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NRA releases Foodamental workshop schedule for May conference

The interactive educational workshops are designed to provide guests the opportunity to see hands-on demonstrations from top chefs and industry leaders.

April 23, 2015

The National Restaurant Association today announced the lineup for the second annual Foodamental Studio at the 2015 National Restaurant Association, Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 16-19, at Chicago's McCormick Place. The interactive educational workshops are designed to provide guests the opportunity to see hands-on demonstrations from top chefs and industry leaders, the company said.

The line-up of Foodamental Studio sessions includes:

The Dish on By-Catch Fish

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

What's the deal with by-catch fish? When fishing with nets, additional types of fish inevitably get snagged in with the rest. Instead of discarding them, prepare them! Get the scoop on ways to use by-catch fish in two tasty ceviche dishes from Chefs Rob Allgood and Jim Gossen.

Rob Allgood, Executive Chef/ Vice President Operations, Louisiana Seafood

Jim Gossen, Chairman, Louisiana Foods

A Love Plate Relationship

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Learn how plating exposes a chef's deepest beliefs about what food is, and how food should be and understand how personal creativity and professional traditions fuse to create successful plated presentations of food.

Brendan McDermott, Chef Instructor, Kendall

Get Your Honey's Worth

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

Discover the natural wonders of honey! In addition to being a delicious, all-natural sweetener, honey is remarkably versatile. No wonder, it was named 2015 Flavor of the Year.  Join us to explore uses and benefits of honey in food and beverage applications.  Participants will have an opportunity to sample different honey varietals and discover the range of flavor profiles available.

Andrea Schepke, Account Representative, The National Honey Board

Modern German: Cutting the Mustard

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

Pretzels, pretzel rolls and sausages have made quite a comeback; but what about the mustard?  Learn different and delicious interpretations on the classic condiment with an in-depth look at the ingredients needed to make it great.

Karl Stybe, Associate Professor, College of Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales University

That's Arepa

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

What's not to love about arepas, those crispy, warm corn cakes filled with gooey cheese, savory meats, or creamy avocado? Chef Ben Udave will teach you all you need to know about making your own authentic arepas using simple, delicious ingredients.

Benjamin Udave, Business Resource Manager/Executive Chef, Sysco

The Vegetable Spectacle

Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

South Hall  Foodamental Studio - Booth

Vegetables are quickly becoming the center of attention on restaurant plates across the country. Chef Jason Russo shares the secrets to mastering this trend and creating a veggie-centric dish that even the most diehard carnivore would crave.

Jason Rosso, Managing Director/Creative Director/Executive Chef, Culinart Solutions

Instagram Cram

Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Want to learn the top performing filters to increase engagement? Want to know the best hashtags to build your brand and interact with your guests? Instagram Cram will teach these tips and more about how to Instagram with intention. Instagram is one of the most used social platforms with 200 million active users monthly, 20 billion photos shared and 60 million photos shared each day, but it's not just about pretty pictures. Learn real simple tips for more comments.

Katrina Padron, CEO, Padron Social Marketing

Spices from A to Z

Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

Sample the world's rarest spices: from Allspice to Marjoram to Zaatar, now is your chance to look at, touch, and smell many of the world's rare and underused spices. Chef Zieg has sourced and cooked with nearly every spice and will show you how to pull the best, most powerful flavors from the featured spices of the day.

Tim Ziegler, Chef and Spice Master, Chef Zieg

You Bacon Me Crazy: Layering with Smoke

Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Just like you layer seasonings you can layer with smoke. Join Chef Matt Burton, Corporate Chef at Carlisle Food Service, in this interactive and highly experiential session on cooking with smoke. Come help break down a pork shoulder and learn how to maximize its surface area for layering smoke flavor. Taste a 'mystery treat' and guess the smoke-layering technique and check out different types of charcoal. You will leave the Studio knowing how to change the way you smoke!

Matt Burton CEC CHE CRC, Culinary Director, Carlisle Food Service

Java the Rub

Monday, May 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Find out why there's so much buzz about coffee rubs from Chef Mark Steuer. More than just your morning staple, coffee amps up meat to bring out incredible flavor.

Mark Steuer, Chef and Partner, Viva La Rev

Holy Cannoli!

Monday, May 18, 2015 at 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Learn a modern twist on an old-world Italian favorite, the cannoli!  Take a hands-on approach to filling gluten-free cannoli shells with your customized, dairy-free cream. Not to worry, you'll be able to taste the result of your hard work!

John Csukor, President-CEO/CMO, KOR Food Innovation

Sweet on Coconut

Monday, May 18, 2015 at 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

Coconut is having a major moment in the food world. Go beyond the oils and waters to discover how to use coconut as a sweetener in your cooking. Polly Garza, founder of Chicago Raw, leads the hands-on demo.

Polly Garza, Founder, Chicago Raw

Packed: Dumplings Reimagined

Monday, May 18, 2015 at 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

Acclaimed creative chef Mike Sheerin will guide you through the art of stuffing savory, sweet, and spicy fillings into delicate wrappers during this delicious demo. Come learn how to transform the humble dumpling into a petite powerhouse that will leave everyone clamoring for more.

Aaron DiMaria, General Partner and Conceptor, Packed: Dumplings Reimaged

Michael Sheerin, Partner/Executive Chef, Packed: Dumplings Reimaged

Knead To Know

Monday, May 18, 2015 at 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

We all know that sliced bread has been the standard for cool for quite some time, but why not go back to basics with beautifully baked breads made in-house? It's easier than it sounds. Corporate Executive Chef Neil Doherty and Chef Jason Bechtold lead this session on practical approaches to adding scratch-made breads to your menu.

Neil Doherty, Senior Director Culinary Development/Corporate Executive Chef, Sysco

Jason Bechtold, Director of Field Marketing, Sysco

Fermentation Station

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

Funky, fresh, and showing up on more and more menus, fermented foods are growing in popularity rapidly. Chef Andrew Zimmerman shares his take on how to create your own fermented foods and how to incorporate them into your menu.

Andrew Zimmerman, Chef, Sepia

Pickle Your Fancy

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Pickled foods have humble roots, but there's an art to getting the technique just right. From protein to produce, find out what methods you can employ to turn out perfect pickled food.

Tim Graham, Executive Chef, Travelle at the Langham

Water You Infusing?

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM

Instead of sticking to water and lemon, the team from Lyfe Kitchen looks at unexpected and trendy flavors for their water infusions. This easy infusion technique leads to big flavor.

Nathan Cooper, Partner, L3 Hospitality Group/LYFE Kitchen

From Ocean to Table: Ecuadorian Shrimp

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM

The Ecuadorians have a rich tradition of raising and preparing seafood.  Come join us as Chef Carlos Gallardo shares how Ecuador's sustainability raises shrimp as an example for the rest of the world, enjoy a taste of Ecuadorian shrimp and learn how to prepare a traditional dish.

Carlos Gallardo, Decano de La Escuela de Gastronomia, Universidad de Las Américas