Chef Joseph Scarmuzzi, CEC, CCEFCI - Chef Joseph ScarmuzziChef Joseph ScarmuzziChef Joseph ScarmuzziChef Joseph Scarmuzzi comes to Florida Culinary Institute from Southern Connecticut.He achieved Certification as Executive chef with the American Culinary Federation while employed at the prestigious, Silver Spring Country Club, as Foodservice Director, and Executive Chef.Before that, he obtained an Associates Degree of Occupational Studies at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.Joe conferred a Bachelor of Arts degree at Rowan University in Glassboro New Jersey, studying Communications, Journalism and Public Relations. As a founding member of The Club Chefs of Connecticut, Joe holds three bronze medals from The American Culinary Federation and received awards for the best chocolate piece at the New York Food Show.Chef Joe is an honorary member of the Club Chefs of Westchester.He has cooked for and chaired several charity events including, The Club Chef Showcase, Share our Strength, Taste the Nation, The Northern Ireland Children's Exposition, Easter Seals, and The American Heart Association. Continuing to stay current, Joe has attended courses on Nutrition, Sanitation, Management, Food and Wine Pairing, Contemporary cuisine, and Workplace etiquette.Joe holds a Connecticut Chapter National Restaurant Association Educational Certificate for Serving Safe Food, and is selected as a participant by the California research food- marketing group in determining food trends through the year 2010.Most recently, he has returned from an Asian foods focus on flavor conference held in Napa Valley, California. His culinary travels include France, Italy, Mexico, and America.Though his travels he has sourced "primal knowledge" from foodservice farmers, packers, growers, wholesalers and manufactures.These first hand culinary experience tours have included Procuttio factories, Commercial tuna fisheries, Traditional balsamic production, Caviar procurement, the making of Parmesan Reggiano cheese, Duck breeding and Foie Gras, Black and White Truffles, Picholine olives, Dijon mustard production, Ver Jus, and many other wonderful foods.He has also visited Meat, Produce, Seafood, and grocery markets here and abroad.A couple personal accomplishments include winning a national team sport competition, and crossing America on a ten speed bicycle. Other past employment affiliations include assisting the management team at Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, Colorado, and working with the Catering Director at The Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando Florida.Joe has also done consulting work with The Black Goose Grill restaurant group in Stamford Connecticut, and has been part of the team that opened both The New York Times Three Star Inn at Mill River Restaurant, in Stamford CT, and Harrah's at Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. After culinary school Joe worked for James Beard Nominee, Jean Louie Gerin at restaurant Guy Savoy, on Greenwich Ave. Connecticut.

Chef Joseph Scarmuzzi "Teaching and cooking are two things I love to do the most", states Chef Joseph Scarmuzzi, who comes to Florida from having run the kitchens at the prestigious Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield Connecticut for fifteen years. Chef Joseph holds credentials from the American Culinary Federation as an Executive Chef, Culinary Educator, and Foodservice Management Professional. Joseph is a graduate of the Culinary institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Chef Joseph's local experience includes cooking at The Mar-a-Lago and Jupiter hills Country Clubs as well as teaching college level programs at both the Art Institute in Fort Lauderdale and Le Cordon Bleu in Miami. He has an extensive track record of professional development and has attended The Culinary Institute of America Greystone California, The New England Culinary Institute, The Robert Mondavi School of food and wine, and many other institutions of excellence. Joseph's culinary travels include Italy, France, South America, and California. In these travels he has developed advanced knowledge of cooking techniques and specialty products such as truffles, foie gras, prosciutto, cheeses, pastry, and pairing food with wine. "It's tons of fun sharing the knowledge and passion for cooking with the customers and friends of In the Kitchen here in Tequesta. Stop in and Hello". "Dear Lenore and Chef Joe, It takes a village to put on a wedding... The Rehearsal Dinner was the BEST!! You left everyone talking about the food, Chef Joe.

Pinello, along with guest chefs or veteran chef Joseph Scarmuzzi, prepares each dinner.

Autry will be the featured chef at an April 17 dinner at Tequesta's In The Kitchen, a kitchen store and cooking school led by Chef Lenore Pinello (shown below right), who, along with her colleague-chef Joe Scarmuzzi, will join Autry at the stove as the "Top Chef" alumna shows cooking techniques in the establishment's open demonstration kitchen.

Lenore and Joe will create the amazing dessert for this exclusive celebration of spring. Chef Joe Scarmuzzi I stopped in to see Lenore and Chef Joe and told them the theme I wanted for what was basically a Rehearsal Dinner the night before the reception, except that my daughter and her husband had eloped in February. Chef Joe came up with the menu and I loved it.