Jeune Commis Competition and Induction in Pittsburgh
By Vice Chargé de Presse Ken McCrory
March 22, 1997 - the beginning of Spring - is a day for blossoming and promise of all things new and reborn. What better day for the Jeune Commis competition that allows blossoming young chefs to demonstrate the promise of their future careers. The Jeune Commis competition, one of the most prestigious cooking competitions in the world, was first held in Switzerland 20 years ago. The contests are held at regional, national and international levels in cities and countries with strong Chane chapters. The contestants are given a variety of ingredients and challenged to prepare a three course menu for four people in three and one-half hours.
In Pittsburgh the completed dishes were presented to judges Roland Schaffer of Heinz USA, Chef Grillardin Keith Coughenour of the Duquesne Club and Chef Grillardin Dieter Kiessling of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts.
The five competitors, Mark Piunno of the Duquesne Club, Derek Lemmon of the London Grille, Daniel Meier of the Golden Mushroom in Detroit, and Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts students Matthew Porco and Danni Aemmer were very good according to the judges, but Daniel Meier of Detroit prevailed. Jeune Commis Meier will join champions from eight other US regions at Kendall College in Evanston, Illinois for the national finals. The winner there will compete against representatives from around the world at Greystone the Culinary Institute of Americas Western Campus in Napa Valley, California.
Our spring fling continued with all the young competitors honored at an awards dinner and induction ceremony. Each of the competitors were inducted as Rtisseurs, along with other inductees, at a grand dinner at Pittsburgh, and the nation's, #1 city club - the Duquesne Club. Of course everyone claims to be #1, but the Duquesne Club was named best in the nation by the managers, presidents, directors and owners of its fellow clubs in a survey conducted by John Sibbald Associates, Inc.
Duquesne club General Manager, Matre de Table Restaurateur Mel Rex, Assistant General Manager, Matre de Table Scott Neill, Executive Sous Chef Richard Napierkowski, Duquesne Club Executive Chef, Chef Grillardin Keith Coughenour and, of course, Bailli Pete Hanowich planned a spectacular menu worthy of such an eventful day. After hors d'oeuvres of smoked tuna and saffron potato, carpaccio of veal and arugula, foie gras mousse with toasted anise phyllo crisp, and warmed stuffed fingerling peppers with ancho duck confit to name a few, Mid-West Regional Bailli Stephen Youngberg and Pittsburgh Bailli Hanowich conducted the induction ceremony. We then moved to the Duquesne Club's "Bijou Room" where the young chefs were given additional lessons on how to prepare a jewel of a dinner by "old chefs", Chef Grillardin Keith Coughenour, Duquesne Club Sous Chef Scott Fetty and Pastry Chef Thaddeus Dubois. The dinner began with an amuse bouch of artichoke heart and ruby grapefruit with chestnut honey and buttermilk pannacotta. A pan roasted noisette of Chilean sea bass, truffled yukon gold potato mousseline with wilted leaks and fava beans followed. This was accompanied nicely by Chalk Hill's 1994 Chardonnay. A palate cleanser of chilled mirabelle plums in ginger lime broth was followed by smoked breast of squab, wild mushroom boudine and liver timbale in a three grain mustard hollandaise Zinfandel reduction sauce. A flavorful Zinfandel from Steele's Du Pratt Vineyard provided a wonderful complement to this dish. Seasonal greens, with beet and crescenza cheese terrine and a unique rhubarb crisp with roasted garlic and raspberry balsamic dressing provided the salad course. Dessert was a glazed chocolate and banana pt, tangerine sorbet with warm macadamian nut caramel sauce accompanied by a 1992 Peter Lehmann Australian Semillon. The dinner finished with petits fours and the Duquesne Club's special coffee. After Matre de Table Scott Neill introduced Chef Coughenour and the Duquesne Club staff to a hearty round of applause, a few Chane members reviewed the day. Newly promoted Vice Conseiller Gastronomique Frank Diettinger commented that while only one person won the competition, we were actually all winners because with these young chefs coming along, there are many new culinary talents for Chane members to sample. Ah! So many chefs - so little time!
