15 Chefs Advance To Second Tryout For A C F Culinary Team U S A To Vie For Spot On Internationally Acclaimed Six-member Team

Fifteen of 26 chefs have qualified to compete in the second of two culinary competitions to determine who will be selected to represent the United States on ACF Culinary Team USA at the Culinary World Cup in Luxembourg this November and the 2012 International Culinary Art Exhibition (IKA), commonly referred to as the "culinary Olympics," in Erfurt, Germany.

The first of two tryouts for ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative team of the United States in major international culinary competition, was held Feb. 19-21 at Elgin Community College, Elgin, Ill., featuring the cold-food segment. After a grueling tryout process in which the 26 chef candidates had 17 hours to prepare, plate and present their dishes according to the guidelines, 15 were awarded medals and will advance to the hot-food segment April 11 at Elgin Community College. Twenty-eight chefs were eligible to tryout, but two were unable to attend.

"This was the beginning of the journey for Team USA, and I was thrilled with the level of excitement and professionalism from all of the competitors," said ACF Culinary Team USA Manager Steve Jilleba, CMC, CCE, AAC, corporate executive chef at Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill. "After seeing the foods that were displayed, I know that Team USA will have a great cold program in Luxemburg and at the 'culinary Olympics' in 2012. Now I am so excited to see what the finalists are going to produce in the hot kitchen in April."

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded based on a points system that represented a standard of: presentation and layout; glazing; composition and harmony of ingredients; correct preparation and craftsmanship; and serving methods and portions. Because competitors compete against a standard and not each other, there can be several competitors in each medal category.

The chefs receiving medals and selected to advance are as follows:

Gold
� Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE, Oak Forest, Ill.; associate professor, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, Ill.; ACF Louis Joliet Chapter
� Ben Grupe, St. Louis; sous chef, St. Louis Country Club, St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.
� Adam Heath, CSC, Houston; executive sous chef, River Oaks Country Club, Houston; ACF National Chapter
� Joseph Leonardi, CEC, Johnston, R.I.; executive chef, Somerset Club, Boston; ACF Rhode Island Chapter
� Timothy Prefontaine, CEC, Fort Worth, Texas; executive chef, The Fort Worth Club, Fort Worth; ACF National Chapter

Silver
� Kevin Storm, CEC, CCA, AAC, Ballwin, Mo.; executive chef, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis; Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc.

Bronze
� Kevin Doherty, CEC, CCA, Brighton, Mass.; regional executive chef, Delaware North Companies, Boston; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston
� George Gonzalez, Nashville, Tenn.; executive chef, Sodexo, Nashville; ACF Middle Tennessee Chapter
� Scott Green, CEC, Collins Center, N.Y.; executive chef, Delaware North Companies, Hamburg, N.Y.; ACF of Greater Buffalo New York
� Brian Joseph Moll, CC, Orlando, Fla.; saut� cook, Isleworth Country Club, Windermere, Fla.; ACF Central Florida Chapter
� Daryl Shular, CCC, Alpharetta, Ga.; corporate executive chef, Performance Foodservice-Milton's, Oakwood, Ga.; ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc.
� Rudy Smith, CEC, Naperville, Ill.; corporate chef, Unilever Foodsolutions, Lisle, Ill.; ACF National Chapter
� John Reed, CEC, CCA, Skokie, Ill.; owner, Customized Culinary Solutions, Skokie; ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.
� Orlando Santos, CEPC, Pittsburgh; executive pastry chef, The Duquesne Club, Pittsburgh; ACF Pittsburgh Chapter
� Eddie Tancredi, Blacklick, Ohio; sous chef, New Albany Country Club, New Albany, Ohio; ACF Columbus Chapter

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