Stefani De Palma, a longtime San Diego resident who rose from pastry chef to executive chef at the three-star Michelin restaurant Addison, won the prestigious Bocuse d’Or Americas culinary competition in New Orleans on Thursday.
Teams from the U.S., Canada, and 10 Latin and South American countries competed during the two-day event, with the top winners earning a spot in the Bocuse d’Or finals in Lyon, France, next January. The Bocuse d’Or is considered the world’s most demanding and prestigious culinary competition.
De Palma’s win makes him a favorite to reach the finals: In the Bocuse d’Or’s 36-year history, a U.S. team has only won gold once, back in 2017.
De Palma told the Union-Tribune last fall that she was very proud to represent the United States at the Americas, but that teamwork was key. She spent much of the past year training under mentorship at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley with commissary chef Bradley Waddle.
According to the final scores, the U.S. team received a total of 688 points from the themed tasting plates, platters and kitchen judges. Canada came in second with 676 points, followed by Mexico, Chile and Colombia.
Each year, the Bocuse d’Or has a different culinary theme depending on the location. In New Orleans, chefs were asked to create dishes featuring proteins like wild boar and alligator. De Palma created a platter called “Golden State Soul: California Meets the Bayou,” with sample dishes like applewood smoked wild boar chorizo sausage with a cider glaze, Cajun corn dogs with alligator boudin and grits crust, and olallieberry tartlets with pickled beets and buttermilk custard.
De Palma worked at Addison Restaurant for 15 years but decided to step down after the restaurant receives its third Michelin star at the end of 2022 to explore new opportunities, including competing in competitions representing the United States.
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