Christian Chefs Newsletter
March 2004

Subscription/Unsubscription/Address Change/Contact Information can be found near the base of this newsletter.

MENU du JOUR:
      Appetizer
      Main Course
           Christianity in the Kitchen - "Focus"
           Culinary Learning - "Jerusalem Artichokes"
           CCF Trivia
           Recipe - Rosemary-Roasted Sunchokes and Tomatoes
           Recent Job Listings - 7 New
           Seeking Employment
      Dessert
           Recipe Contests
           Hints and Tips
           Featured Website - StarChefs.com
           Chef to Chef
           A Little Something Extra
           A Merry Heart
      Toothpick

A P P E T I Z E R

Well, there's always something new and improved that God is doing with CCF. For years we've been posting industry job listings in the newsletter and on our website, but we've never posted resumes from people looking for jobs - that is, until now! Starting this month, we're adding a listing of those looking for jobs to the newsletter. To share your resume with others, post it in the "Resumes" section of the Message Boards, and every month we will list your name, location, and the position/type of establishment you're looking for. Therefore make sure your post includes all that information.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

God Bless,
Ira Krizo
CCF@ChristianChefs.org

M A I N    C O U R S E

I want to thank all of you who kept and are keeping me in prayer for the time I was sick and in my healing in the Lord. It's great to be alive with yet another chance to praise the Lord and do for His Glory! It's been a very interesting couple of months. Physically I have been down...I was very sick with a flu and complications -- one of which led me to have surgery which put me down again! This time to recover. All this to say...Praise the Lord! What else can I say? I am always saying " Everything for a reason!" And I know one reason was to impress upon me the message of FOCUS. As a Christian, my goal is to accept everything and give it to Him. I wear a little cross as a tie tack on my Chef's coat. I wear it to remind me of Luke 9:23:

"Then he said to them all, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'"

"Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: 'Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat -- I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how.'"

Yeah, He did. And many after Calvary did so embracing death for His glory! He showed us by being focused. Jesus was a man that was incredibly focused. He knew what He had to do, and did not let anyone or anything distract Him from it. Because He kept His focus, He could endure the cross...As followers of Christ we must follow Him. As he told Peter in John 21:22 "You must follow me," He was telling Peter (and us) "Focus on me."

I have read that people fail because of broken focus. I believe that now! When we want to quit or give up or surrender it is because our focus is broken. We are incredibly busy with jobs, families, homes, cars - and those things are not bad things! What is wrong is when they become the number one focus. The world throws so many things at us to break our focus. The workplace can be such a place. What you think about determines your focus. Stay in the moment with Him. After all He did for us, we don't want to give in to the attacks by the enemy. We need His focus more than ever. We need His light to show the way. There is Power in Jesus! A laser beam is a good example of what that is -- focused light. That is what gives light its power. Same with us -- our thoughts focused on one thing! The more focused we are, the more powerful we are. Harnessing our thoughts on Jesus' thoughts allows us to think on anything and have power to deal with it. That is God's redeeming power. Our focus is our aim. We see the little laser pointers. They direct the focus of light. What we focus on we will pursue...powerfully and speedily. To that end we will remain true to the final attaining of it...whatever it is. We apply that principle in our kitchens. It's our job as Chefs to point the way, to focus the energies, and to pursue the excellence of our works to His glory and ultimately our rewards. A job well done. I might add good and faithful servant but you knew that. The Lord gave me a verse I have never read before (or never paid good attention to). It is Isaiah 30:2 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" It reminds us in our busy-ness to slow down, listen, and focus. With a strong focus we can stand any setbacks.

"The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out." -John 1:5

Stay focused. Walk in it.
Leo Griego
Member Support, Christian Chefs Fellowship
and
Food Services Director, Nashville Rescue Mission

http://www.ChristianChefs.org/about/leogriego.html

If God is speaking to your heart about these things, and you need somebody to talk with, please don't hesitate to e-mail us about your need and somebody from the Fellowship will contact you as soon as possible. If you have a prayer request or would like to start a theological discussion on this or any other topic, please feel free to post it in our Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Otherwise commonly known as "Sunchokes" and sometimes as "Iroquois Potatoes", this vegetable isn't an artichoke at all, nor does it have anything historically to do with Jerusalem. Rather it is the root of a variety of sunflower. The name derived instead from the Italian word "girasole", which translates to "sunflower". It originated in North America and was introduced to Europe back in the 17th century.

As you can see, it looks very much like ginger in that it's a brown knobby tuber. It is a vegetable with a white flesh and is nutty, sweet, and crunchy - similar to the flavor of globe artichokes.

You can eat Jerusalem artichokes raw in salads, as a salad of its own (like potato salad), or as a side dish. The skin is usually removed, but it is very nutritious (a great source of iron) so many people just wash it well and cook and eat it with the skin still on. As a side dish you can braise it with butter and serve a nice béchamel or cream sauce and sprinkle it with parsley. It also makes for a very good soup. Other ways of cooking it is battering and frying it, cooking and pureeing it, or even souffleeing it.

Sunchokes are a good choice for diabetics. They possess a complex carbohydrate called INULIN that is metabolized differently than other complex carbohydrates. Fructose, not glucose, is the building block of inulin, so there is a smaller rise in blood sugar levels after eating sunchokes than there is with potatoes or rice. Inulin is a naturally occurring substance found in over 35,000 plants and vegetables worldwide. Chemically, inulin is a non-digestible carbohydrate in the class of fiber substances called fructans. Inulin, and its subgroup fruit oligosaccharides (FOS), promote the health and balance of good bacteria in the colon by serving as a "food" for these organisms. The health benefits of lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacteria are well known. Through its role as a food source (also called a pre-biotic) which promotes proliferation of these organisms, INULIN-FOS helps maintain normal bowel function, regularity and urinary tract health. Recent studies have also found that INULIN-FOS supports proper mineral absorption (especially important for women), cardiovascular health and immune function, as well as proper blood sugar and blood fat metabolism.

A 3 1/2 ounce (100 g) serving of fresh, harvested roots provides about 35 calories. In storage, however, the roots mature, or ripen, and inulin turns to sugar, so the calorie content increases to about 75 calories. Sunchokes provide nutritious amounts of iron, potassium, thiamine and niacin.

For some individuals, sunchokes, like legumes, may be a source of intestinal gas, or flatulence. To remedy this, eat smaller portions of cooked, not raw, sunchokes or wait until spring to eat stored sunchokes, when they are sweeter and easier to digest.

Just like anything else you may not have used before, get a little and try it -- it can't hurt! Everybody likes finding something tasty and new on their plate.

God Bless,
Ira Krizo and Earl Dowdle

Questions about this article or any other culinary related subject can be asked via the "Culinary Q&A" Section of the Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

First, this newsletter's question:

Which church was the first to be established by Paul in mainland EUROPE? (Hint: you may need to check with your Bible's map.)

A) Tarsus
B) Corinth
C) Philippi
D) Ephesus

E-mail your answer to "trivia@ChristianChefs.org" with "Trivia Answer" in the subject column. Also, please tell us what brief title(s) ("Sous Chef," "Dallas, Texas," or whatever - see examples below) you would prefer for your name being listed in the next newsletter, as well as how difficult you found the question (so we can improve future trivia questions).

Solution to the last newsletter's trivia question:

What is the following vegetable? Hint: it's nutty, sweet, crunchy, and a variety of sunflower.

Answer:
Jerusalem Artichoke (Sunchoke)

Additional information found/submitted on the subject:
See the above culinary learning article on Jerusalem Artichokes.

The first people to answer this question correctly:
1. Bill Campbell, Christian Chef, Alpine, New York
2. Robert Lewis, The Happy Diabetic - happydiabeticchef.com
3. Carolien Bell, Home Cook, Austin, Texas
4. Richard, Chef, Frankfort, Illinois
5. Jon Sterlace, Corning, New York

Prefer your measurements in a different format? (weight vs. volume)
http://www.christianchefs.org/charts/weight_volume.html

Oven roasting softens sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) and adds a caramelized flavour that is enhanced by the rosemary, green onions and tomatoes.

Ingredients:
2 lb. (910 g) sunchokes cut into 1 1/4 inch (3 cm) chunks
6 ripe plum tomatoes, halved crosswise
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground black pepper
6 green onions cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths

Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 400'F (205'C). In jellyroll pan toss sunchokes, tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, oil, and salt & pepper. Arrange sunchokes around edge of pan and tomatoes in centre. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes. Gently stir green onions into sunchokes and continue to roast until sunchokes are tender and browned, about 10 min longer.

2. Cool roasted vegetables 10 min, or until tomatoes are easy to handle. With fork or fingers, remove skins from tomatoes and discard. Stir tomatoes in with sunchokes and transfer to serving dish.

Nutrition per serving: protein 3 gm, fat 4 gm, carbohydrates 24 gm, fibre 3 gm, sodium 144 mg, cholesterol 0, calories 137

We prefer to list recipes from Christian Chefs rather than from other sources, so if you have any good recipes of your own, please post them in the "Recipes" section of the Message Boards.  Please include an introduction to the recipe with your personal comments of the stories that make them special, and if your recipe is chosen, it will be listed in our website forever and in our next newsletter.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

More information on each of the below Job Listings, such as the job's timeline, responsibilities, pay, and how to contact the employer on each of these, can be found within the Employment area of our website (link below). There you can also find jobs that have been posted in previous months that haven't yet been filled and you can also post any job openings you have to be listed there and in this newsletter for FREE!
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/employment.html

Name = Hidden Acres Christian Center
Location = Dayton, Iowa (USA)
Position = Assistant Cook

Name = Casowasco Camp, Conference and Retreat Center
Location = Moravia, New York (USA)
Position = Chef's Apprentice

Name = Beechtree Inn Restaurant
Location = Hertford, North Carolina (USA)
Position = Executive Chef/Manager

Name = Operation Mobilisation LUKE Training Centre
Location = Halesowen, England
Position = Cook

Name = Spear-O-Wigwam Guest Ranch
Location = Sheridan, Wyoming (USA)
Positions = Chef & Sous Chef

Name = The Farm Lodge, Inc.
Location = Port Alsworth, Alaska (USA)
Position = Seasonal Chef/Cook & Server

Name = Lakeside Christian Camp & Conference center
Location = Pittsfield, Massachusetts (USA)
Position = Food Service Assistant

If you are looking for kitchen staff and want to view more information about anyone listed below, each of the following listings is posted in the "Resumes" category of the Message Boards. If you are looking for employment, it's a free service to post your resume. Just make sure you include your name, location desired, and position desired in your post.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Name = Brian
Location Desired = Orange County, California
Position Desired = Line Cook - Fine Dining

D E S S E R T

Please note: Contest Listing(s) below are for PROFESSIONALS ONLY in the culinary industry. There are many more contests available for nonprofessionals as well, some of them ongoing or being repeated on a monthly basis. If you're interested in those, here's one excellent website to check out:
http://www.recipecontests.com

CATTLEMEN’S BEST OF THE BARBECUE CONTEST
Send your recipe using Cattlemen’s Barbecue Sauce as the secret ingredient in the recipe.
DEADLINE: April 15
PRIZES: Grand Prize (2): a trip for two for 2 nights/3 days to Memphis in May (ARV. $4,500); Runners-Up (10): an American Express Gift Certificate for $100.
WEB SITE: http://www.bhgpr.com/contest.cfm?Contest=55

LEA & PERRINS' WORCESTERCHEF 2004 RECIPE CONTEST
Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce wants recipes from the pros and culinary students for appetizers, soups, salad dressings, entrees and desserts that are enhanced by Worcestershire Sauce.
DEADLINE: April 30
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $1,000; First Prize: $500; Second Prize: $500; Third Prize: $500; Honorable Mention(5): $50 in cash. Culinary Students: Grand Prize: $1,000 cash scholarship; First Prize: a $500 cash scholarship; Second Prize: a $500 cash scholarship; Third Prize: a $500 cash scholarship; Honorable Mention(5): $50 in cash.
WEB SITE: http://www.worcesterchef.com

"FIESTA TIME" AVOCADO CHEF RECIPE CONTEST
Create an original recipe in which Hass avocados are a key ingredient. Suggested categories include: hors d’oeuvre, appetizer, entrée, side dish, snack, salad and sandwich. Open to chefs and sous chefs employed in a restaurant or other food-service operation in the continental U.S.
DEADLINE: June 1
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $2,000; Second Place: $1,500; Third Place: $1,000; Runners-Up(2): $250.
WEB SITE: http://www.avocadosfrommexico-chef.com/promos2.html

2004 TABASCO BRAND HOTTEST CHEF CONTEST
DEADLINE: May 21, 2004
PRIZES: Grand Prize: $10,000 and TABASCO brand merchandise; Student Category Prize: $2,500 and merchandise
WEB SITE: http://www.TABASCOfoodservice.com

All contests listed above are provided by the company listed, NOT by CCF. For additional information on each contest, please contact the designated company for that specific listing. Enjoy!

For the best flavor cook dried fruit in the same water it was thawed in.
http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/archives/chefs1.html

Permission given from the "Tips and Shortcuts" area of the Message Boards:
http://www.christianchefs.org/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000019.html

If you know of any great hints or tips, please post them in the "Hints and Tips" area of the Message Boards. Of the ones posted there, one will be featured here in our newsletter.
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

This is a website geared towards cooks and chefs in the culinary industry rather than about food in general. There are restaurant job listings (don't forget to check out the job listings on CCF's website too), recipes, culinary school listings (advanced search allows a search by instructor, name of school, cuisine, location, and type of school), culinary events, news, and more.

http://www.starchefs.com

"I am creating a new Spring menu and would like to put a fresh new spin on Southwestern and American regional cuisines. If anyone has recipes that reflect a healthy lifestyle that can be implemented in a small kitchen, please post them here or e-mail me."
-Bryguy, Ontario, Canada

You are welcome to respond to this message in the "Recipes" section of CCF's message boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

If you're searching for particular instructions or cooking techniques or maybe have a special need, you can post these on our message boards. If you've done that and are still in need, please e-mail us and let us know so that we may highlight that need in this section of our next newsletter.

There is no circumstance, no trouble, no testing, that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to him and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own heart.
-Alan Redpath

Borrowed with permission from "This Day's Thought"
http://www.thisdaysthought.org

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation bangs on your front door forever.
(unknown)

T O O T H P I C K

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http://www.ChristianChefs.org/past_newsletters.html

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God Bless,
Ira Krizo, Director
Christian Chefs Fellowship
CCF@ChristianChefs.org
http://www.ChristianChefs.org
Phone: (619) 429-0705
Fax: (508) 462-1068

Christian Chefs Fellowship
PO Box 608
Crestline, CA 92325
USA