Jason Koski/University Photography

Nery Trigueros-Gonzalez, with silver medal and certificates.

Cornell Catering Executive Chef Nery Trigueros-Gonzalez, who this past spring brought home Cornell's first regional gold medal from the National Association of College and University Food Service (NACUFS), has given Cornell more firsts: As the first Cornell chef to participate in NACUFS's annual national competition, he won that competition's silver medal and its People's Choice award.

Competing against five other regional finalists at the 12th NACUFS Culinary Challenge in Boston, July 12, and following the rules of the challenge, Trigueros-Gonzalez prepared the same dish as he had at the regionals, with just minor variations in the plating. Individual competitors had half an hour to cut and prepare the mandatory flounder, and an hour to prepare four portions of an original hot entrée, featuring the flounder, side dishes and sauces, to create a nutritionally balanced meal.

Three judges rated the competitors on their cooking skills and culinary techniques, organizational skills, including sanitation principles, and the taste of the finished product.

For the People's Choice, contestants were judged on their techniques, plating, presentation and creativity in ingredients by hundreds of conference participants, who watched the competitors on big screens and judged them on various aspects of their preparation and presentation. They were not allowed to taste the final product.

"I won People's Choice by a large margin," said Trigueros-Gonzalez. "I did not use traditional ingredients, but anyone who knew anything about nutrition could see that my entrée was well-balanced and had fewer calories than some of the others. It was a nice compliment to win this award."

The awards have also given Cornell's other chefs a boost. "They gave us confidence to know that we have the talent right here to compete at regional and national levels and win," said Trigueros-Gonzalez. Already they are planning for next year's regional competition, to be held in Cortland, N.Y.

"Sometime between now and the new year, we are going to hold our own internal competition with a blind taste-testing to determine who goes to the regionals," Trigueros-Gonzalez said. He won't compete, he said, but will coach the next chef chosen. "The competition, with everyone watching every move you make, is exhausting. You need to be mentally and physically prepared," he said.

For now, though, with summer camps and conferences, the Robert Purcell Community Center kitchen is buzzing with the activity of serving three meals daily. It's "back to business," Trigueros-Gonzalez said.