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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rebecca Robinson
Executive Director
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas
512-327-7555 or 512-350-4621 (cell)
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CALLING ALL STUDENT CHEFS!
The Wine & Food Foundation announces call for entries in 9th Annual Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship Cook-Off
Austin, Texas (December 12, 2008) – The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas is proud to announce that it is accepting applications for the 9th annual Stephen Pyles Culinary Scholarship Cook-Off. One of the largest culinary scholarships in the country, the winner of the competition receives a $15,000.00 scholarship and a stipend to travel with Chef Pyles to a celebrity chef event in L.A. Two runner’s up each receive $1,000.00 scholarhips. This year, the Iron-Chef style cook-off will be held for the first time in Dallas at The Art Institute of Dallas on Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1, 2009.
Applications are available at The Wine & Food Foundation website www.winefoodfoundation.org through January 26, 2009. Applications must be postmarked by that date. To be eligible, students must be enrolled in an accredited culinary school at the time of competition. All skill levels are welcome.
The competition requires applicants to create a three-course menu utilizing a pre-determined ‘basket’ of food of Texas ingredients. Applications with menus are then forwarded to a screening committee of culinary professionals who score and eventually select their top ten candidates. The short list is then submitted to Chef Pyles for selection of the final three candidates for competition.
The Stephan Pyles Culinary Scholarship is one of the many 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 scholarship is named for renowned Texas chef and author, Stephan Pyles, who is recognized internationally as one of the founding fathers of Southwestern cuisine and the first Texan inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America.
“This scholarship challenge is a true test of knowledge, skill and imagination,” stated Chef Pyles. “It is an opportunity for students to push their limits and strive for excellence.”
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 culinary experts and selected by Texas Monthly Food Writer/Restaurant Editor, and Foundation Advisory member, Pat Sharpe.
Last year’s winner was Amol Thanky of the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin. For a full list of winners and more details about the competition, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org.
About The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas
The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas is a statewide organization dedicated to recognizing and developing creativity, professionalism and state of the science research in all areas of the culinary and viticulture arts. The Foundation provides grants, scholarships and fellowships to outstanding individuals and other entities who achieve excellence in these areas. www.winefoodfoundation.org
About The Art Institutes
The Art Institute of Dallas is one of The Art Institutes, a system of over 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals. For more information, please visit www.theartinstitutes.edu/dallas.
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