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Watch Top Chef With Colicchio, Boulud, and Team Bocuse

Photo: Courtesy of Bocuse d’Or

To celebrate an upcoming episode of Top Chef featuring judges from the Bocuse d’Or (a.k.a., the “Culinary Olympics”), the Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation (a nonprofit that supports American competitors) is hosting a viewing party at Astor Center from 9 p.m. till 11 p.m. on November 18. Your hosts for the evening: none other than Tom Colicchio and Bocuse USA board member Daniel Boulud, who will also provide the hors d’oeuvres (needless to say, Top Chef Quickfire Wine will also be flowing). Apparently, the episode centers around the search for a Bocuse d’Or candidate (you’ll remember Hung Huynh was a semifinalist last year, when the U.S. finalist Timothy Hollingsworth placed sixth). By the way, if you happen to be a top-tier chef yourself and want a chance to rep the American team in Lyon in 2011, application details are below. The deadline is November 30.

THE BOCUSE D’OR USA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
CHEF APPLICANT SEARCH FOR TEAM USA 2011


U.S. Semi-Final & Final Competition to be held February 4-6, 2010 at The Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park


New York, NY (October 15, 2009) – The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation is now accepting applications for professional chefs to represent the United States in the prestigious 2011 Bocuse d’Or International Culinary Competition, which will be held in Lyon, France on January 25-26, 2011. Established in 1983 by Chef Paul Bocuse, Bocuse d’Or is the preeminent international culinary competition in which teams of one chef and one commis assistant from twenty-four countries compete for top honors and international acclaim.

Committed to inspiring culinary excellence among young culinary professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America, The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation seeks qualified chef applicants who will successfully represent the United States at the global competition, and who will remain lifelong ambassadors of gastronomic excellence. All applicants must meet the below competition criteria and complete the Application Form packet, which is available at www.bocusedorusa.org:


· The Chef Applicant must be an American citizen and 23 years of age or older at the time of the final competition in Lyon on January 25, 2011

· The Chef Applicant must have at least (3) three years of experience in a fine dining establishment

· The Commis Applicant must be an American citizen and 22 years of age or younger at the time of the final competition in Lyon on January 25, 2011

From the pool of applicants, The Foundation’s Board of Directors - Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse - will review all of the submissions and select the sixteen semi-finalist teams, which will be announced at a press conference on Monday, December 7, 2009. From February 4-6, 2010 at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, these sixteen teams will compete for a chance to represent the United States at Bocuse d’Or. The teams will compete in a U.S. Semi-Final round on Thursday, February 4. The top eight teams will advance to the U.S. Final competition, held on Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6. The top team will be selected as the U.S. representative. The competition prizes include an award trophy for each competing team and a cash prize for the top three Final Competition Teams:

· 1st Prize: $5,000

· 2nd Prize: $4,000

· 3rd Prize: $3,000

“We are seeking a competitive candidate who is dedicated to excellence in the culinary arts and will be excited to represent the United States at Bocuse d’Or,” said Chef Daniel Boulud, Chairman of The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation. “The Foundation’s Board of Directors, Culinary Council and I are looking forward to working closely with the eventual chef candidate throughout the training period in preparation for the international competition in Lyon.”


The Foundation provides Team USA with a customized, yearlong training program that is crafted and supervised by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and members of the Culinary Council. In addition, all direct expenses associated with participation in the international competition are provided by the Foundation, including round trip air travel to Lyon, meals and accommodations for 15 days in France, registration fees, on-site acclimation training, competition ingredients and presentation platters.

Applications are due by November 30, 2009. For more information on The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation including the application process, please visit www.bocusedorusa.org.

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The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation
Established in 2009, The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation is a non-profit (501(c)(3)) culinary organization devoted to inspiring culinary excellence within young professionals and preserving the traditions and quality of classic cuisine in America. The Foundation is lead by a Board of Directors comprised of Chef Daniel Boulud, Chef Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse. Under their direction, the Foundation aims to build a community of knowledgeable young American chefs who are confident in their career pursuits and who will be lifelong ambassadors of gastronomic excellence. The Foundation is dedicated to making the careers of serious young chefs more meaningful and successful by offering them educational scholarships, internships and access to a Culinary Council of established professionals. The Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation helps support the country’s most promising young professionals who are interested in competing and representing the U.S. in the prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition held in Lyon, France every two years.

Update: Tickets to the Top Chef event are $125 and can be purchased here.

Watch Top Chef With Colicchio, Boulud, and Team Bocuse