James Koskiniemi facts for kids
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| Born | February 16, 1977 Portland, Oregon |
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| Cooking style | French Californian |
| Education | California Culinary Academy, San Francisco 2005 Alumni |
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Current restaurant(s)
ChefJamesSF.com (San Francisco, CA)
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James Koskiniemi (born February 16, 1977) is an American chef and food writer. He writes for Culinarian Magazine. He also helped start a restaurant called The Pig and The Pickle. Before this, he was the main chef at The Bellevue Club. He also led the American Culinary Federation (ACF) for two terms.
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Early Life and Learning
When James Koskiniemi was just six years old, he won first place in a cooking contest for men. He even received a special cooking award from famous chef Alice Waters. From a young age, he learned about traditional French cooking from his dad. His dad had studied with a Master Chef named Ken Wolfe. James also learned baking from his mother.
He went to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. There, he earned a special degree in cooking.
Chef James's Career
In June 2007, Chef Koskiniemi was invited to teach cooking on a Navy ship. This was part of the Adopt-a-Ship Program. He went aboard the Navy ship USS Boxer (LHD-4). His job was to train the ship's cooks in traditional cooking methods. He also helped them prepare over 1200 meals every day for the sailors.
Awards and Recognition
Chef James appeared on the cover of Culinarian Magazine in February 2008. He was the youngest person to lead the San Francisco Chefs Association as its President and Director.
In 2010, the San Francisco Chefs Association gave him the Chef of the Year award. On October 17, 2010, Chef Koskiniemi won first place. He competed at the 10th annual Crabby Chef competition. This event was held at Spengers Fish Grotto in Berkeley, California. He won again the next year at the final Crabby Chef competition. For that win, he made Crab and Corn Beignets with a Ginger Honey Ver Jus.
Chef James also appeared on an episode of the Food Network show Restaurant: Impossible.
Helping Others
Chef Koskiniemi works with several local charities. These include the Special Olympics, NFL Alumni For Kids, East Bay Agency for Children, and Raphael House. In May 2012, he was part of a charity auction for Raphael House. People bid over $30,000 to have him cook for them.
Starting The Pig and The Pickle
In September 2014, Chef James became a chef and co-founder of a new place. It was called The Pig and The Pickle. This restaurant was located at the Ale Industries Marketplace.
