Local Chef Vies For Certified Master Chef Status

Chances are you have seen Fox’s "Master Chef," but what does it really take to earn the title of "Certified Master Chef®"? On Oct. 23-30, Alan Neace of Florence, Ky., culinary instructor at Midwest Culinary Institute, Cincinnati, will find out as he takes the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) official eight-day official Certified Master Chef (CMC) exam in Hyde Park, N.Y., along with 11 others. The CMC title is the highest professional designation a chef can receive, and there are currently only 60 CMCs in the nation.

Twelve chefs from across the country will gather in the kitchens at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Hyde Park, N.Y., for the test of a lifetime Oct. 23-30—the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) eight-day Certified Master Chef® (CMC®) exam. From healthy cooking to classical cuisine, chefs have prepared their entire careers for the chance to earn the highest professional distinction available and to join the ranks of the elite group known as Certified Master Chefs.

The last CMC exam was held four years ago. There are currently 60 CMCs and 12 Certified Master Pastry Chefs® (CMPC®) in the United States. In order for a chef to apply for the CMC exam, he/she must show documentation that they are a Certified Executive Chef® or Certified Culinary Educator®, provide two letters or recommendation from current CMCs and meet rigorous education and experience requirements. The cost for the examination process is $3,800. In addition, all other expenses associated with taking the exam (food for practice, travel, room, board, etc.) are the responsibility of the candidate.

On Oct. 20, three days before the exam, candidates will receive the protein for their healthy cooking segment. Within 24 hours, they must return nutritional analysis, menu and ingredient list that is approved by a registered dietician. The practical exam is administered in eight segments: healthy cooking, buffet catering, classical cuisine, freestyle cooking, global cuisine, baking and pastry, continental and northern Europe cuisines and market basket, demonstrating that the chef is well-rounded. Each category is graded in two parts: kitchen skills and presentation, and tasting. The minimum passing score for the entire exam is 75 points out of 100. If a candidate fails along the way, they are ineligible to continue.

“I want to be a CMC to verify my cooking/culinary skills at the highest level, period,” says candidate Shawn Hanlin, CEC. “It has been a goal of mine since working for Hartmut Handke, CMC, AAC, at The Greenbrier during my apprenticeship.”

The 2010 CMC candidates are:
Brian Beland, CEC, of Sterling Heights, Mich., executive chef, Country Club of Detroit, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.; ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Daniel Dumont, CEC, of Hampton Falls, N.H., vice president of culinary/corporate chef, Ocean Properties Ltd. Hotels and Resorts Portsmouth., N.H.; ACF Piscataqua Chapter

Randall Emert, CEC, CCA, of Lake Orion, Mich., executive chef, Great Oaks Country Club, Rochester, Mich.; ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Jason Hall, CEC, of Palm Coast, Fla., executive chef, Hammock Dunes Club, Palm Coast; ACF St. Augustine Chapter

Shawn Hanlin, CEC, of North Bend, Ore., executive director, Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, Coos Bay, Ore.; ACF Bay Area Chefs Association of Oregon

Shawn Loving, CEC, CCA, of Farmington, Mich., department chair/instructor, Schoolcraft College Culinary Arts Department, Livonia, Mich.; ACF Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association

Robert Mancuso, CEC, of Dedham, Mass., executive chef, The Country Club, Chestnut Hill, Mass.; ACF Epicurean Club of Boston

Jonathan Moosmiller, CEC, of Penfield, N.Y., executive chef, Genesee Valley Club, Rochester, N.Y.; ACF Professional Chef/Cooks Association of Rochester

Alan Neace Sr., CEC, AAC, of Florence, Ky., culinary instructor, Midwest Culinary Institute, Cincinnati

Richard Rosendale, CEC, of White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., executive chef, The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs; ACF National Chapter

Brian Sode, CEC, AAC, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., executive chef, The Bear’s Club, Jupiter, Fla.; ACF National Chapter

John Thompson, CEC, of South St. Paul, Minn., executive chef, Minneapolis Club, Minneapolis; ACF Minneapolis Chefs Chapter

For more information about the 2010 CMC exam, visit www.acfchefs.org/CMCexam. ACF will announce which chefs earned the distinction of Certified Master Chefs on its website Oct. 30 and in a press release Nov. 1. To read ACF’s press releases, visit www.acfchefs.org/pressreleases.

About the American Culinary Federation
The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 20,000 members in 225 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and programmatic accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions, and to the Chef & Child Foundation, founded in 1989 to promote proper nutrition in children and to combat childhood obesity. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.