Ahh Virginia Beach – sun, sand, surf, and now, home to the newest addition to The Art Institutes system of schools. The Art Institute of Virginia Beach is getting ready to open its doors to students in January 2010, and leading this effort is Marilyn Burstein, president of the new school. Marilyn isn’t new to The Art Institutes family – she has previously served in academic positions at The Art Institutes schools located in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and most recently, Charleston.
Tomorrow night at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, two Art Institute alums will compete against 14 other culinary pros on the season 6 premiere of Fox's Hell's Kitchen. Ready to show Chef Gordon Ramsay their culinary moxie, Lovely of Chicago and Van Hurd of Dallas will be vying for a head chef position at the internationally acclaimed Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
A little more about the alums:
Lovely
Age 23, graduate of The Illinois Institute of Art — Chicago
With five years of professional kitchen experience, Lovely is currently the executive chef at a children's camp.
Van
Age 26, graduate of The Art Institute of Dallas
Van has five years of kitchen experience and is currently the lead fish cook at one of Dallas' top restaurants.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow to cheer these talented chefs on! www.fox.com/hellskitchen/
So, if you've been keeping up with my Best Teen Chef posts, you'll know that a winner was announced recently — Sammy Jo Claussen from Kansas City, Kansas. [Cue the cheers and applause.] Well, recently our fearless and talented teen victor exhibited her culinary skillz for TODAY Show hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. Airing on May 29, 2009, the segment spotlighted Sammy Jo's original recipes that were part of her submission to the Best Teen Chef Competition.
...Sammy Jo Claussen, representing The Art Institutes International -- Kansas City! Sammy Jo, Best Teen Chef 2009, is the 10th teenager to earn this title. What's she doing? Is she going to Disney World? Nah, probably not, but she is getting a full-tuition scholarship to The Art Institutes International -- Kansas City and the opportunity to be an 'Intern for a Day' at the Food Network.
Sammy Jo Claussen, Best Teen Chef 2009
Kaitlyn McKissick, representing The Art Institute of Colorado, earned second-place honors and a half-tuition scholarship, and Oscar Melendez, representing The Art Institute of California--Los Angeles, earned third-place honors and a quarter-tuition scholarship. Here's a picture of the three talented teens:
L-R: Kaitlyn, Sammy Jo and Oscar.
A big congratulations goes out to our winners and to all the aspiring young chefs competing in today's competition! Great job, guys!!
For more info on the Best Teen Chef Competition: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/Competitions/BestTeenChef.aspx.
The knives are down and the ovens are off, which means that it's closing in on announcement time here in Charlotte. Soon we'll know who will be named Best Teen Chef for '09. (*Gasp!* Can you take the pressure?) A full-tuition scholarship to study culinary arts at one of the Art Institute locations and a day-long internship at the Food Network kitchens in New York City is on the line.
Contestants are judged on organization, taste and presentation by a panel of culinary industry professionals. Most notably, Paula DaSilva, a finalist on Season Five of the hit reality show Hell’s Kitchen, is a special guest judge for today's event. Paula who herself is a 1998 graduate of The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale’s culinary program, serves as the Chef de Cuisine at 3030 Ocean Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. (By the way, be sure to tune in this Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on FOX to cheer her on!) Here she is in action:
Now, here's a more official-looking photo:
Hugs and smiles abound, as seen here with Brooke Roberts, The Art Institute of Indianapolis, after finishing up in the kitchen:
Next up: Best Teen Chef announcement.
So the first and second heats have come and gone, and we're in the midst of heat three. The competition's pretty steep! Here's a recap of some of the action:
Steven Maranto, representing The Art Institute of Salt Lake City, works under the watchful eyes of the judges.
Alyssa Marino, The Art Institute of Michigan, puts some finishing touches on her dish.
I wasn't kidding when I said that things were heating up!
Doug Dickson, The Art Institute of Dallas, has his eye on the stove...and the prize.
Here are the judges...doing what they do best.
Hungry for more? Check back soon.
At 7 a.m. this morning, when most teenagers would still be sleeping comfortably in their beds, finalists in the Best Teen Chef Competition were feeling the heat in the kitchen. First up? Alex Oken representing The Art Institute of Charleston, Erik Johnson representing The Illinois Institute of Art --Chicago, and Zack Wessely representing The Art Institute of California -- San Diego were in the first of four heats. Each had 90 minutes to cook a menu of curly endive salad with bacon and poached egg, oyster stew with diced tomato and benne seeds, and catfish with a creative garnish and vegetable. Followed by 15 minutes to plate and another 15 minutes to clean up their work areas.
Here they are, workin' it in the kitchen:
Alex Oken
Erik Johnson
Zack Wessely--firing things up!
Group shot.
More to come...
Smiling faces. Sumptuous hors d’oeuvres. A warm reception. These were the key ingredients found in tonight's welcome reception for the 34 finalists who will slice and dice their way into tomorrow's Best Teen Chef Competition Finals at The Art Institute of Charlotte.
This evening our culinary-minded teens received the lowdown on tomorrow's happenings, complete with a kitchen tour and handout of the official chef coats and knife sets. Are they sweatin' it? Succumbing to the pressure? Nah, they're cool as ice. Check out some of the highlights:
The arch welcomes you to Charlotte, N.C.
Finely crafted ice sculpture, eh? Nothing but the best...
Jordan Sessions, representing The Art Institute of Phoenix, and guest. Nuttin' but smiles.
Hey! No sleeping during kitchen orientation!
Who will be the next Best Teen Chef? More to come bright and early tomorrow a.m.
What comes to mind when you think of reality-based culinary TV shows? Tough challenges? Critical judges? Fierce competition? Now, you can add Art Institute alums to the list. That's right — four graduates are putting their culinary prowess to the test on Fox's Hell's Kitchen and NBC's The Chopping Block. Here's a look at the players:
Hell's Kitchen, Thursdays, 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on FOX
Courtney “Coi” Burress, Culinary Arts 2005, The Art Institute of Houston
Paula DiSilva, Culinary Arts 1998, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
The Chopping Block premieres March 11 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
Mikey Torres, Culinary Arts 2007, The Art Institute of Washington
Kelsey Henderson, Culinary Arts 2007, The Art Institute of California —Los Angeles
Make sure to tune in and cheer them on!
Don't cha just love when people use their powers for good? On October 18, Art Institute of Dallas Chef Steve Pilat and eight female culinary students volunteered their time and talent for a breast cancer fundraising dinner dubbed "Simply the Breast." They cooked some grub for an astounding 200 people, many of whom will be walking in the upcoming Breast Cancer 3-Day in November. Faculty members also donated items for the silent auction.
Aren't their chef's coats adorable? Chef Pilat dyed them pink specially for the occassion.
