National Culinary Review

KNOWLEDGE BOWL TURNS 20

In 1991, Carol Kelly was a high school culinary educator in Temple Hills, Md., and a member of ACF Nations Capital Chefs Association. She was vice president of the chapter and on the organizing committee for the 1992 national convention, to be held in Washington, D.C. Kelly, who was in charge of junior chapter activities for the convention, came up with a novel way to involve ACF’s junior members: a culinary knowledge bowl. The idea caught on, and the Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl was born. In 2011, it celebrates its 20th year.

Leah Craig, ACF’s communications manager and editor in chief of Sizzle, interviewed Kelly to talk about the competition’s beginnings.

conventions. I wanted to do something significant just for them as a means to make them feel they were an important part of the organization.

What sparked the idea for a culinary Q&A game?

The idea just came to me that a question-and-answer type of team challenge could be a lot of fun. At my school, I used a team competition quiz game as a way to encourage the students to study for tests, and they really loved doing it.

What were your hopes and expectations for that first knowledge bowl? I really just hoped we would get enough junior chapters interested to?WHO IS BARON H. GALAND? Born in Dunbar, Pa., Baron H. Galand spent his entire career in the restaurant industry in his home state. For more than 50 years, he served as an executive chef, the chef/owner of Galand Enterprises and as a culinary instructor. Two f his greatest passions were speaking with chefs around the U.S. and judging culinary competitions. He coached the 1980, 1984 and 1988 U.S. “culinary Olympics” teams, and was senior advisor to the 1992 team.

ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc., 2004

WINNING TEAMS

1992 Los Angeles Trade-Technical College/Chefs de Cuisine Association of California Florida Culinary Institute Florida Culinary Institute Florida Culinary Institute Florida Culinary Institute Florida Culinary Institute Community College of Southern Nevada Broadmoor Hotel and Resort Elgin Community College Community College of Southern Nevada Elgin Community College Schoolcraft College ACF Greater Atlanta Chapter Inc. Schoolcraft College Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc. New England Culinary Institute Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc. Chefs de Cuisine Association of St. Louis Inc. Kendall College/ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians Inc.