06/10/11

Story by Melodee Blobaum

Student Chefs Fundraiser

Student chefs will represent region at national culinary convention in July

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Two student chefs from Johnson County Community College and their professor/mentor are among five winning teams in the 2011 Student Culinarian Invitational competition sponsored by the American Culinary Foundation.

Jordan Rainbolt, Olathe, and James McCausland, Kansas City, Mo., along with mentor Edward Adel, Lee’s Summit, will represent the central region at the ACF national convention in Dallas in July. They will prepare Missouri Boot Heel Duet of Pork Brisket and Heartland Desserts with Ozark Minted Fruits for a fundraising reception July 23 at the convention.

Community members can get a taste of the menu at a trial run tasting and fundraiser Thursday, July 7. Seatings are planned at 11:30 a.m., noon and 12:30 p.m. that day in the Capitol Federal Conference Center, Room 101 of the Regnier Center at JCCC. Tickets for the tasting are $15 per person and may be purchased here. Proceeds will help offset the expenses for the team.

The culinary competition was designed to foster mentorship and nurture culinary excellence among students. Teams were asked to create and prepare foods representing their region. The teams include one from each of the ACF’s four regions and one at-large team. In addition to attending the national event, the winning teams will travel to the 2012 World Association of Chefs Societies International Congress in South Korea in 2012.

Both Rainbolt and McCausland are chef apprentices at Hallbrook Country Club, Leawood. Adel is an assistant professor, hospitality management, at JCCC.

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