Topic: Administrative
September 12, 2008
A Ball State chef will present his award-winning dish of pan-seared striped bass with shiitake mushroom polenta cake and creamed spinach during the kickoff for the university's Cooking Live! program on Oct. 1.
Earlier this summer, Chef Jason Reynolds took home third place at the 2008 National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) Culinary Challenge in Washington, D.C. Per contest rules, Reynolds prepared the striped bass dish, the same dish that earned him first place in NACUFS' Midwest Region Culinary Challenge at Purdue University in March.
"We are extremely proud of Chef Reynolds' accomplishment. With close to 100 competitors from all over the country, finishing third is a great achievement," said Jon Lewis, director of campus dining services.
Reynolds has been a member of the American Culinary Federation since 1993 and is currently its central Indiana chapter president. A native of Muncie, he joined Ball State's dining services staff in 1998.
Reynolds said he enjoys working on the dining staff at Ball State, describing the university as being "on the cutting edge for students, faculty, and staff as well as for the public." Recent and continuing improvements include renovations to Woodworth Commons and the L.A. Pittenger Student Center's dining area, along with the addition of more healthy food options to all menus campuswide.
Reynolds will be one of six chefs featured in this year's Cooking Live! 2008-09. Season tickets for the display cooking series - which includes four lunches and two dinners - are $138. Single meal tickets also are available for purchase at $17 per lunch and $35 per dinner. All events are held at the Alumni Center. For more information, go to www.bsu.edu/dining/cookingliveseries, or contact Deb Hutton at 765-285-5203 or dhutton@bsu.edu.
By Alyssa Brumback