Penn College

Penn College cook to compete in regional competition

A head cook in one of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s most popular dining venues was selected as one of 10 participants in the National Association of College & University Food Services Mid-Atlantic Region Culinary Challenge.

Cody J. Miller, a 2012 graduate of the college with a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts and systems, will compete against chefs from college campuses across the region on March 8, during NACUFS’s Mid-Atlantic Region annual conference.

The Culinary Challenge, sanctioned by the American Culinary Federation, recognizes outstanding food preparation and presentation skills in collegiate dining services. The winner will advance to compete against other regional winners at the National Culinary Challenge in Indianapolis in July.

To qualify for the competition, each contestant submitted an original recipe using buffalo flank steak.

Miller’s entry is a Tuscan buffalo flank steak roulade with a red wine gastrique and hibiscus-salt garnish.

Cody J. Miller, head cook in Penn College’s Capitol Eatery, will have 60 minutes to prepare his Tuscan buffalo flank steak roulade during the National Association of College & University Food Services’ Mid-Atlantic Region Culinary Challenge. Credit: Penn College / Penn StateCreative Commons

“My love for cooking began as a young child, spending time in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother,” Miller said. “During that time, I underwent 14 facial surgeries. I was restricted to clear-liquid diets for weeks at a time, unable to eat. This limitation only cultivated my desire to learn to prepare foods that were flavorful, fun and enjoyable.”

During his collegiate career, Miller broadened his knowledge by working in establishments that ranged from what he calls “mom-and-pop brewpubs” to corporate restaurants, hospitals and private catering.

Upon graduating, he was the sous chef and banquet manager for Chartwell Hotels at the Holiday Inn in Williamsport and worked for Le Jeune Chef, a fine-dining restaurant on the Penn College campus, before returning to his alma mater full time in his current position as head cook in the Capitol Eatery, the college’s largest on-campus dining facility.

Miller says he lives by four “F’s”: faith, family, food and fun and enjoys spending time in the kitchen with his family, sharing his daughter’s love for cooking.

“For me, culinary is more than an education, job or career,” Miller said. “It is a passion driven by a desire and a love for food.”

To learn more about Penn College, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call 800-367-9222.

Cody J. Miller, head cook in Penn College’s Capitol Eatery, was selected to compete in the Mid-Atlantic Region Culinary Challenge sponsored by the National Association of College & University Food Services. Credit: Penn College / Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated February 10, 2015

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