Gabriala Grande begins her ice sculpture with a chain-saw

On Saturday, January 21, at the in the annual Winterfest held at SUNY Delhi, culinary & pastry students from the Monroe College School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts won ten ACF (American Culinary Federation) medals. 

Cuauhtemoc Cortez, Dwight Duvoll, Tihelia James and Gabriela Grande chain-sawed, chiseled, and torched their ways through the ice carving competition while Jessica Johnson and Stephanie Cardenas showcased a flair for design in the occasion cake competition. Freshman Kimani Hines, earned a silver medal and the distinction of "Best in Show” in his first cold food competition. Silver medals also went to Shamel Donigan, Jessica Johnson, and Kareem Meade. Bronze medals were awarded to Taibat Amusa, Stephanie Cardenas, Cuauhtemoc Cortez, Dwight Duvoll, Jessica Gil, and Victor Vives.

“We’re very proud of the students’ accomplishments,” said Dean Frank Costantino, “and along with my colleagues Chef Eric Pellizzari and Chef Gerard Molloy, who accompanied the students to Delhi, we’re looking forward to the competitions that are coming up. We’re optimistic that we’re going to continue to do well.”

The Monroe Culinary Program is currently selecting the students who will represent the college on the junior varsity and varsity teams in the 2012 New York State Championships on March 17 in Delhi, NY. Monroe came in second (by .10 of a point) in the State Championships, which was hosted in the college’s state-of-the art Culinary Arts Center, in New Rochelle, NY.