Certified master chef Russell Scott, executive chef at Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Windermere, Florida, placed second in the World Association of Chefs Societies’ (WACS) Global Chefs Challenge semifinals for the Americas that took place in São Paulo, Brazil over the weekend. Canada placed first, earning the right to represent the Americas at the Global Chefs Challenge during the WACS Congress in Chile in January. Chile came in third.

“On behalf of the American Culinary Federation, I’d like to extend our congratulations to Chef Scott for his second-place win in the Global Chefs Challenge semifinals for the Americas,” says Michael Ty, national president of the American Culinary Federation. “We are grateful to have had such a qualified candidate represent our country and our federation.”

Scott was asked to represent the U.S. after winning the title of 2008 U.S.A.’s Chef of the Year at the American Culinary Federation National Convention in Las Vegas in July of 2008.

In Brazil, chefs from four countries competed in a “mystery basket” competition where they prepared a menu using a pre-selected list of ingredients. They were required to use salmon and shrimp for the first course, corn for the second course, chicken for the third course, and coconut and mango for the dessert course. Daniel Gorman, a line cook at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, assisted Scott.

Scott is a certified master chef, a distinction shared by only 58 others in the nation. Prior to his position at Isleworth Golf & Cuntry Club, he worked as an associate professor at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, and executive chef at upscale establishments that include Hotel Nikko in Los Angeles and Virginia Country Club in Long Beach, California.