Featured Chefs
Fred Mensinga

Chef Mensinga gained much of his culinary experience throughout Europe before coming to the United States and joining the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles in 1979. In 1985 he became Executive Chef of the Anaheim Hilton & Towers, the largest hotel in Southern California. With 1,600 deluxe guest rooms, two 29,000 square foot grand ballrooms, 52 individual meeting rooms, and three restaurants, Chef Mensinga plays a key role in the success of the organization.

 Eleven years ago, he also started Culinary Trends Magazine. The magazine is a great tool for the professional and features chef profiles and recipes. He believes that to be a good chef you must constantly be aware of what is going on in the industry. Noting up and coming trends, Chef Mensinga finds that both chefs and consumers are looking for the freshest ingredients, with a shift toward organic and natural products. Branding (like listing farm names next to items on the menu) is also being used more and more as a marketing tool.

Chef Mensinga's Recipe:
Minestrone


8 oz Garlic, chopped
1 200 pan Onions, medium diced
1 200 pan Celery, medium diced
1 200 pan Carrots, medium diced
1 200 pan Zucchini, medium diced
1 200 pan Yellow Squash, medium diced
1 200 pan Leeks, medium diced
1 200 pan Cooked Pinto Beans
#10 can Tomatoes, diced
1/2 #10 can Tomato Paste
20 gal. Water
1/2 lb Basil, fresh, chopped
1.2 lb Whole Oregano, dry
3 c #421 Haco-Swiss Vegetable Base, prepared
Fresh chopped spinach and cooked cabbage for garnish

Preparation
Sauté all vegetables, except spinach and cabbage, together with tomato paste. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add Haco-Swiss Vegetable Base. Add diced tomatoes and herbs and simmer for 15 minutes. When finished add the cabbage, the spinach and pinto beans. Garnish with Parmesan cheese before serving.