ON CAMPUS AT OCC:Culinary team ripe for title

Orange Coast College’s culinary team will gun for its second national championship in three years when it takes part in the American Culinary Federation National Championships, July 21-24, in Orlando, Fla.

OCC captured its fifth West Region crown — and third in four years — in April at the Coeur d’ Alene Resort in Idaho. The Pirates now face three other talented regional champions in Orlando.

The other national finalists include Oakland Community College (also known as “OCC”) of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., representing the Central Region; State University of New York at Delhi, representing the Northeast Region; and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College of Asheville, N.C., representing the Southeast Region.

The national championship event features three phases of competition: a cold-food presentation, a skills salon and contemporary hot-food cooking in which each team develops and prepares a four-course signature meal.

OCC is competing for the national title for the third time in four years. The national crown has been won the last two years by the school representing the West Region: OCC in 2005 and the Professional Culinary Institute (San Francisco) last year.

“Obviously, we’d like to keep that West Region streak alive,” OCC culinary team advisor, Bill Barber, said with a chuckle. Barber is OCC’s head chef and an associate professor of culinary arts. “But at the national level, the competition is fierce. One slip and you’re out of the running.”

In 2005, OCC nipped Sullivan University of Louisville, Ky., the Southeast Region winner, by less than a point to capture the national crown.

OCC defeated a strong field of 10 teams in April to win the 2007 West Region title. Teams from California, Hawaii, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon and Washington took part in the Coeur d’ Alene competition.

“We came out of a strong field of competitors to win the West Region, so we’re battle-tested, but we’re going to have to step it up a notch if we hope to be successful in Orlando,” Barber said.

Members of OCC’s 2006-07 culinary squad are Brodie Curtis and Conrad Malaya of Newport Beach, Marissa Gerlach of Laguna Niguel, Suzanne Nottage of Laguna Beach and Brent Omeste of Orange Hills. Jeremy Peters and Keith Noriega, who are both professional chefs and OCC graduates, coach the team.

Fall registration

Registration for OCC’s 2,500 fall semester classes gets under way on Monday, July 16. Fall semester classes begin Monday, Aug. 27.

Applications are being accepted — and registration appointments are available — in OCC’s Enrollment Center in Watson Hall.

The office is open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

Students may also apply online at www.orangecoastcollege.edu.

For fall registration information, call (714) 432-5072.