Food Network champion chef led demonstration for culinary students

Chef Christian Gill of Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey in Union, Kentucky, a Food Network winner in two recent TV competitions, visited students in Cincinnati State’s International Cuisine class on December 7, 2022, to demonstrate and discuss use of spices in international cuisines.

Chef Grace Yek, Program Chair for the Culinary & Food Science bachelor’s degree, said the visit was a great opportunity for Cincinnati State culinary students to learn from a respected local chef who is “a wizard of global cuisines.”

Chef Gill has competed on Food Network TV programs numerous times. This summer, he was victorious on Beat Bobby Flay and on Guy’s Grocery Games. The 5-week Grocery Games competition against seven other chefs resulted in a $25,000 donation to the non-profit organization No Kid Hungry.

Chef Gill’s demonstration menu for his Cincinnati State visit included:

  • Shrimp and Grits — including discussion of the difference between grits and polenta, and why Shrimp and Grits has become so popular
  • Fennel and Heart of Palm Brazilian Salad
  • Dirty Rice