Adams Memorial Hospital officials have announced that two members of the hospital’s culinary team, Michael Secaur (CDM, CFPP) and Faith Werling have been named finalists in the 2024 Association for Healthcare Foodsevice (AHF) national Culinary Competition.
“This competition recognizes only five teams from across the country, making this an extraordinary achievement for our skilled chefs,” the hospital said in making the announcement.
The finalists were chosen through a blind selection process from a significantly large pool of applicants. Werling and Secaur will be showcasing a dish that holds special meaning, as it was a celebratory favorite that Faith and her father used to enjoy together, according to hospital officials.
The AHF Culinary Competition challenges participants to develop an innovative recipe using three ingredients from two distinct market baskets established by the Culinary Competition Committee. Competitors are allowed to incorporate additional ingredients to create six portions of their dish, adhering to stringent cost and nutrition guidelines.
Each portion must not exceed a food cost of $8 and must meet nutritional standards of no more than 700 calories, less than 23 grams of fat, and less than 750 mg of sodium. This rigorous framework ensures that the dishes are not only delicious, but also healthy and economical, the announcement said.
The competition will take place August 23-25 in San Antonio, Texas.
To celebrate Faith and Michael’s remarkable achievement and to wish them well, Adams Memorial Hospital will be hosting an Open House on Monday, August 19, from 1-3 p.m. pm in conference rooms A and B (next to the AMH Cafeteria).
“We invite all staff, friends, and community members to join us in recognizing their hard work and to offer our support as they prepare to represent us on the national stage,” the hospital announcement said.