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Press ReleaseCulinary Students Compete for Title of ACF Western Region Student Chef of the Year at Regional Cook-Off in New Mexico Next MonthSt. Augustine, Fla., January 18, 2010—Four culinary students from Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Washington will come face-to-face in the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Western Region Student Chef of the Year competition next month. Sponsored by Custom Culinary, Inc., the competition takes place Saturday Feb. 6, during the 2010 ACF Western Regional Conference, held at the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, Albuquerque, N.M. Students were nominated by an ACF chapter for their ability to cook, level of skill, strong understanding of cooking fundamentals and classical-cooking foundation. The award recognizes an up-and-coming student who possesses a high degree of professionalism, culinary skill and passion for the culinary arts. At the regional competition, students will prepare four portions of a main dish or a dessert. A panel of judges will select the winner based on cooking skills, menu taste and professionalism. The winner will be announced at the Celebrating Regional Excellence Awards Gala, Monday, Feb. 8. The winner will represent the Western region in the national competition in Anaheim, Calif., in August. The 2010 ACF Western Region Student Chef of the Year candidates are: Arizona Twenty-year-old Julie Fiedler was inspired to pursue a career in culinary arts after taking classes at Higley High School in her hometown of Gilbert, Ariz. During her senior year, she participated in a culinary-arts program and was awarded a full-tuition bachelor’s degree scholarship. She now attends The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Phoenix, Phoenix, and is set to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in culinary management in September. From 2007 to 2009, she was on the school’s student culinary team. In September 2009, the team competed against Iron Chef Michael Symon on Food Network’s Iron Chef America. In November 2009, the team traveled to China, where they competed and won eight medals at the FHC China Junior Chef Culinary Competition. Fielder is a member of ACF Chefs Association of Arizona, Inc. Colorado Growing up in St. Louis, Jeffrey Dietzler had an adventurous and artistic side. He enjoyed snowboarding, skateboarding, and drawing and painting. In high school, he took several culinary classes and realized he could make a living out of cooking. Today, the 22-year-old is a fourth-year student at Johnson & Wales University, Denver. He has an associate degree in culinary arts and will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in foodservice management in May 2010. In Denver, he works as a prep chef at Bistro Boys Catering. Dietzler describes his food as rustic with simple presentation. He is a member of ACF Colorado Chefs Association. Utah Andrew Corrao, of American Fork, Utah, is a student at Utah Valley University in Orem, pursuing an associate degree in culinary arts. Corrao hopes to make a difference where he works through hard work, being positive and continuing to learn every day. His philosophy on food is to develop as much flavor as possible, use fresh, local and healthy ingredients, and to create food that not only is appealing to the eyes, but also satisfies the palate. Corrao hopes to be culturally diverse and to learn different cooking styles and procedures. He has received numerous awards, including two silver medals and two bronze medals in culinary competitions. In 2009, he was named Utah Student Chef of the Year by ACF Beehive Chefs Chapter Inc. Washington For 20-year-old Emily Wallace, of Winlock, Wash., pursuing a career in the culinary field has been a lifelong dream. Today, she is a student at Renton Technical College in Renton, Wash., pursuing an associate degree. During her first year of college, she became the second alternate on the school’s junior ACF culinary team. In September 2009, she competed at the 2009 Washington State Seafood Festival in Shelton, Wash., to try out for the 2010 junior ACF culinary team. At the competition, she won two gold medals and an award for best recipe overall. In addition to classes and cooking competitions, she works for the college’s catering program. Wallace is a member of ACF Washington State Chefs Association. Hundreds of chefs, cooks and foodservice professionals will attend the three-day culinary event in New Mexico. There will be educational seminars, culinary demos, networking and social functions, culinary competitions, meal events and more. For information, or to register to attend, visit www.acfchefs.org or call (800) 624-9458. Sponsors of the 2010 ACF Western Regional Conference and ACF national award sponsors are: American Technical Publishers; Avocados from Mexico; Barry Callebaut; Boyd Coffee Company; California Rice Commission; Canada Cutlery Inc.; The Colorado Potato Administrative Committee; Custom Culinary, Inc.; Diamond Crystal Salt; Fisher-Nickel Inc.; King & Prince Seafood; Koch Foods, Inc.; MARS Food Services; MenuMax; Nestlé Professional; NEWCHEF Fashion Inc.; R.L. Schreiber, Inc.; Riviana Foods Inc.; Splenda®; Sysco New Mexico, LLC; TexaSweet Citrus Marketing, Inc.; The Sterno Group; Tyson Food Service; Unilever Foodsolutions; Vitamix Corp.; and Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org. # # # To arrange interviews, for a high-res photo or for press credentials to attend, contact Patricia Carroll or Leah Craig. Contact: Patricia Carroll Leah Craig |
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