JJC instructor going for Master Chef certification

Timothy Bucci, CEC, CCE, CHE, a culinary arts instructor at Joliet Junior College, is preparing for the ultimate culinary test – the American Culinary Federation’s Certified Master Chef exam. The eight-day exam will be held Oct. 26 to Nov. 2, at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles, Pasadena, California.

Eleven candidates will participate in the eight-day CMC exam that was established in 1981 and is considered the highest and most demanding achievement level of ACF certification, according to a news release. Master chef certification candidates must possess proficiency in a broad range of styles and techniques, and have the ability to perform for eight days under extreme pressure.

Successful candidates of this exam will join an elite group of only 67 chefs in the United States.

“It is a tremendous honor and accomplishment to be one of the candidates for the Certified Master Chef exam,” Bucci in the news release. “I am eager to demonstrate the skills and knowledge that I have acquired throughout my career in front of some of the best chefs in the nation.”

Bucci, of Flossmoor, is an ACF-certified Executive Chef and Culinary Educator. He holds a bachelor’s degree in restaurant, hotel and institutional management from Purdue University and studied culinary arts at Joliet Junior College.

He earned an individual gold medal at the 2008 Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA), commonly known as the “culinary Olympics,” in Erfurt, Germany. He also competed at the 2012 IKA and other international culinary competitions as a member of 2012 ACF Culinary Team USA.

In 2009, Bucci was named ACF Chef Educator of the Year. He is a member of ACF Louis Joliet Chapter.