The cèpe is probably the most popular delicacy.

Chanterelles and morels are among the most popular types of mushrooms to

gather, the latter being fairly hard to misidentify by anyone with practice. Keep in

mind, once you find a cèpe, have a look around, because it rarely grows alone…

  

While hunting mushrooms, certain basic rules apply. The most important one is

to never consume a mushroom for which a positive identification to species has

not been made.

 

Which cèpe is the “bad” one and which on is the “good” one?

When collecting a mushroom for identification, gather more than one specimen

and take the entire fruiting body, including the base and even some of the

surrounding material or substrate. This will enhance your ability to make a

positive identification. Some things to note: shape, color, size, odor, presence

and layout of gills or tubes under the cap; differences between immature vs.

mature specimens, surface features, interior features when cut, and changes in

response to cutting or bruising.

 

Take a sturdy knife and a paper bag or wicker basket that will allow air to

circulate; plastic bags tend to make mushrooms soggy and warm, which is never

good for them. You may get them home only to find that you have to throw most

of them away. Furthermore, a single poisonous mushroom can poison a whole

basket; if this occurs, throw them all away.

Bring your collection home and process as soon as possible. You will find

organisms such as fly larvae, slugs, etc. fairly often in some climates. Section the

mushrooms and throw out any parts containing undesirable denizens before you

blanch / sauté / dry /freeze the rest. If you wait a day before doing this, you may

find your entire collection deteriorated and useless.

If you do eat your mushrooms, remember to bring them along to an expert

mycologist for a proper identification and diagnosis.

Only consume specimens that are freshly picked (or properly preserved) and not

too old. Like all food, even a perfectly edible mushroom will eventually rot and

cause stomach upsets if ingested.

 

Facts:

• Never try to convince anyone else to eat a mushroom that you have identified.

Be also careful to use information relevant to your area. Some mushrooms

that are safe in Europe, for example, have deadly look-alikes in North

America.

• If you are not used to, only consume a small amount of the mushroom the

first time. Like every other food that you taste for the first time, certain types of

popular edible mushrooms may cause an allergic reaction to the people who

eat them.

• Be aware of pollution; mushrooms concentrate heavily pollutants like heavy

metals or radioactive isotopes. More specifically, radioactive fallout spreads

unevenly and can be very concentrated in certain areas, this even at great

distances from the source of the pollution (Chernobyl disaster effects).

Text inspiration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_hunting

Picture: Dominique Grandjean

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Something's fishy about $1,000 New York pizza

As read on www.yahoo.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York restaurateur has cooked up the world's most extravagant pizza -- a $1,000 (516 pound) pie topped with six kinds of caviar and fresh lobster.

Nino Selimaj, who runs six pizza restaurants in the Big Apple, on Wednesday unveiled the Luxury Pizza, a 12-inch (30-cm), thin crust topped with caviar, lobster, creme fraiche and chives. Cut into eight, it works out at $125 a slice.

"I know this won't be for everyone but there are people in New York who can afford it and once tried, they'll be back for more. It is delicious," said Selimaj, who moved to New York from Albania about 29 years ago.

"Sure, some people will say it is just a publicity stunt but I have researched this for over a year and think there is a demand. I have already sold one," he told Reuters.

Selimaj said Nino's Bellissima in Manhattan, the only one of his restaurants to offer the dish, needs 24 hours notice for the gourmet dish because it orders the caviar in advance.

"But where better to experiment with pizza than in New York where people love their pizza?" he asked.

If diners are still hungry after the Luxury Pizza, they can always head over to nearby restaurant Serendipity, which sells a $1,000 ice-cream sundae called Golden Opulence that is covered in 23-karat edible gold leaf.

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In the News

(articles found in online news publications pertaining to Hong Kong/Food and Chefs)

Hong Kong issues alert on natural toxins, March 13

Illegal dynamite fishing threatens HK waters, March 14

Diabetes growing problem in newly rich Asia with Chef Cheung Kin-wai, March 12

Hong Kong's cooking, March 7

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PR Managers, promote your property's food Promo's!

Dear Hotel, Restaurant and Club PR Managers, do you have a special food promotion coming up, do you have a guest Chef promotion coming, or any other culinary related news, please send it to marco.veringa@hongkong-chefs.com and we will feature it in our newsflash!

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