The Chefs

Chef Adriana Assemany

PERSONAL CHEF
www.ChefAdriana.com
www.ChefAdriana.blogspot.com

Chef Adriana was born and raised in Salvador, Bahia – Brazil, and her passion for cooking has roots in her own family traditions. Since graduating in Culinary Arts in 2004, she has been working as a Personal Chef in South Florida. Probably what differentiates her work is her background in arts as an actress and director, which brings a touch of creativity applied to the culinary world. The unique and personalized dishes that suits the needs and interests of each individual customer are a result of that creativity added to her passion for travel, interest in multiple cultures and tireless research. Proud member of ACF, she is also a Sommelier, and a Food Stylist.

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Chef Frank Mach

After graduating college, I worked in Eugene, Oregon at the Oregon Electric Station, a large upscale restaurant. In my mid 20’s, I moved to Portland, Oregon and became a breakfast cook for Red Lion Hotels. I was mentored by Chef Curtis Fontana. After some persistence, I was enrolled in the Management-In-Training program and was trained to be a Sous Chef. While at the Red Lion, it was transformed to a Double Tree and I became very prolific at baking hundreds of cookies a day!

After several years working my way up through the ranks and establishing myself as a chef, I decided I wanted to leave the cold, damp Oregon weather and I went all the way to Tampa, where I was hired as the Banquet Chef for the Embassy Suites Hotel. While working for the John Q. Hammonds hotel chain, I found myself on a task force and helped open the World Golf Village in St Augustine and the Radisson Resort in Coral Springs. At the Radisson Resort, I was offered the job of the banquet chef for their convention center and moved to S. Florida. I was then offered the Executive Chef job at the Double Tree Oceanfront Hotel, on Ft. Lauderdale beach, where I honed my culinary skills, including ice carvings and fruit carvings, while the hotel became very busy doing 12 weddings a month during peak season.

After a hurricane blew out the roof, I became the Executive Chef at the Sheraton Yankee Trader. While there, I spent most of my time at Shula’s Restaurant cooking on very busy nights that often exceeded 2,000 covers per night! Later came opportunities at the Pelican Beach Grand Hotel and the Plantation Preserve Golf and Country Club, followed by my current position as Executive Chef at the Sheraton Hotel Ft. Lauderdale Airport.

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Chef Alan M. Lazar

During the 1980’s, Chef Lazar owned, operated and worked for many food businesses in New York, California and South Florida in order to taste many different cuisines. During his tenure with Albertson’s Supermarket, he completed his Cornell Meat Management & Operation certificate in 1984. It was there that he earned his journeyman level of experience in Butchery.

In 1994, Chef Lazar joined Johnson & Wales University in Miami, trained in Providence R.I. and headed south to instruct students at the North Miami campus. His expertise is in the skills of Meatcutting, Sanitation and Chef Choices classes such as the “Thrill of the Grill”. In 2001, he earned the prestigious CCE (Certified Culinary Educator) from the American Culinary Federation.

Chef Lazar has been active in the culinary field. He participated in the ‘98 & ‘99 Sea-Pak competition and won best of show. He received the 2000 ACF Greater Miami/ Achievement award , and was recognized as 2003 Chef of the Year from the ACF Greater Miami Chapter. He was the 2000 FRA President (Miami –Dade), Vice-President of the local ACF chapter 2001-2004, and has been the Advisor for the ACF student Chapter since 2000.

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Marcela Guzman Galan

ART INSTITUTE
305-333-5611

Marcela Guzman Galan is the lead Latin Cuisine instructor at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where she has been working for the past four years. She Studied Culinary Arts at Le Cordon Bleu, did her Bachelors degree on Communications at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico, and a Masters Degree on International Management at the European University in Spain. Currently she is perusing a Doctorate on education at Argosy University. She has worked in the food industry for more that 12 years both in Mexico and the US.

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Chef Gary D. Spitnale

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY
305-557-1100 ext.2264

As a member of ACF for over 30 years, Chef Spitnale was a founding member of the Rio Grande Chapter in 1985 and served as a past President. For the last 23 years, he has been a member of the ACF Fort Lauderdale Chapter, presently serving as Vice-President. He has been active on school boards as a Culinary Arts Advisory member and has done a number of fundraisers on behalf of the Chapter. He has been instrumental in raising over $8 million dollars for various charities. In 2004, The American Academy of Hospitality Science awarded Chef Spitnale a 5-star 5-diamond at his previous employer, Carmen’s Restaurant in Boca Raton. In a desire to pass on his passion and wisdom to the future Chefs, he now teaches at both the High School and Technical School levels in Miami-Dade County.

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Chef Philippe Boutemy

Education:
CAP: Certificat D’aptitude Professionalle (Paris,France )
BEP: Brevet D’etude Professionelle (Paris,France)
Personal Commitment to the Students and Teaching:
Take all my years as a chef and pass on my knowledge and experience to my students to make them successful. To be a successful teacher you need to challenge your students and yourself every day.
Specialties: Classical Cuisine
Awards/Affiliations:
Certified Executive Chef, ACF
Approved Culinary Evaluator, ACE
Experience:
34 years in the Hospitality Industry in Hotels, Resorts, & Country Clubs throughout the U.S and Europe

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Chef Juan Montalvo

PERSONAL CHEF
561-395-4170
www.thehungrycuban.com

After 28 years as a Firefighter / Paramedic for the City of Deerfield Beach Florida, I decided to follow my passion for all things culinary and made my dreams come true by graduating Magna Cum Laude from The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I then went on to further my chef education with the American Personal & Private Chef Association APPCA. Using my extensive fire house cooking background coupled with my passion for healthy homemade cooking, I started The Hungry Cuban Personal Chef Service to provide exceptional nutritious foods to my clients who wish to entertain and dine in the comfort of their own home. I am also a Certified Personal Trainer. Nutrition and healthy eating are very important to me. All menus are custom designed to suit each client’s culinary preferences, dietary restrictions or medical needs. So if you are looking for some great nutritious meals cooked for you or just some good health & fitness advice, send me a message.

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Chef Lawrence Liptak

Education:
Associates of Occupational Studies – Culinary Institute of America
Bachelor’s in Business Administration – American Intercontinental University
Personal Commitment to the Students and Teaching:
 Live your Life and Career with Passion- Passion is the unstoppable force that motivates you forward in life. Many things will catch your eye, but only a few things will catch your heart. Pursue those things that catch your heart.
Specialties:
Classical Cuisine
Awards/Affiliations:
Certified Executive Chef, ACF
Approved Culinary Evaluator, ACE
Experience:
38 years in the Hospitality Industry in Hotels, Resorts, & Country Clubs throughout the U.S.
Current: Lead Chef Instructor at Le Cordon Bleu – Miami

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Chef Kristopher Sillers

KAKE BAKERY
954- 881-5290
www.kakebakery.com

Chef Kristopher discovered his love of baking during a successful career in the IT management field. In his spare time, he enjoyed baking and creating delicious cakes for friends and family members. During this time, his passion for creating sculpted cakes grew and he challenged himself with creating gravity-defying and true-to-life carved and replica 3D cakes. He went to culinary school to master his craft and is now an American Culinary Federation Certified Chef.

In the spring of 2007, Kristopher created Kake Bakery with the goal of providing the best cake experience possible, pushing the limits of cake decoration in both form and function. The cakes look great, but taste even better because everything is made from scratch, without the use of any pre-made mixes. This ensures every part of the cake is fresh.

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Chef Gregg Salman

Gregg Salman went to Indiana University and worked in the financial world for 25 years, he retired in 1999. In 2000 he went to McFatter Technical center in culinary arts and graduated in 2001. Greg worked at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa a little under two years and in 2003 he started working as food service manager at McFatter Technical Center, he has been teaching culinary arts there ever since. He loves going to work everyday.

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Chef David Hackett

THE WESTIN DIPLOMAT RESORT & SPA
3555 S. OCEAN DRIVE, HOLLYWOOD, FL 33019
954-658-1546
www.diplomatresort.com

Executive Chef David Hackett (known as “Chef Dave” to his friends and colleagues) has been responsible for some of the most memorable cuisine on the menus at the fine restaurants he manages at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa.

On a personal level though, he’s most proud of his Mexican heritage and the dishes he prepares at home. “I grew up in a Mexican household” says the 45-year old chef, who has over 30 years of top-level culinary experience. “My tacos, enchiladas, chile relleno and guacamole recipes have been passed down from generation to generation and they are the best I’ve ever tasted. And that’s not bragging.”

Chef Dave, who joined The Westin Diplomat as Executive Chef in 2008, is responsible for the overall food preparation and quality in the resort’s eight dining outlets, in-room dining and social and group banquet services for The Diplomat’s over 200,000 square feet of convention and meeting space. He also manages corporate food compliance, menu development and pricing, food cost control, productivity and staff development for the over 200 ambassadors he overseas.

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Chef Shelia Lundgren

What began several years ago as a simple birthday cake for a co-worker, evolved into one woman’s passion for creating edible works of art, and became Couture Confections. Armed with a degree in design, a background in retail design and a ferocious sweet tooth, owner and designer Shelia Lundgren started Couture Confections to keep up with a growing number of “word-of-mouth” requests for creative and unique occasion cakes. She has created cakes resembling everything from buckets overflowing with popcorn, to flip-flops laying in the sand. In 2007, she expanded to include a full line of favor cookies, and these handmade, delectable little materpieces quickly became popular. They are now Couture Confection’s most popular product. They make perfect party favors, and they also make great unique birthday, anniverary and thank you gifts. Couture Confections prides itself not only on the artistic quality of their products, but also on the quality ingredients that are used to make their baked goods. Only the finest vanilla, pure butter, fresh eggs, flour and sugar are used to mix up the delicious treats that leave their kitchen.

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Chef Rona Moulu

Chef Rona Moulu has been cooking professionally since 1979. Her two years in Ghana, West Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer ignited her interest in fresh food from the tropics. She has worked as a corporate chef and private chef to well-known celebrities. Now teaching hot foods at Atlantic Technical Center, she recently was awarded the prestigious creditial of Certified Executive Chef from the American Culinary Federation. Rona Moulu is a member of the ACF Broward Chapter.

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