I had the privilege of taking part in my first ACF competition this weekend, I didn’t win, however I am very proud of how I did. I took a bronze medal.
I had the privilege of taking part in my first ACF competition this weekend, I didn’t win, however I am very proud of how I did. I took a bronze medal and was close to getting silver so I couldn’t have been more thrilled, especially to hear about what the judges said about my plate. I made a pepper bacon wrapped tuna loin on top of a chard and ricotta ravioli served with a green peppercorn sauce, a citrus fennel, arugula and candied beet salad, and a smoked tuna cake with a warm corn relish. I had two hours to break down my tuna completely, prep, cook and plate everything. I did come up 3 minutes past my deadline but I was still really happy and I believe I can learn a lot from this experience.
The day before my competition there was a cold salon competition that our master baker, chef Powers, was competing in. I stopped in to talk to her from time to time and see how her platter was coming, we would sit a chat for a few minutes and she would always remind me there is always something to be learned. As a master baker I wouldn’t think there is much more she could learn, but she kept reassuring me each and every day she would learn something new about her trade, and even herself. That is why she loves baking; it “challenges” her every single day. I started to think about how I could challenge myself every day and I came up with never be satisfied always try to out do what you did before, come up with new ideas and put them to the test. A competition is a great way to challenge one’s self and push yourself to the limits. It makes you think and come up with creative ways to overcome your challenges.
I know now what I have to expect for my next competition I compete in, how to prepare and what to expect from the judges. I couldn’t have been happier with all the support I got my family, friends and our chefs they helped me all the way through this. And I owe them everything; I cannot wait for my next competition to see how much I learned from now.