Host Chef, Daniel Pliska, C.E.C Executive Chef and Assistant General Manager; Co-Chairman F2T

Host Chef

http://chefdaniel.missouri.edu

Daniel Pliska is the Executive Chef/Assistant Manager for the University Club of Missouri and University Catering located in Columbia, Missouri. He directs a kitchen staff of 25 to 30 in the University Club of MU and has been employed there since 1998.

Chef Daniel has trained and worked in cooking and pastry at first-class hotel and restaurant kitchens in Washington DC, Dusseldorf West Germany, and New Orleans. His 32-year career in the culinary field has included 20 years as an Executive Chef in private clubs and hotels.

As well as being certified as an Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation he has also received his Executive Chef certification from the Club Corporation of America. He has been a member of the ACF since 1984 and has received 10 ACF awards and medals in cooking and pastry including 2 grand prizes and a gold medal in traditional cold food competition. He was also nominated in 1999 for his chapter's chef professionalism award.

Locally, Chef Daniel has won the 2004 Iron Chef Final Show Down and has been a finalist in the Agri Missouri Culinary competition as well as the Parade of Taste in Kansas City. In 2006 he was asked to prepare the dessert and chocolate course for the prestigious American Academy of Chefs Dinner in St. Louis. In 2008 he was chosen as a top three finalist by the readers of Inside Columbia magazine for the Best Chef Competition in Columbia. That same year he was voted in as the ACF Mid-Missouri Chapters, Chef of the Year.

He has authored more than 25 articles on Culinary and Pastry Arts for the National Culinary Review, Club Management, Pastry Arts and Design, Columbia Home magazine, and Club and Resort Business. He is the President and Chairman of the Board of the Missouri Chapter and former member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Chaine des Rotisseurs.

Daniel enjoys training his apprentices and guiding his Sous Chefs in classical European culinary techniques. He believes the best chefs are equally proficient in Hot food cooking, Garde Manger and Pastry and is skilled in all of these areas. He uses only the freshest and finest ingredients whenever possible and food quality is the kitchens highest priority. Ninety percent of the food in his kitchen is made from scratch.

When he is not working Daniel enjoys time with his wife and 3 children and likes fishing and playing guitar.

Jonathan Justus

Justus Drugstore, Smithville, MO

Jonathan Justus is the Executive Chef and Co-owner with his wife Camille Eklof of Justus Drugstore, a restaurant. They believe real food raised with painstaking care by local small farm producers, prepared lovingly by skilled artisans served in an ambient beautiful space is an experience everyone should enjoy. If they can't make it from scratch, they won't serve it. All of their compositions are original; conceived and developed in house, they don't do classic dishes. Their philosophy carries through their entire operation. In their bar program, they have a "make it from scratch approach" with house made vermouths, bitters, etc.)

Recognitions

Mike Odette

Sycamore, Columbia, MO

James Beard nomination for Best Midwest Chef. His mission, "to celebrate, preserve and nurture America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence."

Craig Cyr

Wine Cellar & Bistro, Columbia, MO

Craig Cyr is Executive Chef and co-owner of Wine Cellar & Bistro with his wife Sommelier Sarah Cyr. They began their culinary journey at age 26. Their goal was to highlight and support local farms in their seasonally inspired menu and to bring together innovation and fun to Columbia's plate since 2003. Chef Cyr has been a part of the Columbia "farm to table" restaurant movement by supporting local farmers on each season's dinner menu. He also enjoys supplementing his bistro's kitchen with produce from his own local farm. He says he will "strive to create innovative dishes that preserve the integrity of the ingredients while presenting them in a new, exciting way." Craig Cyr received his training from the Johnson County Culinary Arts Program and his cuisines feature a unique stylistic blend between traditional and eclectic.

Honors: Best of Columbia Chef in Inside Columbia Magazine in 2008 & 2009. Featured in National Culinary Review in October 2008. Active member of Slow Food Katy Train since 2006. Featured Chef at the "Farm to Table" Lee School Project in 2009. One of four featured chefs at 1st annual "Farm to Table" Dinner in the Vineyard, Slow Food Katy Trail, June 2009. Headline Chef for Missouri Agroforestry Chestnut Festival in 2005 through 2009. The Wine Cellar & Bistro is quoted by Riverfront Times as "a lovely, even romantic, space, and executive Chef Craig Cyr's menu reveals a man passionate about food." And "Owner and executive chef Craig Cyr presents a menu bursting with dishes rustic and exotic, clever and comforting." (March 2007). The Wine Cellar & Bistro's wine list has been recognized with the Award of Excellence by The Wine Spectator Magazine from 2005 through 2009 "for having one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world".

Robert J. Stricklin

The Keeter Center, College of The Ozarks, Branson, MO

Robert Stricklin, CEC, AAC, is Executive Chef, Director of Food & Beverage, and assistant professor at The College of the Ozarks. He has had experience working in areas such as Chicago, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Nashville, and the Ozarks. Among the first-year graduating class of the American Culinary Federation's "new" Chef Apprenticeship Program, Robert graduated with honors and went on to an externship in Villars, Switzerland.

He has been president of both the Missouri Restaurant Association and the American Culinary Federation. He was also a recipient of the prestigious Restaurateur of the Year award and Chef of the Year award for 2006 and 2007. He has been featured in: Southern Living, Midwest Living, and 417 magazines, as well as Gourmet, for his Ozark heritage cuisine.

In the Grist mill, they grind their own grain to feed their hogs, which they process in their plant, cure their own hams, bacon etc. and have their own dairy. They also make their own cheese, ice cream etc. and come spring, have their own vegetable garden to supplement their restaurant.

The Keeter Center's staff is comprised primarily of student workers. These students are not charged tuition, as they work at a campus job to help pay for their expenses.

Ann Cooper

Dan Wehner

Executive Chef at The Westside Local in Kansas City, MO

Pat Byers

Patrick Byers, a Regional Horticulture Specialist with the Greene County office of University of Missouri Extension, was born in Nebraska and raised in the Midwest. He can trace his interest in fruit and vegetable production to market gardening while he was in his teens. His educational background includes an associate degree in commercial horticulture from the University of Nebraska, a bachelor's degree in horticulture from the University of Missouri, and a Master's degree, also in horticulture, from the University of Arkansas.

Pat's job experience includes three years at the University of Arkansas Fruit Substation, where he served as research associate in the peach and apple breeding programs. More recently, he served for 18 years as Fruit Grower Advisor at Missouri State University's State Fruit Experiment Station in Mountain Grove, where his responsibilities included outreach education to Missouri's commercial fruit industry, as well as research interests in elderberry, pawpaw, persimmon, primocane raspberry, blackberry, and other fruit crops. Patrick also served as interim viticulturist for the Missouri Grape and Wine Development Program. His current position of regional horticulture specialist with MU Extension includes outreach programming for commercial and home horticulture interests in the 16-county southwest Missouri region.

Patrick and his family manage a small commercial orchard near Fordland, Missouri, where they produce and market fruit and honey. Patrick has an interest in international agricultural issues, and has made trips to Uzbekistan, China, and Azerbaijan to consult with fruit producers and scientists.

Vera Massey

Vera Massey is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist with University of Missouri Extension specializing in home food preservation, both canning and freezing. She has 36 years of experience with them offering programming in areas of nutrition, health promotion and food preservation. She has an MS degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Vera conducts food preservation workshops in the Columbia, MO area each summer. To learn more about when those workshops will be offered, contact her at masseyv@missouri.edu.

Walter Scheib

Former White House Chef

Headlining Chef

http://theamericanchef.com

"For the last eleven years, I have had the honor of doing daily what most chefs would be lucky to do once in their life time. That honor was serving the First Family of the United States." - Walter Scheib, March 2005

Walter Scheib has quite a story to tell. In fact, he has two stories to tell. The first involves the rise of an American chef to the most storied position in the land. The second offers an intimate, human view of two First Families, the corridors of political power, international personalities, and the most famous building in the United States, from a unique vantage point: The kitchen.

In April 1994, Walter Scheib became the chef to America's chief executive and the First Family. First Lady Hillary Clinton, impressed by the comprehensive spa menu Scheib had developed for the Greenbrier resort, as well as his highlighting of American cuisine, personally hired Scheib. For 11 years, he prepared everything from simple family meals to elaborate and formal State Dinners. His culinary creations dazzled and delighted White House guests

A highlight of Scheib's White House achievement was his creation of a distinctly American repertoire for the nation's First House. He continues to speak with eloquence and pride about America's bounty today, praising the artisan cheese makers, green grocers, mushroom foragers, master bread makers, fishermen, ranchers, and farmers who have helped our national market basket evolve, and make quality cooking more accessible than ever. "America is rich in amazing produce, meats, and fish," Scheib says. "Using just a few excellent ingredients, anyone can make a perfect meal with very little formal training."

'The American Chef' is the name Scheib has taken for his new corporation. Since he returned to private life, Scheib has founded The American Chef™, the company through which he shares his knowledge of the development of American cuisine at the White House, as well as White House remembrances, with audiences across the country. His special events often aim to bring together business leaders, using group cooking as a method of team bonding. Sessions frequently feature hands-on cooking demonstrations with audience participation and interaction.

Food is Scheib's lifelong passion. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated with high honors in 1979. Immediately thereafter, Scheib started as a Rounds Cook at a premier Washington, D.C. hotel, and within three years was promoted to Executive Chef. Before coming to the Greenbrier and then the White House, he served as Executive Chef at other major hotels and resorts such as the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

The American Chef has become a great success. Scheib has developed a very popular speaking approach regaling guests with interesting, informative and often humorous anecdotes from his years in the White House. Scheib has made numerous appearances, both national and local. On the CBS Early Show, he demonstrated how to make a "presidential burger"... on the Fourth of July, no less. Additional television appearances include The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the CBS Early Show, Good Morning America, Weekend Today in New York, Nightline and Iron Chef on the Food Network Station. Newspaper and Magazine stories and interviews about his company and his food have been seen in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The U.S. News and World Report, in addition to other articles. Please visit theamericanchef.com for the full text of these articles. He is the co-author of the newly published White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen, which was released in January 2007.

Debbie Gold

Executive Chef at The American Restaurant, Kansas City, MO

Ms. Gold studied restaurant management at University of Illinois and then attended L'Ecole Hoteliere de Tain L'Hermitage in France's Rhone Valley. Apprenticed for two years at Michelin-starred French restaurants.

Esquire named Chef Gold "Chef to Watch" in 1997 and the same year she received three nominations for James Beard Foundation "Best Chef: Midwest" she won in 1999. In 2002 she opened her own restaurant — 40 Sardines in Overland Park, KS. It was nominated for "Best New Restaurant" from the James Beard Foundation. She decided to close 40 Sardines and returned to The American Restaurant.

Chef Gold is an active member of the culinary community; she has hosted James Beard Foundation fundraising dinners, as well as developing local seminars and special events that feature renowned chefs from across the country. Her menu for the Crayloa Café, a well known children's restaurant, was named the #1 Kids' Menu in America by Restaurant Hospitality.

Recognized by: Nation's Restaurant News, Restaurant Hospitality Magazine, Esquire Magazine, Wine Spectators, Midwest Living, Bon Appétit, and more.

Timothy Grandinetti

Overlook Farm in Clarksville, MO; Overlook Farm in the City, St. Louis, MO

Overlook Farm is perched atop one of the highest points along the majestic Mississippi River and winding down to the scenic Great River Road. With its collection of inns, restaurants, and farmland, Overlook Farm is an oasis tucked among the rolling hills and rich river valley of Clarksville, Missouri. Chef Grandinetti is the Director of Farmstead Operations and Executive Chef. He promotes and supports sustainable food systems; the enhancement of economic opportunities for farms; and the stewardship of our environment.

Chef Grandinetti represented Missouri as a delegate to the Slow Food's Terra Madre 2006 program in Turin, Italy. 1,500 food communities from 5 continents, 500 farmers, breeders, fishermen and traditional food producers, 1,000 cooks and 200 universities gathered together to share experiences and discuss the concept of agriculture and how it relates to good, clean and fair food.

Chef Grandinetti was invited to Japan to facilitate culinary training for the U.S. Navy and Japanese culinarians as part of the partnership between the American Culinary Federation and the U.S. Navy. Traveling through Japan, he completed a stage at the Renaissance Tokyo Ginza Hotel receiving superior culinary training and experiencing the best culinary experiences Japan has to offer.

Chef Grandinetti was appointed by Governor Matt Blunt to represent the great state of Missouri in the Food Network's Challenge series: The Great American Seafood Cook Off, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been the recipient of prestigious culinary awards including: Marriott's Award of Culinary Excellence, Missouri Department of Agriculture's Chef's Culinary Award; R.I.T's tradition-rich Alumni Entrepreneurial Award; and numerous American Culinary Federation sanctioned medallions, diplomas and certificates.

Julie Ridlon

Bill Cardwell

Cardwell's at the Plaza and BC's Kitchen, St. Louis, MO

Chef Bill Cardwell has been expressing his passion for fine food and innovative cuisine in Saint Louis for nearly twenty-five years. Many culinary experts and satisfied diners are eager to share their stories about the amazing impact Bill Cardwell has made within his profession and to the culinary world. Known throughout the industry as a keen influencer of creative seasonal fare, Chef Cardwell is a man on the move dedicated to offering each guest the perfect dining experience. Simply enter Cardwell's at the Plaza and you will see his hands-on style at work. Whether he is creating his next masterful feature of the day, Chef Cardwell loves his work and it shows in the satisfied souls of his guests. A Vermont native and long time Saint Louis resident, Cardwell first flashed on the local restaurant scene in 1987 when he opened Cardwell's in the heart of Clayton, Missouri. He sold the restaurant that still bears his name in 1997, and he opened Cardwell's at the Plaza in 1994 at Plaza Frontenac. In August 2008, Cardwell opened BC's Kitchen in Lake Saint Louis. Chef Cardwell graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with the highest honors. He apprenticed under the renowned Chef Albert Stokli, founding chef of the Four Seasons, New York City. Cardwell went to Switzerland to learn more about his craft from a more international perspective. Over the past three decades, Cardwell's professional experiences have run the gamut from small family-owned businesses to Culinary Director of a national corporation.

Continually ranked one of the region's top restaurants, Cardwell's at the Plaza has collected such accolades throughout the years as: Best New Restaurant; Top New Restaurants Esquire Magazine; Top 10 Food & Wine; Best in America USA Today; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence; America's Top Tables Gourmet Magazine; St. Louis Magazine's Top Restaurants; and Zagat Survey America's Top St. Louis Restaurants. In 2009, BC's Kitchen was named Best of Best New Restaurants.

A tireless community contributor, Cardwell also devotes hundreds of hours of his personal time and dollars annually to local charitable organizations. He has held such roles as a Co-chair of the annual March of Dimes Gala. He also has a leading role in events like The Taste of the NFL which supports St. Louis Foodbank, and the Edgewood Children's Center Annual Vineyard Tasting.

Bob Perry

James Quinn

Stuart Shafer

Stuart Shafer is a Professor of Sociology at JCCC, Chair of the Sociology Department, and Coordinator of the Sustainable Agriculture Program. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Environmental Studies from Western Michigan University, a Master of Arts in Sociology from Kansas University, and is a Candidate for Ph. D in Sociology from the University of California at San Diego. His non-academic work experience ranges from farm hand to oilfield roughneck to consultant for Native American tribes and organizations. He owns and operates a small, organic vegetable farm in Jefferson County, Kansas and is a grower in the oldest multiform CSA in the Midwest.