February 2025 Newsletter

President's Letter

Hello to all members and guests of the ACF Chicago Chefs,

First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve as your President. I’m thrilled to have this honor, though I’ll admit, I’m also slightly terrified. I have big ideas and have been working hard to bring them to life. The thing with big plans is that to make them truly grand, we need help. I’ve reached out to several of you already, and I want to thank you for taking the time to listen. I’m sure I’ve repeated myself a few times in my excitement — if you know me, you know I tend to get a bit carried away when I’m passionate about something!

Things to be excited about!

Certifications: We’re working on organizing mock certification events this spring. The idea is to show chefs who want to be certified what the process looks like. We’ll hold a class to answer questions and help guide you on your individual certification path. Then, in the fall, we’re planning to offer actual certifications. My hope is that this becomes an annual event and that we can offer CEHs every month.

Competitions: Who doesn’t love some friendly competition? I know as chefs; we’re not exactly known for being competitive… (wink). I’m hoping to host a pig roast competition this June and also bring back the Hamburger Throwdown Challenge! (I won the Chicago Gourmet Hamburger Hop in 2022 — bring it on!) If you have other competition ideas, such as mystery baskets, ice carving, pastry challenges, or even the Beaujolais competition (which I miss), let me know!

Culinary Students and ProStart: This is something very close to my heart. I firmly believe that we need to bring students into the ACF, help them find jobs, mentor them, and help guide them. As chefs, they are our collective legacy. At the most basic level, we are teachers, and it’s our responsibility to pass down our knowledge to the next generation. If you’re interested in mentoring, please reach out. We have excellent schools in the area, and I’m sure we can connect you with one nearby.

Vendor Members and Partners: I want to collaborate with you. As a business owner myself, I understand the importance of a return on investment. To our food and supply partners, I’d love to feature your products at events! I’m happy to assist with recipe development, marketing, and promoting your business. Please don’t hesitate to reach out — chances are I might know someone who could benefit from your products.

Ideas: Let me know what you’d like to learn, where you want to go, and what you want to do. A few ideas we’ve discussed include bringing back that popular whiskey class, hosting sous-vide classes (both beginner and advanced), garnish workshops, pastry/baking classes, and even butchery and sausage-making. I also think it would be fantastic to host a small equipment repair class to save on costs.

Next Event: 

Our first chapter event of the year is scheduled for Saturday, February 22nd, at 12:30 PM at India Palace Restaurant, 242 E. Geneva Rd, Wheaton, IL 60187. Chef Surendra Rawat will be preparing Northern Indian dishes inspired by his hometown. We had a wonderful tasting together last week, and I’m excited for you all to experience his food. The cost will be $15 per person, and there will be a cash bar available. Chef Surendra has kindly offered to share his recipes and will accommodate any allergies or spice preferences. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions, and we’ll pass them along to him.

Final Words:

At the end of the day, I am a chef, and I’ve worked hard for many years to earn that title. To those of you who mentored me in the past — you know who you are — I hope to make you proud. I’m grateful for the path you helped set me on and for the conversations we had about the ACF when I was at Kendall. I love cooking, teaching, speaking, and learning. My goal is to bring all of those passions to you. I have countless ideas, but I understand that some of them may need to be refined, and that’s perfectly fine. Please know that I have thick skin — just tell me if something doesn’t quite work! I’m here to listen to your ideas and do my best to make them a reality. My commitment is to bring our storied chapter to the forefront of the ACF.

Thank you and be well.

Best regards,

Chef Corey Grupe 

President, ACF Chicago Chefs 

Reach out: [email protected] (no spam, please 😊)

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