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Friday, May 27, 2011
How to take advantage of International Association of Culinary Professionals conference even without a badge
It doesn’t quite have the buzz of the South by Southwest festivals, but the International Association of Culinary Professionals is hosting its annual conference in Austin next week.
I can hear it now: “IACP, who?”
You might not have heard of IACP before, but it’s the world’s largest association of culinary professionals, and it’s kind of a big deal that the group’s 33rd annual conference will be held in Austin starting Wednesday.
This is the first time the conference has been held in Austin, and it will bring hundreds of the most influential food writers, chefs, cookbook authors and publishers, magazine editors, cooking instructors, publicists and others involved in the culinary world to our fine city.
(It’s not too late to sign up for the conference. Starting at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, you can register at the Hilton Austin, 500 E. 4th St. Four-day passes cost $745 for members, $930 for non-members, and day passes start at $225 for members and $410 for nonmembers. You can also live stream parts of the conference for less than $100.)
I’ll be blogging from some of the most interesting panels and workshops next week, but there are lots of opportunities for Austinites to get in on the IACP action without stepping foot in the Hilton.
IACP is hosting a handful of events that are open to the public, and a number of unofficial parties, dinners and book-signings have popped up, too.
First up, the official IACP events that are open to the public. (You can find details about these events and buy tickets here):
- The easiest — and least expensive — point of entry for everyday Austinites who love food is the culinary book fair, which takes place from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3. More than 60 authors, including Diana Kennedy and Ellie Krieger, will be talking with fans and signing books at the culinary book fair, which costs $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
- At 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Uchi chef Tyson Cole will be cooking at Hotel Saint Cecilia in South Austin with fellow James Beard winner Brad Farmerie of Public in New York and Holly Smith, who owns Cafe Juanita in the Seattle area and competed on the Food Network’s “Next Iron Chef.” The “Three Hot Chefs” event costs $135 and proceeds go to the Culinary Trust, which provides scholarships and grants to chefs and other members of the culinary community.
- Foodways Texas and IACP have teamed up with local chefs for Up In Smoke, an event that starts at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, at Boggy Creek Farm, 3414 Lyons Road, that celebrates the many Texas styles of barbecue with meat from El Naranjo, John Mueller Barbecue, Hoover’s Cooking, Lambert’s Downtown Barbecue and Dai Due. Tickets, which include beer, cocktails and wine, cost $65, with proceeds going to the Sustainable Food Center.
- Anyone who works in the culinary industry is invited to attend a cooking demonstration at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Hilton on the scientific approach to cooking called molecular gastronomy. The session, called Global Roots of Modernist Cuisine, costs $45 in advance, $50 at the door.
- Culinary professionals who aren’t attending the full conference can also a buy tickets to the culinary expo from 12:30 to 4:30 on Friday, June 3, which will feature chefs and exhibitors demonstrating and explaining the latest techniques, trends and innovations in the industry. Tickets cost $35 in advance, $40 at the door.
- A year ago, Michelle Obama launched her Chefs Move to Schools initiative with a star-studded rally at the White House (above). To celebrate a year of pairing chefs with schools to help fight childhood obesity, anyone with a chef’s coat or an interest in the cause is invited to join Food Network star Ellie Krieger and White House pastry chef and cookbook author Bill Yosses at 5 p.m. on Wednesday on the south steps of the capitol for a Chefs Moves to Schools rally.
- Persuading Americans to waste less food has been a passion of Boston-based author Jonathan Bloom for more than five years, and last year, he published, “American Wasteland: How America Throws Away Nearly Half of Its Food (and what we can do about it)” (Da Capo Lifelong Books, $26). Bloom is hosting a potluck and book talk at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Rain Lily Farm, 914 Shady Lane. Email customerservice@farmhousedelivery.com to reserve a seat ($25 per person, BYOB).
- To celebrate the release of her new iPad application “Baking with Dorie,” bestselling cookbook author Dorie Greenspan is bringing Cookie Bar, a New York pop-up cookie shop that is a joint effort with her son, to Brush Square Park at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 3. She and her team will be giving away sablés, her signature French vanilla shortbread cookies, out of an Airstream trailer until they run out.
- Five Texas chefs will be competing to see who can best pair Texas wines with Texas food in the first Edible Texas Wine Food Match at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 3 at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center. Judges include chefs Jacques Pépin and John Besh. Proceeds from tickets ($100) will benefit the Center for Wine and the Culinary Arts in Fredericksburg.
- Austin food blogger Jennie Chen is hosting her third Cupcake Smackdown from 5 to 8 p.m. at Hops and Grain Brewery, 507 Calles Street. Admission is free, but proceeds from cupcake and other food and drink sales will benefit the Texas Craft Brewers Guild and Keep Austin Dog Friendly.
- Toni Tipton-Martin, in addition to her duties as the host chairwoman for the conference, has organized a Peace Through Pie Fundraising Social at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 4. The event, which has a suggested donation of $25, will help kick off the city’s Juneteenth celebration, which marks the date (June 19) in 1869 when African American slaves in Texas learned they were free. The social will be hosted at, and is a fundraiser for, the 115-year-old Limerick-Frazier House, 810 E. 13th St., which Tipton-Martin is restoring as part of the SANDE Youth Project.
- Hank Shaw, the California-based and James Beard-nominated blogger behind Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook, has recently published his first book, “Hunt, Gather, Cook” (Rodale, $25.99). Shaw will be hosting a book signing and dinner at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, at FINO, 2905 San Gabriel Street, that will feature dishes inspired by the book from chef Jason Donoho. The dinner costs $50 per person, $80 with wine. Make reservations by calling 474-2905.
Associated Press photo.
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Kristen Skelly: What’s in Your Fridge Friday?
We’ve really lucked out with neighbors in our six years in Austin.
Kristen Skelly is one of them. She moved in our ‘hood last year when she had a baby belly as big as me. Her son was born just a few weeks after mine, and it’s been nice to have a fellow new mama nearby. We can get the kids together for some baby wrestling and fawning over how cute the other’s baby is. It’s what moms do. (Did I mention she’s a massage therapist, too? Everyone needs a neighbor with a massage table.)
Kristen used to work as a national park service employee and science teacher, and she just started Austin Outdoor Explorers, where she leads hands-on science adventures and nature walks for birthday parties, home-schoolers or just about any other group of curious youngsters who want to learn about the environment.
She’s always adding turtles, fish, snails and frogs to the cleanest aquariums I’ve ever seen and didn’t bat an eye when I asked if I could feature her fridge for today’s Fridge Friday.
What three things are always in your fridge? Diet Dr Pepper ( I refuse to drink Dr Pepper Ten [the company’s new low-calorie soda] because the ad campaign is so offensive to women), Swiss cheese and lettuce (spring mix)
What’s your favorite condiment? Gulden’s spicy mustard. I have three bottles of them on hand at any time.
What’s your go-to late night snack? Triscuits and Laughing Cow cheese.
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