Olschmeire, Yiivititimaev Picked by McAllister, Mason Duo, Avi As "Highest-Level Go-Tos" Among New Chefs

- Marina del Rey, Calif.
- Feast Fest's nine offseason additions on Monday afternoon participated in the New Chefs' Orientation session on the Feast Fest floor. Despite the title, it's not about orienting new chefs with Feast Fest--they've been practicing all week and some have appeared already in offseason exhibitions following their signing--as it is about orienting hierarchical chefs with the new hires and how they can be best used.

Co-Head Chefs Jim McAllister and the Mason Duo, and Head Sous-Chef Lynn Avi, the event's four most powerful chefs, identified Kevin Olschmeire and Ondrej Yiivitimaev as the "highest-level go-tos" out of the nine.

It essentially means that if a direct order is placed on a chef by one of the Big Four, they'll trust Olschmeire and Yiivitimaev the most to carry it out.

It's especially important for Lynn Avi, who as Head Sous Chef plays something of a messenger's role between the Elevated Table and the rest of the chef body.

"All nine are spectacular chefs and all will have chances to shine on Thursday," said Avi, "but from a tactical standpoint, when we need to call on something specifically to get something done, Kevin and Ondrej look like the most competent ones to be able to deliver on demands."

As for the seven other new hires, she said, "We'll let them get their feet wet this year, performing menial tasks as most first-year chefs do. This group is loaded with potential for the future, however. The new chef orientation is just our way of getting acquainted with the newbies so that we can know what they're most skilled at and so that we don't task them with something in an area in which they can't excel. That's really all it's about. We want the best chefs working on the areas of the dinner that they can perform the best in."

FF Wire Service

Bartlett, Uhaajhaiyjesen Chosen for Pie Thawing

- Marina del Rey, Calif.

- Feast Fest expert commentator Mike Vilshire has an in on who's getting to do Wednesday's ceremonial pie thawing: and for the first time, two chefs have been chosen.

"2 chefs for pie thawing: 5-year chef Gerald Bartlett and newbie Uhaajhaiyjesen."

- Mike Vilshire (@ffmikeyvilshire) 02:36 UTC November 25; 2014

Uhaajhaiyjesen refers to offseason signee Skarlett Uhaajhaiyjesen, a Swedish-born and trained chef.

No word on why two chefs were chosen instead of the usual one.  Chefs are chosen for the pie thawing by random draw.

FF Wire Service

Merrssff: "Elated" to Receive Ceremonial Turkey Yet Again

- Marina del Rey, Calif.
- Feast Fest officials revealed Monday that Lindbergh Merrssff will yet again be honored with the Ceremonial Turkey, the first turkey placed into the ovens by the Head Chefs at the beginning of the Official Cooking Portion.

The love just doesn't run out for the septuagenarian Merrssff, a Feast Fest chef from its 1995 beginnings to 2008. Merrssff received the Ceremonial in 2011 and 2012; last year, Suzy and Jan Jenkins, the L.A. Wild owners, got the honorable bird.

Toward the middle and end of the 2000s, the Ceremonial was usually handed out to prominent celebrities, but in recent years has returned to its earlier form of being bestowed upon past Feast Fest dignitaries.

Merrssff, who would have been present at Feast Fest anyway as he has since taken on the less demanding job of critiquing Feast Fest, released this statement:

"For the third time in the last four years, I am exceedingly honored and humbled to receive the Ceremonial Turkey. Sometimes you wonder if you will begin to lose relevancy, if newer chefs won't remember you the way older ones do. After all, this Thanksgiving will be my sixth since I left the event due to aging in 2008. But I am made so glad to witness that Feast Fest has again chosen me. Countless other chefs and dignitaries are equally eligible to have this gracious honor bestowed upon them, and I can only step aside and issue the most profound of thank yous for the fact that I have again been chosen as the Ceremonial Turkey recipient."

An anonymous Feast Fest official said that there had been no other contenders giving Merrssff a run for the honor. "We knew for a long time that Lindbergh was going to receive the Ceremonial this year," said the official, speaking anonymously because she was unauthorized to speak publicly. "He deserves it more than anybody else. He is legendary."

FF Wire Service

Foster Lands Sextuple Flip

-Marina del Rey, Calif.
-Welcome to Feast Fest, Germaine Foster.

The July offseason acquisition showed incredible talent with a sextuple flip during a Core Skills Runthrough on Monday, as vouched for by NCA Critic Mayfield Brunehauser, who was observing the chefs' practice. Sadly, no video was taken of the incredible event.

A sextuple flip has only been landed once before in competition, during Feast Fest XVI in 2010, by Jack Mark.

Foster (3/24/83) is a promising young Austrian chef who moved from Vienna to New York to attend culinary school there. In 2012, he became Head Chef of the Swaling Rock Inn in Isle Royale, Mich. He signed to a $198,344 per year one-year deal in July.

Foster is NCA rated at 88.9.

FF Wire Service

Nonstop Coverage Monday through Thursday

Keep hitting refresh this week for the latest updates on practices, runthroughs, Tuesday's Mock Dress Rehearsal, and all other elements of the run-up to Feast Fest on Thursday!

On Thursday, look for half-hourly updates on projected scores and other statistics as well as updates of all the happenings on the Feast Fest floor.

Expert analyst Mike Vilshire will run a three-part Expert's Editorial Monday through Wednesday, offering his predictions for the Feast Fest 2014 Most Valuable Chef, Official Score, and 2015 Scouting Preview.