Tarrant County College Culinary Arts Program Coordinator Chef Katrina Warner has had one major career goal for years: to win the American Culinary Federation Chef Educator of the Year award.
This year, Warner did just that.
"It's a pretty big deal," Warner said, smiling. "I didn't know how much it was going to be when I first decided to start competing."
Warner won regional and state competitions before winning the coveted national award. She had 50 minutes to give a lesson, demonstrate a cooking technique, and plate her meal for the judges. Warner didn't leave anything to chance.
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"I brought a frozen chicken in my suitcase to Arizona for this competition," Warner said laughing. "That's how serious it was. I mean, oh, it was a lot! It was so stressful."
Warner is the coordinator and a teacher for TCC's accredited culinary program.
"I've been working here for 22 years, and I still have people say, oh, I didn't know you had a culinary program," Warner said, hoping her gold medal would help raise the profile. "Well, I would hope it would bring some more knowledge about our program."
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Warner says she loves teaching students and watching them grow.
"I love my job," Warner said. "Everyone who's serious about being a chef or being in culinary for their career, they want to do things for others. So it's a giving to others. It's saying, here's my heart poured out onto a plate. This is what I've created for you, and I hope you enjoy it."
