Kelly Conwell: student chef of the year

Congratulations to Johnson County Community College’s Kelly Conwell, who won the central region’s student chef of the year award at the American Culinary Federation Conference this past weekend in Schaumburg, Illinois. “I was absolutely completely happy just to even get to regionals and to win — oh my gosh. Winning is great,” she tells me.

Conwell had to beat out three other students and make a menu in 60 minutes plus five minutes to plate. It took nearly a minute for Conwell to just describe everything on her winning menu: sauteed Florida pompano on leek confit, Meyer lemon curd with thyme-honey, lobster sausage, tarragon pesto and fennel “mille feuille,” shallot and chive sauce, vegetable medley roasted golden beet puree and Chervil potatoes.