Catersource's Art of Catering Food Conference Heads to Atlanta's AmericasMart to Lead Three Days of Culinary Education

MINNEAPOLIS, July 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Catersource Magazine, the nation's leading source of catering-specific education, has once again partnered with the International Caterers Association to present the Art of Catering Food conference in Atlanta, GA, August 4 to 6, 2014 at the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart. This intimate catering-focused program centers exclusively on enhancing the culinary abilities of caterers and will feature nationally renowned chefs like Top Chef Season Six finalist Kevin Gillespie, owner of Atlanta's acclaimed Gunshow restaurant and Paul Larson, Corporate Chef of Blue Plate Catering, Chicago, IL, among others.

Sponsored by American Metalcraft, SternoCandleLamp, EMI Yoshi, Bamboo Studio, Fresh Origins, Edibles by Jack, Total Party Planner, Chef Rubber, DeZaan, Accent Décor, and Cambro Manufacturing, the Art of Catering Food will present dozens of live demos — serving each tasty morsel prepared, over 10,000 samples — roundtables, Lunch+Learns, three catering facility tours, edu-cocktail parties, plenty of takeaway materials including the full repertoire of recipes and the optional (but don't miss it!) A la cARTe: An Exclusive Showing, presented by A Divine Event, an artful evening event showcasing an impressive perspective on catering trends for action stations and more. (Head to Catersource.com for the event reveal at its sneak peek pre-showing on Thursday, July 17 at 3:00 pm EST!)

Push it to the Max

It's suggested that attendees eschew their pre-conference breakfasts, if only because nearly every seminar will also present the opportunity to sample the high quality recipes imparted.

• Day one, savor and learn about The Master of the Appetizer, presented by Paul Larson, who will explore the tease of the bite-sized tidbit; and revel in the four-alarm sizzle of Smokin' Hot Tableside, presented by Top Chef Season Nine contestant Ashley Santo Domingo of 24 carrots Catering & Events, Irvine, CA.
• Day two, prepare your taste buds for Red or Yellow: Using Watermelon for Apps and First Courses presented by Jamie Keating, Chef and CEO of JK Culinary INC, La Grange, GA; and Bold American Events' Executive Chef Todd Annis' Scallops: The OTHER Shellfish. (May we mention that these are just four of the 17 seminars being presented on those first two days alone?)
• Day three, take away a variety of dessert ideas during day three's incredible Dessert Circus for Catering, presented by the talented Rachanee Keovorabouth, executive chef for Thomas Caterers of Distinction, Indianapolis, IN; and of course, the grand finale…

Top Chef/Closing Speaker

Kevin Gillespie, chef/owner of the acclaimed Gunshow, Atlanta, GA (recently named one of the "12 Most Outstanding Restaurants" by GQ magazine) and a sixth season contestant on Bravo's Top Chef, will be the closing speaker, sharing his passion for high-quality food, prepared with fresh, organic, and sustainable ingredients. Gillespie, also a James Beard award finalist in the Cookbooks: American Cooking category for his Fire in My Belly cookbook, says he can find culinary inspiration anywhere from "a hot dog cart to a 5-star dinner." Using traditional dishes to tell his story, he'll talk about food memories to connect with attendees.

Facilities Tours

How do they do it? That is, how do the most esteemed caterers organize operations and navigate successfully the ever-changing world of food, facility, and price margin? Attendees will be able to go behind the scenes at three separate locations on Monday afternoon, sampling food and beverage, all while viewing (and shooting photos of) A Legendary Event, Bold American Events, and Proof of the Pudding — all based in the Atlanta, GA area. 

Sponsors

AOCF sponsors partner closely with all chef presenters to prepare for their culinary creations by providing cooking equipment, tabletop displays, serving vessels, and food products. Because each chef brings his or her own culinary perspective to the table with their own personal styles, techniques, and creative twists, AOCF sponsors offer customized orders for their needs. Sponsors will launch new catering ideas, debut creative uses for existing products, and participate in the program along with the conference attendees by sharing and learning.

Learn More

For more information on the event and to register, please visit www.catersource.com/art-of-catering-food. Registration is open to all catering chefs; and discounted hotel rates may still be available (through July 18 at The Westin Peachtree).

The Art of Catering Food
Presented by Catersource and the International Caterers Association
August 4–6, 2014
Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart
Atlanta, GA

Presentations by Adam Gooch (Purple Onion Catering Company, Vienna, VA), Matthew Weingarten (Setting by Sodexo, New York), Michael Robbins (Research Chefs Association, Atlanta), Karen O'Connor (Daniel et Daniel, Ontario), Kevin Gillespie (Top Chef, Gunshow, Atlanta), and many more national experts and catering chefs.

For updates, follow Catersource on Facebook (facebook.com/catersource) and Twitter (@catersource_llc, #aocf2014), and check out our Pinterest and Instagram pages for photos from the show (pinterest.com/catersource) and (instagram.com/catersource).

The International Caterers Association (ICA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, mentoring and resources for professional caterers and promoting the profession of catering to clients, industry members, vendors and the public.

For media inquiries, photography, and catering recipes, please contact Kathleen Stoehr ([email protected], 612-253-2030).

www.catersource.com

www.catersource.com/art-of-catering-food

Contact:
Kathleen Stoehr
Publisher & Executive Editor, Catersource
(612) 253-2030
[email protected]

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140710/126100

SOURCE Catersource