The Most Zealous Chef Not just flavor, but fervor, played winning role. By Nancy Ross Ryan

Steven Jarczyk

I have often judged culinary contests, so I was pleased -- but in no way unnerved -- when Michael Taus, chef-proprietor of Zealous restaurant, invited me to be one of five judges whose vote, on March 26, would determine which of five finalists would win an all-expenses paid full scholarship of $32,000 to the Culinary Institute of America. The judges assembled: Bill Rice (Chicago Tribune), John Carroll (Chicago magazine), Steve Dolinsky (producer of CLTV's Good Eating), Laura Yee (Restaurants & Institutions magazine), and Michael Taus himself. This is the second year that Taus, always a major contributor to culinary scholarship funds, decided to be a one-chef show and shoulder the considerable burden of organizing, publicizing, interviewing and preselecting candidates for his own scholarship to the CIA (his alma mater). The CIA matches funds, and generous corporate sponsorship came from Keebler Corporation, McDonald's and Sara Lee Corporation. The judges: Rice, Carroll, Taus, Ryan, Dolinsky When we judges sat down at the table to await the candidates who were to talk about the original dish they had prepared and about themselves, and I picked up the judges' scoring sheet -- I became alarmed. As I read the categories of skill and talent we were to score from 1 up to 5, my mind hit a roadblock: "Zeal"? "Wait just a minute," I thought to myself, "Presentation. Flavors, Creativity, Professionalism -- O.K. But 'Zeal'?" What was zeal, why was it on a culinary score sheet and how could I judge it? Then I remembered that in 1993 Taus named his first restaurant Zealous -- a word that mentor Charlie Trotter used to describe his then-apprentice. And the dictionary defines zeal as "eager, ardent, fervent." And when the first contestant came to the table, it all made perfect sense. Steven Jarcyk, age 18, had created a beautiful starter: Seared scallop with a pine nut crust, orzo enhanced with goat cheese, and a roasted vegetable sauce. A round of rice-like pasta, meltingly laced with mild goat cheese, was unmolded onto a square white plate, topped with a sweet, perfectly sautéed sea scallop and pooled with a rosy roasted vegetable sauce and dotted with fresh green dill oil. When Jarcyzk spoke it was not only about his recipe but about his lifelong passion for cooking, his favorite cookbooks, the lengths he had gone to learn and work. We were all mesmerized by his zeal. He also got top scores for presentation, flavors, creativity and professionalism. And although another contestant, Mary Phillips, ran a close second in talent and zeal (by just a few tenths of a point), Jarcyk won the scholarship. After the contest Taus and his partner-fiancee Amy Cairns, Zealous' wine director, took the entire restaurant staff out bowling. Jarczyk, Phillips, and their families were treated by Taus to dinner at Zealous. Both Jarcyk and Phillips have been accepted as apprentices into Zealous' kitchen. Phillips was given a $600 knife kit as second-place prize. And, she has been accepted by the CIA as a full time culinary student and will attend with her parents' support and backing.

SOCIAL STUDY - June 2001

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