Executive Chef Jeff King and Pastry Chef Chuck Stepanovich of the Milwaukee Club

placed first for the second year in a row in a recent Wisconsin’s ACF Culinary Challenge Mystery Basket Competition in Milwaukee.

The 11th annual American Culinary Federation (ACF) Culinary Challenge Mystery Basket Competition was held at the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, the largest regional foodservice industry trade show in the Midwest.

The prestigious Mystery Basket event features teams of chefs preparing 12 servings of a four-course meal from a “mystery basket” of ingredients that is not revealed until the competition begins. King and Stepanovich created and executed a sophisticated four-course meal, winning first place and a coveted gold medal.

The ACF Culinary Challenge also features the Contemporary and Cold Food Competitions. In the Contemporary Competition, individual chefs prepare two portions of a “signature dish” with accompaniments. The chefs have just one hour to prepare their dishes.

Jamie Boelhower, the Chef de Cuisine at Third Street Pier in Milwaukee, won first place in the Contemporary Competition for the second year in a row. His roasted roulade of game hen with prosciutto, sundried tomato, basil and pine nut forcemeat, white bean ragout and smoked yellow tomato coulis with basil oil earned him first place and an ACF Gold Medal.

The first and second place winners of the Cold Food Competition are ACF apprentices, under Executive Chef Don Miller at Notre Dame. Gregory Larson from the University of Notre Dame won first place. April Howell from the University of Notre Dame won second place and the third place winner was Nathan Vestal who is a student from Joliet Junior College in Illinois. In this event, chefs prepare beautifully designed appetizers, entrees and desserts that are presented on platters and mirrors. The entries are coated in an aspic glaze to preserve their shape and color while on display, and are judged on presentation, craftsmanship and artistry. The student from Joliet and the apprentices from Notre Dame excelled in this competition where they were held to the same standards as their highly experienced professional competitors.

32 chefs from 7 states participated in the three competitions. Top competitors received cash awards in addition to their Wisconsin’s ACF Culinary Challenge medals.

ACF culinary competitions such as the Mystery Basket and the Contemporary Competition are held to promote the professional image of American chefs worldwide and to encourage the sharing of culinary techniques and developments.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE COMPETITIONS, OR TO REQUEST PHOTOS,
PLEASE CONTACT TRACY KOSBAU AT 800-589-3211.

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Summary of Competition Results:

Contemporary Competition First Place - Gold Medal
Jamie Boelhower, Third Street Pier, Milwaukee, WI

Contemporary Competition Second Place - Silver Medal
Paul Short, Madison Area Technical College, Madison, WI

Contemporary Competition Third Place - Silver Medal
Kirk Bachmann CEC, Career Education Corporation,
Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, Hoffman Estates, IL

Mystery Basket Competition First Place - Gold Medal
Jeff King, The Milwaukee Club, Milwaukee, WI
Chuck Stepanovich, The Milwaukee Club, Milwaukee, WI

Mystery Basket Competition Second Place - Gold Medal
Timothy Bucci CEC CCE, Joliet Junior College, Oak Forest, IL
Travis Dale CEC, The Point Lake & Golf Club, Mooresville, NC

Mystery Basket Competition Third Place – Silver Medal
Don Hensley, Martin Bros. Distributing Company, Cedar Falls, IA
Robert DiNicola, Sodexho - Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI

Cold Food Competition First Place – Silver Medal
Gregory Larson, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

Cold Food Competition Second Place – Silver Medal
April Howell, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

Cold Food Competition Third Place – Bronze Medal
Nathan Vestal, Joliet Junior College, Chicago, IL