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Demonstration of a presentation tray being shown to the judges. (Courtesy of Sirha)
On Jan. 28–29, at the Bocuse d’Or USA, there will be four finalists competing at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y. The honor at stake is representing the United States at the Bocuse d’Or 2013, world cooking competition—held in Lyon, France, every two years—the Olympics of food and talent.
This competition began in France in 1987. Having attended in 2009 and 2011, I’m hooked on this extravaganza of excitement and adrenalin.
Although there has been American representation at the Bocuse d’Or for the past 20 years, it’s rumored that in 2007 or 2008, Paul Bocuse spoke with Thomas Keller and Daniel Boulud about rapidly expanding talent of American chefs and the importance of getting on board for competition nationally and internationally.
The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation was then established in 2009 for the purpose of “Inspiring Culinary Excellence in young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America.” Participating and possibly winning can help a career skyrocket. The Foundation funds competitions and scholarships through special events for those who appreciate fine food.
The Board of Directors for Bocuse d’Or USA consists of Daniel Boulud, chairman; Thomas Keller, president; Jerome Bocuse, vice president; Marcel Doron, treasurer; and Joel Buchman, secretary.
How lucky New Yorkers are! Daniel Boulud’s Gotham establishments are Daniel, Café Boulud, DB Bistro Moderne, Bar Boulud, Boulud Sud, Bar Pleiades, Epicerie Boulud, and DBGB Kitchen and Bar. Even though Keller is known for The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., he has expanded to three other outlets in Yountville, another in Las Vegas, and Per Se and Bouchon Bakery in New York City.
Exceptional Finalists
The four finalists for the Jan. 28–29 competition are Bill Bradley, Danny Cerqueda, Jeffrey Lizotte, and Richard Rosendale. When you read their impressive backgrounds, you can see the depth of their talents.
Pick which finalist you think might win, and then check results after the 29th. Better yet, purchase tickets to the events and experience all the excitement of competition. You will be able to obtain these by mid-January from www.bocusedorusa.org. I know which finalist I feel has the best chance, but I’ve witnessed many upsets under the intense pressure of chefs and crowds. Surprises frequently happen!
Norvege assiette viande, a Norway meat dish. (Courtesy of Sirha)
Chef Bradley hails from New York’s Hudson Valley. He devoted hours with mentor, Chef John Roger Gibellino, at L’Epicure, which provided front and back house experience. Like many chefs, after realizing his passion and love of the culinary world, he pursued his formal education at CIA.
After graduating in 1989, Chef Bradley journeyed to the Chanticleer on Nantucket Island, before heading to Sonoma and Napa Valleys, and then the CIA’s Napa Valley campus as chef of the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant. An east-coaster at heart, in 2000, he opened Bricco in Boston’s North End. Since then, he has opened numerous successful restaurants, but now is an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu College in Cambridge, Mass.
Chef Danny Cerqueda is a native of Marietta, Ga. At 16, he started as a short-order cook. By 20, Danny realized he wanted formal culinary training and graduated in 2003 from Johnson and Wales University (J&W) in South Carolina.
He moved on to the Louisville Country Club under Executive Chef Patrick Colley. He continued entering cooking competitions as he had at J&W, sponsored through ACF, Chaines des Rotisseurs, and the CMAA. His next move with Chef Colley was to Raleigh, N.C., where they continue working at the Carolina Country Club.
Chef Jeffrey Lizotte is from Simsbury, Conn., my own home for 21 years. At 15, he was washing dishes at an Italian-American restaurant where his two older sisters worked in the dining room. After graduating high school, he entered the Hotel School at Cornell University. While attending college, Chef Lizotte worked at Les Ducs, a French bistro he helped open in Ithaca, and summers on Nantucket at Club Car and Martha’s Vineyard at Sweet Life Café.
Upon finishing school, Jeffrey joined the kitchen of Danube in New York City and then worked with Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin. His next experience was a year at Restaurant La Tupina in Bordeaux, France, and then with Jacques Chibois’s La Bastide St. Antoine in Grasse. With these two years of French experience, he returned to Connecticut as chef de cuisine at Restaurant ON20 in Hartford.
Certified Master Chef
Thomas Keller (left), Jerome Bocuse (center) founder of the Bocuse d'Or, and Daniel Boulud (right). (Courtesy of Bocuse d'Or USA)
Chef Richard Rosendale was born in Pennsylvania. His extensive classical training has been in northern Italy, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway, and many five-star restaurants across the United States. His six-year apprenticeship program was with several Certified Master Chefs, the highest distinction a chef can receive in the United States, as well as two years working with pastries.
Subsequently, Chef Rosendale was chef de cuisine at The Greenbrier Resort’s Tavern Room in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. He also had the honor of being the youngest member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) Culinary Team USA. He was one of five U.S. chefs in the 2004 International IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany, with his team ranking first out of 32 for “Hot Kitchen.” As captain for 2008, his team earned three gold medals.
He has earned over 45 national and international medals in culinary competitions, which includes one perfect score at the international level. Chef Rosendale opened two successful restaurants in Columbus, Ohio, but then returned to The Greenbrier as executive chef. He has worked diligently to attain the Certified Master Chef title. For those who don’t know what is involved, Chef Rosendale had to pass a 130-hour exam at the CIA, covering all aspects of cuisine.
If you are really into the culinary world and seeing whom our American representative will be up against, you can follow or attend the next in a series of regional competitions, the Bocuse d’Or Europe in Brussels, where 20 participating countries will compete, March 20–21.
Today, cooking competitions represent the ultimate excitement, whether barbeque, or haute cuisine.
Maralyn D. Hill, The Epicurean Explorer, is a freelance writer and president of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association. www.ifwtwa.org
