Christian Chefs International Conference

** A special THANKS to my wife for taking care of "business" so I could go!

Christian Chefs International Conference is held once a year, this being its fifth year and also the first time I was able to attend. This year was exceptionally special because: (in no particular order)

• I was supported by my employers, Valley Fellowship Christian Academy
• Gary, long-time friend, co-worker (Mercy Ships), and Boss (Exclusively Yours Catering, Mercy Ships) was coming for the first time also...great time to share memories, stories, and catch up with family, work, and life...
• Getting to personally meet many fellow Chefs and food-service people that I only knew through social media.
• Catching up with Ira Krizo (Board of Directors President & Founder of Christian Chefs International and Director/President/Dean of Education/Chef-Instructor overseeing the Christian Culinary Academy)
• It was on the beach! (Cannon Beach Conference Center Oregon)
• Another Mercy Ships Alumni born in Thailand, raised in Australia, but residing in Portland Oregon with his wife (Thanks Tim and Karin) picked me up at 12:30am on a Monday morning, let me get some zzz's on the couch, then gave me a ride from Portland to Cannon Beach later that same morning so I could be on time! Its great having friends all over the world!

The hands-on baking/pastry seminar was a great way to teach this 'old dog' a few new tricks and brush the dust off some I haven't used in awhile. The speakers and session line-up was excellent! And how could you not like being directly on the beach?

The conference was opened by Chef Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet), and the list goes on...Ice Carving, Sustainable Seafood, Sushi Demo & Tasting, Hog Breakdown Demo, Cooking In The Deep South, multiple breakfast and lunches hosted by chefs, devotionals w/worship woven in between...

One of the things that really stood out to me was Chef Felix who traveled from Indonesia to be with us...the lunch he hosted was extraordinary! And of course I loved the lunch by Chef Bob (from Alabama) Shrimp & Grits (w/andouille sausage) and then, Buttermilk Chess Pie!

After the conference a ServSafe testing was available for Food Protection Manager Certification which was right on time since my certification expired this month. Passed! Good for another 5 years...and since I took the instructors test I am now able to teach and proctor the test if I want. (well, after I complete some paperwork and a few more tutorials, ha!) Alabama and Texas are alike in the fact that you have to have one person on-sight with a current Food Safety/Protection Manager Certificate or the State Health Department can shut your establishment down.

To much to really cover in a single blog post, but it was an excellent time! Gary and I really got to hang out during the whole conference and that was a blessing...its been a long time, we work well together in the kitchen, catering, life...

If this is your background: cook, chef, kitchen *title*...or even an interest, you should think about making it next year!

Thinking Outside the (Tool) BOX!

Back in the early years with Mercy Ships (Caribbean Mercy now retired) we had a 'unit' in the galley that held a lot of our kitchen utensils/tools that was nothing more than a cheap plastic drawer/file system from walmart. When we sailed it would be strapped to a pole for stability. I wanted something more than this, something sturdy with locking wheels and that we could lock the whole unit at night because things tended to disappear or get 'borrowed' never to return. (you know, like can openers, peelers, and your best knife?)

[You can see our plastic drawers right behind Reuben's elbow in the picture below.]

Before I could act on my idea the crew was told the Caribbean Mercy was going to be retired so no further budget was allowed.

Fast forward 12 or more years to today. My current kitchen could use some kitchen tool reassignment and since every inch of space is valuable this idea came to me once again. Why not use a roll-away locking tool box (with locking wheels) for storing our kitchen TOOLS in? With a limited budget and a few sale items at Home Depot I bought a Husky tool box and a couple rolls of what people call 'shelf liner' and...I am very happy! The tool box has been working out well!

GACHP?! What is that?

I recently received an invite luncheon to a local chapter of GACHP, what? I honestly wasn't familiar with the group and had to Google it! GACHP stands for the Global Association of Christian Hospitality Professionals.

I met President Marcus White, Vice President Paul Sofka, and Dennis Seastrom of Navigator Group Purchasing Inc. along with a number of local and out-of-state hospitality professionals.

Marcus and Paul both come from large churches that see many events each month(First Baptist Orlando also has a school). Marcus is at First Baptist in Orlando where he is the Food Service Ministry Director and Paul at Houston's First Baptist Church where he is the Culinary Service Director. Marcus says they call it Baptist World because its close to Disney World and you may recognize Paul's church as Beth Moore's place of teaching for 29 years! They did an excellent job hosting with Mary Lou who is the Food Service Director in the kitchen here locally at Whitesburg Baptist where the luncheon was held. Sounds like a "baptist only" gathering doesn't it? Nah, its not.

Although several other churches/organizations were represented basically this is a group that would be good for any Christian in foodservice. They are here to help with ideas, resources, materials, conferences, classes, certifications...anything to help further your ministry/career in hospitality.

Dennis GPO, Navigator, represents retirement homes and faith-based organizations with over a billion dollars buying power, yes, BILLION! What's a GPO? ANSWER HERE!

It was a good time to meet new people and make connections.

* I am a long-standing member of CCI (Christian Chefs International) and will be attending their annual conference this year(more on that later). But sometimes people are members of several groups. GACHP is one of those groups where their passion and ministry overlap with CCI.

Tytus Birthday Cake!

 Last Sunday my oldest son Tytus turned four years old. The theme of his party was Jake and The Neverland Pirates. Pictured here is Bucky the pirate ship that sails around Jake, Izzy, Cubby, and Skully. Made of chocolate cake, various candies, a peanut butter cup crows nest, and a few unedible parts like poster board sails and a dowel rod mast. Yeah, he was super excited about it!

[no, I don't do this every year...next year will probably be store bought, or my wife will make it! LOL - then again, who knows? Kids can be very persuasive.] 

Below is the Dinosaur Train cake I made for Tytus 2nd Birthday. This one is unique in that I made my own fondant out of a marshmallow recipe.  This wasn't the first Train cake I made though, the first was on a ship in Liberia, West Africa for some Brazilian friends of mine at this link: Train Birthday Cake (Estevam turns ONE!)

Chicken Chalet! (For the urban chicken!)

[It's been awhile since I posted so I wanted to kick it off with something intriguing I found today!]

That's right folks! Chicken Chalet! Available at participating SAMs clubs. $300!!! Holds 4-6 hens, fresh eggs daily, easy access door, pull out tray for easy cleaning...

I am not sure whether to laugh, be amazed, or both! Which leads me to ask, which of you within city limits raise 'urban' chickens? And/or what is the law for keeping them inside city limits and your neighborhood?