(CHICAGO, IL) — January 2015 — At the Bonaventure Resort & Spa, four chefs from IACC member properties in the US and Canada gathered to compete for the coveted IACC-Americas Copper Skillet final where the winners now go on to compete in the International Copper Skillet global final in April.
Chef Laura Leonetti from the Villanova University Hotel & Conference Center took the IACC-Americas Senior Chef Category Copper Skillet for her winning dish in the cook-off. Local judges named Laura the winner for her dish of Filet Mignon and Jumbo Prawns, white asparagus, sautéed sweet potatoes, mango & avocado salsa.
Zachary Miller at the The Inn at Virginia Tech took the IACC-Americas Junior Chef Category Copper Skillet for his winning dish in the cook-off. Industry expert judges named Zachary the winner for his dish of brown butter seared prawn and filet with trumpet and lobster mushroom red wine demi accompanied by smashed purple sweet potatoes and sautéed asparagus, carrots, and Swiss chard.
In both competitions, the chefs were presented with basic pantry items along with a “mystery basket” of proteins. They were given 30 minutes to prepare, create, and present their creations to local area judges.
For the first year in the 11-year history of the Copper Skillet competition, IACC introduced a Junior Chef category where IACC conference center chefs under the age of 26 competed in the cook-off.
Chef Leonetti and Chef Miller will go on to compete with other chefs from IACC chapters around the world at the International Copper Skillet Competition at the 34th IACC-Americas annual conference at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in April 2015, where the 11th Global Copper Skillet Champion will be named.
The popular Copper Skillet competition was introduced in 2004 to highlight the artistry and skill of the best chefs from IACC-member conference centers around the world and to honor their contributions to the shared goal of providing an outstanding conference center experience.
The 34th IACC-Americas Annual Conference is scheduled for April 14-17, 2015 at the Bonaventure Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
