Executive Director Hugh Austin recently unveiled plans for the new Georgia International Convention Center during a meeting of area business leaders in the convention center's Culinary Arts Center.

Austin introduced architectural drawings for the new center, which will be built at Camp Creek Parkway and Roosevelt Highway in College Park and completed in early 2003. The gathering was at a holiday chef's table presented by Proof of the Pudding Catering.

The center is moving because the current facility has been purchased by the city of Atlanta and Hartsfield International Airport for construction of the airport's fifth runway.

Austin enthusiastically presented a finalized schematic of the facility's floor plan, which was recently approved. The plan for the new 400,000-sq. ft. facility includes a 40,000-sq. ft. ballroom, making it the largest in the state; 150,000 square-feet of exhibition space; 15,000 square feet of flexible meeting space; three executive board rooms; a VIP green room; and a 20-person capacity tasting room, in the Culinary Arts Center.

After Austin's remarks, leaders from area businesses, including the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce, Beers Construction, Benchmarc Sites, Delta Air Lines, Beulah Heights Bible College, NACOM, The Alliance, AT&T, Mt. Paran North and the Sheraton Gateway were treated to the holiday chef's table.

Guests sampled an array of cuisine prepared by Proof of the Pudding and the convention center's executive chef, Dennis Graeff.

The menu items represented a variety of foods that can be personalized for social occasions and corporate events conducted at the facility.

The menu included ox tail soup, seared scallops with beet vinaigrette, carpaccio of beef with fresh artichoke and tomato salad, braised veal chop with horseradish demi glace, lamb shank oven-roasted with lentils and wild yukon river salmon with orange beurre blanc.

Decadent desserts served to the group included a pear tart, fresh lemon tart, chocolate-coffee praline mousse with chocolate glaze and a caramel crunch tart. Below is a recipe for one of Proof's holiday desserts.

Proof of the Pudding's Simply Scrumptious Cranberry Pecan Torte

24 ounces cream cheese

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 whole eggs

24 ounces dried cranberries

2 cups pecan pieces

Mix cream cheese and sugar together. Add eggs. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes in a nine-inch spring form pan in a water bath.