A TOAST
. . . to the outstanding contributors
of the culinary world and beyond.
Peter Aiello,
CEPC, CEC, a
member of ACF
Pikes Peak Chapter
Inc., recently
became head chef/
operations manager
at AspenPointe
Café, Colorado Springs, Colo. Previously, he
owned Alpine Chef, a catering company in
Colorado Springs.
Aiello
Stephanie
Bishop, a student
at Anne Arundel
Community College
(AACC), Arnold,
Md., and member
of ACF Nations
Capital Chefs
Association, won a bronze medal at the 3rd
Annual Chesapeake Culinary Cup held at
AACC’s Hotel Culinary Arts and Tourism
Institute in May. In addition to her individual
award, Bishop was a member of the school’s
student team that placed first overall.
Bishop
Paul
Prudhomme,
HAAC, HHOF,
owner of Magic
Seasoning Blends
and K-Paul’s
Louisiana Kitchen,
New Orleans, a
member of ACF New Orleans Chapter,
received the Ella Brennan Lifetime
Achievement Award May 24, kicking off
the 2011 New Orleans Wine and Food
Experience. The award dinner took
place at the JW Marriott New Orleans.
Prudhomme was recognized for his
career achievements and role in bringing
recognition to South Louisiana cuisine.
Prudhomme
Mark Spelman,
CEC, AAC,
corporate
executive chef at
Helen of Troy in
El Paso, Texas, a
member of ACF
Chefs Association
of Greater El Paso, was named a new
ACF-approved culinary judge in May. To
become a judge, Spelman had to meet
the following criteria: be an ACF member
in good standing; be ACF certified at the
CSC or CWPC level or higher; have won
three gold medals within the last 10 years;
and be approved for judges training by the
culinary competition committee chair.
Spelman
Ben Diaz, founder,
HotCuisine Inc.,
Pasadena, Calif.,
a member of
Chefs de Cuisine
Association of San
Diego, recently
completed a year
as a chef columnist for Basil Magazine. In
“The Secret Ingredient,” in each issue, Diaz
introduced readers to new ingredients and
products. He also serves on the magazine’s
culinary council and advisory board.
Diaz
Arno Schmidt,
CEC, a retired
chef in Jackson
Heights, N.Y.,
and member of
ICA-ACF Big
Apple Chapter,
was honored by
New York City College of Technology’s
Department of Hospitality Management
as its 2011 Outstanding Industry
Professional at the 2011 Baccalaureate
Celebration, May 9. Schmidt was
recognized for being an icon in the
culinary world who came to this country
as an immigrant and worked his way up
in the food and beverage world to be a
respected chef in New York.
Schmidt
Kristin Swaggart,
a culinary-arts
student at Walla
Walla Community
College, Walla
Walla, Wash., and
member of ACF
Northwest Wine
Country Chapter, was named winner of
the 2011 Be Like “Mike” Contest in May.
Swaggart will shadow Michael Ty, CEC, AAC,
ACF national president, at the 2011 ACF
National Convention, July 22-26, in Dallas.
Swaggart
Mehmet
Yurdakul, sous
chef, Taste Buffet
at the Wind Creek
Casino & Hotel,
Atmore, Ala., a
member of ACF
Poarch Creek
Chapter, Inc., was named the chapter’s Chef
of the Year May 24 at the close of the Culinary
Master Chef’s Challenge held at Wind Creek
Casino & Hotel.
Yurdakul
