Baker College student 'SE MI Student Chef of the Year'

Calie Nelson, of Otisville, a student at Baker College of Port Huron Culinary Institute of Michigan (CIM) has won the Michigan Chefs de Cuisine Association (MCCA) 2015 Student Chef of the Year Championship. This is the second consecutive year that a CIM Port Huron student has been named MCCA Student Chef of the Year.

The award was announced before more than 200 MCCA members at the organization’s 2015 Annual Awards Gala Monday, Sept. 21, at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. Nelson earned the title by competing against eight students from other collegiate culinary programs in Southeastern Michigan on Aug. 11. Each competitor had 60 minutes to prepare two portions of a signature chicken dish and 10 minutes to plate it while following strict American Culinary Federation (ACF) guidelines.

“We’re very proud of Calie and how hard she worked to defend the title and bring it back to the CIM and Baker College,” said Thomas F. Recinella, CEC®, ACE, AAC®, HGT, program director and COURSES Restaurant executive chef at CIM Port Huron. “She cooked at a level far beyond her age and performed like a true professional.

“Calie is one of the most talented and finest young chefs I have worked with. She excels in her studies and displays the most important trait of a culinarian, exemplary citizenship. She also mentors and guides other students in doing the same.”

Nelson’s winning dish featured three variations on chicken titled “A Summer Trio of Chicken.” The competitors were judged on technique, sanitation, organization, timing and utilization of food, and the flavor of the food.

F. James Cummins, Baker College System president and CEO, said, “Though our Port Huron culinary program was only established a few years ago, we continue to witness the success of its students indicating that our curriculum and instructors are excellent. This second consecutive Student Chef of the Year award shows we are steadily building a tradition of distinction in educating future top chefs under the tutelage of our top educator chefs. We congratulate Calie, Chef Recinella and our faculty for their commitment to excellence.”

Nelson is a second-year student and expects to complete an associate degree in culinary arts June 2016. During her last term, she plans to complete an externship in Ireland, and after graduation, the Marmaduke, Arkansas native hopes to move to New Orleans to work in fine dining.

Looking back on the achievement, Nelson said, “It was a truly amazing experience and great deal of hard work. At first, I questioned if I could do it. To know that I won the cook off against all the other talented young chefs has been a humbling experience.”

Recinella founded CIM Port Huron as program director in 2012, bringing more than 30 years of culinary and food and beverage work experience in private clubs, fine dining restaurants, catering, banquets and culinary education. He was recently awarded membership in the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque, the nation’s highest recognition for U.S. chefs. He has also been the recipient of multiple industry awards for excellence in teaching, including the 2014 Sharing Culinary Traditions Award from the American Academy of Chefs.

Other recognitions earned by CIM Port Huron students who have been coached by Recinella as well as other instructors in the college’s inaugural participation in culinary competitions include the 2015 ACF Student Team Michigan State Championship and a silver medal at the ACF regional competition.

In addition, a CIM Port Huron student chef who competed in the national ment’or BKB Young Chef Competition made such an excellent impression on the judges, he was offered a six-month stagiaire, or paid internship, at world-renowned Chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills, California.

MCCA is the Southeastern Michigan chapter of the ACF, an organization for chefs and cooks that promotes the professional image of American chefs worldwide through culinary education. MCCA is the largest ACF Chapter in the United States and includes nine culinary programs. For more information about MCCA, visit www.mccachef.org.

For more information about the Baker College of Port Huron culinary arts program, contact Dan Kenny in the admissions office at 810.985.7000, 888.262.2442 or daniel.kenny@baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in distance education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.