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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Rebecca Robinson
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas
512-327-7555 or 512-350-4621
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Texas Culinary Academy Student Sweeps $15,000 Stephan Pyles Scholarship Cook-off
 Houston, Texas – March 2, 2008 – The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas is proud to announce its Eighth Annual Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship Cookoff winner, Amol Thanky of the Texas Culinary Academy who beat out two other student chefs in a statewide Iron Chef style cook-off today at the Art Institute of Houston. The competition was sponsored by Central Market.
Three student chefs battled Saturday and today in Houston to present a three-course meal using a pre-determined “basket” of mostly Texas ingredients, including challenging foods such as quail, acorn squash, and Texas goat cheese.
Traditionally held in Austin, the contest is now rotated between four Texas cities; Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. This year the Foundation selected Houston as a competition destination for the first time. The Art Institute of Houston has enjoyed a reputation as a top-rate culinary school, utilizing international techniques taught by industry professionals. Chef Andrea Alexander from the Art Institute presided as host.
The 2008 Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship winner Amol Thanky, is from Texas Culinary Academy in Austin www.tca.edu. After years of working in careers as diverse as boat rental management, to carpentry and briefly attending the University of Texas at Arlington to pursue a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Finance, he finally decided to pursue his lifelong passion of cooking. Upon graduation, he plans on continuing his education to finally reach the coveted title of Master Chef.
“Hard work and determination got me through the competition,” Amol said. “And the staff at Texas Culinary Academy was also tremendously supportive. I learned a great deal from going through this process – about cooking, creating a menu, and also about myself.”
Now in its eighth year, the Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship Cook-off is one of the largest culinary scholarships in the country and considered one of the most rigorous. Open to culinary students throughout the state, it is named for renowned Texas chef and author Stephan Pyles, a pioneer of Southwestern Cuisine and named ‘Chef of the Year’ by Esquire magazine in 2006. Chef Pyles is also a long-time Advisory Member of The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas.
“We want to support and develop the future of Texas cuisine,” stated Chef Pyles. “I’m proud to be a part of this competition because it is an accurate reflection of what the workplace demands. It requires creativity, skill, knowledge of food and flavors and ultimately, makes students better chefs just for having gone through the process.”
Quincy Adams Erickson, Scholarship Chair and Foundation Board Member, was responsible for coordinating the competition. Erickson is a Paris-trained Le Cordon Bleu Chef and Owner of Fête Accompli, a catering company specializing in fresh, hand-made food for events of all sizes www.feteaustin.com. The Foundation’s Scholarship and Awards Committee sets and monitors the rules governing the competition. Each of the three levels of the competition are judged blindly and neither judges, nor contestants are revealed under after the contest.
Pat Sharpe, Executive Editor for Texas Monthly lead the judges’ panel. Other 2008 judges included Chef Stephan Pyles (Dallas), Chef Hugo Ortega from Hugo’s in Houston, and David Kiser, Chef and Cooking School Manager for Central Market in Houston.
The three-course championship menu included roasted quail and spinach salad, spicy grilled sirloin and a cayenne chocolate mousse. Full menus can be found on the Foundation website, www.winefoodfoundation.org. The two other finalists in the competition were Amanda Luchtel from the Art Institute of Dallas and Juanita Barrientos, also from the Texas Culinary Academy.
As winner, Amol will receive a $15,000 check to help cover tuition. In addition, he will be given the opportunity to travel with Chef Pyles to a celebrity fundraiser in California this fall. Amol will also assist Chef Pyles with the Foundation’s Stephan Pyles Celebrity Chef Dinner at Pyles’ flagship restaurant, aptly named Stephan Pyles, in Dallas this fall. Funds raised from this star-studded dinner support the scholarship each year. Amanda Luchtel and Juanita Barrientos will each receive $1,000.00 scholarships.
Previous winners of the Stephan Pyles Scholarship include Jesus Lugo of El Paso, Christina Van Zandt, Natalie Guerrero and Jodie Liwanag all of Houston, Susan Harkness and Carolyn Bream of Austin and Tagan Gann-Counch from Dallas last year.
The competition was fully sponsored by Central Market. Donations were also provided by Aqua Panna and San Pellegrino waters and the Art Institute of Houston.
The 2009 Stephan Pyles Scholarship applications can be found on the Foundation’s website in November of 2008. Applications will be accepted at that time until mid-January.
Central Market
Central Market defies tradition as a destination store widely recognized as the place for people who are passionate about food. Whether customers love to cook or want restaurant-quality food prepared to take home, both new and familiar food delights are ready to be enjoyed. The company’s eight stores in Texas offer a mind-boggling selection of everything edible, boasting a bountiful produce department, hundreds of cheeses, thousands of wine labels, and stupendous specialty grocery aisles laden with delights from every continent.
Art Institute of Houston
The Art Institute of Houston is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 35 education institutions throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. The Art Institute of Houston celebrates 30 years of creative excellence this year, providing bachelor and associate degrees in culinary arts, interior design, animation, graphic design, digital filmmaking, photography, fashion and retail management, and web design.
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas is a statewide public charity founded in 1997 dedicated to recognizing and developing creativity, professionalism and state of the science research in all areas of the culinary and viticultural arts. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through competitive grants, scholarships and fellowships. For more information visit www.winefoodfoundation.org.
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