NMU dining services excels in competition

MARQUETTE - Nathan Mileski, senior chef for Northern Michigan University's Dining Services, won first place in the ninth annual National Association of College and University Food Services culinary challenge in Milwaukee in July, while NMU Dining Services, as a unit, picked up two gold medals this summer.

In the NACUFS challenge, six regional winners from around the country competed to create, in one hour, a nutritionally balanced plate using the featured ingredient of local (sustainable) organic rainbow trout with side dishes and sauces.

Also at the NACUFS conference, NMU Dining Services received a gold medal for top residence hall theme event among mid-size institutions for its Lumberjack Brunch held during Winterfest. The brunch incorporated the Winterfest theme, "Timbrr Get Your Lumberjack On," featuring hardwood smoked breast of turkey, lumberjack meatloaf and red flannel hash morel mushroom soup, as well as vegan dishes of pine nut stuffing and forest mushroom stew.

Mileski and colleagues Jill Hayes, Marty Casey and Jim Rector competed at the 15th annual Tastes of World Chef Culinary Conference in Amherst, Mass., in July. The team took the gold in the American Culinary Federation K9 mystery basket challenge, in which teams received a mystery basket with a list of 13 ingredients that had to be used in their menu.