Saturday, May 20, 2017 – The Annual ICCA-GCIA Networking Reception this year will be held again at the Peninsula Hotel during the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. This will be our third year at this historic hotel and last year was a huge success with a record breaking crowd and amazing food and wine. 
The culinary team lead by Executive Chef Jose Fernandez and F & B Director Kai Lerman is amazingly creative with their uses of our sponsor products. As you know healthy food is almost non-existent at the NRA Show so we feature salads including an Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Rice, Alaska Seafood and of course California Avocados.
The Mushroom Council’s Blended Recipes will be featured where the protein is blended with approximately a 30 percent mixture of mushrooms to add an umami flavor and moisture to leaner proteins. Australia Meat & Livestock always amazes us with their fresh high-quality beef and lamb, plus the National Pork Board always has a new ideas for your menus. French’s, Kikkoman, High-Oleic Soybean Oil and Sunkist will add a twist of flavor to many dishes while Tuxton China and LBP Packaging showcase the best in everything from platters to take-out packaging.
The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board cheese tasting plates will be accompanied by Wholesome Harvest Baguettes and seasonal California Grapes to be paired with the amazing wines GCIA is known to source each year for this event. This year’s event will also feature pastas from Barilla and Carla’s plus a dessert station with Sweet Street Desserts and a Farmers Brothers Coffee and Tea station featuring their sustainable and global responsible products that actually give back to the communities where the coffee is grown in many economically challenged countries throughout the world. Dole will feature unique cocktails with their Chef Ready Cut Fruits.
Of course the premium bar and hand-selected wines from around the world make for a great networking atmosphere for members and potential members for both the International Corporate Chefs Association, celebrating the 15th annual event this year, and the Global Culinary Innovators Association, as we celebrate our fourth year since the announcement of our organization at this event. We look forward to celebrating with members, potential members and sponsors again this year in what many people rank as the go-to event during the NRA Show in Chicago. RSVP by emailing rsvp@ICCAchefs.com.