Baker College achieves perfect three-peat; retains title of SE Michigan ‘Student Chef of the Year’

It’s three for three for Baker College of Port Huron’s Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM)

Three years ago, the then-new CIM Port Huron entered its first student in the annual Student Chef of the Year contest held by the Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association (MCCA). A different student has represented the culinary school each year since, and each year that student brought home the championship.

Bethany McKenzie, of Jeddo, earned the 2016 title. She competed against students from other collegiate culinary programs in Southeastern Michigan Aug. 22. The decision of the judges was announced at the organization’s 2016 Annual Awards Gala at the Oakland Hills County Club, Bloomfield Hills, Oct. 3.

“Bethany has demonstrated her dedication and devotion to her education and intended culinary profession, as well as gained the respect of her fellow students,” said Thomas F. Recinella, CEC®, ACE, AAC®, program director and COURSES Restaurant executive chef at CIM Port Huron. “She is one of our most prolific community service students, logging hundreds of hours volunteering for community events and helping her fellow students. And, she has represented the college extremely well at multiple competitions, always performing as a true professional.”

McKenzie also won the state culinary arts title in the 2016 SkillsUSA contest earlier this year and placed fifth among 30 competitors at the national championship in Louisville, Kentucky.

Recinella continued, “Though the CIM is not solely defined by our students’ performance at competitions, it is an indication of the quality of education, and it shines a light on our programs. The college is gaining a national reputation, in part due to the competitions and also because of the reputation of our faculty and the job-readiness of our graduates. We’re hearing from an increasing number of employers who are seeking our students at graduation.”

Bart Daig, Ph.D., Baker College System president and CEO, said, “Baker College’s culinary program continues to see the success of its students, illustrating that our curriculum and educator chefs are excellent. This third consecutive Student Chef of the Year award – won against Detroit-area programs – shows the strength and consistency of our program. Chef Recinella and his staff have done an excellent job in building this young program into a tradition of distinction in educating future top chefs.”

For the MCCA competition, each of the nine competitors prepared two portions of a signature dish in 60 minutes while adhering to exacting culinary guidelines.

McKenzie presented a trio of chicken: a breast of chicken arrosé, braised chicken, and rustic country farce with prosciutto and parmesan crunch. It was accompanied by sweet corn purée, mashed potatoes, green beans and natural jus lié.

Students practice hundreds of hours outside of class honing their skills for competitions. They compete against each other to determine who will represent the CIM in contests such as the MCCA contest.

“This ‘friendly’ competition raises the skill level in the classroom and benefits all students,” Recinella said.

McKenzie completed an associate degree in culinary arts June 2016 and is working on an associate degree in food and beverage management. After graduation she hopes to gain a position as a sous chef or chef de cuisine in a restaurant that delivers great food and great service in a sustainable manner.

MCCA is the Southeastern Michigan chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), an organization for chefs and cooks that promotes the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education of culinarians. It is the largest ACF chapter in the country with more than 400 members, including nine colleges.

For more information about MCCA, visit www.mccachef.org.

Baker College offers culinary programs in Port Huron and Muskegon at world-class facilities built specifically for the study of culinary arts. For more information, contact Dan Kenny in the admissions office at 810.985.7000, 888.262.2442 or daniel.kenny@baker.edu, or visit www.CulinaryInstituteMI.com.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Founded in 1911, Baker College grants doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, as well as certificates in diverse academic fields including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. Baker College has on-ground campuses in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and offers online programs that can be completed 100 percent online without ever visiting a campus. In 2016, the Online Learning Consortium recognized Baker College Online with the OLC Quality Scorecard Exemplary Endorsement, the highest ranking for online higher education programs. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.