Dan Westervelt, of Hamilton, Chef at Mustang Alley, prepares food during the 28th Great Chef’s dinner held recently at the Skaneateles Country Club. (Photo by Rebecca Dowsland, executive chef, Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation (MAC))
By Franci Valenzano, Public Relations Associate
(Morrisville, NY – April 2014) Morrisville State students joined some of the top chefs in Central New York in support of the American Red Cross during the 28th Great Chef’s dinner held recently at the Skaneateles Country Club.
This year’s dinner, which featured several of the best chefs from the finest restaurants in Central New York, served up seven courses, including appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, amuse-bouches, an array of entrees and a grand dessert in the shape of a 1950s-era kitchen, with decorative touches made from flour, sugar, chocolate and other edible products.
Chefs demonstrated techniques such as cooking on Himalayan salt blocks and creating exotic dishes including scallops in saffron foam, lamb lollipops and rabbit sugo.
The event was a continuation of the “Celebrating the Bounty and Pride of New York State” theme from the Great New York State Fair. As supporters of the farm-to-table concept, the chefs created a menu that celebrated the region by featuring local meats, cheeses and award-winning wines.
Kerry Beadle, executive chef at the Copper Turret, a college-run restaurant in Morrisville, was among the volunteer chefs from the Syracuse Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), who fed and entertained 132 guests who attended.
Beadle’s culinary team of four students and eight Morrisville Auxiliary Corporation (MAC) chefs served up a duck entrée with micro mustard greens. The mustard greens used in the dish were produced at the college. The dish was garnished with a mustard ice cream created by Barbara Quintana, the pastry chef at the Copper Turret.
“This was a great opportunity for the students to see the cooperation needed to make this many dishes,” said Beadle, assistant professor in the hospitality department at Morrisville State.
The Morrisville State team was comprised of:
Students:
Kimberly Cardenuto, of Buffalo, culinary arts management
Nathaniel Lovell, of Cazenovia, restaurant management
Daniel Della Vecchia, of Goshen, restaurant management
Floyd Johnson, of Brooklyn, entrepreneurship and small business management
MAC Chefs:
Adam Tobin, of Chittenango, Chef Seneca
Christian Martin, of Morrisville, Chef Manager Seneca
Joe Hardy, of Madison, Sous Chef Seneca
Dave Mizgala, of Rome, Sous Chef Mustang Alley
Dan Westervelt, of Hamilton, Chef Mustang Alley
Bill Gokey, of Syracuse, Chef Manager SUNY ESF
Owen Smith, of Morrisville, Sous Chef Copper Turret
Mike Malpezzi, of Oriskany Falls, Chef Copper Turret
Kerry Beadle, of Hamilton, executive chef at the Copper Turret, assistant professor and department chair of the hospitality department.
The local area of the American Red Cross raised more than $30,000 from the evening, which was created in 1986 as a culinary fundraising event to showcase the talents of chefs from the Syracuse Chapter of the ACF. The Red Cross provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.