Work Z O N E
Long hours and lots of practice kept the 2010
Student Chef of the Year on task.
By Andrew Jackson
Dave Smith Photographer
DANIEL GORMAN, 23, the 2010
Student Chef of the Year, is lead line cook at
Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta
and a member of ACF Greater Atlanta
Chapter Inc. He represented the Southeast
Region at the Student Chef of the Year
competition Aug. 4 in Anaheim, Calif.
two dishes: one portion of each dish for
the judges to taste and critique, and one
portion of each dish for display. Gorman
was zoned in on the flavor of his dishes
from the beginning, and focused solely on
them throughout the competition. It was
easy to see the determination he had to
complete his dishes perfectly.
“I wanted to use somewhat basic flavors,
with a high level of technique. I wanted to
show skill with the ingredients.”
“I love the rush,” Gorman said, after the
competition. “Just being here is awesome.”
Leading up to the competition, Gorman was
working 40 hours a week in the kitchen and
practicing another 10-15 hours a week. He
knew that the other finalists—Emily Hutson
(Western Region), Brett Jacobs (Central
Region) and Corey Siegel, CC (Northeast
Region)—were fierce competitors with well-
IN THE ZONE
Gorman’s task, and that of the other three
finalists, was to make two portions of
“I didn’t have time to notice the judges
coming through my station, looking over
what I was doing,” Gorman says. “I knew
what I had to do and how I had to do it for
me to finish my dishes well.
Daniel Gorman cooks for the Student
Chef of the Year title.
