The 12th grade Eli Whitney Culinary Arts students competed in an “Iron Chef" Competition on March 7th. This exercise was a real confidence booster and allowed the kids to showcase their talents.

The competition requirements are to pick teams from a hat, choose a team leader, plan and write a menu for the day and execute the production and presentation to a panel of judges. They were graded on their mise en place (everything has its place), sanitation, the ability to coordinate the timely service of the food items, the presentation, taste, textures and colors of each dish. This exercise was fun and engaging, as well as practice for the NOCTI tests.  Students had to work together and help each other to get the job done. It teaches them the value of a teamwork.

The winner of the competition was Team A which included Ranisha Davis, Emmanual Keys, Sandy Hernandez, and Ikea Wilson. It was a very close race, and the teams worked extremely hard. Judge and Science Teacher Dan Niver had this to say about the compettition:

Gentlemen,

The Iron Chef show on Food Network has consistently been one of my favorite TV shows.  It was a great pleasure to be asked to be a judge for Eli’s Iron Chef Competition.  I think that this is a great activity for our students to use recipes and skills that they have learned. The food was wonderful and the students were great.  The presentation of the dishes and the quality of the food was beyond exceptional.  I am extremely honored and happy to participate in this activity and to help out the culinary arts department in any way.

Dan Niver

Chefs

Every bite of food I tasted was delicious. I was able to give every dish and drink a high rating. Everyone raved about the stuffed red pepper. The desserts were yummy! Every plate and drink was beautifully presented. The colors were vibrant. Overall, the food was excellent!

Cindy Distasio, Health Technology

Chef Trzcinski,

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you, Chef Gatica, Chef Curry and the entire culinary department for the opportunity to participate in the Eli Whitney Senior Class Iron Chef competition.  It was an absolute pleasure to watch our seniors in action.  Their enthusiasm and professionalism throughout the competition was very impressive and added to the overall enjoyment of the event.  Of course, we cannot forget the food!  The preparation, presentation, artistry and taste of the food was exceptional.  It was more than obvious the amount of time, thought and attention to detail that was put into every dish on the menu.  I am proud of the knowledge that we have such creative and amazing young students representing the culinary department at Eli Whitney.

Thank you again,

Dawn Murphy