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The Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship is one of the ways in which The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, a statewide charitable organization fulfills its mission of education and research in wine and food. The $15,000 scholarship is named for renowned Texas chef and author, Stephan Pyles, who is recognized internationally as one of the founding fathers of Southwestern cuisine. Now in its sixth year, the scholarship is awarded to the winner of an annual cook-off competition in which the three finalists must create their own three-course meal using a pre-determined ‘basket’ of Texas ingredients.
Rules governing the selection process are set and closely monitored by the Foundation’s Scholarship Awards Committee.
The goal of the competition is to test the creative planning ability, food knowledge, cooking expertise and presentation skills of each participant. The cook-off is Chaired by Quincy Adams Erickson, a Paris, Cordon-Bleu trained Chef and long-time Board member of the Foundation. Judges are selected by the head of the judges’ panel, Texas Monthly Senior Food Editor, Pat Sharpe.
Cook-off Process
Information packets are sent to culinary schools throughout Texas in mid-late October and should be posted throughout schools by November 1st. Applications are accepted by the Foundation through January 15th.
Applications are throroughly checked and all references to location, gender or race are hidden. The applications are forwarded to a screening committee who score and eventually select their top ten choices.
The top ten candidates are then sent to Stephan Pyles, who selects the final three for the competition. Students and their schools are notified and the competition takes place in March. Again, both students and judges’ identities are hidden from each other. A three-person panel of independent judges then rates the final competition and selects a winner.
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