Christian Chefs Congregate in Canby for Int'l. Conference

Squeezed between last month's much buzzed-about IACP confab and the upcoming, highly anticipated International Food Bloggers tweet-and-meet in Seattle is another NW-centric international food conference that almost whizzed by without notice. That is, almost. The Christian Chefs International Conference is currently in its third — and final — day in Canby, Oregon. Geared toward "Christian cooks and chefs in (and closely related to) the culinary industry and their spouses," it was billed as a get-together to "encourage one another in both our faith and in our culinary abilities."

The CCIC, hosted by Christianchefs.org, is part of "Christian Chefs Fellowship," which "helps cooks and chefs grow closer to Jesus" and allows "God to grow you in the industry He has called you into." CCIC speakers included Bob Moore, owner of Bob's Red Mill, and Jim Krieg, former Le Cordon Bleu baking chef/instructor and the director of a Bible camp for kids. Local attendees included Mezzaluna Catering Company's Executive Chef John Paulk who tweeted about going to the conference on Tuesday.

For those who didn't get enough out of the three-day's devoted to "What Would Jesus Cook?," the organization also offers a Christian Culinary Academy aimed at providing a place where "Christians interested of [sic] entering the culinary industry can...learn the skills necessary to enter the industry with confidence...while acting as effective witnesses." The Academy is also intended to provide "Christian employers properly trained professionals with a Biblical mindset." Classes are scheduled to begin this fall. No word if any of the courses are geared toward water to wine conversions, or heavenly help on how to feed the multitudes with just a loaf of bread and a fish.
Image of "Cajun Chef Jesus" tattoo courtesy inkarttattoos.com.
· Christian Chefs [Official site]