April 28, 2005
Culinary Arts Student Renee Smith Wins Only Gold Medal Awarded During 2005
Spring Salon
Competition puts heat on students’ creative skills and culinary knowledge
as part of practical exam
Each year, Del Mar College Culinary Arts students participate in a “practical
exam” to demonstrate their skills and knowledge in their chosen field.
The competition becomes not only creative but also intense as students compete
for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.
Yesterday, 29 students out of 32 won 33 awards during this spring’s culinary
salon. Two students won two awards for their entries and one student won three.
However, only one student–Renee Smith–won the coveted Gold medal for
her entry, Menu Gastronomique, which was a five-course meal that included seared
diver scallop, mint-infused English pea soup, broiled salmon, veal consommé
and herb-crusted beef tenderloin.
Students use the different cooking techniques they’ve learned in the classroom
to create the culinary presentations they hope will win them the top prize.
The competition serves as students’ final semester project with the competition
guidelines following those set by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), a
professional organization for chefs that has a membership of over 25,000 individuals
from across the country.
Competition results include:
• Category A: Cooking – show platter must demonstrate at last
two proteins, two garnishes, one salad and an appropriate sauce. Winner:
Magdelena Moreno, Bronze
• Category B: Cooking –sub-categories include cold appetizers,
hot appetizers, five course menu gastronomique and restaurant platter.
Winners: Carlos Alvarez, Bronze; Amanda Emery, Bronze;
Karen Garcia, Bronze; Maribel Garcia, Bronze; Amy LeVien, Silver; Louis Lopez,
Silver; Lana Preston, Silver; Elizabeth Ramirez, Bronze; and Renee Smith, GOLD
• Category C: Patisserie/Confectionery – sub-categories include
decorated celebration cakes; buffet platters of cookies, chocolates or petit
fours; hot or cold desserts; wedding cakes; and novelty cakes. Winners:
Stephen Byington, Bronze; Melissa Cruz, Bronze; Brad Davis , Bronze; Mercy Dulavitz,
Bronze; Carmen Dy, Bronze; Will Ellis, Bronze; Christina C. Garza, Silver; Esther
Garza, Silver; Kyle Glover, Bronze; Randal Green, Silver; Ben Hague, Bronze;
Claudia Hurt, Silver; Gloria Longoria, 2 Silvers; Shane Martin, Bronze; David
Perea, Bronze; Daniel Rios, Bronze; Denise Rodriguez, Bronze; Diana Torres,
Bronze; and Daniel Zarate, Bronze
• Category D: Showpieces – demonstrate the difference between
cookery and culinary art in sub-categories that include tallow or carving, saltillage,
pastillage, chocolate, marzipan and cooked sugar. Winners: Carmen
Dy, Silver, and Denise Rodriguez, 2 Silvers
The competition helped these Culinary Arts students learn how to plan, organize,
meet deadlines and work under stress. Additionally, they can use photos of their
entries in their portfolios. Del Mar College’s Culinary Arts Program is
accredited by the ACF and is required to hold competitions testing students’
skills.
-DMC-mce/rlr