Who's Who in Carolina Kitchens

In investigating the shining stars of Carolina cuisine, it's easy to get lost in a sea of letters: CEC, CCC, AAC, etc. It was all very mysterious to me, but obviously very, very important in the world of fine dining.

I found out that the initials stand for different levels of achievement reached by professional chefs.

The American Culinary Federation (ACF) oversees the testing and certification process, the only comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. CEC stands for "Certified Executive Chef" and CCC is "Certified Chef de Cuisine."

Also, there's CMA, "Certified Master Chef," an honor obtained by only a handful of culinarians. If you see CMA after someone's name, be very impressed.

Ditto with "AAC," the American Academy of Chefs, a national honor society of chefs enshrined in the Chefs Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, FL.

CCE is Certified Culinary Educator; CEPC indicates a Certified Executive Pastry Chef. There are still more. You can find a complete list of certification programs on the ACF's website.

It's all arranged in a strict heirarchy that governs kitchens (and payscales) across the country. The ACF led the drive to establish professional status for chefs, creating educational standards and standardized (and much higher) wages for culinarians.

ACF apprentices train at 100 programs nationwide at food service departments such as the Ritz-Carlton, Disney World, Opryland and The Cloister on Sea Island.

ACF also represents the United States in the World Association of Cooks Societies, a worldwide organization of 1.5 million chefs in 54 countries. Every four years, members of the ACF compete against teams from other countries in the so-called "Culinary Olympics" held in Berlin.

The Culinary Federation pursues an aggressive continuing education campaign both for its members and the general public on hot culinary trends.

The Chef and The Child Foundation, the ACF's major charitable arm, fights childhood hunger nationwide.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN CHARLOTTE'S BEST MAGAZINE]