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City Tech Culinary Professor Named to 2004 Culinary Olympic Team
Culinary Professor Frank Costantino
City Tech Culinary Professor Frank Costantino has been named to the 2004 New York Culinary Olympic Team that will compete in Erfurt, Germany, next fall. The American Culinary Federation's 2002 national champion, Costantino has been active in culinary competitions throughout his career and has garnered numerous gold medals and other awards.
"The Olympics are the pinnacle of the competition circuit," Costantino said following his selection, "and I am honored to represent our region and country at this international competition."
A certified executive chef and culinary educator, Costantino was an apprentice member of the New York Culinary Team at the 1984 Olympics held in Frankfurt, Germany. That team took 21 medals and a grand prize in silver. "Being there as an apprentice was a great experience for me," Costantino added, "and going back as a professional member of the team is going to be a defining moment in my competitive career."
Costantino has been a culinary instructor at City Tech for 13 years. A 1986 graduate of the College's award-winning hospitality management program, he is the senior culinary instructor on staff. Before joining the faculty, he was a chef at La Caravelle, Windows on the World, HBO headquarters and, most notably, served as executive chef at Quatorze. He is currently completing a book on culinary leadership for Prentice Hall. Scheduled for spring 2005 publication, it is a management text geared towards culinary students aspiring to be professional chefs.
The Culinary Olympics were established at the turn of the century as an exhibition of culinary and technical improvements in the field of gastronomy. Today the event serves to maintain and upgrade professional culinary standards worldwide. Hundreds of master chefs from around the globe design menus that reflect the cuisine of their respective nations and compete over an 11-day period for awards in food preparation and cold food display. More than 30 countries are represented at these Olympics, with many fielding both national and regional teams.
Other members of the New York team include team captain Stefano Sena of the Hilton Garden Inn in Staten Island, certified master chef Dale Miller of Jack's Oyster House in Albany NY, Lutz Lewerenz of the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Laguardia Airport, and team manager Helmut Hamann of Madison, NJ, a retired chef.
Photo by Michele Forsten
