Shannon Newman, CEC

Press Release

ACF Chefs Cook at Super Bowl XLIII Events

Roy Yamaguchi Joins “American Idol’s” Jordin Sparks, Plus, Chefs Provide Food for the Tens of Thousands of Guests Expected in Tampa, Fla., for Game-Day Weekend

St. Augustine, Fla., January 26, 2009—Roy Yamaguchi, restaurateur, TV host, author, James Beard Award winner and member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) National Chapter, will join Jordin Sparks, on behalf of Sparks Charities, for the 2nd Annual Jordin Sparks Experience, hosted by Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion® Cuisine. Yamaguchi will share his Hawaiian favorites and the season-six winner of “American Idol” will perform, Tuesday, Jan. 27, at Roy’s Restaurant in Tampa, Fla.

But Yamaguchi isn’t the only ACF chef turning up the heat at this year’s Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa. Paul Jenkins, executive chef/managing partner at Tempo in Buffalo, N.Y., a member of ACF of Greater Buffalo New York, is one of 34 guest chefs at the Taste of NFL event. At Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., Sat., Jan. 31., Jenkins will join Pro Football Hall of Fame member Joe Delamielleure to represent the Buffalo Bills at the celebrity-studded event. Notable guests include Bravo “Top Chef” judge Tom Colicchio, Miss America and more.

Michael Lynch, CEC, CCA, culinary management instructor, The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Tampa, is the volunteer coordinator for the Taste of NFL event. Five ACF-certified chefs will fill needed positions in the front and back of the house, and more than 100 culinary students from Lynch’s school and Hillsborough Community College will assist at the event.

Bringing culinary excellence to game-day attendees is ACF chef Shannon Newman, CEC, corporate chef for Sysco, Palmetto, Fla. This is the 10th Super Bowl Newman has worked at as a guest chef. He has hosted serving stations, worked in luxury suites with celebrity guests and has done his share of fruit carvings—from Super Bowl and NFL teams’ logos to an image of Terry Bradshaw.

With a capacity of 65,857, Raymond James Stadium will have plenty of hungry stomachs to fill. So what’s on the menu for the “world’s largest tailgating party” according to Newman? Past Super Bowl menus included Mexican eight-layer dip, jumbo shrimp cocktail, sunshine lobster tails, spicy Jamaican jerk chicken wings, hot spicy trio and assorted candy—and that’s only the pre-game menu, he said. For kickoff, he has served asparagus, tomato and mozzarella salad, grilled beef tenderloin, braised beef short ribs and chicken fajitas to the high-paying guests in the luxury suites.

“Being around the excitement of a Super Bowl as a sports fan is amazing,” Newman said. “I am never going to be at the Bowl as a player, but I come as close as I can as a chef.”

Want to get a behind-the-scenes look at the preparation that goes into Super Bowl weekend? Interviews with ACF chefs are available.

To purchase tickets to the dinner at Roy’s in Tampa, Fla., visit www.alleventsandtickets.com, or visit www.sparkscharities.org for more information.

The American Culinary Federation, Inc., established in 1929, is the premier professional organization for culinarians in North America. With more than 22,000 members spanning 230 chapters nationwide, ACF is the culinary leader in offering educational resources, training, apprenticeship and accreditation. In addition, ACF operates the most comprehensive certification program for chefs in the United States. ACF is home to ACF Culinary Team USA, the official representative for the United States in major international culinary competitions. For more information, visit www.acfchefs.org.

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For high-resolution photos, or to arrange an interview with an ACF Super Bowl chef, contact Leah Craig at (800) 624-9458, ext. 113, or email lcraig@acfchefs.net.

Contact: Leah Craig
Public Relations Specialist
(800) 624-9458, ext. 113
lcraig@acfchefs.net

• ACF Chefs Cook at Super Bowl XLIII Events