Thursday, September 6, 2012

FENI 2013: It's All About Pastry

The 15th Annual FENI Summit is All About Pastry!  The summit, February 15-17, 2013, will take place in Chicago, IL.  Master classes will focus on: the art of chocolate, methods and techniques, artisan baking, the art of sugar, and desserts.  FENI is in cooperation with "Kings of Pastry" at the French Pastry School  (www.frenchpastryschool.com), The International Culinary School at the Illinois Institute of Art - Chicago and Including Pastry Chefs from Chicago's Premier Culinary Institutions.  Please visit fenisummit.com for the agenda and the full list of master classes.




Saturday, April 14, 2012

Sweet Inspiration Honey Brochure Joins Free Resources Available at www.Honey.com

The award-winning, new Sweet Inspiration brochure is the latest complimentary resource from the National Honey Board, available to foodservice professionals at www.honey.com (http://www.honey.com/nhb/foodservice/resources). Chock-full of innovative recipes, color photography, usage tips and other information, the robust new brochure recently captured an Addy award for color-brochure design in the American Advertising Federation-Coastal California awards competition.
Mouthwatering photographs accompany honey-inspired recipes ranging from Meatballs with Honey-Harissa-Pomegranate Glaze to Grilled Tuna with Fried Oysters and Honey ‘Cue. In addition to highlighting honey’s culinary properties and benefits, including balance, functionality and versatility, the Sweet Inspiration brochure provides honey-substitution information for baking and cooking. The brochure also includes honey measurement, storage and handling tips.

Other free resources available to foodservice professionals at www.honey.com include:

  • Sweetening the Pot with Honey poster (full-color, laminated, 16”x24”)
  • Honey Culinary Instruction Kit (teaching guide, available as a download or CD)
  • Hot from the Hive e-newsletter (honey information and inspiration delivered quarterly)
  • Honey Cocktail Guide: coming in Summer 2012 (pre-orders now being accepted)
The National Honey Board is a federal research and promotion board under USDA oversight that conducts research, marketing and promotion programs to help maintain and expand markets for honey and honey products. These programs are funded by an assessment of one cent per pound on domestic and imported honey.

Friday, April 13, 2012

California Raisin Marketing Board Calls for Entries in Fifth-Annual “America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest”

The California Raisin Marketing Board’s (CRMB) fifth annual America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest is now open and all industry professionals and student bakers are encouraged to enter their most mouthwatering masterpieces in one or all of the three categories of this competition: Artisan, Commercial and Breakfast. All eligible contestants are:
  • Bakers and research & development staff of commercial baking companies
  • Craft bakers and retail shop owners/managers 
  • Certified baking teachers
  • Students in accredited baking programs 
  • Bakery technicians at bakery supply wholesalers, flour milling companies and other allied bakery ingredient suppliers 
  • 18 years or older
Entries are accepted through July 15, 2012. Contest application, rules and additional details are available at www.loveyourraisins.com. The contest features categories in two divisions, professional and student.
Luminita Cirstea was a recent co-grand-prize winner in “America’s Best Raisin Bread Contest” thanks to her entry, Raisin Rye Bread.
“This competition celebrates the creativity of both seasoned professionals and rising stars in the baking world, while highlighting the versatility of California Raisins as a flavor-packed ingredient,” says Larry Blagg, senior vice president of marketing for the CRMB. “The contest is an ideal way to showcase the endless varieties of delicious bread products that can be made from world-renowned California Raisins.”

Preliminary contest judging will take place in August. A total of 36 finalists will receive a complimentary trip to the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kan., October 11-13, 2012, where they will bake their formulas before a panel of distinguished judges from both the artisan and commercial baking industries. A total of 12 winners—nine in the professional division and three in student division—will be selected.

 

Winners will be selected based on their formula’s taste, appearance, originality and value. The California Raisin Marketing Board seeks to encourage the use of healthy ingredients. Formulas that feature 100% whole grains and/or gluten-free ingredients will be awarded in each division.

In addition to industry-wide recognition, winning bakers will receive a five-day California educational vacation with visits to The Culinary Institute of America and Yosemite National Park.

Friday, April 6, 2012

McCamic of The Chef’s Academy Receives Wines of Australia Scholarship

Mary Margaret McCamic, instructor of wine and communication studies at the Morrisville, N.C., campus of The Chef’s Academy (www.thechefsacademy.com), the Culinary Division of Harrison College, recently was awarded the prestigious Wines of Australia Scholarship.

The overall top-scoring graduates of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) Diploma of Wine and Spirits (DWS) program of study in five markets—Canada, United States, Europe, Asia/Pacific and Ireland—are awarded the scholarship by Wines of Australia. McCamic completed her DWS studies, the highest level offered through WSET, last September and, based upon her overall results, was the nation’s top scorer to earn the designation as Wines of Australia’s 2011 United States representative.

McCamic
McCamic is among nine scholarship recipients worldwide who gained a unique insight into the Australian wine industry with an eight-day study excursion last month. Prior to receiving the competitive award, McCamic earned her bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing and her master’s degree in teaching from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As she was settling into her career as a high-school English teacher, McCamic developed a passion for wine, leading her to study at New York’s International Wine Center in Manhattan, where she completed her WSET wine courses, one of the most challenging courses of wine study in the United States.

“I am truly grateful to be given this remarkable opportunity to learn about the Australian wine community and to grow as a professional,” said McCamic. “The Wines of Australia Scholarship will provide me with new knowledge that will allow me to enhance my teaching at The Chef’s Academy, contributing significantly to the success of the organization and its students.”


Harrison College is a 110-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers 40 degree programs in five schools of study.

“At The Chef’s Academy, we are so proud that Mary Margaret’s hard work has been honored with this accolade,” said Jayson Boyers, national division president. “I am excited that our students will be able to reap the reward of Mary Margaret’s experience.”

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Offers Certified Master Chef Preparation Program for Faculty and Staff

Focused on excellence in culinary education at all levels, Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) College of Culinary Arts is now offering a Certified Master Chef Preparation Program for full-time faculty and academic staff. This new program prepares qualified LCB employees to sit for the Certified Master Chef (CMC) exam—the industry’s highest level of achievement. Not only will the program provide an opportunity for staff to expand their skill set, but those who successfully complete the program will be able to gain recognition for their achievements from the American Culinary Federation.

“Le Cordon Bleu is dedicated to offering the highest level of support and development for our staff,” said Edward Leonard, CMC, vice president and corporate executive chef of Le Cordon Bleu. “The program will help our staff master their craft and demonstrate their vast industry experience and credentials to our students.”
 
Leonard
The CMC certification is the most rigorous professional certification granted to U.S. chefs, requiring 130 hours of instruction, menu preparation and timed cooking tests leading up to an eight-day exam. Certified Master Chefs must possess advanced professional culinary skills, kitchen safety and sanitation knowledge and have mastered cooking techniques.

Interested LCB employees must meet all Career Education Corporation and ACF requirements and be nominated by their campus president and executive chef to participate. The program includes assessments tailored to reflect the judging and scoring process of the CMC exam. Participants in the program also receive 12 to 15 months of direct mentoring and support from Leonard. Ferdinand Metz, CMC, LCB executive dean and chairman of the LCB National Advisory Board, along with other Certified Master Chefs, will advise and assist during the training. Leonard and Metz are two of only 72 CMCs nationwide.


Le Cordon Bleu, a member of the Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) network of universities, colleges and schools, is one of the largest providers of quality culinary arts education worldwide. For more information about Le Cordon Bleu, visit
www.Chefs.edu.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Kendall College Chef-Instructor and Alum Win Inaugural Culinology® Competition

The team of Eric Stein, M.S., R.D., a chef-instructor at the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts, and Jaime Mestan, C.S.C., a Kendall College culinary alum (‘08) and research chef at Ed Miniat, Inc., in South Holland, Ill., took first place in the inaugural Professional Culinology® Competition, March 23 in San Antonio, Texas, held in conjunction with the Research Chefs Association’s (RCA) Annual Conference and Culinology® Expo.

Stein and Mestan beat two other teams, winning a gold medal and a $5,000 cash award with their entry of lobster paella bites, chicken and white-bean empanadillas and loaded patatas bravas (a cherished white-potato tapa of Spain). The competition, which was sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), called for entries to consist of three frozen heat-and-serve tapas suitable for serving in a casual restaurant chain.

Prior to the competition, each team shipped its frozen products to San Antonio. On competition day, each team created the fresh versions of its commercialized concepts and was judged in part against how well the plated, commercialized products matched up against the fresh gold standards. Entries were judged by a panel of culinary R&D experts against criteria that included originality of concept, nutritional profile, manufacturing feasibility, flavor, aroma, texture, presentation and safety standards. The team of Stein and Mestan was announced as the winner at the RCA’s Awards Luncheon on March 24.

Following the announcement, Stein expressed a newfound appreciation for the role of chefs who work and create within two worlds—culinary arts and food science—the perfect melding of which results in satisfied diners and successful foodservice operators. “Participating in this competition and attending the RCA conference really gave me a better understanding of the diversity within the field of Culinology®,” he said.


The discipline of Culinology® was pioneered by the Research Chefs Association with the organization’s founding in 1996. The RCA represents more than 2,000 members including chefs, food scientists, technologists, writers, nutritionists, academicians, researchers, consultants, sales and marketing professionals, suppliers, co-packers, distributors and students. RCA is the premier source of culinary and technical information for the food industry and is committed to the advancement of Culinology®—the blending of the culinary arts and food science. For more information, visit
www.culinology.com.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts Names America’s Best High School Chef and Pastry Chef

On March 3, 31 high-school students from throughout the New York metro area competed for the distinguished titles of America’s Best High School Chef and Pastry Chef in the fourth-annual competition sponsored by the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts in the Bronx.

The prizes were academic scholarships to attend Monroe College. First-place prize was a full academic scholarship to the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management; second- and third-place prizes were partial academic scholarships worth $3,500 and $2,500, respectively, and prizes for all competitors were partial academic scholarships worth $1,500. Monroe awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to the contestants.




Yocary Luna of Food and Finance High School in Manhattan was crowned America’s Best High School Chef for her Stuffed Chicken—Teriyaki Style with sauté of fingerling potatoes and string beans.

Laura Sanchez of Passaic County Technical High School, Passaic, N.J., was named America’s Best High School Pastry Chef with her White Coating Chocolate Raspberry Tower, consisting of double-chocolate-chip brownies filled with cannoli cream and sided with French vanilla ice cream.

“I was impressed with all of the entrants, not just the winners,” said Dr. Frank Costantino, CCE, CEC, AAC, dean of the School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts. “They have bright futures in culinary. It’s interesting to note that the students who are currently among the leaders on the Monroe College Culinary teams are former winners of this competition.”


Here’s a list of the winners:

America’s Best High School Chef
First place—Yocary Luna, Food & Finance High School, New York City
Second place—Nashali Rivera, Food & Finance High School, New York City
Third place (tie)—Rossella Cangialosi, East Meadow High School, Long Island, N.Y., and Rondy Mendoza, Truman High School, Bronx, N.Y.

America’s Best High School Pastry Chef
 
First place—Laura Sanchez, Passaic County Technical High School, Passaic, N.J. 
Second place—Chelsea Taylor, Frankford High School, Philadelphia 
Third place (tie)—Mikea Rivers, Frankford High School, Philadelphia, and Laura Szanto, Paul D. Schreiber High School, Port Washington, N.Y.

For more information on Monroe College, visit www.monroecollege.edu.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

College of DuPage's Kramer Wins 2012 Produce Excellence Award

Chef David Kramer, associate professor of culinary arts at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill., is one of six chefs and foodservice professionals nationwide to win a 2012 United Fresh Produce Excellence in Foodservice Award. Nominated by Chicago-based Testa Produce, Inc., Kramer won in the Business in Industry & Colleges category. The awards program, created by the United Fresh Produce Association and sponsored by PRO*ACT, honors chefs and their companies for innovative and influential use of produce in the culinary arts.  
The winners were selected from nearly 120 nominations submitted by produce companies and foodservice operations across North America. A panel of produce and foodservice-industry leaders reviewed each nominee’s demonstrated incorporation of fresh produce into menu development, use of protocols for correct storage and handling of produce, leadership in produce-related community service, and special events and recognition by their company and industry peers.

A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and
a College of DuPage instructor for the past 10 years, Kramer has previously been honored with the Presidential Medallion from the American Culinary Federation, both nationally and through his local chapter. He received the Silver Plate Award from Meals on Wheels as a result of his ongoing involvement in that organization and has worked as a consultant within the local restaurant community, helping to mentor individuals interested in opening a restaurant.

“We’re thrilled to see David receive this national recognition for his work as a culinarian, in general, and for his innovation and commitment to fresh produce, in particular,” says Peter Testa, president of Testa Produce, Inc. “He understands both the fantastic opportunities and rigorous challenges that the produce category presents and finds innovative ways to ensure that his students leave well prepared on both ends of that spectrum.”


Kramer will receive his award and appear on a Top Chefs panel at the United Fresh 2012 Produce Show in Dallas in May.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone Names Scott Education Dean

Russell Scott, one of only 66 Certified Master Chefs in the United States, has been named dean of education of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone, effective April 2, 2012. In his new role, Scott will be responsible for the quality and effectiveness of all education programs at the CIA campus in St. Helena, Calif. He will oversee faculty and staff on the education team, direct the development and delivery of the curriculum, and lead the support of students enrolled in the campus’ degree and certificate programs.
Scott was previously an associate professor at the college’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus from 1998 to 2005. During that time, he taught several culinary courses and served as executive chef and instructor in the American Bounty Restaurant. “It is very gratifying to rejoin the CIA family and to once again be part of the jet stream of culinary knowledge,” he says. “I am indeed privileged to be able to work directly with the finest staff and faculty in hospitality education.”

“We are excited to welcome Chef Scott back to the CIA,” says college provost and Certified Master Chef Mark Erickson. “His culinary background and experience coupled with his commitment to education will be a tremendous asset to our Greystone campus.”


Between his stints at the CIA, Scott was executive chef of the Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, Fla. Earlier in his career, he was executive chef at the Hotel Nikko in Los Angeles and the Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, Calif. He is also the proprietor of the Gore-Scott Hospitality Partnership, which consists of restaurants and wine shops in Florida, New York, California and Colorado.


The American Culinary Federation honored Russell Scott as the USA’s Chef of the Year™ for 2008 and presented him with its Chef Professionalism Award in 2011. Representing the United States in the Global Chefs Challenge in 2009, he took second place among chefs from throughout the Americas.


Scott won numerous medals as a member and captain of teams competing in the quadrennial Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (commonly known as the “Culinary Olympics”) and Culinary World Cup between 1996 and 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in alternative medicine from Everglades University in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and an associate degree in culinary arts from the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh.


With Scott’s return to the CIA, the college now has eight Certified Master Chefs on its education team and administration, more than any other organization.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

CET's 2012 Spring Digital Edition is Now Available

 
Welcome to Chef Educator Today's 2012 Spring Digital Edition. Spring CET Cover

 
The CET digital magazine includes all the same great content as the print edition, but also offers online exclusives and enhanced capabilities that allow you to:
 
• View on all Ipads!
• Easily share articles via e-mail
• Click on hyperlinks in both articles and advertisements to obtain further resources
• Zoom in and out of articles and advertisements
• Instantly search by keyword for the content in the current issue or the archives
• Print articles and/or download for offline viewing 
The best part is the CET digital edition requires no special downloads or applications to view the magazine online in its entirety. 
 
Click HERE to begin reading now!

We hope you enjoy this issue.
Feel free to contact us with your thoughts and feedback at cet@talcott.com.

Sincerely,
The CET Team

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Barnes Named New Head of Continuing Education at The Culinary Institute of America

Certified Master Chef and culinary industry veteran Brad Barnes ('87), CMC, CCA, AAC, has been named senior director of continuing education at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA).

Barnes previously served as senior director of culinary education at the CIA, where he helped restructure the associate-degree programs and played an integral part in the development and implementation of the new CIA Academic Delivery System.
Working from the school’s Hyde Park, N.Y., campus, Barnes will introduce innovations to the existing three-part curriculum in the department: Food Enthusiast classes, including Culinary Boot Camps and weekend classes; the ProChef® Certification program; and CIA Consulting, which offers creative marketing and menu solutions to the industry.

“We are very excited and gratified to have an esteemed alumnus such as Chef Barnes to lead our Continuing Education initiatives,” said CIA Provost Mark Erickson ('77), CMC. “His vision, enhanced by his high-profile culinary accomplishments, will be very effective in guiding the department into the next decade.”

“The Continuing Education Department is the public face of the CIA,” Barnes said. “My objective is to keep its offerings fresh and in line with advancements in the culinary industry. My strength is my professional culinary background; I speak the language of this field and will bring those skills to bear in course development and industry connectivity.”

CIA alumnus Barnes is the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM) professor at the CIA. Before returning to his alma mater in 2009, Barnes was president of GigaChef, LLC, a consulting company for hotels and high-volume foodservice. He previously held executive-chef positions for a variety of establishments, including 64 Greenwich Avenue and Nancy Allen Rose Catering in Greenwich, Conn. Active in the American Culinary Federation, Barnes is chair of its Certified Master Chef Committee, a certified competition judge, and the recipient of several honors, including the ACF President’s Award. The co-author of three books, he served as coach for Culinary Team USA at the Internationale Kochkhunst Ausstellung (IKA) in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

ACF Partners with Indianapolis’ The Chef’s Academy to Offer Scholarships Totaling $20,000

High-school students seeking assistance with the rising cost of culinary school are in luck. The American Academy of Chefs (AAC), the honor society of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the nation’s largest professional chefs organization, and The Chefs Academy (TCA), an ACFEF-accredited program in Indianapolis, are pleased to announce four new scholarships available for students accepted to TCA, totaling $5,000 over four years.

“ACF is thrilled to be working with TCA to provide scholarships that will help mold tomorrow’s culinary leaders,” said Rajeev Patgaonkar, CEC, AAC, ACFEF AAC Scholarship Committee chair. “This partnership shows that TCA is dedicated to helping students achieve their goals. We hope that high school students will look into the scholarship requirements and submit their applications by the April 30 deadline.
 
 
Four yearly scholarships of $625 per academic term for four years will be awarded and applied directly to students’ accounts at TCA. Scholarships are available for high-school students who have been accepted to TCA and plan on becoming a chef. Applications are available at www.acfchefs.org/scholarships and are due April 30 of each year. Scholarship money will be applied in the fall semester. The AAC Scholarship Committee will select the 2012 winners in June.

“We are proud to partner with the American Culinary Federation,” said Jayson Boyers, national division president at The Chef’s Academy. “Our organizations share a deep commitment to educating the culinary leaders of the future and these scholarships will be tremendously appreciated by students looking for assistance in achieving their dream to become a chef.”


Who is eligible?

• Exemplary students who have maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher during their senior year
• High-school seniors eligible to graduate the same year as the scholarship is applied for
• Students who are currently accepted to TCA with a major in culinary or pastry arts
• Those with a career goal of becoming a chef or pastry chef

What do I need to apply?

• Completed application and essay
• Two letters of recommendation from industry culinary professionals and/or culinary educators
• Sealed final official transcript showing current GPA

The American Academy of Chefs offers educational scholarships to high=school students entering culinary school, as well as to those currently attending culinary school. The scholarships are given throughout the year to qualified applicants who meet a strict set of requirements. These scholarships help young culinarians achieve their educational goals. Last year, the AAC, through its partnerships, distributed $46,000 in scholarship funds to culinary students. In addition to TCA, AAC also currently offers scholarships to Johnson & Wales University and The Culinary Institute of America.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Deadline for 2012 FENI Educator of the Year Award Nominations Is January 9

Two foodservice educators, one representing secondary education and one representing postsecondary, will be named the 2012 FENI Educators of the Year. 

Each award recipient will receive a commemorative plaque and a $250 grant.

FENI welcomes awards sponsor Robot Coupe U.S.A. For more than 30 years,
Robot Coupe U.S.A. has been the foodservice-industry leader in the development and refinement of commercial food processors and vegetable-preparation units.
 
NEW in 2012: Nominees need NOT be present at the 2012 FENI Educators Summit in Chicago to be eligible. Award recipients will be announced at the Award of Excellence Reception on Saturday, February 11, at the Hotel Allegro. Award recipients who are not present will receive their plaques and checks by mail. Both recipients will receive full media-relations support from Talcott Communications Corp.

2012 CATEGORIES/ELIGIBILITY

1. High-School Educator: Any high-school instructor of a culinary-arts or nutrition program that leads to a diploma or certificate (minimum 1,000 hours of teaching experience).
2. Postsecondary Educator: Any instructor who teaches culinary arts or nutrition in a non-high-school program that leads to a degree or certificate (minimum 1,000 hours of teaching experience).

Note: You may nominate yourself for this award. Previous nominators, applicants and winners are eligible to apply. The deadline for all nominations is January 9, 2012 (postmarked). All who apply will be contacted via e-mail or phone regarding their status prior to the 2012 FENI Summit in Chicago.


For complete information on FENI’s Educator of the Year Award program for 2012 and to download a nomination form, visit
www.fenisummit.com.
For registration questions, contact Naurice Olivera at nolivera@talcott.com or (800) 229-1967, ext. 233.

Click
HERE to view the complete FENI program including Master Classes!

The FENI Summit is brought to you by:


Daniel von Rabenau, FENI Executive Director

Produced by Chef Educator Today magazine and Talcott Communications Corp.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Kendall College School of Culinary Arts Student Wins Weeklong Culinary Excursion to Taiwan

Kendall College School of Culinary Arts student Tayler Moore, a 20-year old sophomore pursuing his bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, won an all-expenses-paid weeklong trip to experience the foods and flavors of Taiwan in the first cookoff of its kind at Kendall College on Dec. 12. The competition, hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago, highlighted the official launch of Taiwan’s Government Information Office’s multilingual Web site (http://taiwanfoodculture.net) celebrating Taiwan’s diverse foodways. Moore’s winning dish featured a chicken thigh fabricated to resemble a lollipop.

“I feel blessed,” said an excited Moore when his win was announced. “I can’t wait to go to Taiwan.” Prior to the cookoff, Moore spent considerable hours researching Taiwanese cooking online, and developed a few possible entries before ultimately choosing “Taiwanese-Style Three Cup Chicken.” The dish’s name comes from Moore’s use of a cup each of soy sauce, dry sherry and sesame oil, seasoned for depth and balance and reduced to create a rich sauce. For the judges, Moore presented the chicken-thigh “lollipop” over a bed of pickled mustard greens, spooned sauce over the chicken, and crowned the dish with a vinaigrette-dressed salad of Thai basil and cilantro. A drizzle of chili oil finished the presentation.




(l. to r.) Ger, Tsai, Moore, Mei-chuan Chen (executive press officer, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago), Koetke. Courtesy of Kendall College/Eric Futran.

Competing Kendall students had 90 minutes to prepare four portions of their entries, which were evaluated on flavor and proper seasoning, plate presentation, texture/mouthfeel and proper doneness. Although encouraged to elevate homestyle dishes and typical Taiwanese street foods to make them marketable within a fine-dining setting, students were instructed to strive for authenticity of cooking methods and ingredients use. So impressed were judges with the overall caliber of entries that the top four dishes scored within a mere two-point spread. (Two students tied for second place; the third-place student scored two points below Moore.)

Judging the cookoff were Baushuau Ger, director general of TECO in Chicago; Christopher Koetke, CEC, CCE, executive director of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and vice president of Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Culinary Arts; and Meilie Tsai of the Taiwan School in Lombard, Ill. Tsai, who will chaperone Moore in Taiwan during his weeklong culinary excursion, worked with competing Kendall College students weeks in advance of the cookoff to instruct on basic principles of classic and contemporary Taiwanese cooking.

“Here at Kendall, we are totally committed to the education of our students, and this kind of competition is amazing for a lot of reasons,” Koetke said. “We work with governments around the world, and the government of Taiwan suggested that a culinary competition would encourage students to learn more about Taiwanese cuisine. Every student in this cookoff took that challenge very seriously. Although only one student will go to Taiwan, everyone learned a lot, and that makes them all winners.”