Each year, the American Culinary Federation (ACF) chapter in Kansas City – also called the Greater Kansas City Chef’s Association – hosts the “Flower of the Flames” Smoking and Grilling Small Plates Competition in honor of legendary Kansas City chef and barbecue pitmaster, Karen Putman.
This year’s competition took place on October 21 at the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary and Academy (WHCA) at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), which was the first time the event was hosted at this venue. The location was especially fitting, as proceeds from the event supported a JCCC student chef apprentice.
About Karen Putman
Ronna Keck, sister of Karen Putman, coordinates the annual “Flower of the Flames” competition and scholarship to remember her sister, who passed away in 2011. For many years, Putman was the executive chef at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs football team. While at Arrowhead and after, Putman mentored hundreds of JCCC Culinary students in her kitchen.
Putman was also a famous barbecue pitmaster, winning multiple world championship barbecue competitions across the globe. She was one of the first women to break into the barbecue scene, which earned her the nickname, “flower amongst men,” which inspired Putman’s barbecue team name and the competition name – “The Flower of the Flames.”
Karen Putman’s legacy lives on through the annual Flower of the Flames Competition, which inspires and supports the next generation of chefs. Today, more than forty years since its doors opened, the JCCC Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy continues to thrive, enrolling hundreds of students annually across disciplines such as food and beverage management, hotel and lodging management, pastry and baking, and culinary arts.
About the Flower of the Flames competition
Over the years, the Flower of the Flames competition has seen participation from a wide range of culinary teams, including high school students, local chefs, and alumni groups from the JCCC culinary program.
This year’s competition featured seven teams: four comprised of high school students from the Independence, Missouri school district involved in the ProStart program (an initiative of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation), two teams were from the Fort Osage, Kansas school district, and one team was a JCCC culinary student and his colleague from his chef apprenticeship with the Marriott Hotel on the Country Club Plaza.
Each team received a mystery box containing a meat, a vegetable, and other ingredients to use in their small plate creation. Teams had four hours to prepare their dishes. Attendees were given two tickets to vote for their favorite culinary creations and one ticket to select the best mocktail.
JCCC students from the Fall 2025 Beverage Control class contributed to the event by designing a special mocktail menu. Options included a cherry “no”-jito, a blueberry matcha drink, an Arnold Palmer-inspired tea with a sugar and honey rim, and a holiday-themed cranberry- and clove-infused beverage.
Scholarship recipient and event proceeds
The Flower of the Flames competition is a highlight for JCCC students, offering them the chance to connect with local chefs and network within the culinary community through the ACF.
Additionally, JCCC students benefit from the involvement of their professor, Chef Chrystal Tatum, who currently serves as president of the ACF Greater Kansas City chapter. Students are encouraged to attend chapter meetings as part of their professional development.
At the event’s conclusion, Ronna Keck and Chef Russ Muehlberger, a JCCC faculty member who helps coordinate the competition and scholarship, presented awards to the scholarship recipient, barbecue competition winners, and raffle winners.
This year, the Karen Putman Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Hayden Shaw, a JCCC Culinary student currently in the second year of his Chef Apprenticeship at Blue Hills Country Club.
After the scholarship recipient was announced, the barbecue competition winners were named – all three of which were teams of high school students.
- First place: Steak skewers with grilled pineapple, onions, and peppers
- Second place: Barbecue chicken with pita bread and tzatziki
- Third place: Huli-huli belly bites (This team was also the winner of the 2024 Flower of the Flames Competition.)
Prizes for the winning team included Karen Putman’s famous rib rub, made by Keck, and knife sets donated by Dave Philgreen with ARY Inc. The members of the first-place team all hope to become chefs and study at JCCC’s WHCA after graduating from high school.
Learn more
The Karen Putman Memorial Barbecue Competition happens annually each fall. To receive updates on the 2026 competition, sign up for the ACF Greater KC Chefs Association newsletter.
For more information on the Wylie Hospitality and Culinary Academy and the Chef Apprenticeship program at JCCC, visit jccc.edu.
