Chef Hassan Mahmoud Ahmed, Le Meridien

"Chef Hassan Mahmoud Ahmed, Pastry Chef at Le Meridien Heliopolis, demonstrating to Management new skills he recently learned in the Egyptian Chefs Association's Cookies workshop. It was this morning, a great success. In photo: General Manager  Mamdouh Farag  (left) and Director of Revenue, Moustafa El Kerdany, standing next to Chef Hassan."

Faten Halim, Director of Training, Six Sigma Green Belt, Le Meridien Heliopolis

 

WORKSHOP: Making the Perfect Cookie (March 1-2)

"I must tell you the feed back of my  participant in the Cookies training conducted  by Chef Abdel Moneim Ghoneim (photo).

First of all the organization  and planning of the event were extremely well done.

Chef Abdel Moneim is a real professional, he helped Chef Hassan Mahmoud Ahmed and encouraged him, he is a real model for the young chefs.

Chef Hassan returned extremely enthusiastic and is planning to give the Management a presentation beginning of next week, he wants to show us all what he learned."

 

Faten Halim, Director of Training, Six Sigma Green Belt, Le Meridien Heliopolis

Mohamed Rabiie

How do you feel you benefited from membership in the ECA?

ECA totally transformed my outlook! It allowed me to have a window on the international scene without having to travel abroad. When I first joined in 2007, I became more aware of modern kitchen skills and international culinary trends. Now I know about the WACS and the international community of chefs. That's in addition to the benefits of competitions and exhibitions. Competing is a very enriching process, it helps you develop self-confidence and learn from each other. Besides many other benefits, exhibitions help create knowledge of new products; they provide a much needed platform for learning and great exposure for Egyptian companies and their equipment and merchandise.
M.R. - Sous Chef - Cairo Capital Club

Mohamed Hussein Nosseir

What do you like about the ECA?

All of the Association's services are very much appreciated! The Chef's Corner news section is great to know what are the new establishments with their new concepts that distinguish them from other places. Right now, we are continuing to evolve the concept of Indigo and constantly striving to improve the offerings, based on the comments of our guests, including HE Mr. Hisham Zaa'zou and Chef Markus who visit us recently. I also like the ECA bookstore where the new books are highlighted, so it's easy to stay updated with the latest arrivals. Another important service is the complete Archive of Past Winners with photos. It's great to have this documented archive online so anyone can verify records of past wins, like Top Chefs did to verify my past achievements.

M.H. - Executive Chef - Indigo Restaurant

Ergonomics!

"Ergonomics" or "human engineering" is my word to describe the Egyptian Chefs Association! Simple word to describe a society that provides all Egyptians with great support for training, and education to young chefs and senior chefs. Over the past 15 years that it's been in existence, the ECA has managed to provide excellent international curriculums in training and workshops in all kitchen aspects and sections. From culinary computations to outstanding organization skills, the result has been spectacular both domestically & internationally.

Thanks to the outstanding training and logistical support by the ECA, we can now be proud of the National team who have achieved great results as individual chefs as well as team.

It was an honor to be a part of the judging panel at the last HACE'11 culinary competitions. There, the entire ECA team was deployed, providing all a chef need from culinary books, workshop handouts, to videos and jackets... it's a society within a society, doing super work!
At HACE, what struck me was also seeing the families come out to support their young, fathers and mothers that came to encourage their young chefs to try to win; and witnessing young ladies given the chance to work in the kitchen and compete, and seeing them perform as well as the male chefs, all this was heart-warming.

I am just so proud to have been part of such a team.
Many thanks!

[Latest Gulf Gourmet Magazine issue features Chef Tarek Mouriess Gulf Gourmet Magazine]

A Winning Team

Over the past years I have watched the Egyptian Chefs Association grow more successful every year; organizing top notch competitions and training for Chefs who look forward to learning new methods and forms of cooking and challenging themselves as part of their development plans.
Our own InterContinental Citystars Chefs are proud to be part of the Egyptian Chefs Association and to represent not only our hotel, but their country, which instills a sense of national pride and gives them the opportunity to travel and learn about new cultures and their cuisine as well as sharing the best of Egypt.
We are proud to have several ECA Gold medal winners in our Kitchen Team, who are role models and inspiration for the junior ranks.
It has been an honor as InterContinental Cairo Citystars to host some of these workshops, competitions and trainings and we look forward to hosting more successful events with the Association.
Sincerely,
Thierry Perrot
Director of Operations Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) Egypt and Libya & General Manager IHG Citystars Cairo
www.intercontinental.com

What YOU Can Do

A great philosopher once said: “To be successful, you must surround yourself by people who can understand you.”
After I landed in Egypt five years ago, coming home from the United States, I was at a loss in how to contribute what I had learned and experienced overseas to the chef’s community in Egypt. I didn't know whom to speak to about what I would like to contribute and do until I met up with Chef Markus, Mirjam and the team at the Egyptian Chef Association.

Looking back at how the Association has progressed over the past five years, I must tip my hat to their accomplishments in international competitions such as the Culinary Olympics in Germany, the Gastronomy Festival in Turkey and the Culinary World Cup in Luxemburg. Now we have raised the bar of the international community’s expectation of the Egyptian chefs.

The crowning achievement will be the completion this year of two state-of-the-art culinary schools, the first ever in Egypt. My wish for the young chefs in Egypt is that they also will find the support and encouragement through our Chefs Association in attaining their goals. Remember:
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy (1961)

With all my love and thanks,

Tarek Ibrahim
Senior Consultant Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)
Trainer Culinary Ambassadors of Egypt
Senior Instructor Egyptian Chefs Association
ECA Board Member