Pierpont Wins WV State Competition

Pierpont Culinary Academy won the American Culinary Federation state culinary competition recently in Beckley. Three teams: Mountain State University, Carver Culinary Program, and Pierpont Culinary Academy competed for an opportunity to represent West Virginia at the American Culinary Federation Northeast Regional Competition in Hershey, PA March 13-18, 2010.

Pierpont finished just in time at the very last second of the 80 minute Phase I skills relay. Joe Woods had to fabricate a chicken, then Maria Provencher had to fabricate a fish, Joseph White had to demonstrate a number of technical knife cuts with the vegetable preparation, and Kellie Smith anchored the team finishing with pastry skills.

Phase II required the students to prepare a four-course meal in 90 minutes. Joseph White prepared the prescribed classical dish Paupiettes de Sole Floreal; Rebecca Krofcheck prepared the salad course Crimson Lentil and Grain Salad Timbale with Roasted Pepper Coulis; Kellie Smith prepared the entrée Roasted Pheasant in Caul, Tournee Potatoes, Butternut Squash Puree, and Haricot Vert; Maria Provencher prepared dessert Cinnamon Almond Cake with Apricot Sauce, Fennel-Fig Compote, and Vanilla Armagnac Sorbet; Joe Woods was the floor manager.

The competition was judged by a prestigious panel of chefs: Chef David Turcotte, CEC, AAC (Lead Judge) is a Sergeant Major over the Fort Lee Culinary Program, Chef Roland Henin, CMC is a Master Chef with Delaware North Co., and Chef David Campbell, CEC, CCE is a chef instructor with Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, NC.

Aside from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, the teams competed against a national competition standard of scoring. Pierpont scored 34.47pts, Carver scored 33.51, and Mountain State scored 26.10. These point totals meant that Pierpont and Carver both qualified for American Culinary Federation Silver medals (32-35 points out of 40 qualify for Silver). This is the first time in at least the past six years that any team has accomplished a score this high at the West Virginia state competition.

See more about the competition from this News Channel 59 report:
http://wvnstv.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=70270