2010 Culinary Challenge Competitors

Northeast Region

Winner! Silver Medal   Winner: Kylie Charter School: Rhode Island School of Design Title: Chef Name of Winning Recipe: "Stuffed Salmon, Vegetables and Muscat Mustard Creme, served with portabella gnudi and pea green and radish salad" Download Recipe

Bio: Kylie Charter started working in restaurants as a prep cook at 13 years old.  By age 15, she began working as a line cook at a local diner in her hometown in suburban Maryland.  She later attended Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI.  While studying to earn two bachelor’s degrees, one in Culinary Arts and one in Culinary Nutrition, she worked at New Rivers Restaurant in Providence for 3 ½ years.  As part of her  bachelor’s degree requirements, Kylie completed two internships, the first was a pan-Asian certificate program in Singapore and Thailand, and the other was at  Cook’s Illustrated Magazine based out of Brookline, MA.  She graduated Magna Cum-Laude and was awarded the Aprenti Cuisinier award for excellence in her field of study.  Shortly thereafter she began working at Rhode Island School of Design as an Assistant/Chef Manager at the Porfolio Café.  Since working at RISD, Kylie has been teaching cooking classes and working on programs and events that focus on sustainability and supporting local farmers, artisans and bakers.

Continental Region

3rd Place Silver Medal Winner: Steven G. Nalls School: Colorado State University Title: Lead Cook Name of Winning Recipe: "Portabello and Chicken Roulade with glazed root vegetables and shaved fennel & arugula salad" Download Recipe

Bio: Steven Nalls has worked in the restaurant industry since he was 15.  In 2003 he received an A.O.S. from the California School of Culinary Arts Le Cordon Bleu program.  While in culinary school he worked for Spago catering in Hollywood.  After graduation he worked for hotels and restaurants in Texas, Hawaii, and Colorado.  He is currently working as Lead Cook at Corbett Marketplace at Colorado State University.

Mid-Atlantic Region

2nd Place Silver Medal Winner: Peter Mark Imranyi School: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Title: Chef/Manager Name of Winning Recipe: "Portabella Mushroom Creme Fraiche Gnocchi with Poached Lobster, served with pickled fennel, Swiss chard, tomato concasse and a Madeira-sceted mushroom consomme" Download Recipe

Bio: Peter Imranyi  graduated from Middlesex County College with an Associates degree in Restaurant Management and a Certificate in Culinary Arts.  He also attended The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and received an Associates degree in Occupational Science in Culinary Arts. His background includes fine dining and banquet experience at establishments such as Forsgate Country Club in Jamesburg, NJ and the Princeton Hyatt Regency in Princeton, NJ.  Peter also served as Sous Chef at The Frog and the Peach restaurant in New Brunswick, NJ.  He joined Rutgers in the summer of 2003, where he is currently a chef manager at the Rutgers Club.  He oversees special alumni functions, weddings, and daily restaurant operations.

Midwest Region

Bronze Medal Winner: Eric Moe School: Northern Michigan University Title: Production Manager Name of Winning Recipe: "Venison 'Stew'"       Download Recipe

Bio: Eric Moe, production manager at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, MI began cooking for his family in the third grade.  He started his restaurant career at the age of 16, working in a local steakhouse on the Indiana/Michigan border.  After attaining several degrees in non-hospitality fields, and working sporadically in several restaurants between, Eric returned to school to earn a degree in Hospitality Management from NMU in 2001. During his time in school, Eric worked as an adjunct instructor, teaching sanitation and introductory hospitality courses while carrying a full class load and working between two hotels.  Shortly after graduation he worked his way up in various Marquette eating establishments and eventually became the executive chef of the Marquette Ramada Inn. 

Working toward ACF CS level certification, Eric has served at the chapter level as secretary, public relations chair, and membership chair.  He has also competed in several local culinary competitions coordinated by the ACF chapter, placing in the top positions for the last two years.  In his current position Eric oversees the production for the “Wildcat Den,” one of the campus’s all-you-care-to-eat operations, catering, and commissary operations.  In this role he is responsible for ordering product, managing recipes, and facility maintenance.  He is also a dual-role instructor of ServSafe Sanitation, certifying dining services employees and community members through NMU Dining Services.  Eric has also been invited by the NMU Hospitality Management program to judge projects and teach ServSafe classes as an adjunct instructor.
 

Pacific Region

 

Bronze Medal   Winner: David Eric Haney School: University of California - Berkeley Title: Executive Chef (Interim) Name of Winning Recipe: "Grilled Portobello, Apple and Fennel Risotto, Grilled Radicchio, Glazed Carrots, and Truffle Vinaigrette" Download Recipe

Bio: Eric Haney is a culinary professional with over seven years of experience in the foodservice industry.  Eric began his career as an apprentice at the renowned  Boars Head Inn in his hometown of Charlottesville, VA.  After graduating from high school, Eric went on to pursue his passion for cooking and enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, SC.  He graduated Cum Laude from that program in 2006, with an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor’s degree in foodservice management.  While in school, Eric developed his skills in a number of kitchens, including the well-known Charleston Place Hotel and local favorite Five Loaves Café, among others.  In 2006, Eric moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he immersed himself in the cuisine of the region and continues to develop his craft.  Eric currently works as a Chef for the University of California-Berkeley at the Foothill Dining Commons.

Southern Region

Bronze Medal Winner: DeWayne McMurrey School: Texas Tech University Title: Executive Sous Chef Name of Winning Recipe: "Portabella Roulade with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Tournee Carrots with Mushroom Jus" Download Recipe

Bio: Chef DeWayne McMurrey started his career at several casinos in Montana in 1996 and continued pursuits in the hospitality industry.  He graduated in the top ten percent of his class at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY.  During this time, he interned at the Dallas Country Club under Certified Master Executive Chef, Ernst Gruch.  Chef McMurrey arrived at Texas Tech in 2005 and has strived to make this campus lead the rest of the nation in university foodservice.

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