COLUMBUS – Chef Lance Stalnaker, culinary arts instructor at Tri-Rivers Career Center in Marion, earned a silver medal at the Columbus State Spring Classic on April 3.
He competed in the KC-4 category, contemporary hot food, with an entry of spiced rack of lamb with curry sauce and chermoula, stewed butternut squash and lentils, confit bell peppers and candied squash.
Competitors had 60 minutes to prepare four portions of a finished entrée plate based on the protein of their choosing. The competition is judged by American Culinary Federation Competition judges, who included lead judge Sarah Deckert, certified executive chef; and Thomas Peer, certified master chef.
This is Stalnaker’s third ACF professional competition, and, according to him, he does it to help his students with their competitions.
“How can I ask them to go and compete, and give them the help they need from me as their adviser, if I have never experienced it myself?" he said. “Just like I tell my students, you cannot come away from these competitions without being a better chef in every way. Putting yourself out there to be judged is not easy, but it is very fulfilling.”
Stalnaker has had two culinary arts teams finish in the top three at the national FCCLA conference and said he owes that success to students who buy in and work hard, and to a supportive administrative staff at this school that supports his continuing education and development as well as that of his students.
Stalnaker is a certified executive chef through the American Culinary Federation and the World Association of Chefs Societies and a certified culinary educator through the American Culinary Federation.
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