Arlington, VA – August 27, 2020 – The Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF) today announced that Centra Health has won the AHF People’s Choice Award and Hennepin Healthcare has won the Best Video Award. The two awards were presented Thursday, August 27, 2020 at AHF’s 2020 Culinary Showcase Ceremony, during the AHF 2020 Virtual Conference.
The AHF Culinary Showcase is a brand new event developed in 2020 during a time when AHF’s chefs could not travel due to COVID-19 for AHF’s signature event “The AHF 2020 Culinary Competition” originally set to take place in Orlando, Florida during AHF’s cancelled in-person conference.
The Culinary Showcase incorporates a market basket concept and a mystery ingredient, with no cost or nutritional requirements. Teams were encouraged to think out of the box and showcase their talents in a unique environment. The Culinary Showcase was designed to allow for maximum creativity and innovation, given the challenges of being in a virtual environment.
Another unique component of the Culinary Showcase was that the finalist teams had to develop a short video submission highlighting their techniques, mystery ingredient (Pure Maple Syrup) and personality. Five finalist teams were selected and submitted videos and original recipes. Teams came from as far as Australia. Each submission was reviewed and voted on by AHF’s membership and attendees of AHF’s 2020 Virtual Conference. AHF Members voted on two categories, People’s Choice Award for the best recipe and presentation and Best Video Award. All recipes will be highlighted on AHF’s new Recipe Index launching soon with a redesigned AHF website.
“The Culinary Showcase was intended to highlight healthcare foodservice chefs in a virtual environment” said AHF Culinary Chairman, Michael Salvatore, CEC, Senior Director at Ruck-Shockey Associates, INC. “It’s a privilege to honor these innovative and creative chefs for representing the culinary pinnacle of healthcare foodservice.”
The 2020 Culinary Showcase Winners are:
People’s Choice Award: System Director and Executive Chef Timothy Schoonmaker, CEC and Operations Manager Jon Smith from Centra Health (Lynchburg, Virginia)
Dish Name: Blackened Grouper Filet served over Zoodles with Avocado Pesto, and Pineapple Citrus Salsa
Best Video: Executive Chef Antonio Sanchez, CEC and Cook Luis Medina from Hennepin Healthcare (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Dish Name: Grouper Around the World
Honorable Mentions:
Executive Chef and Culinary Manager Lonnie Berry and Cook Charles Harrison from Sibley Memorial Hospital (Washington, D.C.)
Dish Name: Sweet & Spicy Grouper w/ Roasted Broccolini, Heirloom Tomatoes, Oranges, & Raspberry Plum Drizzle
Executive Chef Aman Marwah and Chef Rajesh Pundir from Mater Hospital Brisbane
(Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)
Dish Name: Grilled Eggplant, Roasted Red Repper Yoghurt and Heirloom Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Stephanie Giraulo, RD and Director of Food & Nutritional Services and Chef Tom Mulzoff from St. Charles Hospital and St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center (Port Jefferson, New York)
Dish Name: Pan Seared Grouper with a Sorghum Succotash and Yucca Latke