Published: March 15, 2009 09:35 pm      

MSU culinarians win medals in three-day event

Chefs at Mountain State University recently brought home some gold and silver from the Great Culinary Classic 2009 Culinary Salon in Cleveland, Ohio.

Chef Kelly Goode, Chef Leonard Bailey and several culinary students with The National Institute for Culinary Arts at MSU competed in the three-day event.

“This was a really nice event,” Bailey said. “It was a lot more relaxed than some of the other competitions I’ve been in, but it was a well-put-together event, and the judges were extremely fair.”

The event included competitions in hot food preparation, cold food preparation, baking, pastries and ice carving per standards established by the American Culinary Federation. Competing chefs from seven states participated in the premier cooking competition. Several medals were taken home by those representing MSU.

Bailey won an individual gold medal for an ice carving of an eagle. Bailey and MSU student Nathan Dolson each took home silver medals for their two-man team ice carving, and Dolson won a bronze medal in the individual ice-carving category.

Goode won a silver medal for a wedding cake, and brought home a special award given to just one entrant each year for the best newcomer.

“I am really proud of Kelly,” Bailey said. “For her to win a silver and to get the best newcomer award was just awesome!”

Dolson also won a bronze medal in the individual category for ice carving.

The Great Culinary Classic 2009 Culinary Salon took place at TriMark SS Kemp’s location in Cleveland. TriMark SS Kemp specializes in supplies, equipment, disposables and design for the foodservice industry. The company hosted the three-day premier culinary cooking competition at the company’s test kitchen and show room.

This is the sixth year for the competition, and the event has received high marks from competitors and the American Culinary Federation. The American Culinary Federation, based in St. Augustine, Fla., is the largest organization dedicated to the development of professional chefs in the United States.