Another successful chef dinner for the Alzheimer's association was presented by our members. Personally it was one of those great moments to be a chef. I arrived as dessert was being served, put on my coat and Toque and went out to the ballroom and received the accolades of our guests. For fourteen years ACF Rochester has worked with the Alzheimer's Association to raise money and awareness of this affliction. Chef Don can be proud of the continued success of his efforts.
Under the direction of chef d' cuisine Mike Macri, CCC and host chef John Eschler, CEC the brigade of chefs from ACF Rochester once more proved the vastness of our collective talent. Dave DiNapoli and Trish Miller of RIT; Dave Festenstien from the Red Wings; and Lisa Cunliffe, CEC owner of Jonathan's Choice; and did stellar job with the reception. Michael Vasile, CEC, AAC, Sharon Wood, Van Laughlin, CEC, Michael Redmond, CEC and Duff Rund were the members of the chapter who worked in the kitchen. GVC pastry chef James Newman, CWPC added the finishing touch with his dessert. We were also assisted by the culinary teams from the Genesee Valley Club, Highlands of Pittsford and the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.  Thanks to all concerned.

    I would like to thank Sharon Wood and Lisa Cunliffe, CEC for their help at the Palmer Food show. Our presence at these events is a great way to remind our fellow culinarians of our place in the Rochester world of food.

    My membership number in the ACF is numbered 032XXX. I joined the West Virginia chapter in 1991, sixty four years after the ACF was founded. At that pace five hundred new members were joining each year. Fourteen years later the membership numbers are 157XXX we as an association manage to sing-up nine thousand new members a year on average. At the time I joined there was a campaign about "32 in 92" our national officers wanted to swell the number of members to thirty-two thousand in 1992. Considering the fact that after sixty-five years some of the early chef members might have passed and others would have left the profession looking to have thirty-two out of say thirty-seven thousand would be a great rate of growth and retention. However, in 2005 the ACF would be thrilled to have thirty-two thousand members. As a group we are like "dear Lisa's" bucket, we keep adding to our numbers but the whole in our bucket lets as many or more members flow away. We as an association nationally and as a chapter locally must find ways to keep our members. I hope that by offering better programs at each meeting and doing all we can to minimize our dues we can help with this problem. The size of ACF Rochester has not changed significantly since I arrived here eight years ago. I hope we can develop a way to see if the people who have drifted away in the last few years can be enticed back. Our greatest strength is in our numbers.
   
    As we plan the May meeting we are going to do a 'pot-luck' style dinner. Please bring along your significant other, your kids, your mother-in-law and any potential new members. Also invite any past members that you feel could still be an asset to our chapter. Some of these chefs still contribute time and effort at our special functions, surly they could consider rejoining our ranks.
    Also at the May meeting… a silent auction of sorts. I have asked the members who attended the March meeting to donate an item or two that are ACF or kitchen related to an auction. Mike Vasile and I have things bought for the 2001 regional that are taking up space and could be used to raise a dollar or two for the chapter. Please look in those back corners of the attic or basement and see if there is a extra copy of a cook book or an extra kitchen gadget you think someone else might use. It is more about having some fun than raising vast sums but let's give it a try. I hope the whole evening could be a great time to get together and have an evening together.

Our next scheduled meeting is April 25, 2005. The program presenter will be yours truly and I am going to try an impart some of the tricks I have learned about using smoke to improve flavors. 

Yours in culinary,
Chef Paul

I've been putting a quote about food at the end of these messages but this month, with all that has been in the news please make sure you have a living will in place. While you are at it do us both a favor; call your best friend and tell them that they hold that space in your heart.