Cornell Dining chefs take home medals from Tastes of the World culinary contest at UMass
by Rachel Joseph
Congratulations to chefs Anthony Cecala, Jacob Kuehn, Josh Holden, and Stephen Snyder of Cornell Dining who took home medals at the Annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Contest earlier this month at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. The 20th annual event took place June 15th-20th.
Cornell Dining received a bronze medal in the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Team Competition for their three-course menu consisting of Lemon Herb Poached Cod with Homemade Porcini Pasta and Spring Vegetable Ragoût; Roulade of Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Bell Peppers, Pan Roasted Root Vegetables, and Pomegranate Gastrique; and Caramelized Apple and Raisin Bread Pudding topped with Shaved Dark Chocolate and finished with a Blueberry Crème Anglaise.
They were also selected for a gold medal for their buffet entrée by a panel of UMass Culinary Conference attendees. The winning dish, Pulled Pork Tacos Pico de Gallo with Lemon Zest Crème, will be featured on the Campbell’s Kitchen web site. For this event, competitors had to use V8 vegetable juice in a recipe.
Conference organizers say, "We are in the midst of a global revival of food conscious students. Our millennial diners want healthy cuisine that is rich with flavors, yet embraces environmental responsibility. American food is becoming increasingly influenced by world cuisine." All of the teams were provided with the necessary equipment for the competition, and "the tools and the inspiration to create dishes that will entice a generation of diners in search of something new, healthy, sustainable, and delectable."