Joe Allison

They say too many chefs spoil the pudding, but not so for Joe Allison, a first year student at Southern New Hampshire University. Allison and his team recently took home the gold in a State Competition cook-off, sponsored by the American Culinary Association.

Allison had noticed a school poster advertising tryouts for the cook-off, and decided to sign up. Tryouts consisted of cooking a mystery basket food, which resulted in five students chosen as part of the cooking team that would represent Southern New Hampshire University.

Allison and his team practiced for two months prior to the competition. When the cook-off day arrived, the team was required to perform various decorative knife cuts: carving, slicing and dicing. In addition, they had to prepare four portions of a four-course meal, all while under the scrutiny of professional master chefs from throughout the United States. "We practiced three times a week, six hours a day, just making the same meal over and over again," said Allison. He admitted, "for as good as it was, we eventually got tired of the same meal. Although it kept tasting better and better." "It’s all in the preparation," says Allison.

The not-so-frugal meal consisted of roasted duck breast, duck sausage, goat cheese bread, pudding, green beans, orange-spiced puff pastry with apples and other special ingredients.

After the five competing teams had been established, each member was asked to participate in a fundraising event to help the teams pay for the food required for the final competition. The fundraiser, which took place at the Mt. Washington Hotel, involved cooking a gourmet dinner for 250 people. The tickets were said to cost upwards of about $200. "It was stressful at times. I’d never done a banquet that big before," says Allison. "But we were successful."

The cook-off took place at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, where numerous spectators attended. The judges were pleased.

Allison attributes much of his culinary success to working under the teaching and guidance of Chef Tim Buxton. Buxton is the lead chef at Checker’s Restaurant and the Culinary Department at Alvirne High School.

"Joe had a lot of potential, so much so that I asked him back for a third year of culinary class," said Buxton. "While working in the kitchen, Joe was the type of person that was on it before you could get it out of your mouth," boasted Buxton. "He really blossomed and did amazingly."

"He taught me a lot," says Allison. "He really knows his stuff."

Allison says that when he was a freshman attending Alvirne High School, he had dreams of becoming a police officer. "I look at Chef Buxton as changing my whole career path." He also gives credit to his Dad, who is said to be a great cook, and at art for presentation.

Allison hopes to work for well-established hotel or country club some day.

He is currently working towards a Bachelors degree in Hotel/Hospitality management, as well as applied sciences for culinary arts.

After achieving his college degree, Allison plans on enrolling in a program that will hopefully result in earning the title of Certified Chef. Until then, Allison continues his schooling, while also working a part-time job as Garde Manger the Nashua Country Club.