2012 AWARDS & RECOGNITION
The 12th annual Culinary Challenge showcased the skills of chefs at member institutions in an exciting live-action competition presented at the NACUFS national conference. The contestants, chosen in regional culinary challenges, each had 60 minutes with an additional five minutes for plating, to produce four portions of a creative entrée using flounder as the mandatory ingredient, with side dishes and sauces to create a nutritionally balanced plate. Laura Strunk from the University of Notre Dame, was awarded first place in this year’s competition. Strunk won the challenge and a gold medal from the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Receiving second place and an ACF gold medal was Manfred Werner Edler from Villanova University; Cesar Tovar of Rice University took home third place and an ACF silver medal. ACF Silver Medals were awarded to Mary Ferrer of the University of California, Berkeley, Philip Edwards of Concordia College, and Nery Trigueros of Cornell University, who also was voted “People’s Choice winner by those who completed ballots at the competition. Three certified executive chefs judged the competition. Judging criteria were based on the taste of the finished product, the demonstration of cooking skills and culinary techniques, and the practice of organizational skills, including sanitation principles.
Top: The 2012 Culinary Challenge contestants and judges. Left: Culinary Challenge winner Laura Strunk presents her dish to the judges. Right: 2012 Culinary Challenge chair Jonna Anne shows off the mandatory ingredient, flounder.
Chef Laura Strunk (above) prepares her winning dish.
71 C A M P U S D I N I N G TO DAY
CULINARY CHALLENGE
R E C O G N I T I O N
Watch the 2013 Culinary Challenge live on July 11 during the national conference in Minneapolis.