FLORIDA

• CULINARY ACADEMY AWARDS - The Annual International Cordon d Or Gold Ribbon Awards Program is based in the Tampa Bay area in Florida.

• CULINARY WALK OF FAME - In time, the Walk will become part of the Culinary Florida Scene. Over the years, it will become a major tourist attraction, and in time take on an historical aspect

• WWW.FLORIDA-AMERICANCULINARYPARADISE.COM  website is currently under construction, and should go 'live' during the Summer of 2008  

• FLORIDA CULINARY DATABASE DIRECTORY - CULINARY INDIVIDUALS, BUSINESS GROUPS and CORPORATIONS throughout the State of Florida currently fragmented here, there and everywhere, will come together.  The Culinary Database Directory. will list the many Culinary activities and Culinarians across the Sunshine State.  Those listed, who want hyperlinks from the Directory to their own websites can arrange this, to showcase their incredible work and activities that will clearly indicate Florida is America’s Culinary Paradise.

• Members will attain the Quality Assurance Mark that our Program will introduce.  This will identify our Members, and recognize their work and establishment as a part of Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise at local, national and international levels

• FLORIDA CULINARY PROFILES - On the new Florida website, we will frequently highlight Profiles and Bios on Culinarians, Culinary establishments, Culinary Businesses and Culinary Products across the State of Florida, with photographic coverage on their activities.   

• FLORIDA FOOD & WINE SYMPOSIUM - A fun day is scheduled at the FIORELLI WINERY in the Sarasota area, on Sunday 19 October. SLOW FOOD and FARM TO THE TABLE activities will be highlighted. There will be several Presentations by Speakers from Slow Food Sarasota and John Matthews of Suncoast Food Alliance. Noreen will present a ‘Demonar’ – A Culinary demonstration, with ‘chit-chat’ on the origins, folklore and legends surrounding the ingredients,  herbs and spices used in the demonstration, followed by a tasting.  Antonio and Rosa, owners of the  Fiorelli Winery will do wine tastings. John Matthews will introduce "Your Farm to Fork Sources" Program, and arrange food tasting from local restaurants. Other activities will take place too at the Pavilion in the heart of the Vineyard. Check for updates on the Press Releases screen and the Culinary Voices of America newsletter in the near future.

• FLORIDA CULINARY ACADEMY AWARDS - Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon is delighted to introduce three NEW Prestigious Awards into the 2008 Awards Program, connected to the Florida Program. Additional Awards will follow in 2009.

• CULINARY ACADEMY AWARD – BEST RESTAURANT IN FLORIDA 2008 – Already, we have someone out in the field keeping a watchful eye on the best of the best in this field. Additional recommendations are always welcome.

• CULINARY ACADEMY AWARD – BEST WINE AND WINERY IN FLORIDA 2008 - There are Seventeen Wineries in Florida licensed by the State. Several are making their mark producing an excellent range of wines made from grapes grown in Florida. Many will be featured at the Grape Harvest Festival on Saturday 23 August, 2008. The Event takes place at the Florida A & M University in Tallahassee. Save the date and enjoy a fun day.

• CULINARY ACADEMY AWARD - SUSTAINABILITY ON THE FLORIDA  CULINARY SCENE Names of three Floridian groups have already been put forward. We await other recommendations too. 

• AGRITOURISM  DAY IN FLORIDA -  Event details to be announced in due course

• CULINARY ARTS EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS  in the fields of Hospitality and the Culinary Arts

• The AGRITOURIUM EVENT planned for late October at the Rosas Organics Farm, advertised in our publications, leaflets and on the former website since January 2008, has been postponed

• Additional ideas have been put forward for involvement and activity in the Florida Program, from the West coast to the East coast of the Sunshine State.  We are working with the people at present to initiate future activity and presentations that will be added to the Florida - America's Culinary Paradise Program in due course. Watch for announcements in our quarterly Newsletter: Culinary Voices of America

 

'GREEN GROWS THE FLORIDA SCENE'

             SUSTAINABILITY is the Buzz word today across the Culinary field and all aspects of the Green world. It plays a major part in our future plans for Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise. In Florida, we are honored to have someone in our midst who has the secret for Sustainability, and knows the route to ensuring that Florida can become America's Culinary Paradise. John Hartmann and Ocean Grown, have the proven product to help your crops and grass grow with the essential nutrients and minerals required for strength and productivity. These essential ingredients found in the oceans surrounding a greater part of the State of Florida, are missing from the soil today everywhere across the globe. Ocean Grown can help, and is already in great demand.  It will not be long before people worldwide will be clamoring for this amazing product. Undoubtedly, in time, it will prove a gold mine. John Hartmann and Ocean Grown have come out of the woodwork to join Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise Program.

          The Culinary potential in Florida is incredible. As time passes, this becomes more evident, and it is there for the taking. The Governor of Florida Charlie Crist wants to establish Florida as a Green State. The connotations of the word Green also reaches into the Culinary Arena extensively. The time is not far off when the Culinary Scene will take the lead. Together we can all make it happen. Cordon d Or Gold Ribbon wants to ensure that when people come to the Sunshine State, they will enjoy ALL aspects of Florida’s Culinary Delights, an area ignored in a 2007 survey on why people visit Florida. Shopping headed the list. Even Disney and the Beaches were further down the list of the ten top reasons to come to Florida ..... no mention of food.

            Florida - America’s Culinary Paradise Program is underway and creating great excitement as many people involved in the world of food across the State have come to the fore, and want to become involved. Basically, the Program is a promotional umbrella group, that plans to bring together all culinary and food interests from across the State. Those involved in the culinary arena around Florida who connect with our group, will carry on their own culinary and food related business activities.  As a member of our group, we find ways to encourage, help and promote them and their culinary activities to the world at large. We aim to put their name out there. This will happen through the Florida Database on the Web site; and through publicized planned activities that we might suggest to members, and help them to organize any events .  An example is the upcoming event at the Fiorelli Winery in the Sarasota area, highlighting Fiorelli Wines, Slow Food and "Your Farm to Fork Source" groups. Likewise, other planned activities and events are in the pipeline in different parts of the State. Everyone of these will be a business-run venture by the individuals and venues where they are held, with monetary returns for the organization/s involved.  The  role of the Florida Program will be to help promote and publicize it to the world at large, whereby the group/s and the venue where the activity takes place - can be seen as a part of Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise.  Also, we will run with the flow of ideas that others will put forward, and help them get their ideas and culinary activities out before the public eye, as is already happening. Little by little, it will all come together and the fragmentation will disappear. When that occurs, the world will see that Florida is America’s Culinary Paradise, with much to offer and enjoy on the Culinary stage.

             Recently, a core group came together for a meeting in central Florida, held at the Rosas Organics Farm; to discuss future ideas and plans for the Florida group,  and activities that can be organized across the State from Coast to Coast.  The strength of the Program will come from everyone wanting the same goal  - to make Florida - America's Culinary Paradise - Working together to achieve it. will strengthen and enhance their own culinary business activities as a result.  "We are all in this together." We were honored by the attendance of Randall Ewers, Mayor of Ocala who joined the group for a buffet lunch and meeting. Mayor Ewers showed great interest, and wants to see Central Florida become a part of Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise. Additional outside interest, and avenues for world wide publicity have appeared on the scene as a result of the meeting, and we are pursuing these currently. Also, it has been brought to our attention that there are potential investors out there watching for opportunities to invest their money. We are encouraging them to look at the Florida Culinary scene, and have someone now lined up to act as a ‘Broker’, to bring both sides together, via Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise.

 

            Watch for additional information and updates on the Florida Culinary scene, in the Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon ‘Culinary Voices of America’ quarterly newsletter.

 

THE ROOTS OF ‘FLORIDA – AMERICA’S CULINARY PARADISE’ PROGRAM

 

               Noreen visited Florida in 1981. There was a dearth of interest in cuisine, but great emphasis on tourism. It reminded her of the Irish scene throughout the 1960s and 1970s, when tourism was emphasized, and the potential of the food scene was overlooked.  In Ireland, Noreen had pioneered the New Irish Cuisine movement. She organized Culinary Tours across the Emerald Isle, and showed people what they could do with the excellent high quality fresh food found on their doorstep. She also introduced the Irish to national cuisines from across the globe, indicating that many of the delicious dishes found in other countries used the same ingredients found in Ireland. Noreen suggested it was time for Ireland to extend their cuisine beyond bacon and cabbage or Irish stew, and establish a New Irish Cuisine, reflecting the superb food grown throughout the land. This has now happened in Ireland. Today, Ireland is a Gourmet’s Paradise, and major player on the world food stage.

              During the 1980s, Noreen returned to Florida several times. Upscale restaurants were a rarity, and fast food was in vogue. On one visit, she went with a colleague to the newly opened Epcot center in Orlando. There, she came across a selection of international restaurants, featuring their own cuisines in elegant surroundings. She realized that there was great potential for Florida to become a Culinary Paradise, but that would take time.  In 1990, Noreen moved to Florida, and established a culinary reputation over several years.  Throughout the decade, she observed the remarkable changes on the food scene happening in Florida. With the New Century came the expansion of excellent restaurants, food and wine festivals; chef’s contests; culinary schools; organic and natural food farms; increased coverage of food activities in the media, and an avid interest in TV food programs. Noreen was a Culinary Judge at the Annual Battle of the Bay, an iron-chef’s style event to choose the best restaurant in the Tampa Bay area. In 2003, she realized that her idea and plans to establish Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise could be initiated.   The major hurdle was the culinary activities across the State were ‘fragmented’, and many were unknown. They were found here, there and everywhere. The timing was right to set up an umbrella group and bring it all together.  In 2007, Noreen announced the Program -  Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise. 

              In January 2007, at the Culinary Academy Awards event in Florida, a Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon Award Winner, who lives in Baltimore, thanked Noreen for all she does to help Culinarians gain recognition across the culinary world, and told the audience: “Noreen is truly the Grande Dame of the Culinary Arts."

              In January 2008, at the Culinary Academy Awards event in Florida, Noreen was honored by the American Culinary Federation. The President, Dr. John Kinsella awarded Noreen the ACF President’s Medallion, in recognition for her extensive work in the culinary world over several decades, and her efforts to give back to the Culinary industry. Dr. Kinsella  thanked Noreen for the help she has shown promoting members of the American Culinary Federation.

              The moment is here for everyone involved in the Culinary scene in Florida, to move forward, and make Florida a major Player on the Culinary world stage. Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon welcomes you to join us. Your ideas are important. Become an active partner in exciting plans to establish Florida – America’s Culinary Paradise, and in time be recognized as the Culinary Capital of the USA. Together, we can make it happen. And, you can become a part in ongoing plans later, for Florida to twin with another State that can be designated also as an American Culinary Paradise.

              Watch for announcements for the launch of the new Florida - America's Culinary Paradise Website, where we will feature John Hartmann and Ocean Grown in the first of many Florida Culinary Profiles.

 

IF IT CAN HAPPEN IN IRELAND – IT CAN HAPPEN IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA

	Go for it! Everyone loves to go for Gold!
	Join us - We want to hear from you soon Contact: Call Noreen at 727-347-2437         E-Mail: cordondor@aol.com                    Web: www.cordondorcuisine.com CORDON D' OR - GOLD RIBBON INC P.O. BOX  40868 ST. PETERSBURG FL 33743 - 0868