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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Ron X. Gumucio
212.297.2113

HFM ALL-STAR CULINARY TEAM SHINES AT CATERSOURCE CONFERENCE CULINARY COMPETITION
Healthcare foodservice chefs awarded third place for tantalizing hors d'oeuvre recipe

New York, NY (February 8, 2007) - The National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management (HFM) All-Star Culinary Team took third place in the second annual Catersource/Foodservice Director magazine's Mystery Box Chef Challenge in Las Vegas, NV, last week.

HFM assembled a culinary team of award-winning hospital chefs from past HFM Culinary Competitions to compete against contracted, off-premise and hotel chefs from around the country at the Catersource 2007 15th Annual Conference and Trade Show Jan. 29.

Chefs Gary Vorstenbosch, of Presbyterian Hospital of Plano, TX, and Gary Lane of DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, who won Gold and Silver respectively in the 2005 HFM Culinary Competition, teamed up with last year's HFM gold winner, Eric Eisenberg, of Seattle's Swedish Medical Center. They produced a savory "Kebab Kufta of American Lamb on Herbed Danish Pita with Sweet Potato Humus and Orange Blossom Honey/Lavender Yogurt Emulsion" recipe that impressed the judges and secured a top spot.

"With our victory, we continue to dispel the idea that the healthcare foodservice industry is a tired profession and that the quality of hospital food is sub par," Eisenberg said. "The fact that we were able to place in the top three reinforces the point that on-staff foodservice has incredible talent and can match up against the best in the industry."

The culinary competition took place at the Rio Hotel & Suites, in Las Vegas and consisted of nine teams. Each team was given the challenge of creating a unique and exciting menu item using a list of unknown ingredients. They were then asked to create a hot or cold hors d'oeuvre recipe that would serve 24 for the competition, and produce 3,000 hors d'oeuvres, with the help of two culinary students, for the Catersource Conference's opening reception.

Teams were judged on teamwork in the kitchen, use of Mystery Box Sponsor products, presentation, taste, flavor and creativity of the hors d'oeuvre, among other things.

Competition Participants Food Presentation - closeup
Food Presentation - total view Food Presentation
The HFM All-Star Culinary team and their delectable hors d'oeuvres
at the Catersource/Foodservice Director magazine's
Mystery Box Chef Challenge in Las Vegas, NV, Jan. 29.

About HFM:
The National Society for Healthcare Foodservice Management (HFM) represents more than 2,000 on-staff foodservice professionals at acute, extended and long-term care facilities and suppliers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1988, HFM is the healthcare foodservice industry's leading resource for educational programming, professional development, advocacy and innovative business practices that increase patient and staff satisfaction, decrease costs, and define successful operation performance. HFM also provides a venue for operators and suppliers to build powerful partnerships that can compete successfully in today's fast-changing healthcare environment.

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