_______ 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.

Chef Kristen Cirolia Attends Pre Gel Five-Star Chef Series

Pastry Chef Kristen Cirolia recently attended the Pre Gel Five-Star Chef Series Pastry Training in Concord, NC. Chef Cirolia was among a group of culinary professionals who have established themselves, and are looking to sharpen and increase their skills during the intense training.

PreGel AMERICA’s 5-Star Chef Series is a series of educational seminars designed to create dynamic pastry experience. The "5-Star Chefs" combined with PreGel's cutting-edge facility and unparallel ingredients set the stage for a compelling learning experience that will benefit Chef Cirolia's pastry and baking classes.

More information about the seminar check out the 5 Star Chef Series Training: http://www.5-starchefseries.com/

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

Hill to Offer Book Signing

Theresa Hill will be featured at a local book signing.

It will take place from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, November 14th at Fairmont Fitness Center. If you are interested in purchasing a book and haven’t yet, there will be copies available at the signing. Theresa will also be making a few recipes which will be available for sampling at the event.

Pierpont Student Authors a Cookbook

Theresa Hill, first-year student in the Pierpont Culinary Academy, recently announced the release of her first cookbook. The book was inspired by recipes for her family.

Treenie's Beginnings is a collection stories, recipes, family, faith, and fitness. Theresa says, "the book was inspired, it was therapeutic."

Listen to this WBOY TV story to hear more about the release:

How To Fabricate a Pig Part 1