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Background and History
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 $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 and recently dubbed ‘Chef of the Year’ by Esquire magazine. Now in its seventh 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 and their imaginations.
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 October and should be posted throughout schools by November 1st. Applications are accepted by the Foundation through January 15th. Students are asked to create a three-course menu utilizing a pre-determined ‘basket’ of food containing mostly Texas ingredients. They must also submit photographs of their dishes, recipes, letters of recommendation and a letter of interest.
Applications are thoroughly checked and all references to location, gender or race are hidden. The applications are then forwarded to a screening committee of culinary professionals and Foundation board members, who score and eventually select their top six candidates.
Those 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. The three finalists then prepare their three-course menus for the judges to taste and evaluate. Again, both students and judges’ identities are hidden from each other. A four-person panel of independent judges (including Chef Pyles and Pat Sharpe) then rate the final competition and select a winner.
The winner of the competition receives a $15,000.00 scholarship and the opportunity to travel with Chef Pyles to a culinary fundraising event during the year. They receive a $500.00 stipend to assist them with travel expenses. The winner also participates in the annual fundraising dinner for the Foundation along with Chef Pyles, which helps fund the next scholarship.
General donations may be made to the scholarship fund, or a scholarship may be created in someone else’s name. For more information on scholarship programs contact Rebecca Robinson, Foundation Director at (512) 327-7555 or by email,
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Past Winners
2006 – Carolyn Bream, Texas Culinary Academy
2005 – Jodie Liwanag, Art Institute of Houston
2004 – Susan Harkness, Texas Culinary Academy
2003 – Natalie Guerrero, Art Institute of Houston
2002 – Christina Van Zandt, Art Institute of Houston
2001 – Jesus Lugo, El Paso
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