(Buffalo, NY) – Campus Dining and Shops (CDS) at the University at Buffalo (UB) fielded a four-person team for the American Culinary Federation’s 11^th Annual Culinary Conference and Competition held at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY on Friday, January 10, 2025, and was awarded a Silver medal in the ACF Category W Market Basket Competition.

The UB team, comprised of Assistant Executive Chef Michael Gorham, Assistant Executive Chef Kaprishia Covington, Assistant Executive Chef Malik Pryce, and Chef Manager Ryan Rodenhaus, placed third out of the eleven teams participating across four states. Each team was required to prepare a four-course menu consisting of either an appetizer or salad; a soup or dessert; an entrée with the appropriate starch/vegetable and accompaniment, as well as one buffet platter to serve 10.

The Category W Market Basket that each team was given consisted of Proteins (whole dressed steelhead trout, Cornish game hens, pork tenderloin, tempeh), Vegetables (king trumpet mushrooms, mustard greens, tri-colored carrots, spaghetti squash), Grains & Starch (lentils, brown rice, russet potatoes), Fruits & Nuts (blood oranges, Meyer lemons, kumquats, almonds), and a special ingredient of Black Garlic Molasses. Teams had to create their entire menu using each ingredient and were given one hour to complete the cooking portion.

“The menu planning process was smooth, and I’m proud of how we created a menu that truly showcased the breadth of skills our team has to offer,” said Chef Pryce. “It was especially rewarding to receive commendation from the judges for the wide variety of techniques we employed—a true point of pride for me.”

Their presented menu consisted of:

Appetizer: Confit Cornish Game Hen Tortellini
Meyer lemon stuffed spaghetti squash tortellini, blood orange butter cream sauce, tomato compote and balsamic reduction

Soup: Steelhead Trout Mélange
Pan-seared steelhead trout atop of seafood and vegetable broth, topped with salted almonds  

Entrée: Seared Pork Medallions
Seared pork tenderloin on top of carrot puree, served with poached cauliflower with a black garlic and red wine reduction

Buffet: Tempeh Tacos
Tempeh tacos with refried lentils with jalapeno kumquat relish and salsa verde

“What I love is that it is more than just a competition,” said Chef Rodenhaus. “The collaboration from my fellow chefs, even on other teams, showcases what a community we have wanting to see each other succeed.”

Chef Covington, competing in her first Culinary Challenge, added “It goes to show, that a team that communicates well and uses the skills and talents of its members to the team’s advantage, can be all you need to build upon to succeed. I enjoyed getting to know my teammates better and hearing from other chefs from other universities was very informative.”