News
August 8, 2019Capital Region BOCES Earns Right to Represent U.S. at Prestigious International Culinary Competition
2016 Capital Region BOCES graduate Carly Yezzo is a rising star in the national and international culinary world.
The SUNY Delhi student recently won the right to represent the United States at the prestigious international Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs Young Chef Competition in 2020. Yezzo punched her ticket to the international competition by winning the national event in Pittsburgh, PA in June.
“I am looking forward to meeting and competing against chefs around my age that are just as passionate about the culinary arts as I am,” Yezzo said. “I am excited to compete again and I plan on representing myself, SUNY Delhi, and the United States the very best that I can. I am a strong competitor and am so excited to begin practicing and learning more each step along the way.”
Among the awards she won at the national event was the Best Dessert trophy, the only award presented for an individual dish in the competition.
To win the event, Yezzo created walleye perch mousseline, gooseberry quinoa, and tournée-cut carrots with a white wine fish reduction sauce. Her entrée was pan-seared duck breast with wild mushroom farfalle duck ragu and fiddlehead ferns. For dessert, Yezzo prepared a pistachio cake with lime semifreddo, maple caramel sauce, and fresh fruit.
In a statement issued by SUNY Delhi, Chef Sean Pehrsson, Yezzo’s instructor and mentor at SUNY Delhi, praised the rising star.
“Watching Carly compete with such calm and confidence was unbelievable,” said Pehrsson. “Her determination and drive set her apart from all the other competitors. She is a great competitor and never gets frazzled when competing. As a student she is unbelievable. She is the rare case that performs brilliantly in the kitchen as well as he kitchen. She has a 3.9 GPA and will graduate with an associate’s degree in accounting and a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management. I can’t say enough good about Carly, she is truly a model student.”
Yezzo credits Capital Region BOCES with laying the foundation for her college and national culinary successes.
“I came into the Culinary Arts program not really knowing if it was what I wanted to do or if I even had the skill to do it. Chef (Mark) Brucker taught me all the basic knife and cooking skills and really set a strong foundation for me, preparing me very well for my college career,” Yezzo said.
The Capital Region BOCES culinary program serves dozens of students from across the Capital Region and beyond, preparing them to enter the workforce or pursue additional training in college. Graduates work in restaurants and resorts around the region and beyond, own their establishment and even prepare food for professional sporting events.
The international Chaîne Des Rôtisseurs Young Chef Competition in 2020 competition is described to as event designed to “encourage and promote the culinary expertise of young Chefs under the age of 27 by exposing them to a competitive environment with their peers.” The date and location of the 2020 competition has not been set, the 2019 event takes place in September in Alberta, Canada.
