Students Receive ACF Certification

Nine graduating students from the Pierpont Culinary Academy Culinary Arts and Pastry & Baking Arts programs recently achieved professional certification.

The Newly Certified Students include:
Stacey Dent, CPC
Devin Young, CPC
Kenneth Poling, CC
Andrea Klausman, CPC
Joseph White, CC
Kellie Smith, CC
Michelle Edwards-Layman, CC
Kassie Tolley, CC
David Pyles, CC

Students met ACF national certification standards and are graduating from the ACFAC nationally accredited Pierpont Culinary Academy.

Congratulations to all!

Provencher & Smith Win Culinary Academy Awards

Maria Provencher and Kellie Smith were recently recognized at the Pierpont Community & Technical College award banquet. Provencher was named this year's recipient of the Rhodes Culinary Scholarship. In addition, she was named the 2009-2010 Outstanding Pastry & Baking Arts Student.

Kellie Smith received the Outstanding Culinary Arts Student award for 2009-2010.

Both students were members of Pierpont's Culinary Team. They both won silver medals at the ACFWV State Jr Hot Food competition in November. They also both qualified to compete in ACF North East Regional Competition in Hershey, PA where they received bronze medals.

See some of the highlights from the Awards Banquet here:
view all 23 items as a slideshow

Pierpont Culinary Wins Bronze at NE Regional

Pierpont Culinary Academy, representing ACF West Virginia, recently competed in the American Culinary Federation North East Regional competition in Hershey, PA. The team earned bronze medals for the second year in a row.

The team showcased their buffet platter for eight people on Saturday. Sunday the group demonstrated their skills (vegetable cuts, chicken fabrication, fish fabrication, and pastry) in an 80 minute relay format. The group finished the competition by preparing a four course meal in 75 minutes.

The four course menu included: Paupiette de Sole Floreal; Crimson Lentil and Grain Salad with Grilled Eggplant, Mixed Greens with Walnut Vinaigrette and Red Pepper Coulis, Flax Seed Cracker; Roasted Pheasant, Stuffed Leg with Procuitto, Leeks, and Morels, Celeriac & Potato Puree, French Beans, Poultry Jus; Cinnamon Almond Cake, Strawberry & Fennel Compote, Strawberry & Kiwi Sauce.

_______ Pierpont Uses Teamwork to _______ Win at Cast Iron Cookoff

Eleven chefs and sous chefs competed at the 5th Annual Cast Iron Cookoff. The event, sponsored by the Collaborative for 21st Century Appalachia, features a chef, a sous chef, and eight amateurs per team. Each team has one hour to complete four courses.

The Cookoff features some of West Virginia's best products and transforms traditional Appalachian Cuisine into creative and contemporary recipes and presentations.

Pierpont Culinary Academy's team feature two student-chefs: Joe Woods & Joe White. Both students are members of the WV state champion junior hot foods team. The "Joes" demonstrated great leadership as their team won the "Best Teamwork Award" and received honorable mention in the "Whistle while You Work" category.

Pierpont's menu featured: Pot Stickers & Pan Lickers Blue Crab & Crayfish Dumplings; Pan Fried Pickled Butternut Squash with Mesclun Greens; Paillard of Pheasant with Country Ham, Corn & Parsnip Dodger Cake; Brandied Arborio Rice Pudding with Candied Walnuts.

Pierpont Participates in Feast of Seven Fishes Festival

What does 80# of Calamari, 1200 pieces of dough, and 15 gallons of seafood chowder have in common? Pierpont Culinary Academy prepared all of these items to help feed over 5000 visitors to the Downtown Fairmont Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival in mid December.

The Italian street festival is held each year in celebration of the traditional Christmas Eve dinner that includes 7 fish courses to represent the seven sacraments.

Pierpont Culinary Academy sold Fried Calamari, Friti (fried bread dough), and Seafood Chowder.