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Chef Sid of Pinnacle Competes in Olympics

The following article appeared in The NWI Times.  Written by Eloise Marie Valadez:

Crown Point, IN - October 15, 2008  Muhammad Tariq Siddiqui, executive chef of Pinnacle Hospital in Crown Point, has sharpened his kitchen tools, perfected a handful of recipes and is set to show off his culinary prowess overseas.

Siddiqui, known simply as Chef Sid, will compete Sunday through Oct. 22 in the Culinary Olympics in Erfurt, Germany.

"I feel great about competing," Chef Sid said during a recent telephone interview.

He said preparation has been going very well and he looks forward to the challenge.

Chef Sid has participated in various competitions through the years and was even on the US regional team from the Midwest during the 2000 Culinary Olympics.

The 100-year-old contest is officially called the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung and tests a chef's skills in a similar fashion as great Olympic athletes are scrutinized.

While in Germany, Chef Sid will prepare a variety of dishes including roast turkey stuffed with artisan stuffing; baked Virginia ham; fennel and green salad in Parmesan crust with tandoori scallops and tuna with a ginger mint vinaigrette; braised lamb shoulder enhanced with goose liver and roasted peppers; a vegetarian platter and more.

Chef Sid said he's honored to be representing Pinnacle Hospital, where he has been in the position of executive chef since the institution was established in June 2007. He'll be a member of Team Heartland during the competition and is sponsored by Dr. Scott Keith, Dr. Lonnie Ailes, Dr. Arsenio Favor and Pinnacle Hospital.

Chef Sid said, in preparation for the competition, he and other chefs had to submit a menu. Then, during the actual contest, they'll be judged on various criteria.

"We'll be judged on texture, presentation, freshness, techniques and other aspects," he said.

Chef Sid stressed being involved in the Culinary Olympics is a fantastic opportunity.

"You see people from all around the world and what they bring to the culinary field," he said.

He explained the chefs will be receiving points in the competition and, just like in the Olympics, prizes are gold, silver and bronze medals.

Chef Sid has worked in the culinary business over the past 20 years. He's cooked in restaurant kitchens, at country clubs and also been a corporate chef.

Pursuing a career in food has long been of interest to Chef Sid. He said, as a child, he was fascinated by what his mother concocted in the kitchen. But, he said, with a laugh, that his mother tried to steer him away from the stove, because, being from Pakistan, it wasn't "desirable" that men be in the kitchen.

"But, I wanted to be a chef. I have a passion for it," he said. To learn more about the Culinary Olympics, visit http://www.italianculinary.it/ika.htm