WOF 2021 Presenter Biographies
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PRESENTER BIOGRAPHIES All social media handles refer to Instagram accounts unless otherwise indicated. Chef ERIC ADJEPONG, MPH was a finalist on season 16 of Bravo's “Top Chef” and a contestant on season 17 of “Top Chef All-Stars,” where he earned consistent acclaim from judges and popularity among viewers. As a first-generation Ghanaian-American born and raised in New York City, Eric sources the flavors and influences in his cooking from many of the West African dishes he grew up eating. He is passionate about introducing diners to West African cuisine and the impact its diaspora has had on South American, Latin American, Caribbean, and American food, all in his elegant, artfully plated style. Eric has cooked in several Michelin-starred restaurants in New York after graduating with degrees in culinary arts and nutrition from Johnson & Wales, one of the country's premiere culinary universities. He also holds a Master of Public Health in International Public Health Nutrition from the University of Westminster in London. (Washington, DC) @chefericadjepong MELISSA ARAUJO is a seasoned chef in New Orleans who boasts a diverse culinary background. She has an insatiable passion for cooking and sharing her story through her beautifully plated and unique meals she creates while feeding others. Melissa was born in the third largest city on the Atlantic Coast of Honduras, La Ceiba, Atlántida. Growing up, her summers were spent in Honduras on her grandmother’s farm. During this, her love of food and understanding of hard work and family were cultivated exponentially. She considers this time in her life one of her most cherished memories, allowing her to discover a deeper understanding of her heritage and further cultivate the love for cooking she has ascertained from a young age. The remainder of year, Melissa spent her time in Providence, Rhode Island in a vastly different atmosphere, but one that nonetheless also contributed to her culinary style and personal development. Melissa and her family relocated to New Orleans around her 16th birthday. It was during this time that Melissa felt she had finally found the place to truly cultivate her culinary interests outside of Honduras. Life, family, heritage and the city of New Orleans inspired Melissa to fully commit herself to the culinary industry. After graduating high school, she immediately took advantage of any and every opportunity presented to nurture her already present passion for cooking. Since her start in the culinary industry, Melissa has worked her way up, continuously growing and evolving to offer the unique culinary experience she has created today. (New Orleans, LA) @chefmelissaaraujo BRAD BARNES ‘87, CMC is director of consulting and industry programs at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Brad is responsible for the oversight of all operational consulting, ProChef® certification, and custom professional training. His clients include Google, U.S. Department of Defense, and Stanford University. Brad is the author of two books and the creator of food concepts such as Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn and The Pythian Market in New 2021 Worlds of Flavor | Presenter Biographies SUBJECT TO CHANGE | Updated September 22, 2021| Page 1 of 14 © 2021 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. Orleans. Previously, he served as senior director of culinary education and senior director of continuing education at the CIA. Before joining the education administration, he was the president of GigaChef, LLC and chef/owner of B&B Solutions. Brad is a Certified Master Chef, one of 66 in the United States, a Certified Culinary Administrator, and an inductee of the American Academy of Chefs, the American Culinary Federation’s honor society. (Hyde Park, NY) SCOTT ALVES BARTON, PHD is a faculty fellow in race and resilience in Notre Dame's Institute of Advanced Studies. Scott's home is in Harlem, where he teaches as an assistant adjunct professor at New York University and area universities. He holds a PhD in food studies from NYU. He had a 25-year career as an executive chef, restaurant and product development consultant, and culinary educator. Scott is on the board of the Association for the Study of Food and Society, is secretary of the Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition, is a steering committee member for the James Beard Awards, and co-chair of the African Diaspora Religions Unit for the American Academy of Religion. Scott has been a public foodways scholar at Lynden Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee. His research and publications focus on the intersection of secular and sacred cuisine as a marker of identity politics, cultural heritage, political resistance, and self- determination in Northeastern Brazil, and the 19th-20th century U.S.A. (New York, NY) @senhorokra CAROLINA BAZÁN is chef-owner of Ambrosia and Bistro Ambrosia in Santiago. Coming from a traveled and foodie background Carolina chose to devote herself to gastronomy. In 2003 after finishing her studies in Chile, with her family she opened the first Ambrosia downtown in Santiago. In between she staged in Perú, Brazil, Italy and in 2011 she spent one year studying in Paris and learning from chef Gregory Marchand in Frenchie Restaurant. Back in Chile, in 2012, Carolina and her partner, sommelier Rosario Onetto, began the first Hidden Kitchen movement in Santiago, which finally led to Ambrosia’s new location and new concept. The result is a modern family bistro, outside of the classic gastronomic circuit, where fresh market products lead a menu that changes daily according to what’s in season. The goal is to give an amazing dining experience, showing not only good food but also fresh, seasonal ingredients paired with a grand variety of wines, and music, and good old hospitality. In 2017, Carolina and Rosario opened their own Ambrosia Bistro, located downtown with a very hip vibe, but maintaining the idea of working a seasonal menu, simple, but focusing on very tasty food. Carolina was the S. Pellegrino’s Latin America’s Best Female Chef in 2019. (Santiago, Chile) @chinoise MICHAEL BELTRAN is chef, owner, and partner of Ariete Hospitality Group, which includes restaurants Ariete, Navé, and Chugs Cuban Diner as well as popular watering holes The Scapegoat and The Taurus. Beltran was raised in a traditional Cuban-American household in Miami that was big on home-cooked meals shared at the family dinner table. His grandparents owned bodegas in Cuba before coming to the US; Ariete is named for one of the restaurants they operated before emigrating. One of the city’s most dynamic concepts, Ariete is notable for innovative dishes that meld the flavors of his Cuban-American upbringing with New American cuisine. Chug’s Cuban Diner, an all-day American style diner with a menu studded with Cuban classics at affordable prices, is known for its legendary pastelitos and fritas. In 2019, collaborating 2021 Worlds of Flavor | Presenter Biographies SUBJECT TO CHANGE | Updated September 22, 2021| Page 2 of 13 © 2021 The Culinary Institute of America. All rights reserved. with Chef Justin Flit, formerly of Proof Miami, Beltran opened Navé to rave reviews. Adjacent to Ariete, Navé features a simple, yet sophisticated, seafood-centric menu and an extensive libations program served in a casual indoor/outdoor space. Beltran was a 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards’ Best Chef: South semifinalist, his restaurant was named Eater’s Restaurant of the Year, and was named Miami New Times’ Best New Restaurant. He has also been featured in Bon Appetit magazine and received multiple nods from The New York Times. (Miami, FL) @piginc LILLA BERNAL, CMB, CHE, is an associate professor at the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio where she has the privilege of teaching baking and pastry to first and second-semester students. Ms. Bernal is a Certified Master Baker and a Certified Hospitality Educator. In a previous life, Lilla was a menu consultant at Victoria House Resort and The Black Orchid in San Pedro, Belize. She was one of the original vendors at the Pearl Farmer's Market and the pastry chef at Biga on the Banks. Her experience includes nutrition education coordinator with the San Antonio Food Bank as well as a wide array of pastry chef and baker jobs in Central America, Mexico, and the great state of Texas. (San Antonio, TX) DAVID BOULEY is a cookbook author, chef and owner, Bouley at Home Living. David was born and raised near Storrs, Connecticut, where he worked in restaurants from an early age. After studying at the Sorbonne, Chef Bouley had the opportunity to work with some of Europe’s most acclaimed chefs, including Roger Vergé, Paul Bocuse, Joel Robuchon, Gaston Lenôtre, and Frédy Giradet. David then returned to work in some of New York’s leading restaurants, such as Le Cirque, Le Périgord, and La Côte Basque. In 1987, David opened his own restaurant, Bouley. In 1996, Chef Bouley opened Bouley Bakery and Market, which quickly became a community hot spot offering freshly prepared items to enjoy at home or in the café. At Bouley, David continues to transport diners to new and exciting culinary heights. In 2011, David opened Brushstroke, in collaboration with Tsuji Culinary Institute, followed by Chef’s Pass, a private dining room, which was awarded a Michelin Star in its first year. In 2015, David received the honorary title of “Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador.” (New York, NY) @davidbouley RYAN BROSSEAU is executive chef at Dear Margaret, where he brings a passion for preservation and pickling, whole-animal butchery, and bread baking. His menu pays homage to his French- Canadian mémé (grandmother) Margaret, with a nod to the farmers and purveyors from whom he sources high-quality local ingredients. A self-professed “old-fashioned cooking dude” who believes food culture is crucial to understanding who we are, he is dedicated to the details that elevate familiar flavors to accessibly innovative, inherently satisfying, and nourishing.