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TODAY’S UP AND COMING
ALLIGATOR CHEFS

ACF New Orleans Chapter Winning Team
Front row L to R- Chef/ Coach Nancy Burback, CEC, CCE,
Wanda Schmidt, Mary Allen
Back row L to R- Francis Strayham, Joshua Cormier, and Eric Mark

Chef John Folse Helps Shine the Light on Louisiana’s Rising Chef Superstars
The Louisiana Alligator Soirée

The junior culinary team from the American Culinary Federation’s New Orleans Chapter took home the prize at the Second Annual Louisiana Alligator Soirée. Junior culinarians from across Louisiana gathered at the Louisiana Foodservice EXPO in the New Orleans Morial Convention Center on Aug. 4 for the competition which featured Louisiana alligator as the main ingredient.

The winning team included leader, Chef Nancy Burback, and team members Mary Allen, Joshua Cormier, Eric Mark, Wanda Schmidt and Francis Strayham. The team presented the judges with their “Louisiana Alligator filled Frog Legs” appetizer and followed with their entrée, a “Louisiana Alligator and Artichoke Cake” served with poached alligator sausage over sautéed greens and a caper cream sauce.

Louisiana’s own restaurateur, cookbook author and chef, John Folse, laid out the rules of the game to the participating teams from across the state, including winner American Culinary Federation, New Orleans Chapter; 2nd place winner Delgado Community College, New Orleans; 3rd place winner Louisiana Culinary Institute, Baton Rouge; SOWELA Technical Community College, Lake Charles; and Louisiana Technical College, Region 1 (Jefferson Parish).

Each team showed up with their kitchen tools in hand and learned upon their arrival what shared ingredients were available for the “Iron Chef” style competition featuring Louisiana alligator. Upon learning the mystery ingredients, each team had to use at least two of the items in both their appetizer and entrée recipes. The sponsors’ mystery ingredients were canned artichoke hearts and tortilla chips from Whole Foods Market, peanuts from Southwest Airlines and one of three Michelob Brewing Co. beers, Michelob Light, Michelob Pale Ale or Michelob Honey Lager.

Joining Folse on stage was co-master of ceremonies and the 2006 Great American Seafood Cook-Off winner, Chef Justin Timineri, of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Louisiana Alligator Soirée was presented by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board. CLICK TO READ MORE.

Junior Culinary Teams from the Bayou State
will Cook-Off in a Battle that’s got Bite

Louisiana is world famous for its cuisine and top notch chefs who are no stranger to bold flavors and creative cuisine.  While some great chefs are born with talent, many of them come to Louisiana to learn at one of the state’s respected culinary schools.  On August 4, you can watch these rising stars compete using a main ingredient that is also on the rise to fame, Louisiana alligator.

Held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, The Second Annual Louisiana Alligator Soirée will feature teams from the culinary programs of Delgado Community College, New Orleans; Louisiana Culinary Institute, Baton Rouge; SOWELA Technical Community College, Lake Charles; Louisiana Technical College, Jefferson Campus; and junior members from the American Culinary Federation, New Orleans Chapter.  CLICK TO READ MORE