IACP Conference Events- Open to the Public

The special events listed below are open to the public and available through easy online registration through March 27th (and onsite at the Sheraton Dallas March 30 - April 4 during IACP Registration Desk hours.)  Register online for the events listed below.

(Please note this link is only for members of the public who are not attending the conference.

For main conference registration visit the "Registration" link to the right.)

Tuesday, March 31

Culinary Tours

OP-01
Sustainability from Ranch to Plate - Chico Basin Ranch Tour
Depart 7:30 a.m. – Return 5:00 p.m.
Fee $135   Transportation provided.  Limited to 21 participants.

Journey to this 87,000-acre ranch which also serves as a natural preserve and living classroom. The Chico Basin Ranch is dedicated to the enhancement and preservation of the natural world and Western heritage. Tour this authentic Western cattle and bison ranch. Learn about its sustainable practices, including grass-fed production, horse-drawn cultivation and the elimination of tractors. Join ranchers Janet and Duke Phillips and their crew for hands-on experiences, including ranch work, and then be guided by Mike Callicrate through his Ranch Foods Direct Processing Plant in nearby Colorado Springs to see the processing of sustainably-raised meats for consumers.

OP-03
Native American Roots
Depart 9:30 a.m. – Return 3:00 p.m.
Fee $130    Transportation provided.  Limited to 50 participants.

Upon arrival at Red Rocks Park (of the infamous Red Rocks Amphitheatre fame), we'll meet food anthropologist Dr. John Brett (University of Colorado – Denver) who will paint the picture of the Western landscape prior to the European influx. The role of food including bison, amaranth, quinoa, wild game and piñon will be framed by our striking geology. From Red Rocks, we go to The Fort Restaurant in Morrison, where we’ll be led by a Mountain man interpreter on a tour of the restaurant, modeled exactly to the historic Bent’s Fort and made of adobe throughout. There will be Native American craft demonstrations of beadwork, jewelry, and clothing, and Native American dancers will demonstrate traditional tribal song and dance.  Hostess and Fort owner Holly Arnold Kinney will also discuss the European influence on diet and food traditions. We'll have a Western lunch with help from IACP award-winning cookbook author Beverly Cox, and taste many of the foods we've discussed in the replica frontier, The Fort Restaurant.

OP-04
Colorado Lamb and Rocky Mountain Tour
Depart 8:30 a.m. – Return 5:15 p.m.
Fee $179    Transportation provided.  Limited to 50 participants.

Head due west into the Rocky Mountain range to learn about Colorado history, gold mining and one of the state’s top commodities:  Colorado lamb.  Historian and Author Mary Ellen Gilliland will share Colorado and mountain gold rush history as you travel to Swan’s Nest, an 1898 home built in the picturesque ski community of Breckenridge by the flamboyant "Gold Dredge King" Ben Stanley Revett as a gift for his bride.  At 5,000 square feet, Swan's Nest is the largest historic home in Summit County.  Now owned by IACP member Christy Rost and her husband Randy, Swan's Nest has recently undergone two years of extensive restoration. You will tour this historical home and view a sheep shearing demonstration in the heated barn. Following a catered Colorado lamb luncheon, Executive Chef/Owner Jennifer Jasinski, Rioja Restaurant and Bistro Vendome, will give a lamb leg fabrication and cooking demo in the home’s newly added second kitchen (designed for filming of Christy’s new cooking show).

OP-05
Colorado Wineries Tour: Cheese, Chocolate, and Flagstaff House SOLD OUT
Depart 9:30 a.m. – Return 8:00 p.m.
Fee $175    Transportation provided.  Limited to 50 participants.

IACP members might be surprised to learn that Colorado has more than 70 wineries and five wine regions, two of which are AVAs. This tour begins at a mile high (5280’) elevation in Denver and quickly ascends to altitudes where local wine, artisan organic chocolate and farmhouse cheeses can be enjoyed with gusto (but be sure to drink a lot of water). Participants are driven to Balistreri Vineyards for a local wine tasting, then due west into the mountains in Evergreen for a lunch and wine tasting at Creekside Cellars, then to Boulder Creek Winery for an interactive tour of the winery with a wine and chocolate tasting. At 5,430-feet elevation, guests will finish the tour at BookCliff Vineyards tasting room on Boulder’s Pearl St. Mall. The day ends at 6,000 feet with a sumptuous meal at the renowned Flagstaff House where we are joined by local winemakers.

OP-06
Get Bolder in Boulder (Eat–Hike–Eat)
Depart 10:00 a.m. – Return 9:30 p.m.
Fee $180    Transportation provided.  Limited to 11 participants.

This journey will take guests from organic farm to mountain valleys and vistas to dining tables at one of America’s greenest and tastiest restaurants in Boulder, CO.  Peak dining experiences serve as book ends to hiking in the Boulder Foothills with two chefs who like to wear hiking boots.  The day begins at Pastures of Plenty Farm for an organic farm tour with farmer/chef Lyle Davis with a regional New Mexican-inspired meal served in his 1887 farm house. The group will then join Chef Davis and Chef Hugo Matheson as their hiking guides in nearby Chautauqua Park, at the base of the legendary Flatirons or in Heil Ranch, Boulder County’s largest open space mountain park where deer, elk and other wild life can be spotted.  After burning some calories on the trail, guests will reconvene around the Community Table at Chef Matheson’s nationally acclaimed restaurant The Kitchen Café on Pearl Street for a family-style dinner featuring ingredients from local Boulder farms and ranches.

OP-07
Beer Lovers’ Paradise (Walking Tour)
Depart 12:30 p.m. – Return 6:00 p.m.
Fee $40    Limited to 50 participants.

We'll gather at the Colorado Convention Center to start this walking tour of historic Lower Downtown Denver (LoDo). At the vanguard will be Thomas J. “Dr. Colorado” Noel (professor of history and director of Public History, Preservation & Colorado Studies at University of Colorado - Denver, and author of numerous books). Guests will get an entertaining background of Denver history and architecture. We'll visit brew houses at Great Divide, Sandlot (Coors Field) and Wynkoop. At each successive stop, brew masters will guide us through their brewing process while we taste their wares. At the end of this portion of the tour, Dr. Colorado will lead our group on a refreshing walk to the historic Tivoli Brewery. Panoramic views of Denver and the Rocky Mountains from the Top of the Tiv’ will be the backdrop for tastings of out-of-town brews from top Colorado brewers O'Dells, New Belgium and others. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper (beerman and former restaurateur) will join us to tell the story of Denver’s unique and central role in the micro brewery explosion in Colorado. Culinary students from Metro State College Denver will provide the food pairings for these beverages as the afternoon winds down. From the Tivoli, it is a short stroll back to the conference hotel.

Wednesday, April 1

OP-10

The Experts Are In: A Morning of Networking and Experience-Sharing
8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Fee: $65 ).  Limited to 90 participants.

Whether you’re a new writer hoping to break into the industry or a seasoned veteran looking to expand your platform, this session offers a rare opportunity to meet face-to-face with leading writers, editors and agents to get your career questions answered. The morning will begin with informal networking over continental breakfast. During the course of the session, participants will visit two of five expert-moderated tables for in-depth discussions on topics ranging from insight into crafting a winning book proposal to perfecting your magazine pitch. Moderators will kick-off each roundtable discussion with a 20-minute presentation and then open the table to informal Q&A. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and to contribute actively to the discussions. Though each participant will visit two tables during the session, hand-outs from all the tables will be provided to every attendee.

Table assignments will be on a first come-first serve basis. Participants are asked to pre-select two tables from the list below as well as two back-up tables in the event that their first two choices are filled.

Timetable:
8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.  Informal networking over continental breakfast
8:30 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.  Welcome and introductions
8:45 a.m. -10:00 a.m. Roundtable #1 (Participants pre-selected table)
10:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Break and informal networking
10:15 a.m. -11:30 a.m. Roundtable #2 (Participants pre-selected table)
11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Wrap-up and informal networking

Moderator: Kathleen Flinn, Food Writers, Editors and Publishers Section Chair

Table 1: Pitching Magazines: Trends, Topics and Targeting the Right Editor
Nancy Hopkins is deputy editor of food and entertaining for Better Homes and Gardens. Along with her staff, she spends her days (and quite a few nights!) planning the food pages for BH&G. Together they create more than 250 recipes and food ideas each year. Prior to joining Better Homes and Gardens, she owned an entertaining- and tabletop-consulting firm for 12 years. Hopkins makes numerous TV appearances and is a frequent keynote speaker on entertaining, food and tabletop design for corporate food and publication clients. This roundtable will address how to craft pitch letters that capture the attention of editors, how to break into old or new publications, evolving trends in magazine coverage and advice on targeting the right editors at the right time.

Table 2: Marketing Strategies for Food Writers
Virginia Willis is the author of the acclaimed cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all! Recipes and Stories from Three Generations of Southern Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2008). The book has been featured in House Beautiful, Ladies Home Journal and was rated the top comfort food book of 2008 by the Chicago Tribune. She has been a guest on Martha Stewart Television, Paula Deen’s Best Dishes, and Real Simple. Previously she honed her attention to detail as the Kitchen Director for Martha Stewart Living Television. Other TV credits include Epicurious, Bobby Flay, Shirley Corriher’s Kitchen Secrets Revealed! and Natalie Dupree. Fresh off a successful book launch, Virginia will share secrets, tips and strategies to help food writers gain more media exposure for their projects, particularly books.

Table 3: From Blog to Book: What It Takes to Shift from Online to Byline
Shauna James Ahern is the author of the highly successful book, Gluten-Free Girl. In May 2005, she was diagnosed with celiac disease, a fate that she embraced and began to document online. The result is her popular food blog, glutenfreegirl.com, where she continues to share stories, photographs and recipes. Both her Web site and book have earned her accolades and spots on several “best of” lists, including being named one of Amazon.com’s “Best Books of 2007.” An active member of the blogging community, Shauna will offer insight into her own story, plus what attracts editors to blogs, what bloggers need to consider when contemplating basing a book on their experiences.

Table 4: Book Proposal Strategies for Today's Market
Peter Perez is the senior marketing manager for the food and drink category of Chronicle Books. He has been figuring out what people want to buy or how to market it for most of his career. Among his roles, he's worked as a buyer for The Nature Company/Discovery Channel and as a book buyer for Williams-Sonoma. A journalism grad from New York University, Peter has embraced the business side of writing, serving in both sales and marketing roles at Chronicle Books. At this table, Peter will discuss the challenges and opportunities for selling books in the shifting economic climate, and how to construct the best possible book pitch for today's market. 

Table 5:  The Craft & Business of Recipe Writing and Development
This table will be led by both Nancy S. Hughes and Dana McCauley. Nancy is a food consultant and the author of 11 cookbooks, as well as a recipe developer for 47 additional cookbooks with more than 4,000 published recipes to her credit. Dana is an international food trend tracker and the author of five cookbooks. She has been the food editor at several national Canadian magazines, a regular contributor to Cooking Light, and has appeared on hundreds of television shows including The Today Show, CNN, Canada AM, and the CBC News. At this roundtable, the pair will discuss the fundamentals of recipe writing and editing, trends in recipe development, targeting the right audiences, plus the tricky world of developing recipes for clients, translating chef recipes to home cook-friendly versions and more.

Table 6: Networking 2.0: Maximizing Contacts In-person, Online and Beyond
Kathleen Flinn is a veteran journalist of 20-plus years and author of The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry (Viking), a memoir with recipes about her experiences at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She is the chair of the Food Writers, Editors & Publishers section of IACP. Flinn covers technology as well as food, having spent eight years working in editorial for MSN.com. She developed training for leveraging long-distance working relationships within Microsoft for groups based in the U.S., Europe and Asia. In this roundtable, she will discuss effective strategies for making contacts both in-person and online, plus insight into the benefits and strategies of using blogs, newsletters, online forums, Facebook, LinkedIn and other networking sites.

Table 7: Getting and Working with an Agent
Lisa Ekus-Saffer has been "promoting a world of culinary talent" for more than 25 years. Her culinary-focused PR firm and literary agency, The Lisa Ekus Group, offers public relations campaigns, media training, spokesperson partnerships and literary agenting. As an agent, Lisa has negotiated more than 150 deals with domestic and international publishers of all sizes. This roundtable is suited for everyone from beginning to experienced food writers and will cover such topics as the value of an agent, finding and working with an agent, the agent-publisher relationship, contract negotiations, and much more.

Table 8: Building a Platform as a Freelancer
Lia Huber has written dozens of articles and hundreds of recipes for national magazines like Cooking Light (where she is a contributor and media spokesperson), Prevention, and Health and Fitness. Her work has been featured on CNN.com, MSNBC.com and WebMD. In the works are a cookbook, NOURISH, plus a Web site and social hub, www.nourishnetwork.com. Lia works with food and wine companies to find their voices as a branding and messaging consultant. At this roundtable, she will lead a discussion on how to find your own voice and message to differentiate yourself or your projects from the crowd, plus strategies to develop a “personal brand.”

Table 9: Finding and Developing an Online Niche and Personality
Maggie Savarino Dutton grew up in the restaurant business, playing every position from bartender and waiter to grill cook and sommelier. She writes “Search & Distille,” is an award-winning columnist for the Seattle Weekly, and works as a private restaurant and beverage consultant. She maintains her blog of five years, The Wine Offensive, and also manages the Seattle Weekly's food blog, Voracious. While anyone can plop a blog or a web site online; what drives people to read or get involved with online sites is often the focus, theme or sheer personality behind it. Maggie will discuss how to find your niche or personality online to help you focus and evolve in the virtual world. 

OP-14
Advanced Level Program I: Cutting Edge Cooking Techniques
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Cookery Demonstration and Tasting
Fee: $100 or $180 if combined with Advanced Level II (OP-16)

In this advanced-level class, Chef Nils Norén, Vice President of Culinary Arts, and David Arnold, Director of Culinary Technology at the French Culinary Institute in New York City will demonstrate the powerful combination of new cooking techniques and kitchen technologies.  The use of low-temperature cooking, sous vide, hydrocolloids, and other newer culinary techniques and ingredients will help you improve the way you cook. Participants will get a first-hand look into these techniques and equipment, as well as tastings of the products resulting from these methods.  (Note: Advanced Level Programs designed for attendees with a higher level of experience or knowledge)

Chef Nils Norén, The French Culinary Institute
Chef David Arnold, The French Culinary Institute

OP-16
Advanced Level Program II: New Trends in Cooking: Vegetables on Center Stage
Cookery Demonstration and Tasting
Johnson & Wales Kitchen Auditorium
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $100 or $180 if combined with Advanced Level I (OP-14)

The class will turn around the discourse about the equilibrium and subtleties we find when cooking vegetables. During this presentation, we will focus our attention on our interpretation of the values these products possess. These values will serve as the reasoning of an entire movement that intentionally blurs the boundaries between the sections that normally compose a menu. We will ask ourselves, is it a soup, a salad, a vegetable dish? A first course, a fish dish, a meat dish? Is it warm, hot or cold? Is it savory or tasteless? Is it flavor or texture? Is it creative or historic? The response will remain in the air. Join world-renowned, award-winning and revolutionary chef Andoni Luis Aduriz in the kitchen as he shares with us the latest trends and techniques.  (Note: Advanced Level Programs designed for attendees with a higher level of experience or knowledge.)

Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain

OP-19
Kids in the Kitchen
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
There is no fee to participate in this workshop, but you must register online.

Denver 'tweens, teens and families--don't miss your chance to see a free, first-class culinary competition in action! At this exciting Kids in the Kitchen Committee event, Colorado's #1 ProStart high school cooking team will demonstrate its winning three-course meal in just one hour. ProStart is a program of the National Restaurant Association that teaches high school students culinary skills with the view of encouraging students to pursue culinary careers.  Rivaling the internationally renowned Iron Chefs, these young go-getters will prepare the three-course entry that won them the Colorado championship.   IACP members will interact with the youth and visit with them at the end of the program. 

Thursday, April 2

OP-23
A Magical Evening at the Legendary Fort - The Culinary Trust Dinner & Silent Auction

Take a historic journey across the old and new foods of the Great West to benefit The Culinary Trust  during a fun-filled evening of music, eating and learning at The Fort Restaurant, a replica of 19th century Bent’s Fort nestled  in the red rocks just outside of Denver.  Guests can start with a signature Hailstorm drink and sample a buffet of Native America foods along with many Fort specialties such as buffalo prime rib, bison sausage wrapped quail eggs and Rocky Mountain Oysters Rockefeller. 
The evening will also feature a tribute to Sam Arnold, founder of The Fort, host of PBS’s Frying Pans West and author of numerous cookbooks.  IACP member and owner of The Fort, Holly Arnold-Kinney, will share research on food from the period of The Fort and how that is reflected in their menu today. 

Where:   The Fort, Morrison, Colorado (transportation provided)
When:    Thursday, April 2, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (buses depart between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m.)
Cost:    $165
Limited to 300 attendees.
 
Primary Sponsor:  Deshong Studios   
Supporting sponsor:  The Fort Restaurant
Contributing sponsor:  USA Rice Federation   

OP-24
SPLASH – A Photo Shoot and Cocktail Party  SOLD OUT
Depart 6:30 p.m. – Return 9:15 p.m.
Fee: $90
Transportation Provided
Limited to 45 guests

Evening Overview:  A bus will transport our IACP guests from the hotel to the host studio in Golden, CO.  Travel time is approximately 15 minutes while guests get to receive some interesting commentary on Golden  and surrounding areas from a local historian.  Refreshments will be served aboard the bus.  Guests will then be transported to Souders Studios. Here guests will be able to watch a professional beverage photo shoot featuring a splashing drink in Rick’s very retro studio.  Rick Souders, a resident of Denver and voted world’s top beverage photographer, will be conducting the shoot. There will be a bar featuring a private reserve beer brewed exclusively in Golden, as well as many organic wines and other beverages.  The evening event will also feature appetizers and hors d’oeuvres from Colorado-based restaurants and food producers and will include several organic/natural selections.  The evenings appetizers will be prepared by three respected chefs from the region. Hors d’oeuvres will include such items as Seared Spice-rubbed Colorado Lamb on Pomegranate Onion Confit, Chilled Honey Lemon Thyme Chicken and a Salsa and Colorado Cheese Bar.

Itinerary:
6:30 p.m. -  Bus Departs Sheraton Downtown with Historian on Board
7:00 - 9:00 p.m -  Splash Photography Cocktail Party
9:15 p.m. -   Bus Departs Golden to return to Denver Sheraton

Event Coordinators:  Kellee Hassler, Rick Souders  (303) 384-3128

OP-25
Pub Dinner & Scotch on the Rockies
Depart 6:30 p.m. – Return 9:30 p.m.
Fee: $75
Transportation not provided.  Limited to 35 guests.

You won’t need your passport as we journey a short distance from the hotel to the largest single malt whisky collection at Pints Pub (the largest west of Edinburgh, Scotland).  If peat, smoke and wort all tantalize your taste buds, then you must join us for one of three traditional pub dinners of Medallions of Apple Smoked Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes; Bangers & Mash; or New World Fish & Chips (broiled salmon).  Afterwards four fine malts (Island – Bowmore Legend, Campbeltown – Springbank 10 years, Highland – Glenfarclas 10 years, Lowland – Auchentoshan Select) representing the full range of regional characteristics that will be sampled.  You’ll get a great taste of single malt whisky and may even want to try some of the other 250 kinds.

Friday, April 3

OP-37
Wild & Rare Cooking Demo, Wine Tasting and Family-Style Dinner with Chef John Ash and Friends
Cook Street School of Fine Cooking
5:45 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Fee: $190
Limited to 45 guests

Getting your “game on” takes on a new meaning in the Rocky Mountains, especially when rare vintages from Silver Oak Winery are part of the starting line-up.  Chef, teacher and author, John Ash, will co-host this event with Chef Andrew Floyd, Culinary Director of Cook St. Culinary School and  Down Under author and Outback Chef Andrew Dwyer.  The evening will show how each chef likes to work with unusual cuts of game including bison from regional ranches, as well as antelope, elk and venison.  Each recipe will be tasted and served with wine. The evening will culminate with a family-style dinner with the chefs and noted ranchers from throughout the Rocky Mountains.

OP-40
Tamayo Late Night Rooftop Mixer
8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Fee:  $95
Limited to 50 guests

Meet us for a late-night mixer with south of the border elixirs at one of Denver’s hottest rooftop restaurants, Chef Richard Sandoval’s Tamayo. This modern Mexican restaurant is located just a few blocks from the conference hotel on Denver’s historic Larimer Square. Our Latin music and food-infused evening includes your choice of a rose tequila special tasting, specialty house drinks or a mezcal drink option.  It also includes light after-dinner hors d’oeuvres, which include Quesadillas Surtidas, Tuna Tostadas, Mini Blueberry Chili Moritas, Empanadas De Camarones, Pollo Con Tinga Sopes, Al Pastor Sopes and Guacamole.  You’ll be able to enjoy fun elixirs, great appetizers and all with a wonderful panoramic view of the Denver skyline. 

Saturday, April 4

OP-43
The Culinary Trust 2009 Educational Program
Sourcing Sustainably for Culinary Professionals
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $25

Hosted by Chef Michel Nischan and held in conjunction with IACP’s 2009 Conference in Denver, The Culinary Trust will hold its first educational program. The program will be open to IACP members and local culinary professionals.

Chefs agree that the quality of the raw ingredients affects the final taste of a dish. The search for top quality ingredients has many chefs leading the charge for diversity of fresh local produce and for animals raised naturally. The quest for taste is also a commitment to biodiversity, soil ecology, and the preservation of family farms and open space. Many culinary professionals want to purchase local and organic ingredients but do not know where or how to begin. They fear high costs and irregular supply. Chef, restaurateur and non-profit founder Michel Nischan will explain the importance of local and sustainable farming of produce, meat and fish. Following the general session, participants will break out into groups based on the size and scope of purchasing needs.

The program will address:
• Assessing purchasing needs
• Building supply relationships
• Managing delivery logistics
• Overcoming cost concerns: higher price, higher quality, higher yield
• Minimizing the impact of supply shortages
• Working within the seasons
• Tracking costs and yields
• Educating your consumer
• Profiting from your environmental and agricultural activism

OP-47
Master Class: The Art and Science of Artisan Cured Meats: Salumi from the Inside
Cookery Demonstration and Tasting
2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $90

What a unique opportunity this master class provides, to learn directly from one of the country’s patron saints of artisan cured meats, Armandino Batali, founder and Principal Salumist of Seattle’s celebrated Salumi. This tiny lunchbox of a restaurant/deli in the city’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood is a Mecca for devotees of salami and other cured meats. There’s an omnipresent line of customers happily waiting for a sandwich of porchetta or cotecchino, or to pick up an order of sliced hot soprassata or culatello to go. The roughly 2000 pounds of cured meats made here each week are sold to walk-in customers, as well as restaurant chefs, delis and salumi enthusiasts across the country.

Salumi’s Seattle production facility manages to blend state-of-the-art processes with deep dedication to the hand-crafted traditions of salumi. Batali will share with class attendees in-depth information about the science of meats and what exactly transpires in the course of the curing process. He will address different styles of curing and explain each stage in the progression from raw meat to sublime salumi. Important issues such as USDA regulations and meeting integrated quality standards (such as HACCP) will be covered. In addition, Batali will share insights on educating and inspiring consumers about this world of artisan cured meats. His demonstration will feature a cotto salami (coarsely ground pure pork with pepper and spices), with detailed descriptions and samples of other cured meats from the Salumi repertoire.

Armandino Batali, Salumi, Seattle
Marilyn Batali, Salumi, Seattle

Registration

Register online for events listed above that are open to the public.

(Please note this link is only for members of the public who are not attending the conference.  For main conference registration visit the "Registration" link to the right.)