National Culinary Review - September 2011

Teams competing in the ACF National Championship Cooking for Life, are, left to right, top: Atria Senior Living—James Connolly, CEC, and Ronda Watson, RD; HCA Healthcare—MaryAnn Moser, RD, and Robert Gillentine, CC; Morrison Management Specialists—Miles McMath, CEC, CDM, left, and Paul Jensen, CEC, CCA, AAC; and left to right, bottom: Sodexo—Brian Ray, CEC, left, and Jonathan Long, CDM; and Texas Health Resources—Sam Samuels, RD, left, and Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC.

Resources was the last team to begin, at 11: 15 a.m., with Kelly Cook, CEC, AAC, and Sam Samuels, RD, LD.

By the time the last team was onboard, there were smoking guns, homemade smokers and a few other gadgets going a mile a minute, with tantalizing aromas wafting throughout the trade show floor.

I had heard a rumor that there would be trash talking, such as happens on “Iron Chef,” but these teams were busy and needed to concentrate on their kitchens. In fact, I didn’t hear the teams talk to one another at all. What I did notice was that some teams worked at a steady, leisurely pace and others seemed to be busy and in perpetual motion right up until the plating window opened.

sure they met the criteria and percentages prescribed. You could feel the tension as the tasting took place in front of each kitchen. The competitors would sneak peeks at the judges’ faces to see any reaction, or try to read their lips as they discussed each dish.

AND THE WINNER IS. . . With the competition complete, team members could relax for the first time since the convention began. They would have to wait until Monday evening, however, to learn who had won.

At the Glass Cactus Party, Michael Ty,
CEC, AAC, thanked all five teams for
their participation. He then announced
the results. Winning a bronze medal was
HCA Healthcare. Texas Health Resources
earned a silver medal. The tension built as Ty
prepared to announce the winner. It was the
team from Morrison Management Specialists,
Jensen and McMath, earning a gold medal.

This competition and these competitors proved that low-calorie/low-sodium food can taste good. I hope other chefs and dietitians can duplicate what happened in Dallas as they cook in their venues. We now know that chefs and dietitians can work side by side to help make good, nutritional food.

Paul C. Jensen Sr. of Holtsville, N. Y., is the retired chef/owner of Jensen’s Caterers and a member of ACF Long Island Chapter.

The judging team was made up of a floor judge, three tasting judges and a registered dietitian. The dietitian went over all the weights and did the calculations to make