The Week in Feast Fest: Friday, November 11, 2011 - Thursday, November 17, 2011

Important Feast Fest dates this week:

Friday, 11/11 - Veterans Day Honoring America Feast Fest Preview

Saturday, 11/12 - No unique activities scheduled

Sunday, 11/13 - FINAL DAY TO ORDER TICKETS FOR FEAST FEST 2011

Monday, 11/14 - NCA 2011 Award Releases Continue

Tuesday, 11/15 - Brianna Galen-Ames set to appear at meetings in M.D.R.

Wednesday, 11/16 - No unique activities scheduled

Thursday, 11/17 - Feast Fest chefs set to attend the L.A. C.O.C. Tree Lighting Ceremony

Birthdays!
11/13 - Jim McAllister (39)

Next WiFF - Friday, November 18, 2011 - Thursday, November 24, 2011

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Caccicci, Ainenl, Galen-Ames Form Bond

-Los Angeles
-It was reported late Thursday that Claudien Ainenl, Antonio Caccicci, and Brianna Galen-Ames have officially formed and established what they call "The Union For Chefs Awaiting Employment From Feast Fest Events, Inc." (UFCAEFFE [phonetical:uff-kayf or uff-kay-fee])

The unionization forming allows the chefs to hire reps, lawyers, and additional agents and will make their demands look more intimidating to scouters when negotiations resume in December.

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Melling Wins NCA's Best French

-New York
-A Feast Fest chef has been honored as the NCA's Best French Chef of 2011, it was announced very early Friday.

Alue-Charlote Ste-Germaine Melling picks up her second Best French honor. She won before in 2008.

FF chef Guilliame Jacquetaine came in second, and Melling won by one vote, 87-86.

Melling said she "feels elated" to have won the honor.

"I was dazzled enough when I won this the first time, and joy overcame me when I found out I had been honored again. French is one of the largest styles of cooking in the world, and to be considered the top French chef of 2011 is a tremendous honor I never will forget."

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Aiber Wins Third NCA Best of the Rest Award of Career

-New York
-Alexei Aiber, considered perhaps the most talented FF chefs who is not in the public spotlight (compared with such chefs as the Mason Duo, Jim McAllister, and Lynn Avi), has won the NCA's Best of the Rest Underestimated/Overlooked Chefs Award for the third time in his career, it was announced very late Thursday/very early Friday.

Aiber won this honor before in 2006 and 2009.

Fellow FFer Thenoø Law, who won in 2004 and 2010, placed third in the top five chefs for the award.




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Choi Wins NCA's Most Fiery (With a Pan)

-New York
-Lisa Choi has become a seven-time winner of the NCA's Most Fiery (With a Pan) Chef Award after capturing the 2011 installment, it was announced very late Wednesday/very early Thursday.

Choi, who generally stands with Lynn Avi as one of the main "flare-ish" chefs, has won before in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2010. Colleague Avi won the award in 2006 and 2008, and came in second in this year's vote.

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Dumas Wins Third NCA Best Latin Influence Award of Career

-New York
-The NCA announced early Thursday that Feast Fest chef Peter Dumas has won the NCA's 2011 Chef with the Best Latin Influence Award, the third time in his career he has won the honor.

Dumas won in 2001 and 2009, and fellow Feast Fest chefs Ivan Peterman and Jarólde Jámes have won the award in 2010 and 2007, respectively (Jámes won before joining Feast Fest).

Dumas's heritage is mixed British-Spanish, and he has been recognized as one of the world's premier chefs of Latin cuisines.

Fellow FF chef Ivan Peterman lost the award by 0.23% of the vote.




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Looking Ahead: Two Feast Fests could bring twice the revenue, but is it logistically possible?

-Marina del Rey, Ca.
-In the latest in a series of moves being discussed that could dramatically expand and rearrange the infrastructure of Feast Fest in the relatively near future, it was announced by FF Executive Official Shalana-dena Mirorando that one of many possible expansions to be discussed in the 2011-2012 offseason will be that considering the possibilities of adding a second Thanksgiving Dinner to Feast Fest.

Such a move would greatly increase ticket and peripheral revenues as the amount of possible attendees could increase from 2,000 to 4,000.

Under such an arrangement, Mirorando explained, the event would still be given one score and one Most Valuable Chef, but chefs would prepare two sets of Thanksgiving dinners. The first would have the Official Cooking Portion beginning at 8 a.m. and would set DigIn at 3 p.m., and the second would begin at 4:30 p.m. and set dinner at 11 p.m., with NCA ratings and MVC announcements coming at Midnight.

However, such an arrangement clearly has its drawbacks. It would hurt TV ratings in the East Coast market, where even diehard viewers would be unlikely to stay up till 3 a.m. their time for the event's conclusion. It would also require potentially hiring extra chefs so that not all 61 would have to work fifteen straight hours. In addition, the prospects of eating dinner at 11 would not be very popular with half of the event's guests.

"We have logistics to work out still."



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