- Marina del Rey, Calif.
- Jan and Suzy Jenkins arrived at Feast Fest Sunday from their North Carolina home, but didn't let on any clues about a possible power transfer to be announced Thursday.
FF Wire Service
The NCA Feast Fest lives here
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Choi Wins NCA's Most Fiery (With A Pan)
- Feast Fest's Lisa Choi won the NCA's Most Fiery (With A Pan) 2014 honor, it was revealed late Sunday.
Bigger news would be if Choi hadn't, as the chef with the seventh highest NCA rating out of Feast Fest's 71 has won the honor for the past seven years and for nine of the last ten. The last time a chef other than Choi won was in 2007, when her FF colleague Lynn Avi cradled the trophy.
Choi had a narrower path to victory this time, though, as she only beat out second-place chef Suzanne Fishel, formerly of Feast Fest (2002-2008), by 21 votes, her slimmest margin of victory for the award since 2006.
FF Wire Service
Bigger news would be if Choi hadn't, as the chef with the seventh highest NCA rating out of Feast Fest's 71 has won the honor for the past seven years and for nine of the last ten. The last time a chef other than Choi won was in 2007, when her FF colleague Lynn Avi cradled the trophy.
Choi had a narrower path to victory this time, though, as she only beat out second-place chef Suzanne Fishel, formerly of Feast Fest (2002-2008), by 21 votes, her slimmest margin of victory for the award since 2006.
FF Wire Service
Saturday, November 22, 2014
L.A. Wild's Jenkinses Rumored to Potentially Announce Handover During Feast Fest
- Marina del Rey, Calif.
- Word began circling around Feast Fest Saturday that L.A. Wild owners Jan and Suzy Jenkins may want out of the organization that has grown hundredfold in their 27 years at the helm, and which provides 95% of the locally grown produce used for Feast Fest.
The Jenkinses, expected to fly on Monday from their second home in Ingleside, N.C. to Los Angeles, were rumored to announce during Feast Fest on Thursday a handover of L.A. Wild, according to Alan Johns, a Feast Fest chef who knows the Jenkinses personally:
"Talked to @SuzyJenkinsLAW and @JanJenkins who want to appoint Evelith Thursday."
- Alan Johns (@feastfestalanj), 02:46 UTC 23 November 2014
"Evelith" refers to Mary Evelith, the current head of L.A. Wild's Los Angeles County operations and a chief higher-up. At a time when the Jenkinses, respectively 70 and 67 years old, were already considering stepping down and/or taking on a lesser role, Johns' tweet further fueled an already well-stoked fire.
Lana Loumee, a Feast Fest spokesperson, said, "if the Jenkinses do indeed have a plan to publicly announce a change of personnel during Feast Fest, we are not aware of it at this time."
Feast Fest Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister called Thanksgiving "the time to do it, if it's going to be done." McAllister added, "Doing it now will allow us to properly give a farewell to the Jenkinses, who have thrown their sweaters in the mud for this event countless times across twenty years, and it would also allow for the maximum amount of time to get the relationship between Feast Fest and the prospective new leader Evelith right before next Thanksgiving."
The Jenkinses themselves could not be reached for comment Saturday, and neither could Evelith.
FF Wire Service
Friday, November 21, 2014
McNeese Injury "Shouldn't Keep Him Out of FF"
-Marina del Rey, Calif.
-Feast Fest held its collective breath Friday when youthful wunderkind Adam McNeese was diagnosed with a pulled hamstring after an incident on Thursday during a Core Skills Runthrough, but Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister, who has been monitoring McNeese's condition, calmed fears via social media late Friday:
"McNeese reporting pain is subsiding, was walking of own accord Friday night. Injury shouldn't keep him out of FF."
- Jim McAllister (@jumpinjimmyff) at 06:48 UTC November 22, 2014
McNeese joined Feast Fest in 2013.
Relief Chef Johan Mavliscev filled in for McNeese during Kitchen Equipment Runthroughs Friday afternoon. Mavliscev is Feast Fest's only relief chef, first hired in 2005 in case of injury or illness, but his services have never been required on Thanksgiving itself, only in a total of nine exhibitions across nine years.
-Feast Fest held its collective breath Friday when youthful wunderkind Adam McNeese was diagnosed with a pulled hamstring after an incident on Thursday during a Core Skills Runthrough, but Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister, who has been monitoring McNeese's condition, calmed fears via social media late Friday:
"McNeese reporting pain is subsiding, was walking of own accord Friday night. Injury shouldn't keep him out of FF."
- Jim McAllister (@jumpinjimmyff) at 06:48 UTC November 22, 2014
McNeese joined Feast Fest in 2013.
Relief Chef Johan Mavliscev filled in for McNeese during Kitchen Equipment Runthroughs Friday afternoon. Mavliscev is Feast Fest's only relief chef, first hired in 2005 in case of injury or illness, but his services have never been required on Thanksgiving itself, only in a total of nine exhibitions across nine years.
McNeese Has Pulled Hamstring
-Marina del Rey, Calif.
-The word is back on Adam McNeese, who tripped over the outstretched leg of Ronald Lays and took a painful looking tumble during a Core Skills Runthrough Thursday night, and it's not good, as reported by Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister:
"McNeese pulled his hamstring, doctors say. Status not known for Thursday. Will keep you updated."
- Jim McAllister (@jumpinjimmyff) 21:58 UTC 21 November 2014
FF Wire Service
Correction
A post regarding an injury to Adam McNeese mistakenly identified rookie first-year chef Ondrej Yiivititimaev as Konstaatyn Yiivitimaev.
FF Wire Service
FF Wire Service
McNeese Injured During Fast-Paced Core Skills Runthrough
-Marina del Rey, Calif.
-Adam McNeese reportedly sought medical attention Thursday night after an evening core skills runthrough in which he took a hard tumble after he tripped over Ronald Lays.
31 Feast Fest chefs were going fast and furious on the floor at the Beachview during a vital practice one week before the Big Day Nov. 27. McNeese was part of practice group A, which was conducted its second Core Skills Runthrough of the ten-day preparation session Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m.
McNeese and other chefs were preparing off-Feast Fest dishes in a practice intended to focus on speed and efficiency in getting meals out of the kitchen quickly, in an effort to stamp down on late endings in recent years, when he tripped over the outstretched ankle of the 49-year-old Lays and tumbled into the wall. The accident happened about fifteen minutes before the end of the runthrough, and he complained of ankle pain and looked considerably slower afterward as he did complete the practice.
"Adam went to the Hotel Doctor tonight and we are awaiting word on whether he was injured in any significant fashion," tweeted Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister around Midnight Thursday into Friday.
McNeese (6/25/86) is in his second year with Feast Fest following a previous tenure with its main rival, the New York City Thanksgiving Feast (NYCTC). He recorded 37 NCA points at Feast Fest 2013.
Lays could not be reached for comment on the tumble.
"They just ran right smack into each other rushing around," said Chef Patrick Kermell, who observed the incident. "This is why we're having this special runthrough to focus on speed, so that this stuff won't happen on the floor on Thanksgiving when it counts, because it has before."
Practice Group A will be back in action with a Kitchen Equipment Runthrough Friday afternoon from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., an activity that will not require much in the way of moving around. They will return to Feast Fest foods with a Core Skills Runthrough Saturday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Notable chefs in Practice Group A include McAllister, Kermell, Lays, McNeese, Daniel Mettling, Jan Stephan, Lynn Avi, Jawrodly Jurrjens, and Ursula Elfman.
Practice Group B will hold a fast paced off-Feast Fest foods Core Skills Runthrough Friday afternoon from Noon to 2 p.m., and will return to Thanksgiving care with a Sunday Core Skills Runthrough from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., taking Saturday off. Practice Group B consists of, among many others, the Mason Duo, Andruw Stephan, Joe Pasik, Jarolde James, Eric NacGnissecorp, Aleck Monde, Jon Chu, and Konstaatyn Yiivititimaev.
Practice Group A will have Sunday off.
FF Wire Service
-Adam McNeese reportedly sought medical attention Thursday night after an evening core skills runthrough in which he took a hard tumble after he tripped over Ronald Lays.
31 Feast Fest chefs were going fast and furious on the floor at the Beachview during a vital practice one week before the Big Day Nov. 27. McNeese was part of practice group A, which was conducted its second Core Skills Runthrough of the ten-day preparation session Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m.
McNeese and other chefs were preparing off-Feast Fest dishes in a practice intended to focus on speed and efficiency in getting meals out of the kitchen quickly, in an effort to stamp down on late endings in recent years, when he tripped over the outstretched ankle of the 49-year-old Lays and tumbled into the wall. The accident happened about fifteen minutes before the end of the runthrough, and he complained of ankle pain and looked considerably slower afterward as he did complete the practice.
"Adam went to the Hotel Doctor tonight and we are awaiting word on whether he was injured in any significant fashion," tweeted Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister around Midnight Thursday into Friday.
McNeese (6/25/86) is in his second year with Feast Fest following a previous tenure with its main rival, the New York City Thanksgiving Feast (NYCTC). He recorded 37 NCA points at Feast Fest 2013.
Lays could not be reached for comment on the tumble.
"They just ran right smack into each other rushing around," said Chef Patrick Kermell, who observed the incident. "This is why we're having this special runthrough to focus on speed, so that this stuff won't happen on the floor on Thanksgiving when it counts, because it has before."
Practice Group A will be back in action with a Kitchen Equipment Runthrough Friday afternoon from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., an activity that will not require much in the way of moving around. They will return to Feast Fest foods with a Core Skills Runthrough Saturday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Notable chefs in Practice Group A include McAllister, Kermell, Lays, McNeese, Daniel Mettling, Jan Stephan, Lynn Avi, Jawrodly Jurrjens, and Ursula Elfman.
Practice Group B will hold a fast paced off-Feast Fest foods Core Skills Runthrough Friday afternoon from Noon to 2 p.m., and will return to Thanksgiving care with a Sunday Core Skills Runthrough from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., taking Saturday off. Practice Group B consists of, among many others, the Mason Duo, Andruw Stephan, Joe Pasik, Jarolde James, Eric NacGnissecorp, Aleck Monde, Jon Chu, and Konstaatyn Yiivititimaev.
Practice Group A will have Sunday off.
FF Wire Service
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)