Finalists will go head to head in New Orleans at the organization's annual conference.
The Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF) announced the finalists for its 2013 Culinary Competition, that will take place in conjunction with its annual conference in New Orleans at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel on June 7.
The five finalists and their dishes are:
- Steven Bressler, retail services manager, and John Graziano, executive chef, from The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, N.J.
- Michael Atanasio, director of food services, and Todd Daigneault, executive chef, from Overlook Medical Center in Summit, N.J.
- Joanne McMillian, director, and Aatul Jain, retail operation manager and chef, from Saint Clare's Health Systems in Denville, N.J.
- Dan Powers, manager operations, and Glenton Goodwill, cook, from Centra in Lynchburg, Va.
- James Roth, certified executive chef, and Yanka Manikatova, lead retail cook, from Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare in Elmhurst, Ill.
The winning dish must fit within the stated nutritional guidelines; cost less than $7 to produce; be appropriate to serve in a facility on regular menu rotation, whether retail, catering or patient feeding; and, of course, be delicious. The AHF judges will evaluate the teams and their dishes on organization, culinary skills, taste and presentation. The top three winners will be awarded prizes and medals.