ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Move over, Mario Batali. Step aside, Gordon Ramsey. There's a new chef on the cusp of celebrity in the U.S., and he's from Florida.
Justin Timineri's job requires being a culinary ambassador, farm expert and cheerleader for Florida food. Technically, he's a state employee working for the Florida Department of Agriculture. He's also the only full-time state chef in the nation.
Timineri — a former NASCAR cook — travels the state showing people how to use Florida-grown fruits and vegetables in recipes. He's also a booster for Florida during trade missions and in TV spots.
The 37-year-old chef's mission this year: teaching schoolchildren to eat healthier. As part of the Department of Agriculture's new effort to get kids to eat veggies, Timineri does in-school cooking demos dubbed "Extreme Cuisine."
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