An introduction to Flavor, Quality & American Menus

America’s chefs and farmers have a lot to talk about but few occasions to meet face to face. Although white-tablecloth restaurateurs are building relationships with small local farms, chefs in larger venues like hotels, casinos, and major supermarkets chains rarely communicate with the people who grow the food they serve.

Once a year, in late summer, The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone provides just that opportunity at an invitational leadership retreat.

Chefs and executives from some of the nation’s most influential foodservice operations gather in California’s Napa Valley with farmers, agricultural researchers, and marketing specialists from agricultural commodity boards to brainstorm about their joint future—a future of healthier farms, higher quality food, and a diverse and secure food supply.

A partnership between the CIA, a world leader in professional culinary education, and the University of California at Davis, a world leader in agricultural and food science research, this annual gathering generates ideas, promotes dialogue, and stimulates creative thinking about new directions in food and agriculture.

How are America’s taste preferences changing and how should farmers address those shifts? How will the domestic wine industry respond to low-cost imports from Chile, Argentina, New Zealand, and Australia? How can chefs put flavor first in a foodservice world that values speed and profit?

These are just a few of the issues on the table at the “Flavor, Quality and American Menus” retreat. In the following volumes, you’ll find retreat highlights—a treasure trove of solutions, suggestions, and inspiring stories from the cutting edge of agriculture and volume foodservice.