ACF CULINARY TEAM USA
Youth Team Announced
Dave Smith Photographer
ACF Culinary Youth Team USA members,
who are all students at Oregon Coast Culinary
Institute at Southwestern Oregon Community
College, Coos Bay, Ore., are: Brittney
Cummings; Maddie Cutts; Edalyn Garcia, team
captain; Reilly Meehan; and Alfonso Mendoza.
The team is coached by Randy Torres, CEC,
culinary-arts department chair at Oregon
Coast Culinary Institute, and is managed by
Alex Darvishi, CEC, AAC, executive chef at
Houston Country Club, Houston. The youth
team falls under the umbrella of ACF Culinary
Team USA 2012, managed by Steve Jilleba,
CMC, CCE, AAC. Jilleba and Darvishi will work
closely with Torres to ensure that these young
chefs achieve their fullest potential.
“It is indeed a great honor for me to have
the opportunity to manage and make a
difference in the lives and careers of a
team of talented young culinarians who
will proudly represent the U.S. in the
upcoming culinary competitions and the
2012 Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung
(IKA), or ‘culinary Olympics,’” said Darvishi.
The next step for the youth team
will be continual practice sessions
complemented by extensive research
of ideas, strategies and techniques in
preparation for competition.
The youth team will also have access to the
experience and mentoring of ACF Culinary
National Team USA coaches and advisors.
Advisors are: Keith Keogh, CEC, AAC;
George McNeil, CMC; and Ferdinand Metz,
CMC, WGMC, AAC, HOF. Coaches are:
Darrin Aoyama, CEPC; Joachim Buchner,
CMC; Charles Carroll, CEC, AAC; Patricia
Nash; Gilles Renusson; Richard Rosendale,
CEC; and Daniel Scannell, CMC.
Michael Kocher Photo
This salad of Orange Coast Culinary Institute
garden greens, asparagus, artichokes, red
onion chutney, sweetbreads and whole grain
mustard was on ACF Culinary Youth Team
USA’s winning menu.
With dedication, enthusiasm and hard
work, the youth team will proudly
represent the U.S. and all young chefs in
the nation on their journey to the 2012
IKA in Erfurt, Germany.
Be a Part of the TEAM. Be a Part of the HERITAGE. Be a Part of the JOURNEY.
