Phyllis Ricklefs, the assistant manager of dining services at the University of Wyoming Washakie Center, won an internal culinary competition conducted by UW Residence Life and Dining Services (RLDS).
She will represent UW at the 2008 conference of the Continental Region of the National
Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) April 1 at North Idaho
College in Coeur d'Alene. She will compete against other culinary professionals for
an opportunity to represent the region at the national competition in Washington,
D.C. in July.
The assigned protein for this year's competition was a striped bass. Each competitor
had 75 minutes to set up, prepare and plate four servings of an original hot entree
that included the assigned protein and nutritionally balanced side dishes.
Ricklefs, a full-time RLDS employee since 1992, won the competition with her recipe
of striped bass and sun-dried tomato basil cream sauce, small twice-cooked red potatoes
and colorful calico coleslaw.
Ben Marks, a chef at UW Catering Services, John Proulx, an executive chef at the
Laramie Country Club and Tony Earls, an associate director of residence life, judged
the contest based on criteria created by the American Culinary Federation, which sanctions
all NACUFS culinary competitions.
NACUFS assists members and advances the collegiate food service industry by providing
insight, education, services and knowledge exchange. The Continental Region of NACUFS
includes Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming,
and the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
