Issue 64 English / March-April 2011 - Egyptian Chefs Association

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The Art of Making History

{Contents}
Contents
Chef’s Corner
Issue 64
March - April 2011
Editorial
Markus J. iten 3
ahmed El Nahas 4
World Chefs Without Borders
Chefs help at Salloum Border 5
Donor list humanitarian aid at Salloum 33
Egyptian Food Bank, a roadmap to Fight hunger 7
Features
italian Cuisine… Beyond pizza & pasta 9
how to Open Oysters 14
recipes
Mother’s Day Cake 15
Easter Cake 16
profile
Ferran adrià…the Salvador Dalí of the Kitchen 17
Training
Quiz 18
ECa Workshop Certifications 29
Meeting point
Chef’s Corner News 19
Welcome ECa Members 23
Calendar 31
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Publication of the
Egyptian Chefs Association
Registration number: 4476
20 Salem Salem Street,
Agouza, Giza
Telephone / Fax 02 376 22 116 / 7 / 8
E-mail: egyptchefs@egyptchefs.com
Website: www.egyptchefs.com
Executive Director
Mirjam van IJssel
Director of Operations
Ashraf Gamal
Membership Department
Marwa Said
Amr Abdel Salam
Public Relations
Anet Gunter
Sarah Wael
Website & Publication
Samira Mahmoud
Marwa Said
Violeta D. Salama
Production & Graphic Design
Ashraf Shukri / Lunar Graphics
Hany Kamal
Receptionist / Secretary
Maria Samir
Translation
Hussein Sayed
Amal Bassaly
Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Culinary
Profession,
While sitting at the airport in Cairo awaiting
my flight to Luxor, where I will have to check the
construction on site of the kitchens of the Culinary
Training Center, I was reflecting on the events of
the last few weeks. We are all going through many
economical and emotional highs and lows lately.
For us Culinarians it has been particularly difficult
due to lay-offs, unpaid vacations, no service
charge and so on, and this will unfortunately
continue for several more weeks or months, if not
longer. I sincerely hope not. In the meanwhile, I
suggest that you take all opportunities to further
educate yourselves, be determined to get certified
as chef and be the next to be hired due to newly
learned skills and knowledge.
One event touched me especially deeply. This event or, better said “rescue effort”,
happened at the Salloum border. Nermine Hanno, Chairman of the World Chefs
Without Borders contacted Mirjam van IJssel, Executive Director of the ECA and wanted
to know if we as Association could help the people stranded at Salloum, the border
post between Libya and Egypt. Soon after, there was not only food but also buses in
the discussion. Forty-eight hours later, Nermine, Yehia, Hany, and I left Alexandria and
Cairo respectively with 9 busses and 2 trucks.
Ten hours later, we arrived at our final destination and parked the lot in front of
the Red Crescent station. We immediately went to work locating as many Egyptians
as possible to evacuate to Cairo or Alexandria. On the 3rd day we sent the last bus
from Salloum to Alexandria. It made us all very happy and proud to make a difference
and help some fellow nationals to get home safely. On the other hand, we still found
thousands of non-Egyptians waiting to get helped by their respective governments
and to be transported in one way or the other back to their home country.
Unfortunately, they had no travel documents and often had to wait for days. Since this
situation started several weeks ago, food and drinking water became in short supply.
They waited in long lines, and many waited for nothing as supplies were finished
before it was their turn. At least this was the case on our first day.
On the second day, more foods and water arrived from different aid organisations.
Food hampers got distributed by the Red Crescent; well, sort of, as the small pick-up
was almost taken apart! I was relieved to find the driver and the pick-up leaving the
scene in a burst of speed, empty to the last bread crumb. And there were still many
hundreds waiting.
On our third and last day on site, we delivered all the leftover food hampers and
water to the Red Crescent building. Several organizations also delivered lots of water
and food that day. This was the first real great day for all the thousands waiting, as all
had a full meal for their wives, kids and themselves. Even a possible second meal for
that day was discussed within the different aid organizations.
This was no TV, it was real! Situations like this happen in our world over and over
again, day in and day out. I am very humbled by the great efforts many chefs and
compassionate Egyptians, and others bestowed upon the ECA to assist the many
unfortunate individuals.
Thank you all!
Markus J. Iten
President, Egyptian Chefs Association
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Editorial
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Publication of the
Egyptian Chefs Association
Registration number: 4476
20 Salem Salem Street,
Agouza, Giza
Telephone / Fax 02 376 22 116 / 7 / 8
E-mail: egyptchefs@egyptchefs.com
Website: www.egyptchefs.com
Executive Committee
Honorary President
Hussein Badran
Chairman
Ahmed El Nahas
President
Markus J. Iten
Treasurer
Hossam El Din Mohamed
Training & Competitions
Hossam El Din Mohamed
Markus J. Iten
Tarek Ibrahim
Restaurant Relations
Yuphadee Sawamiwast
Public Relations Juniors
Mohamed El Saadawy
Representative North Coast
Mohamed El Saadany
Assistant Representative North Coast
Mohamed El Bedwhi
Representative Red Sea Coast
Samir Abdel Azim
Representative Upper Egypt
Ibrahim Rashed
Dear Hospitality Wizards,
We are surely riding the waves of change in
Egypt, with all the challenges and opportunities
that are bound to come with that change.
Although the revolution was frightening at times,
its results are positive for Egypt’s future and the
spirit of the young people in Tahrir has definitely reinvigorated the country. The slogan
“Egypt: Where It All Begins” has acquired a new level of meaning after the revolution.
Now the country symbolizes freedom and the power of peaceful demonstrations. We
are beginning anew in Egypt, with peace and respect for human beings.
For us, working in the hospitality sector, and for many others, the transition period is
not easy, as tourism numbers are down. However, this is temporary, and I wish to urge
everyone to make the best out of the extra time on hand. Invest your time in training
so as to be ready, more knowledgeable and better equipped in your job when tourism
returns. And the tourists are bound to come back, many predict even in stronger
numbers than before. So let’s get ready to serve them even better than before.
I just returned from the ITB in Berlin, one of the biggest travel fairs worldwide,
where Egypt has been chosen to be the partner country for the ITB Berlin 2012. It
goes without saying that H.E. Mounir Fakhry Abdel Nour, Minister of Tourism, and the
Egyptian delegation were all thrilled with this nomination. The announcement is a
definite proof that the Europeans are confident that Egypt is a safe country to travel to
once again.
The Culinary Training Centers of Egypt will be ready to start classes in professional
chef’s training by mid May. There were some delays with opening the centers, due
mainly to the magnitude of the project and also partly to the events in Egypt over the
past few weeks. However, the center’s kitchens are being installed, the culinary trainers
have completed all phases of their training, and all the student manuals are ready. We
are looking forward now to welcome our first students to start their 6-month intensive
chef’s training program. They will be graduated and ready to enter the industry just
before the winter season starts. This is also a great opportunity for all chefs who wish to
get their official international certification. Now that you have a bit more time on hand
you can study and get yourselves certified as chef.
Last but not least, I wish to congratulate the Egyptian Chefs Association on their
great efforts and achievements in bringing relief to the less fortunate who fled Libya
and got stranded at the Salloum border post. The Association, under the umbrella
of the WACS – World Chefs Without Borders, helped provide thousands of refugees
with food and water, and many Egyptians with transport to get safely home. The
humanitarian aid still continues until today, and you can read more about it in this issue
of Chef’s Corner. Well done, and a big thank you to all who helped!
Ahmed El Nahas
Chairman, Egyptian Chefs Association
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Editorial
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PhotograPhy: hany Kamal &
marKus J. Iten
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Chefs Without Borders
Chefs Help at
Salloum Border
Under the umbrella of the Humanitarian Aid Program of the WACS – World
Chefs Without Borders and in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent,
the World Food Program and the Egyptian Army, the Egyptian Chefs
Association (ECA) took action in helping the thousands stranded at the
Salloum border.
It all started with a telephone call from Chef Nermine Hanno, Chairman of the World Chefs Without
Borders and ECA Senior Chef Member, who asked the Association if we could do something for the
people at the Salloum border crossing between Libya and Egypt. Two days and a whole lot more
telephone calls later, a convoy of busses for evacuation and trucks with foods left for Salloum!
How did the big humanitarian aid action come about within such short notice and with very little
financial help needed from the Association?
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First Nermine Hanno communicated with the Egyptian army
officials to see what was actually needed at the Salloum border.
Once we received the information that they needed buses for
evacuation and food and drink for the thousands stranded, we
came immediately into action. Knowing that, due to the present
situation in Egypt tourism numbers (and business in general)
were very low, we called upon the travel agents and hotels to
put their buses and cooling trucks to use to help the people at
Salloum. We composed an electronic newsflash asking all of
the Association’s contacts for assistance in providing buses and
trucks. We also asked our sponsor companies and others for
donations of high energy foods, water and juices.
Then we started calling and, as always, had pleasant and less
pleasant surprises. Although the buses and cooling trucks are parked
and not used at present and even though the Association offered to
pay for drivers and petrol, the travel agents and hotels were not very
willing to assist. Main reasons stated were that Salloum was too far
away, or they could not find the drivers willing to go there, or they
were afraid that the refugees would make their busses dirty and
so on. In the end, Nermine Hanno received the confirmation of the
Sawiris Foundation who offered to pay for the rent of nine busses for
three days to evacuate Egyptians. The ECA sponsor companies, also
suffering from the bad economic situation, were more forthcoming
and trucks and food supplies soon started to arrive at the ECA
office. Some staff members of hotels and catering companies, many
already on lower salaries due to the present situation, decided to
pay out of their own pockets to help. This was heartwarming, to
see how they cared and tried to help. Although the Association
does not know who they are, as they wished their names not to be
mentioned, we are very grateful to them.
Staff members of the Association, along with the culinary
trainers and the marketing executive of the Culinary Training
Centers managed by the Egyptian Tourism Federation and other
volunteers packed 3,000 food bags and loaded three trucks in
approximately eight hours. Although the campaign only started
on Wednesday morning, by Thursday evening the first truck was
ready to leave, followed by another two trucks on Friday.
A team of nine drivers, and Nermine Hanno herself; Markus Iten,
ECA President; Hany Kamal, ECA Graphic Designer; and Yehia El
Mallah, Chief Steward of the Maritim Jolie Ville Alexandria, left on
Friday at 6.00 AM to Salloum to assist with the organization on site.
Over four days they traveled many kilometers and went through
long hours of emotional hard work before they returned back
home Monday afternoon. Their heartbreaking stories of what they
witnessed at the border are many to tell and will live with them for
a long time to come. But they were glad, knowing that with the
support of the sponsors and friends of the Association, they were
able to make a difference in many people’s lives.
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Chefs Without Borders
The Association will continue its efforts to raise food donations
to help the stranded refugees at the Salloum border as long as the
need is there. If you wish to help by donating foods, money, or by
providing transport; or if you wish to volunteer in packing foods,
please call the Association on 02 376 22 116 / 7 / 8.
Together we have made and will continue to make a
difference for the people at the Salloum border.
THANK YOU ALL!
For a listing of organization who donated please see page 33
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PhotograPhy: marKus J. Iten
Egyptian Food Bank,
a Roadmap to Fight
Hunger
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Community Development
The purpose of the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) can be described in one short sentence;
to eradicate hunger in Egypt. The way they go about it, however, cannot be described
in just one sentence. In a relatively short six years, the organization has managed to
establish many programs all serving this one mission to fight hunger. Mirjam van
IJssel spoke to Dr. Moez El Shohdi, Chairman of the EFB, to find out how they work
toward reaching their noble goal.
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Dr. Moez El Shohdi is a Business Management
graduate from Cornell University, New York and
holds a Ph.D. in Management from the same
Ivy League university. For over 30 years he has
been in the hotel trade in Egypt, running a
chain of top hotels. Now he devotes his prime
hours to the EFB, whilst still maintaining his
position as President of Style Hotel International.
In Egypt, over 16 million people are believed to live under the
poverty line, which means living on less than 1,000 Egyptian pounds
a month for a family of four. Since its inauguration as a charitable NGO
in 2005, the Egyptian Food Bank, founded and managed by a group
of prominent businessmen, has developed many projects to make a
change in the lives of these people. It is not only about giving food or
feeding the hungry. The board, consisting of 15 businessmen, decided
to use their acumen and management skills to change the poverty
map of the country by developing projects towards self-sustainability
of the food bank itself and the people they help. Their belief is that to
fight hunger you should not only provide food, but also provide ways
for people to develop and become self-sustainable.
Presently the EFB employs 162 staff members, all paid by
the board members, and this dedicated team together with the
board members works with 7,000 volunteers throughout Egypt.
There is a department that identifies local NGOs already engaged
in the alleviation of poverty and trains them in programs
designed for effective food distribution, including marketing,
strategic planning and fund-raising. “We currently work with
1,600 credible and efficient domestic NGOs, whose members
do the work on the ground for us, such as identifying the needy
families and distributing the food,” Shohdi explains. The food
bank provides food to 150,000 families per month to date.
Internationally, many food banks are known to collect leftover
foods from factories, hotels and restaurants to distribute to the
needy; however, in Egypt this is only one of the many projects of
the EFB. The needy belong to two different categories, according
to the food bank. The people incapable of working and sustaining
their families, such as the elderly, disabled, orphaned and widowed
mothers with young children, are given direct food supplies.
“The other needy are the ones who are capable of working, but
lack the necessary skills; for those we also offer direct assistance,
but with the condition that one member of the family joins our
skills training program”, states Shohdi. By providing skills training,
the EFB is not only alleviating hunger by granting food, but also
building a skills base within family members to make them selfsufficient.
“In our first year of running this program, we helped train
2,800 people; last year, we reached 37,800 who benefited from
this program and are now able to make a living for their families,”
states El Shohdi with well-deserved pride. They trained electricians,
carpenters, gardeners, housekeepers and plumbers, among many
others; and maybe even professional chefs in the near future,
as Shohdi showed interest in the skills training program of the
Egyptian Chefs Association.
One other successful project of the EFB, in line with its aim
to maintain continuity in daily food supplies, is the distribution
of Udhiyya, or fresh meat sacrificed during Eid Al Adha. To avoid
that a surplus of meat, always available during the Eid Al Adha,
would go to waste, they decided to can cooked meat to provide
for the needy throughout the whole year. “In 2006,” Shohdi
recalls, “we provided fresh meat to 36,000 families and gave
out 60,000 cans. The next year, this rose to 100,000 families and
750,000 cans; and last year, we supplied 1 million families and
distributed 8.5 million cans.” Such a dramatic rise in numbers
reflects the professionalism and organizational skills brought by
Shohdi and his team, but it doesn’t end there.
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Community Development
Also, in line with their aim towards self-sustainability and
a constant daily food supply, the EFB invested in building a
food-packaging factory. “The factory serves two purposes,” says
Shohdi. “First of all, to pack the dry foods we purchase in bulk at
very low prices into one kilo bags for distribution. Those bags
are all branded “Hideya” (Gift), which identifies them as coming
from the Egyptian Food Bank, so that they are easily identified as
items not for sale. However, it takes us only one week to pack the
foods we need for the EFB to supply the needy for one month;
during the other three weeks the factory is used to pack for other
companies against a fee. This generates large revenues into the
EFB, which we can put to use to help more needy people and
further develop our programs to fight hunger,” concludes Shohdi.
The fund-raising programs of the EFB are very successful, and
the reasons might be that they are simply creating more awareness
among people not to waste food, and are based on a personal
approach between the one who gives and the one who receives.
By donating 300 Egyptian pounds monthly on annual basis to the
EFB, individuals can sustain a family of five for a year. Companies
can sustain a whole village through the “Village Free from Hunger”
program. By donating 20,000 Egyptian pounds per month or
more depending on the size of the village in need, a company
can support a village by providing food, education opportunities,
better infrastructure or anything that is needed for better living
conditions in general. The company can brand their boxes and visit
the village, which creates once again this personal relationship
between the giver and the receiver. The program already helps 160
villages in Egypt to more agreeable living conditions.
Last but not least, the EFB has been very successful, in
coordination with the Egyptian Hotel Association, to collect
leftover foods from the hotel catering industry. “The rise of ‹all
inclusive› tourist packages has meant that a huge amount of
food remains uneaten every mealtime. Likewise with Egyptian
weddings, which have lavish quantities of food, much of which
remains untouched,” states Shohdi. The hotels have been
persuaded to pack the remaining foods into sealed containers
supplied by EFB, who then arranges the distribution to the needy.
Food safety rules apply such as: the food should be untouched and
the date, time of production and validity has to be written clearly
on the containers. The EFB started this project by giving bonuses
to hotel staff who had to stay longer to pack the remaining foods.
“However, soon thereafter, the hotels informed us that they
themselves would take care of any additional expenses related
to the redistribution of the leftover foods,” said Shohdi. The EFB
used to collect approximate 17.2 million meals per months from
the hotels. With the present downturn in tourism this figure might
be much lower now; however, as the food bank has been so
successful in creating sustainability, they are still able to feed the
needy and tourism is bound to return soon.
Continuity and sustainability are the key elements of the
resounding success of the Egyptian Food Bank, so much so that
they are now approached by the United Nations to help with
establishing food banks in other countries such as Jordan, Saudi
Arabia and Syria, among others. They are also asked to assist
in making existing food banks more self-sustainable as per the
Egyptian model.
The success of this wonderful humanitarian organization
speaks for itself. All that remains is to say a Big Bravo to the
Egyptian Food Bank!
For more information on the Egyptian Food Bank and how to
help or make a donation, call their call center on 16060 or visit their
website www.egyptianfoodbank.com
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Feature
Italian Cuisine…
Beyond Pizza and Pasta!
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When we think of Italian food, we
imagine a tempting slice of pizza or
a heaping plate of pasta, and while
those two dishes are indomitably
a main part of Italian food, there is
still so much more to the world of
Italian cuisine! After all, the cradle of
the gastronomic world as we know
it today was Italy and not France.
Written by: Violeta D. Salama
Italian cuisine dates as far back as the Roman Empire when,
during lavish banquets, diverse foods catered from the
four corners of the earth were being served. The Romans
of that era not only conquered the people but they also
cultivated their culinary traditions and brought back
to Rome myriad of spices and herbs. In addition, a little
known fact is that Rome was the birthplace of the very
first cook book and, amazingly, of the world-famous foie gras!
Later on during the Middle Ages, Italian cuisine continued
to develop, especially in the powerful central cities of Venice,
Rome and Florence. Venice was a prosperous merchant hub,
with ships bringing in exotic spices and products from the Far
East and Africa. It was most often in the kitchens of the wealthy
nobles, with personal cooking staff and access to such an array of
products that sophisticated new dishes were created and recipes
collected. Until the 16th century, when Catherine de Medici of
Florence arrived in France to become its future queen, it was Italy
and not France that was better known for its food and wine. As
was the custom at that time, Catherine brought all her domestic
staff, including her chefs, with her. The banquets held by the
Queen in the French courts were far superior to what the French
were used to and her chefs were highly admired.
Unfortunately Italy’s gastronomic development experienced
a lull for a number of decades in the early eighteenth century as
French cuisine swept the continent. Only after French cooking
practices became fully integrated, through the Piedmont region
in northwest Italy on the border with France, did Italian cuisine
experience a revival in the second half of the eighteenth century.
After the Italian unification in the middle of the nineteenth
century, various regions of the Italian peninsula made distinct
contributions to the total gastronomic picture of Italy. Each
region now displays its own unique way of cooking, right down
to the formation of a meatball, or the characteristic cheeses and
desserts produced in each locale.
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The north of Italy has a cuisine which warmly embraces
polenta (cornmeal) as their main staple food since the arrival of
corn during the 16th century. Polenta makes its appearance in
innumerable variations: stirred, baked, served with sausage, with
cheese or with succulent tangy shrimps for a more refined taste.
Once considered a dish for the poor, polenta has long left that
stereotype and is now a welcomed addition to Italian cuisine.
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The city of Venice and the Veneto pride themselves with
marvelous risottos, some with fish and seafood, others with
pumpkin, asparagus and frog legs. Beans and legumes feature in
both areas, with dishes such as “Pasta e Fagioli” (pasta and beans)
and Risi e Bisi (rice with tender young peas) having gained a
place on menus both within and beyond the region. Pandoro is
a Venitian specialty reminiscent of glamorous days gone by. It is
a cone shaped Christmas cake which, at the height of the city’s
splendor, was served by rich patricians finely dusted with real,
powdered gold! Today, vanilla sugar has replaced the golden
dust, an alteration which has impeded the cake’s glamour but
perhaps enhanced its taste!
Another city with a food identity of its own is Milan, which
gave the world the fabulous saffron risotto as well as lending its
name to the term “alla Millanese”, a culinary expression which
refers to any piece of meat, chicken, turkey or even vegetables
which have been breaded then fried. To this day, Austria and
Milan are disputing who created the Schnitzel but as it has
since become a valuable part of many international tables, it is
doubtable they will ever come to an agreement over who is to
take credit! Pannetone, the world-famous coffee cake with citrus
peels, raisins and candied fruits was also born in Milan during
the 15th century but has since travelled far across borders, all the
way onto the shelves of supermarkets in Egypt!
Following the example of Milan, the city of Genoa has also
adopted its own descriptive culinary term “alla Genovese”! It
refers to a spicy green paste of basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts
and cheese! Pasta Genovese, Minestrone alla Genovese, Fish alla
Genovese are just a few of the many uses of this tangy “Pesto”
which can also be spread on top of crunchy bread or drizzled on
crispy green arugula leaves!
Minestrone soup, perhaps the most unifying of all foods
Italian, first appeared in the capital city. There is no set recipe for
Minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables
are in season; and since they grow aplenty in Italy, there are many
options for the ingredients. Some recipes call for either rice or
pasta to be added to give it a fuller feel. Napoleon’s armies are
rumored to have marched on Minestrone soup and Risi e Bisi
and, given their success, one can not doubt the nutritional value
of Minestrone.
Apart from vegetables, Italy is blessed with fish and seafood.
Each region has its own specialty. Sardines are cooked with
tomatoes, or oregano; anchovies are marinated in olive oil and
served as appetizer or placed on top of pizzas or inside rich pasta
sauces such as “alla Puttanesca”. Mussels, clams and shrimps
find their way in various soups and stews or are placed on top
of polenta or risotto dishes. Sea bream, eel, mullet and monk
fish are cooked in wine sauces while rock lobster is grilled to
perfection.
In addition a variety of meat dishes and specialties are also
present on Italian tables. Parma ham, Prosciutto and Bresaola
are delicacies sold all over the world. Slices of Bresaola (cured
and air dried beef) with Ruccola and shaved Parmesan is a much
appreciated appetizer in Italian restaurants, while Beef Carpaccio
in sauce of mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcester sauce, cream
and white pepper is undoubtedly one of the most famous
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Feature
creations of Italian cuisine. Scaloppine al Limone (veal cutlets
in lemon sauce) and Ossobuco (braised knuckle of veal) from
Northern Italy; Saltimbocca alla Romana (meat flavored with
sage, wrapped in Prosciutto, rolled-up and cooked in Marsala and
butter) from central Italy; succulent lamb stews and roasts from
the East; each area has something to offer.
And that statement transcends to cheese too! Cheese is
everywhere in Italy! And Italian cheese is everywhere else around
the world. Every time you order pizza, moist Mozzarella cheese is
placed on top of a dough base; every time a pasta dish is being
served, grated Parmesan is offered! Grana Padano is found in
Pesto, and Gorgonzola inside a stuffing for tortellini and ravioli;
creamy Mascarpone is made into mouth-watering desserts, while
gentle Ricotta is baked into pies and whipped into ice creams!
Italy has done wonders for the dessert world. Apart from the
Pandoro of Venice and the Pannetone of Milan, Italy also boasts
a delightfully light and creamy dessert known as Panna Cotta or
Baked Cream. Together with Zuppa Inglese, (ladyfingers dipped
in milk and sugar) and the Mascarpone-rich Tiramisu, Panna
Cotta is forever present in Italian menus both in and out of the
country. In addition to them, the various parts of the country
are busy baking cookies, frying crispy doughnuts, and making
delicious fruit tarts and pies! Everywhere throughout, there are
also the fabulous Gellato (ice cream) stands! Italian ice cream
with its many flavors and creamy, rich consistency is considered
the best in the world!
Italy has become synonymous with pizza and pasta but the
richness of its culinary traditions far transcends the stereotype,
making Italian cuisine one of the most diverse and well-loved
European cuisines.
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Tiramisu
Tiramisu, which literally translated means “pick me up”
enjoys cult status as a dessert throughout Italy, and many
regions claim to have invented it.
How to Make Tiramisu
Ingredients
200 g cooking cream
5 tbsp sugar
4 egg yolks
500 g mascarpone
24 ladyfingers
4 tbsp strong espresso coffee
4 tbsp Amaretto (or Amaretto flavored syrup)
cocoa powder
Preparation
Beat the cream with 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff. Whisk
the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until creamy,
using a hand-held whisk on maximum speed. Stir in the
mascarpone one spoonful at a time, and then, at a slower
speed, stir in the cream.
Line a flat dish with ladyfingers. Mix the espresso and
amaretto and sprinkle over the ladyfingers, but do not
soak. Spread a layer of cream on top and cover this with
a layer of ladyfingers, sprinkle with the espresso and
amaretto mixture, and spread the remaining cream on top.
Sprinkle with cocoa powder and chill for at least 1 hour in
the refrigerator.
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Recipes
The success of a good
tiramisu depends
on the quality of the
ingredients. Beat
the cream with one
tablespoon sugar.
Mix the egg yolks
with sugar until they
are creamy, then stir
in the mascarpone
and the cream, one
spoonful at a time.
Line a rectangular
dish with ladyfingers
and sprinkle these
with the amaretto
mixture.
Fill the dish with
alternate layers of
ladyfingers and
mascarpone cream
finishing with a
mascarpone layer.
12
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Stuffed pumpkin or Zucchini Flowers
Ingredients
2 eggs
50 g flour
12 zucchini flowers
275 g ricotta
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 bunch of chives, snipped
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan
salt and freshly milled pepper
olive oil
Preparation
To make the batter, lightly beat the two eggs in a bowl. Add
the flour a bit at a time and mix in. Stir in 4 tablespoons cold
water to make an even batter. Set aside. Carefully clean the
zucchini flowers, rinsing the outside under running water
and removing any insects from the inside of the flower.
Carefully pat dry. To make the filling, combine the ricotta,
nutmeg, chives, eggs, parmesan, salt, and freshly milled
pepper and spoon this mixture into the flowers. Carefully
twist the tips of the flowers closed to prevent the mixture
falling out. Heat a generous amount of oil in a large pan. Dip
the flowers in the batter and fry one at a time in the hot oil
until golden brown in color, turning occasionally. Drain off
excess oil on paper towel and serve.
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Recipes
Orange Fennel Salad
Sicily abounds in oranges and almost as many ways of
preparing them.
Ingredients
2 small or 1 large fennel bulb
4 juicy oranges
16 pitted black olives
(kalamata or Niçoise)
½ sprig rosemary or 3 sprigs parsley
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
salt, freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Remove tough outer layer from fennel and trim off root
end. Remove fennel greens; rinse, chop coarsely and
set aside. Rinse remaining bulb, halve lengthwise, then
quarter. Slice fennel quarters crosswise, thinly into strips.
Remove a slice from the top and bottom of each orange.
Stand on end, then cut off the peel in strips from top to
bottom, taking care to remove all the white membrane.
Then slice oranges thinly into rounds, reserving any juice
that escapes.
First arrange the oranges on four plates, then the fennel.
Distribute olives over the top. Rinse rosemary; use only
needles and chop them very finely. Sprinkle on top along
with fennel greens.
Add vinegar, salt, pepper and oil to reserved orange juice
and whisk thoroughly. Pour over the salad.
13
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

How to Open
Oysters
To open an oyster, you will need to wear protective
gloves. Place the oysters in the palm of your
hand, with the concave shell facing downward to
avoid spilling the tasty natural juices contained
in the shell together with the much-sought after
mollusk. Then run a suitable sharp knife between
the shells, and lever them open. When the
sphincter muscle has been severed, the oyster can be opened.
If it not going to be eaten immediately, it should be stored
temporarily on a bed of ice. It is easy to loosen the creature from
its shell using an oyster fork, which has a sharp blade on one side.
To avoid spilling the
precious juice, place the
oyster in the palm with the
more concave shell facing
downward.
Holding the knife
horizontally, insert it between
the two halves of the shell,
and then lever the oyster
open.
Broiled Oysters
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Recipes
6 oysters per person
chopped parsley
2 cloves of garlic per person, chopped
breadcrumbs
oregano
lemon juice
olive oil
salt and pepper
Lift off the top shell.
The oyster flesh is in the
lower shell, but is still firmly
attached.
With a single cut, sever
the muscle, so that the oyster
and its juice can be easily
consumed straight from the
shell.
Preparation
Open the oysters, remove the upper shells, and place the
lower halves containing the oyster flesh on a wire rack.
Sprinkle the parsley and garlic evenly over the oysters,
followed by the breadcrumbs and oregano, and then
drizzle with 2 to 3 drops of lemon juice and a little olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper, and broil for 15 minutes.
14
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Genoese Cake
Ingredients
300g Almond paste (Carma) 250g Caster sugar
160g Egg yolks 750g Whole eggs
500g Flour 175g Melted butter
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Recipes
Preparation
Combine the almond paste and the sugar in the mixer on low speed. Add the egg yolks progressively, then
the whole eggs and beat for 15 minutes. Pour a small amount of this preparation into the butter and mix,
add the flour to the remaining dough mixture, and to this preparation add the butter mixture while stirring
gently. Pour into 6 cm high rings and bake at 180ºC for 35 minutes.
Banana Mix
Ingredients
500g Banana sliced 40g Sugar
50g Butter 50g Lemon juice
Preparation
Mix all ingredients and put on silicon paper. Place in oven for 15 minutes at 170ºC and then cool.
Banana Syrup
Ingredients
200g Sugar 200g Water
80g Banana purée (La Fruitière) 20g Lemon juice
Preparation
Mix all ingredients and boil and cool before use.
Banana Mousse
Ingredients
250g Tortina natural (Carma)
250g Water
250g Banana purée (La Fruitière)
50g Lemon juice
250g Whipped cream (Elle&Vire)
Preparation
Beat Tortina natural and water at high speed for approximately 5
minutes. Then fold in the remaining ingredients.
Finishing and Presentation
Take a stainless steel ring of 24 cm diameter and place almond
biscuit around the ring (see recipe previous issues of Chef’s Corner)
and at the bottom a layer of Genoese cake. Add some banana syrup
by brush, then add a layer of banana mix, and a layer of banana
mousse of about 1 cm thick. Then add another layer of Genoese
cake, and fill the ring with banana mousse. Cover top with transfer
sheet and freeze. Decorate with brilliant gel and top with chocolate
decoration.
Mother’s Day Cake
15
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Genoese Cake
Ingredients
300g Almond paste (Carma) 250g Caster sugar
160g Egg yolks 750g Whole eggs
500g Flour 175g Melted butter
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Recipes
Preparation
Combine the almond paste and the sugar in the mixer on low speed. Add the egg yolks progressively, then
the whole eggs and beat for 15 minutes. Pour a small amount of this preparation into the butter and mix.
Add the flour to the remaining dough mixture, and to this preparation add the butter mixture while stirring
gently. Pour into 6 cm high rings and bake at 180ºC for 35 minutes.
Mango Mousse
Ingredients
200g Tortina neutral (Carma) 200g Cold water
200g Mango purée (La Fruitière) 150g Cream 35% fat (Elle&Vire)
Preparation
Whip up Tortina neutral and water for approximately 5 minutes on high speed. Add mango purée and fold
in the whipped cream.
Coconut Crème
Ingredients
200g Tortina neutral (Carma) 200g Cold water
200g Coconut purée (La Fruitière) 150g Cream 35% fat (Elle&Vire)
Preparation
Whip up Tortina neutral and water for approximately 5 minutes on high speed. Add the coconut purée and
fold in the whipped cream. Pour this into a ring of approximately 16 cm up to a height of about 1 cm and
freeze.
Finishing and Presentation
Take a stainless steel ring of 24 cm diameter and place almond biscuit around the ring (for recipe see
previous Chef’s Corner issues) and a bottom layer Genoese cake.
Put a layer of mango mousse, about 1 cm thick, then add coconut
crème. Fill the ring with mango mousse, cover top with transfer
sheet and freeze. Decorate with brilliant gel and chocolate
decorations on top.
These pages are kindly sponsored by:
Telephone: 2794 1378 / 2796 1027
Recipes by: Chef Mokhtar Abdel Aziz
Easter Cake
16
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Profile
Ferran Adrià …
the Salvador Dalí of the Kitchen
Ferran Adrià is the dean of molecular
gastronomy. The Catalonian Spanish chef
uses his kitchen laboratory to come up with
marvelous new creations such as liquid ravioli;
caviar made from olive oil; an elliptical olive
that is pure liquid; pine cone mousse; ravioli
of cuttlefish wrapped around coconut milk; or
even warm gelatin and Parmesan snow. They
are astonishing and often baffling technical
accomplishments that will set trends in
restaurant kitchens worldwide.
Born in 1962, Adrià started from the simplest post of
dishwasher. The chef de cuisine at the Hotel Playafels
where he worked taught him how to cook authentic
Spanish food. He joined the military service at the
age of 19 and served as a cook in the camp. In 1984,
he joined the El Bulli Restaurant in Costa Brava,
Catalonia, Spain. In less than 2 years of being a line cook, at the
young age of 24, he became head chef.
Compiled by: Amal Bassaly
He began cooking in the classic French manner, but, curious as
to why food was cooked the way it was cooked, he slowly started
to create his own cuisine, giving El Bulli’s cuisine surprising new
twists with a dazzling creative flair. During the off season, he
would visit France, often with Juli Soler, the restaurant’s manager,
to check out the best restaurants. He says his career really began
in Nice in 1986 at a cooking demonstration given by Jacques
Maximin, an influential chef known for defying boundaries. Chef
Adrià recalled that someone in the audience asked, “What is
creativity?” and Chef Maximin answered: “Don’t copy!”
Chef Adrià’s idea was simply to “do new things with old
concepts”. He figured he would create something different with
chicken curry, so he developed a now-famous dish, with a solid
sauce and a liquid chicken. Among the many experiments Adrià
conducted, one of the most impressive and well received was his
use of foams. This technique, consisting of aerating ingredients
with a siphon, introduces minute bubbles which alter the texture
of food. Adrià began applying this culinary method to both sweet
and savory dishes, always respecting his philosophy of combining
“unexpected contrasts of flavor, temperature and texture.”
Adrià’s reputation stems from his experimental tendencies,
skewing ingredients into unexpected textures and serving them
at unconventional temperatures. In his Hot Gin Fizz, he combines
temperature extremes with frozen lemon juice and hot lemon
foam. People travel from around the world to dine at El Bulli,
where they experience the new and exciting food that is at the
forefront of the industry.
Ferran Adrià’s expertise in cooking is usually associated with
the new food science named “Molecular Gastronomy”, which
deals with the scientific explanation behind traditional cooking
methods. He denies this, however, as he thinks of his techniques as
falling more under “deconstructivism”. He feels this fits his concept
better, as he says he “aims to surprise and delight the diner, since
after all, the customers come to El Bulli for the experience.”
In line with Adrià’s experimental philosophy, he dutifully
closes El Bulli for six months every year in order to travel abroad,
in search of new inspiration and ideas with which to astonish
his diners. Adrià, who has been called “the Salvador Dalí of the
kitchen,” has won global acclaim as one of the most creative and
inventive culinary geniuses in the world.
“The most important thing,” Ferran says, “is taste! ” The dishes that
emerge from his wizard’s kitchen almost always taste as astonishing
as they look. Some regard him as the best chef in the world. In 1997,
the Michelin Guide gave El Bulli restaurant three stars. In 1999, the
famous chef Joël Robuchon declared him the world’s greatest chef. El
Bulli was recognized as the best restaurant 5 times during the years
2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 by “Restaurant,” a British magazine
that writes about chefs, owners and professionals in the fine-dining
business. According to Juan Mari Arzak, who is considered the father
of modern Spanish cuisine, “Ferrán Adrià is the most innovative man in
the history of cooking.” One thing is certain, Adrià has managed to fly
the country’s flag to new heights, as Spanish cuisine has become more
popular worldwide because of him.
17
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

How many families approximately does the
Egyptian Food Bank feed on a monthly basis?
❏ 15,000
❏ 150,000
❏ 250,000
Ferran Adrià’s famous restaurant El Bulli is
closed for 6 months every year due to:
❏ Financial troubles
❏ Time needed for renovations
❏ Time needed for research & inspiration
Which Chef was known to oppose the molecular
cuisine trend?
❏ Santi Santamaria
❏ Ferran Adrià
❏ Juan Mari Arzak
Alla Millanese is a culinary term which refers to
any dish:
❏ Originating from Milan
❏ Breaded and then fried
❏ Stewed in its own juice
Ossobuco is made from:
❏ Beef
❏ Veal
❏ Lamb
How many medals did Egypt score at the Culinary World
Cup’10?
✔ 7
In which category did Egypt score the 2nd Best Overall Score?
✔ Tapas & Show Platter
Which hotel won the Chef’s Grand Prix Team competition at
Hace’10?
✔ Conrad International Cairo
Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng are:
✔ Fried rice and fried noodles
Which of the following ingredients is used very frequently in
Indonesian cuisine?
✔ Peanuts
Which of the following popular Indonesian dishes is
vegetarian?
✔ Gado Gado
✁
Here's your chance to win LE 250! All ECA members are eligible to win an ECA voucher
worth LE 250 towards the purchase of any ECA merchandise, and all non-members have
a chance to win a one-year ECA Membership. Simply send in the correct answers to the
questions in the Culinary Quiz. Also, with 7 or more correct answers, you gain 5 ECA
Member Mileage Points, your way to a free membership renewal. Fax your answers before
Sunday, 24 April, 2011 to the ECA Office at 02 37622116 / 7 / 8, or fill out the quiz online
by visiting the ECA website at www.egyptchefs.com
Name:
Company:
Tel/Fax:
Circle the correct answer
Alla Genovese is a culinary term which refers to
any dish containing:
❏ Pesto of basil, olive oil, garlic, pine nuts and cheese
❏ Vegetables in season
❏ Italian cheese and Parma ham
Which flowers are stuffed and served in Italian
cuisine as an appetizer?
❏ Roses
❏ Orange blossom
❏ Zucchini & pumpkin flowers
What do you learn as manager by working in the
Middle East according to the GM of the Four
Seasons Alexandria, Massimiliano Musto
❏ Managerial skills
❏ Aesthetic finesse
❏ Technical craft
The cradle of the gastronomic world originated in:
❏ France
❏ Italy
❏ Switzerland
Polenta is made from:
❏ Potatoes
❏ Rice
❏ Corn
The right answers to the Chef’s Corner quiz of issue No. 63 are:
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Quiz
Thanks to the efforts of WACS president Gissur Gudmunsson,
among others, WACS recently inaugurated:
✔ Chefs Without Borders Program
According to Michael Koth, General Manager of the Semiramis
InterContinental, Egyptians have a natural advantage in service
because of their:
✔ Tradition of service with dignity
Who of the following famous chefs is Spanish?
✔ Adria Bulli
Auguste Escoffier was very well-known for his:
✔ Kitchen organization, education & charity work
Congratulations to the lucky winner of issue 63 quiz:
Gouda Ahmed Gouda
Pastry Chef
Egyptian Company for Food Industries
18
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

C
H
E
F
S'
news
Appointments & Promotions
ECA chef member, Abdallah Mohamed
Abdallah, working as 1st Commis at Teatro
Restaurant in Cairo, has recently been promoted
to Demi Chef de Partie The ECA wishes to
congratulate him on his promotion Keep up the
good work!
ECA chef member, Abdallah Mohamed
Ghoush, previously working at Sonesta Club
Resort Sharm El Sheikh as Chef Baker, has
moved and started working in the same position
at Sunrise Diamond Resort Sharm The ECA
wishes him all the best in his new workplace
ECA chef member, Abdouh Gilany Bekir,
previously working as Chef de Cuisine at
Steigenberger Nile Palace Luxor, has moved
and started working as Executive Sous Chef at
Iberotel Saraya Makadi Resort Hurghada The
ECA congratulates him on his promotion and
wishes him all the best in his new job
ECA chef member, Adel Mohamed Abdel
Latif, previously working as Chef de Partie at
Three Corners St George Sharm El Sheikh, has
moved and started working as Sous Chef at
Paradise Golden 5 Hotel Hurghada The ECA
congratulates him and wishes him all the best in
his new work location
ECA chef member, Ahmed Mohamed Kida,
previously working as Junior Sous Chef at
Millennium Oyoun Resort Sharm El Sheikh, has
moved and started working as Sous Chef at Le
Meridien Dahab Resort The ECA congratulates
him and whishes him good luck in his new
work location
ECA senior chef member, Ahmed Nabil
Abdel Aal, previously working at Arabian
Academy for Navel Transport Alexandria as
Senior Sous Chef, has moved and started
working in the same position at Engineering
Academy in Cairo The ECA wishes him all the
best in his new work location
ECA chef member, Bakry Shaaban Bakry,
previously working as Demi Chef de Partie at Azur
Resort El Quseir, has moved and started working as
Chef de Partie at Bay View Resort Sharm El Sheikh
The ECA congratulates him on his promotion and
wishes him good luck in his new job
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
News
ECA senior chef member, Gehad El Din
Mohamed Ahmed, previously working at Sol
Serena Hotel Sharm as Executive Chef, has
moved and started working in the same position
at Ramada Plaza Sharm El Sheikh The ECA
wishes him all the best in his new workplace
ECA senior chef member, Khaled Abdel
Salam Ibrahim, previously working at Mina El
Don Village Ain Sokhna as Executive Chef, has
moved and started working in the same position
at Nile Holding Misr Company in Cairo The
ECA wishes him all the best in his new work
environment
ECA junior chef member, Maged Samir
Abdel Aziz, previously working as Commis at
Four Seasons First Residence Cairo Hotel, has
traveled to Qatar where he started working as
Demi Chef de Partie at Al Liwan Suites Hotel
The ECA congratulates him on his promotion
and wishes him all the best in his new
workplace
ECA chef member, Mahmoud Abbas
Mohamed, previously working at Mansour
Chevrolet Company as Baker Chef, has moved
to Family Company for Food Industries to work
as Baker Chef The ECA wishes him all the best
in the new workplace
ECA chef member, Mohamed Gamal Fawzy,
previously working at Al Hana Restaurant Kafr
El Sheikh Egypt as Head Chef, has traveled
overseas to Nefertiti Restaurant Tokyo Japan to
hold the same position The ECA congratulates
him and wishes him all the best in his new work
environment in Japan
ECA chef member, Mohamed Hussein
Zankour, working as Commis at Binlahaj Int’l
for Restaurants in the United Arab Emirates,
recently got promoted to Kitchen Supervisor
The ECA congratulates him on his promotion
Keep up the good work!
ECA chef member, Samir Abdel Alim Abdel
Mawgoud, working as 1st Commis at Four
Seasons Nile Plaza Cairo Hotel, recently got
promoted to Demi Chef de Partie The ECA
congratulates him on his promotion
ECA chef member, Wagih Ragab Abdel
Kader, previously working at Croquant
Company for Food Industries Cairo as Sous
Chef Ice Cream, has traveled to the United
Arab Emirates and started working in the same
position at Unikaiy Kiebara Company for Ice
Cream The ECA wishes him all the best in his
new work location
19
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

C
H
E
F
S'
news
The ECA wishes to congratulate its senior
chef member, Tarek Hassan, Culinary Trainer of
the Egyptian Tourism Federation, upon the birth
of his daughter Nour Wishing the family health
and happiness!
Massimiliano Musto New General Manager at
Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria
A native of Naples, Italy, Musto has been
a part of the Four Seasons’ family since 1998
when he was appointed Restaurant Manager of
Biscotti restaurant at the Regent Bangkok, a Four
Seasons Hotel, where he was later promoted
to Director of Restaurants in 1999 His career
in the world of food and beverage has since
taken him to Four Seasons properties around
the globe In 2008, Musto was appointed Resort
Manager of the exotic Four Seasons Resort
Mauritius at Anahita before moving to Egypt to
take on the position of Hotel Manager of Four
Seasons Hotel Alexandria at San Stefano in
2009 His promotion as General Manager of the
prestigious Alexandria property at the beginning
of 2011 marks an exciting new year for Musto
and the team at Alexandria
“This is an exciting time to be taking the
helm at Four Seasons Hotel Alexandria at
San Stefano and I look forward to both the
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
News
challenges and the rewards this new role
is bound to bring my way,” says Musto
Musto adds that the time he has spent in the
Middle East has helped him gain a deeper
understanding of the world of luxury hospitality
“In Europe you learn the technical craft, in
Asia the passion for service, and in America
managerial skills But in the Middle East, you
develop aesthetic finesse ”
The ECA wishes to congratulate Massimiliano
Musto on his appointment
Paul Schenk Appointed EAM at
InterContinental Citystars
Paul Schenk has been appointed as the
Executive Assistant Manager (EAM) in charge
of Food & Beverage at the InterContinental
Citystars Schenk has a passion and innovation
with food which started when he was young He
brings with him 20 years of experience in the
F&B world where he literally spent most of his
time in the kitchen coming up with new recipes
and fabulous ways to present food
Throughout his career, he won several
awards due to his drive and enthusiasm These
include 1st place Team leader in “World Team
MLA Black Box Cooking Challenge Dubai”
with the Seoul Grand Intercontinental Hotel
team He also won the highest possible HACCP
score of 100% granted by an International Audit
team and 1st place in NCSI National Customer
Satisfaction award for Intercontinental Hotels
Seoul in the hotel category
His charisma and friendly personality
helped him land his own show in Korea “Korea
Confidential with Paul Schenk” He sliced and
diced 24 new recipes in his kitchen while giving
the viewers useful cooking tips The 12 episodes
aired on Korean television were a huge success,
and a few episodes were uploaded on Youtube
[http://www youtube com/watch?v=MClLO9Xx
GK0&feature=channel]
20
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

C
H
E
F
S'
news
His main goal has always been guest
satisfaction and what better way to reach that
than by interacting with guests on regular basis
This is when the “Paul’s Kitchen” newsletter idea
was born The letter focused on new recipes and
outlet promotions, sent to his personal data base
which exceeded 3,000 people
Paul’s Korean food experience is available
on Flickr website which has over 20,000 hits
[http://www flickr com/photos/paulskitchen/
sets/»]
In his current position, Paul will focus mainly
on new concepts for F&B outlets, in addition
to being involved in the daily operation of the
hotel The InterContinental Cairo Citystars team
is thrilled to have Paul Schenk on board and
looks forward to bringing his world class F&B
knowledge to the heart of the hotel’s operations
The ECA welcomes Paul Schenk to Cairo and
wishes him all the best in his new appointment
Awards
ECA chef member, Wael Mohamed Mustafa,
working as Demi Chef de Partie at Sofitel Taba
Heights, has received “The Best Practice Award
Certificate” for his good work in December
2010
Alitalia Awarded Best Airline Cuisine by Global
Traveler
Alitalia, Italy’s largest airline, has taken
Italian cuisine to new heights and has been
awarded “Best Airline Cuisine” by the readers
of Global Traveler magazine Alitalia introduced
regional Italian cuisine in Magnifica Class as
part of a larger initiative to offer customers an
authentic Italian experience In addition to
menus that rotate every three months, Alitalia is
incorporating many products that are certified
as authentic to the region in the dishes served
on board Passengers can enjoy authentic
Italian cuisine at 35,000 feet! Global Traveler’s
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
News
seventh annual GT Tested Reader Survey Awards
program surveyed more than 25,000 business
and luxury travelers to determine the best in
business and luxury travel for 2010
ECA senior chef member, Adel Shalaby,
working as Executive Chef at Shams Safaga
Hotel, has won the best chef award among the
Shams Hotels and Resorts for his great buffets
during the Christmas and New Year festive
season
Rational Receives Manufacturing Excellence
Award
Rational AG, the manufacturer of
the SelfCooking Center® received the
Manufacturing Excellence Award for the
second time since 2006 The jury awarded
the prize because the company had clearly
and convincingly specialized in meeting the
customer’s needs The comprehensive training
courses and workshops and the excellent sales
process implemented solely by trained chefs
both bear witness to Rational AG’s outstanding
understanding of its customers The primary
aim of the company is to offer its customers
the maximum benefits at all times This focus
on the customer’s needs is not limited to sales,
however It also runs through the company’s
development, production, logistics and finance
and accounting processes – and so applies to
every employee
This is the 6th time the Manufacturing
Excellence Award has been given The emphasis
of the competition is placed on analysis and
assessment of the contestants by an independent
panel of scientific and industry experts
General News
Tahrir Square to Become Tourist Destination
Tourism experts have called for making Tahrir
Square in Egypt a tourist destination as a memorial
to the 18-day revolution staged in the square which
resulted in the toppling of former President Hosni
21
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

C
H
E
F
S'
news
Mubarak’s regime According to eTurbo News,
Hisham Zaazou, assistant to the tourism minister,
said squares worldwide, especially in European
countries, have become tourist destinations due
to their significance in history Tahrir Square has
become a symbol of a popular revolution Zaazou
said there should be a memorial or an obelisk with
photos of the 25 January revolution and a list of
martyrs’ names in the square Tourism expert Amr
Badr suggested creating a mural in Tahrir Square
about the revolution, and making the square part of
tour programs Abdel Rahman Samir, member of
the 25 January coalition, said artists, the ministries
of culture and tourism, and governorate officials
should coordinate efforts
“Egypt in our hearts” Italian delegation at IHG
Citystars
InterContinental Cairo Citystars and Holiday
Inn Cairo Citystars hosted all the participants of
“Egitto Nel Cuore” (Egypt in our Hearts) campaign
The group comprised 50 politicians, tour operators
and journalists from Italy The visit was organized
by Egypt Tourist Authority in collaboration with
Egypt Air and Misr Travel to encourage Italian
tourists to resume their visits to Egypt
The visits’ portfolio included a press
conference that was attended by Mounir Fakhry
Abd El Nour, the Egyptian Minister of Tourism
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
News
The group also visited the Egyptian Museum and
Tahrir Square where they held a 40-meter long
Egyptian flag to express their support for Egypt
InterContinental Cairo Citystars is Making
Cairo a Little Greener
InterContinental Cairo Citystars focuses
mainly on making guests feel at home while
giving them a taste of Cairo’s authentic flavor
While creating the ultimate Guest Experience is
the hotel’s main concern, the environment and
the well being of Cairo’s inhabitants is one of
the hotel’s biggest concerns as well Recycling
paper is the way to go!
In collaboration with Resala Charity
Organization, one of the largest charity
organizations existing since the year 2000 with
40 registered branches and about 16 charitable
activities practiced by 60,000 volunteers all
over Egypt, the hotel is recycling all paper
used by employees on a weekly basis All the
offices are shredding their clean waste paper,
bundling it up and delivering to Resala, who
uses the proceeds from recycling paper to help
underprivileged children in Cairo That way,
we all help save the environment and the lives
of future generations to reach a greater goal of
“Great City Guests Love”
Condolences
Michelin-starred Chef Santi Santamaria Dies
Santi Santamaria, aged 53, the first Spanish
chef to ever win three Michelin stars, passed
away in Singapore He is believed to have
suffered a heart attack while in his kitchen at
Santi, the restaurant run by his daughter in the
Marina Bay Sands resort The chef, who died
on February 16, was recognized as a legend in
the world of traditional Catalan cuisine He was
known also for his public attacks on molecular
gastronomy and fellow Spanish chef Ferran
Adria, whose famous El Bulli restaurant led this
movement in Spain
The ECA wishes to express its sincere
condolences to the family and staff members of
Chef Santi Santamaria
The ECA wishes to express its sincere
condolences to its junior chef member, Islam El
Sayed El Metwally, for the loss of his beloved
father Chef Islam is working as 3rd Commis at
InterContinental Taba
The ECA also wishes to express its sincere
condolences to its associated member Anja van
de Put, Policy Officer at the Dutch Embassy in
Cairo for the sudden loss of her beloved mother
22
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
ECA New Members
Welcome
on board to all our new
members
Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed
Executive Chef
Kiro’s Group Company
Amgad Ali A. Dayem
Executive Sous Chef
Sheraton Miramar Hotel El Gouna
Hassan Mustafa Gad El Mawla
Executive Chef
Balcona Café & Restaurant
Mustafa Mohamed Ewida
Executive Sous Chef
Hilton Hurghada Resort
ددلجا انئاضعأب ًابحرم
Senior Chef Members
تافيشلا ىمادق نم ءاضعأ
دمحأ� ميه�ربإ� دمحأ�
ىذيفنت فيش�
بورج س�وريك ةكرش�
مي�دل� دبع ىلع دجمأ�
ىذيفنت فيش� وش�
ةنوجلا راماريم نوتاريش� قدنف
ىلومل� داج ىفطس�م نس�ح
ىذيفنت فيش�
ةنوكلب هيفاك و معطم
ةس�يوع دمحم ىفطس�م
ىذيفنت فيش� وش�
ةقدرغلا نوتليه عجتنم
Alaa Abdel Atty Mohamed
Executive Chef
La Fourchette Catering Purges Hleias Greece
دمحم ىطاعل� دبع ءلاع
ىذيفنت فيش�
نانويلا ةيئاذغلا تادادمإلل زيجروب هيتيش�روفلا
Hassan Abdel Aal Mohamed
Executive Pastry Chef
Jasper›s Pastry Productions
دمحم لاعل� دبع نس�ح
ىناولح ىذيفنت فيش�
تايولحلل ربش�اج ةكرش�
Medhat Hamdy Abdel Rahman
Sous Chef
Alaa El Din Touristic Village Hurghada
Youssef Ali Fayed
Head Chef Oriental Pastry
El Gamal Company Damietta
نمحرل� دبع ىدمح تحدم
فيش� وش�
ةقدرغلا ةيحايش�لا نيدلا ءلع ةيرق
دياف ىلع فس�وي
ةيقرش�لا تايولحلا مش�ق س�يئر
طايمد لمجلا ةكرش�
23
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Abdel Moneim A. Kader A. Aal
Executive Sous Chef
Golden 5 Hotel Hurghada
لاعل� دبع رداقل� دبع معنمل� دبع
ىذيفنت فيش� وش�
ةقدرغلا 5 ندلوج قدنف
Ahmed Gaber A. Naby
Demi Chef de Partie
Sheraton Miramar Hotel El Gouna
Ahmed Mohamed Sobhy
Senior Chef de Partie
Regency Plaza Sharm El Sheikh
Alaa Mohamed Ahmed
Chef de Partie
Dunes Lounge Restaurant Cairo
Ashraf Attia Abul Wafa
Chef Baker
Movenpick Royal Lily Hotel Luxor
ىبنل� دبع رباج دمحأ�
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
ةنوجلا راماريم نوتاريش� قدنف
ىحبس� دمحم دمحأ�
ىتراب ىد فيش� روينش�
خيش�لا مرش� ازلب ىش�نيجير
دمحأ� دمحم ءلاع
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ةرهاقلا جنول س�ينود معطم
افول� وبأ� ةيطع فرس�أ�
زابخ فيش�
رش�قألاا يليل لايور كيبنيفوم قدنف
Ayman Mohamed Hassan
Chef de Partie
Aramco Petroleum Company Saudi Arabia
Essam Said A. Salam
Chef Oriental Cuisine
Medina Restaurant Cairo
Chef Members
تافيشلا نم ءاضعأ
نس�ح دمحم نمبأ�
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ةيدوعش�لا ةيلورتبلا وكمارأا ةكرش�
ملاس�ل� دبع ديعس� ماس�ع
ىقرش� خبطم فيش�
ةرهاقلا ةنيدملا معطم
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
ECA New Members
Adel Saad El Din Masaud
Senior Chef de Partie
Sun Rise Le Jardin Resort Hurghada
دوعس�م نيدل� دعس� لداع
ىتراب ىد فيش� روينش�
ةقدرغلا ندراجول زيار نش� عجتنم
Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed Zakzouk
Demi Chef de Partie
El Salamlek San Giovanni Hotel Alexandria
قوزقز دمحأ� دمحم دمحأ�
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
ةيردنكش�إلاا ىنافويج ناش� كلملش�لا قدنف
Ahmed Rashad Ahmed
Demi Chef de Partie Garde Manger
Sonesta St George Hotel Luxor
Ali Mahmoud Gamea
Sous Chef
Blue Sky Nile Cruises Cairo
Ayman Ibrahim Youssef
Chef de Partie
Radisson Blu Hotel Cairo
Bassam Mohamed Ibrahim
Chef
NordSee Restaurant Cairo
دمحأ� داس�ر دمحأ�
هيجنام دراج ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
رش�قألاا جروج ناش� اتش�نوش� قدنف
عماج دومحم ىلع
فيش� وش�
ةرهاقلا ةيلينلا ةحايش�لل ىاكش� ولب
فس�وي ميه�ربإ� نميأ�
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ةرهاقلا ولب نوش�يدار قدنف
Hamdy Ahmed Mohamed
Chef de Partie
Grand Holiday Green Sedr - Ras Sedr
ميه�ربإ� دمحم ماس�ب
فيش�
ةرهاقلا ىش� درون معطم
دمحم دمحأ� ىدمح
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ردش� س�أار ردش� نيرج ىاديلوه دنارج
24
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Hany Abdel Fattah A. Kader
Chef de Partie
InterContinental Soma Bay
رداقل� دبع حاتفل� دبع ىناه
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ىاب اموش� لاتننيتوكرتنا
Hosny Badawy Mohamed
Demi Chef de Partie
AberCrombie & Kent Company Luxor
Ibrahim Moawad Ibrahim
Demi Chef de Partie
Sofitel Taba Heights
Moatassem Mustafa Mohamed
Demi Chef de Partie
Melia Sharm Resort
دمحم ىودب ىنس�ح
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
رش�قألاا تنك دنا ىبمورك ربأا ةكرش�
Mohamed Ahmed Boghdady
Chef de Partie Garde Manager
Movenpick Royal Lily Hotel Luxor
ميه�ربإ� ض�وعم ميه�ربإ�
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
س�تياه اباط لتيفوش�
دمحم ىفطس�م مس�تعم
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
مرش� ايليم عجتنم
ىد�دغب دمحأ� دمحم
هيجنام دراج ىتراب ىد فيش�
رش�قألاا يليل لايور كيبنيفوم قدنف
Mohamed Mahmoud Shokry
Chef de Partie
El Salamlek San Giovanni Hotel Alexandria
ىركس� دومحم دمحم
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ةيردنكش�إلاا ىنافويج ناش� كلملش�لا قدنف
Mustafa Mahmoud Mohamed
Pastry Chef
Egyptian Co for Food Industries
دمحم دومحم ىفطس�م
ىناولح فيش�
ةيئاذغلا تاعانش�لل ةيرش�ملا ةكرش�لا
Salah Mohamed Ahmed
Sous Chef
Movenpick Royal Lily Hotel Luxor
دمحأ� دمحم حلاس�
فيش� وش�
رش�قألاا يليل لايور كيبنيفوم قدنف
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
ECA New Members
Hatem Ezzat Sabra
Chef de Partie
Movenpick El Gouna
هربس� تزع متاح
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ةنوجلا كيبنفوم
Ibrahim Hosny Sayed
Sous Chef
Tempo Restaurant & Lounge at The Allegria Golf Club
ديس� ىنس�ح ميه�ربإ�
فيش� وش�
بولك فلوج ايرجيلأا وبميت جنولا و معطم
Mahmoud Shafik Mahmoud
Baking Technical Trainer
Holding Co For Food Industries Cairo
دومحم قيفس� دومحم
زابخ ىنف بردم
ةرهاقلا ةيئاذغلا تاعانش�لل ةش�باقلا ةكرش�لا
Mohamed Abdel Baky Mohamed
Chef de Partie
Movenpick Royal Lily Hotel Luxor
دمحم ىقابل� دبع دمحم
ىتراب ىد فيش�
رش�قألاا يليل لايور كيبنيفوم قدنف
Mohamed Ahmed El Sayed
Chef de Partie Pastry
Tempo Restaurant & Lounge at The Allegria Golf Club
Mohamed Saleh Hussein
Demi Chef de Partie
First Arabian Hotels Co
ديس�ل� دمحأ� دمحم
ىناولح ىتراب ىد فيش�
بولك فلوج ايرجيلأا وبميت جنولا و معطم
نيس�ح حلاس� دمحم
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
قدانفلل ةيبرعلا تش�رف ةكرش�
Mustafa Saleh Mustafa
Head Chef
Badr El Din Co for Importing & Exporting Cairo
ىفطس�م حلاس� ىفطس�م
ىذيفنت فيش�
ةرهاقلا ريدش�تلا و داريتش�إلل نيدلا ردب ةكرش�
Shady Magdy Mohamed
Chef de Partie
Safaga Palace Resort
دمحم ىدجم ىداس�
ىتراب ىد فيش�
س�لااب اجافش� عجتنم
25
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Sherif Mohamed Mahmoud
Chef de Partie
InterContinental Soma Bay
Tawhid Rashad A. Wahed
Demi Chef de Partie
Pensee Azur El Quseir
Ahmed El Mekawy Salem
2nd Commis Pastry
Ahmed Mahmoud Morsy
1st Commis
Kiro’s Group Company
Ahmed Taha Mohamed
3rd Commis
Cellar Dor Bistro Restaurant Cairo
Ayman Mahmoud Mohamed
2nd Commis Pastry
Sentido Hotel Marsa Alam
El Sayed Mohamed Seif El Nasr
1st Commis
Hilton Hurghada Resort
دومحم دمحم فيرس�
ىتراب ىد فيش�
ىاب اموش� لاتننيتنوكرتنا
دح�ول� دبع داس�ر ديحوت
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
ريش�قلا روزأا هيش�ناب
Junior Chef Members
تافيشلا بابش نم ءاضعأ
ملاس� ىواكمل� دمحأ�
ىناولح ىناث خابط
ىس�رم دومحم دمحأ�
لوأا خابط
بورج س�وريك ةكرش�
دمحم هط دمحأ�
ثلاث خابط
ةرهاقلا ورتش�ب رودرلش� معطم
دمحم دومحم نميأ�
ىناولح ىناث خابط
ملع ىش�رم وديتنش� قدنف
رس�نل� فيس� دمحم ديس�ل�
لوأا خابط
ةقدرغلا نوتليه عجتنم
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
ECA New Members
Tamer Mohamed Abbas
Chef de Partie
Melia Sharm Resort
Wael Mohamed Mustafa
Demi Chef de Partie
Sofitel Taba Heights
ض�ابع دمحم رمات
ىتراب ىد فيش�
مرش� ايليم عجتنم
ىفطس�م دمحم لئ�و
ىتراب ىد فيش� ىميد
س�تياه اباط ليتفوش�
Ahmed Maher Fouad
Student
Faculty of Tourism & Hotels Alexandria
د�ؤوف رهام دمحأ�
بلاط
ةيردنكش�إلاا قدانفلا و ةحايش�لا ةيلك
Ahmed Mohamed Rezk
Graduated
High Institute for Tourism & Hotels 6th of October City
قزر دمحم دمحأ�
جيرخ
ربوتكأا 6 قدانفلاو ةحايش�لل ىلاعلا دهعملا
Ali Abu Bakr Mohamed
3rd Commis
AberCrombie & Kent Company Luxor
دمحم ركب وبأ� ىلع
ثلاث خابط
رش�قألاا تنك دنا ىبموركربأا ةكرش�
Dina Mohamed Kamal
Student
High Institute for Qualitative Studies
لامك دمحم انيد
ةبلاط
ةيعونلا تاش�اردلل ىلاعلا دهعملا
Ibrahim Falham Abul Hassan
1st Commis Hot Kitchen
AberCrombie & Kent Company Luxor
نس�حل� وبأ� مهلف ميه�ربإ�
نخاش� خبطم لوأا خابط
رش�قألاا تنك دنا ىبموركربأا ةكرش�
26
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Islam Kamel El Sayed
1st Commis
Tempo Restaurant & Lounge at The Allegria Golf Club
ديس�ل� لماك ملاس�إ�
لوأا خابط
بولك فلوج ايرجيلأا وبميت جنولا و معطم
Mahmoud Adel Ahmed Eid
1st Commis
Dusit Thani LakeView Hotel Cairo
Mahmoud Ragab Mahmoud
1st Commis
Medhat Ezz El Din Mohamed
1st Commis
Café Olé Español Alexandria
ديع دمحأ� لداع دومحم
لوأا خابط
ةرهاقلا ويف كيل ىناث تش�ود قدنف
دومحم بجر دومحم
لوأا خابط
دمحم نيدل� زع تحدم
لوأا خابط
ةيردنكش�إلاا لوينابش�إا هيلوأا هيفاك
Mohamed Fouad Mohamed
Graduated
Alsun High Institute for Tourism & Hotels Cairo
دمحم د�ؤوف دمحم
جيرخ
ةرهاقلا قدانفلا و ةحايش�لل ىلاعلا نش�لألاا دهعم
Mohamed Mahmoud A. Aziz
Commis
Int’l Co for Tourist Facilities Management – Time Out
زيزعل� دبع دومحم دمحم
خابط
توأا ميات – ةيحايش�لا تأاش�نملا ةرادإلا ةيلودلا ةش�ش�ؤوملا
Sayed Ibrahim A. Rahman
1st Commis
Dido›s Al Dente Restaurant Cairo
نمحرل� دبع ميه�ربإ� ديس�
لوأا خابط
ةرهاقلا يتند لاأا س�وديد معطم
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
ECA New Members
Mahmoud Abdel Salam El Sayed
Commis Hot Kitchen
El Salamlek San Giovanni Hotel Alexandria
ديس�ل� ملاس�ل� دبع دومحم
نخاش� خبطم خابط
ةيردنكش�إلاا ىنافويج ناش� كلملش�لا قدنف
Mahmoud Gamal Mahgoub
1st Commis
Fairmont Heliopolis Hotel Cairo
بوجحم لامج دومحم
لوأا خابط
ةرهاقلا س�يلبويله تنومريف قدنف
Marawan Beshir Hassan
3rd Commis
Golden Tulip Flamenco Hotel Cairo
نس�ح ريس�ب ن�ورم
ثلاث خابط
ةرهاقلا وكنملف بيلوت ندلوج قدنف
Mohamed Atta Shokry Hussein
3rd Commis
Golden Tulip Flamenco Hotel Cairo
Mohamed Hamed A. Aziz
1st Commis Pastry
Sedra Co for Pastry Cairo
Mohamed Roushdy Zaki Tawfik
Commis
Fort Arabesque Village Hurghada
نيس�ح ىركس� اطع دمحم
ثلاث خابط
ةرهاقلا وكنملف بيلوت ندلوج قدنف
زيزعل� دبع دماح دمحم
ىناولح لوأا خابط
ةرهاقلا تايولحلل ةردش� ةكرش�
قيفوت ىكز ىدس�ر دمحم
خابط
ةقدرغلا كش�يبارأا تروف ةيرق
27
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Anja van de Put
Policy Officer
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
توب ىد ناف اينأ�
تاش�ايش�لا لوئش�م
ةيدنلوهلا ةرافش�لا
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
ECA New Members
Asmaa Hassan Kodous
Doaa Abdel Mawgoud Mohamed Hassan Hussein Shafik
Owner
911 for Desserts Tanta
Heba Mohamed El Azab Kamal Amin Kamal
Head Waiter
Seasons Resort & Country Club Cairo
Maha Mahgoub Mohamed
بزعل� دمحم ةبه
Rivin Amin Mohamed Sarah Abdel Hady Arram
Shams El Din Mohamed El Sayed
Deputy Manager
Amoun Hotel Alexandria
Associated Members
نيمهاسم ءاضعأ
دمحم دوجومل� دبع ءاعد
دمحم بوجحم اهم
دمحم نيمأ� نيفير
ديس�ل� دمحم نيدل� ض�مس�
ةرادإلاا س�لجم س�يئر بئان
ةيردنكش�إلاا نومأا قدنف
Raed El Shafei
Senior Sales Manager
Etisalat Misr
ض�ودق نس�ح ءامس�أ�
قيفس� نيس�ح نس�ح
كلام
اطنط 911 ىناولح
لامك نيمأ� لامك
رتيو ديه
ةرهاقلا بولك ىرتنك دنأا ترزوير زنوزيش�
ىعفاس�ل� دئ�ر
تاعيبم ريدم روينش�
رش�م تلااش�تإا
م�رع ىداهل� دبع ةراس�
28
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Workshops Certification
Certified Participants of the "Professional Culinary Arts Exhibits" Training Workshop held
from 28 till 30 January’11, conducted by Executive Chef Essam Sayed Mohamed, and kindly
hosted by Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort. Congratulations!
Abdallah Mahmoud Ibrahim Sous Chef Hilton Hurghada Plaza
Adel Adly Mahmoud Executive Chef Hilton Hurghada Plaza
Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed Ali 1st Commis Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort
Ahmed Sayed Gaber Sous Chef Iberotel Aqua Marine Resort
Akram Mokhtar Hassan 1st Commis Iberotel Aqua Marine Resort
Alaa Mohamed Hamdy Assistant Pastry Chef Sheraton Soma Bay
Amgad Ali A. Dayem Executive Sous Chef Sheraton Miramar El Gouna
Atef Youssef Said Sous Chef Iberotel Oasis Resort
Ayman Nabil Ahmed Pastry Chef Lahami Bay Marsa Alam
El Sayed Abdel Rahman El Assal Sous Chef
El Sayed Mohamed Seif 1st Commis Hilton Resort Hurghada
Gamal Abdo Ibrahim Chef Garde Manger Movenpick Resort Aswan
Hamdy Mohamed Abdel Aziz Executive Sous Chef Beach Albatros Hotel
Hany Abdel Fattah Chef de Partie InterCotinental Soma Bay
Hassan Abdel Moneim Ragab Sous Chef Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort
Hassan Gamal Hassan 1st Commis Albatros Palace Resort
Hatem Ezzat Sabra Chef de Partie Movenpick El Gouna
Islam Saleh Hassan Demi Chef de Partie Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort
Kadry A. Razek A. Fattah Pastry Chef Hurghada Marriott Beach Resort
Khaled Abdel Fattah Mohamed Sous Chef Beach Albatros Hotel
Magdy Shawky Habib Pastry Chef Hilton Hurghada Plaza
Mahmoud Ibrahim Saad Demi Chef de Partie Iberotel Aqua Marine Resort
Medhat Hamdy Abdel Rahman Sous Chef Baker Alaa El Din Touristic Village
Mohamed Kamel Ahmed Senior Chef de Partie Sheraton Soma Bay
Mohamed Mokhtar Ibrahim Chef de Partie Beach Albatros Hotel
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
29
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Mohamed Yousry Labib Junior Sous Chef Albatros Palace Resort
Mustafa Bayoumi Mahmoud Executive Sous Chef Iberotel Club Resort
Mustafa Mohamed Ewida Executive Sous Chef Hilton Resort Hurghada
Osama Selim A. Aziz Pastry Chef Iberotel Saraya Resort
Rafik Ali Mohamed Senior Chef de Partie Sheraton Soma Bay
Sameh Youssef Pastry Chef Iberotel Club Resort
Shaaban Mohamed Abdel Aziz Assistant Pastry Chef Sheraton Miramar El Gouna
Sherif Mohamed Mahmoud Chef de Partie InterCotinental Soma Bay
Sobhy Mohamed A. Azim Executive Sous chef Iberotel Makadi Beach Resort
Tawfik Abdel Wahab Tawfik Chef Garde Manager Iberotel Club Resort
Yasser Abdel Moez Mohamed Executive Chef Iberotel Star Resort
Youssef Basiouny Kotb Junior Sous Chef Hiton Hurghada Plaza
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Workshops Certification
Certified Participants of the ECA On Premises Training “Essentials of Food Costing” held
from 19 till 20 December at Semiramis InterContinental. Congratulations!
Abdel Halim Abdel Nabi
Abdel Khalek Amin Mohamed Demi Chef de Partie
Ashraf Hussein Medany Restaurant Manager
Aziz Kamal Malikah Chef de Partie
Gamal Amin Salem Senior Sous Chef
Hassan El Sayed Hassan Ballroom Supervisor
Mohamed Mahmoud Saber Bar Supervisor
Nehal Mohamed
Roger Raef Fahmy Assistant Catering Sales Manager
Tarek El Gendy
Walid Abbas Restaurant Manager
30
C h E F ' S C O r N E r

Mark Your
Calendar
Egypt to be Partner
Country at ITB Berlin
2012
Egypt has been selected as the partner
country at ITB Berlin 2012. According
to a press release, an agreement was
signed between Mounir Fakhry Abdel
Nour, Minister of Tourism, Egypt and
Raimund Hosch, CEO, Messe Berlin at ITB
Berlin, which concluded recently. Nour,
having taken up his post two weeks
ago expressed his delight to be at ITB
Berlin 2011. Nour said, “This is extremely
important for us. We stand by our
business partners and will be honoring
all our agreements. The livelihood of one
in seven Egyptians depends directly or
indirectly on tourism.”
The ITB Berlin will take place from 7 till
11 March in 2012
March'11
HORECA 2011, featuring the Levant Trade Show for the
Hospitality and Foodservice Industries, and the International
Food & Drink Exhibition, will be held from 29 March till 1 April in
Lebanon. New pavilions this year will include the Wine and Drinks
Pavilion, which will showcase wine, alcoholic and non alcoholic
beverages and the Coffee and Tea Pavilion, which will display
coffee and tea producers and importers. Further the hospitality
show will stage the Hospitality Salon Culinaire, Lebanese
Bartenders Contest, Table Setting Contest and Hospitality Annual
Forum. For more information contact Joumana Dammous-Salamé,
managing director Hospitality Services on 00961 1480081, fax
00961 1482876 or email info@hospitalityservices.com.lb or visit
www.hospitalityservices.com.lb
May’11
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Calendar
The Hong Kong International Culinary Classic 11 will take
place in conjunction with Hofex 2011 from 11 till 14 May at the
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. Many live cooking
challenges and cold display competitions will be held under the
judging and ruling of the World Association of Chefs Societies
(WACS). The Asia final to select the best chef to represent the
Asian region at the WACS Global Chef’s Competition World Final
in Korea 2012 will also take place. For information contact the
event secretariat Ultra Future Ltd on 00 85231068017 or fax
00 852 31065166 or email hkicc2011@ultrafuture.com.hk or visit
www.hongkong-chefs.com for the competition categories and
regulations.
The Hotel Show 2011 will be held from 17 till 19 May at the
Dubai World Trade Center. The Hotel Show is a showcase for
the latest products and a forum for industry thought leaders.
The trade fair is the “must attend” event for the world’s top
hoteliers. Meet suppliers, asset managers, architects, designers,
technologists, innovators and fellow professionals at the heart
of one of the world’s fastest growing markets. More than 500
international and regional companies representing more than
78 countries will be exhibiting and more than 10,500 visitors are
expected to attend the fair. For more information visit
www.thehotelshow.com
June’11
The 14th National Salon Culinaire, organized by the Egyptian
Chefs Association (ECA), is scheduled to take place in June (date
and location will be disclosed by ECA as soon as finalized). More
than one hundred Chefs representing catering and hospitality
establishments throughout Egypt will compete in 14 different
culinary categories for the honor of bronze, silver and gold
medals. Various teams of different hotels will compete for the
ECA Culinary Trophy 2011. Further special awards will be given
to the highest individual scores as well as chefs under the age of
25 with the highest score. For more information on competition
categories and rules visit www.egyptchefs.com
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August’11
The 3rd World Chef’s Tour for Hunger will take place from
21 till 30 August in South Africa. The tour is open to all member
countries of WACS and participants will be accepted on a
first come basis to a maximum of 250 international chefs. The
objective of this tour is twofold. Firstly, to collect as much money
as possible to provide food to feed the many underprivileged
children within South Africa, and secondly, to promote global
awareness of the dire need to help alleviate poverty and hunger
and the difference Chefs can make. For more information on how
to participate from Egypt call the ECA on 02 376 22116 / 7 / 8
September’11
The International Kremlin Culinary Cup will take place from
27 till 30 September at the Crocus Expo in Moscow, Russia. The
organizers, the Academia Culinary Arts Exclusive, the Restaurants
& Hoteliers Federation Russia and the National Chefs Guild of
Russia, are inviting national and international individual chefs
and teams to participate in this exciting contest. The judging is
in accordance with WACS rules and regulations. The deadline for
registration for teams is 30 may and for individuals 20 June’11.
For more information call the organizing committee on
+7 4956379440 or visit www.cookchamp.ru
October’11
HACE'11, the 31st International Hotel Supplies & Catering
Equipment exhibition, will take place from 2 till 5 October at
the Cairo International Convention Center. In addition to the
annual live cooking competitions such as fruit and vegetable
carving, Asian cuisine, pasta dishes and mystery baskets contests
the Egyptian Chefs Association will once again organize a
Female Chef of the Year contest. For more information on the
exhibition, contact the Egyptian Group for Marketing (EGM) on
0020 2 2635215 / 2619160 or email info@hace.com.eg For more
information on the culinary shows and competitions contact the
ECA on 0020 2 37622116 / 7 / 8 or email
egyptchefs@egyptchefs.com
The 11th IHF, International Hospitality Forum, the annual
trade show for the hospitality and foodservice sector of Jordan
and the region will be held from 17 till 19 October at Amman
Exhibition Park, Jordan. It promises to be an excellent event that
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
Calendar
offers great business opportunities in a country where tourism
and hospitality services contribute to over 13% of GDP. Last year
more than 60 exhibitors received around 30,000 trade visitors
from a number of countries including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan,
Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. For more
information contact the organizers Events Unlimited on mobile
00962 795742492 or fax 00962 65656550 or email
samar@eventsunlimited.com.jo or visit
www.eventsunlimited.com.jo
November’11
World Travel Market (WTM) will take place from 7 till 10
November at the Excel in London. Staged annually, the WTM,
organized by Reed Travel Exhibitions, is the leading global
event for the travel industry and a vibrant must attend fourday
business-to-business event presenting a diverse range of
destinations and industry sectors to UK and International travel
professionals. It is a unique opportunity for the whole global
travel trade to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business.
By attending World Travel Market, participants efficiently,
effectively and productively gain immediate competitive
advantage for their business and stay abreast with the latest
developments in the travel industry. For more information visit
www.wtm.london.com
Sia Guest 61, the International Hospitality Exhibition SIA
Guest will be held from 26 till 29 November at Rimini Expo
Center Italy. Sia Guest means total hospitality, with its unique
mix of innovation, trends, atmosphere, and conferences for the
hotel and hospitality sector for the last 61 years. The exhibition
will feature the latest in cooking equipment, furnishing, supplies,
technology, bathroom and wellness equipment, lighting,
surfaces and general hospitality services. Sia Guest is a not-to-be
missed opportunity to select products and services, network with
a continuously evolving market, and see where the industry is
going. For more information contact Giula Pantane on
0039 0541744612 or email g.patane@riminifiera.it or visit
www.siarimini.com for request for free VIP cards email
mrkgestero@riminifiera.it or call 0039 0541744632
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Special Thanks
Contributors to the
Salloum Relief Campaign
M a r C h - a p r i l 2 0 1 1
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