By DEB BENTLY
Staff Writer
Two teams, each consisting of five NRHEG “ProStart” students, were among 18 teams which took part in state-level competition at St. Paul RiverCentre on March 14.
Both teams received positive feedback from the panels of judges evaluating the appearance, flavor, cooking skills and menu design of their work. Among the 90 students participating, NRHEG junior Peyton Curtis was one of four recognized in the “knife skills” category. Each of the winners received a set of five culinary knives. Curtis explained that judges watch for smooth, even cuts made in compliance with expected safety techniques and which lead to consistent, equal-sized finished pieces. His words were “precision, consistency, and form.”
When asked why “knife skills” was important enough to be its own category, Curtis said, “I think it’s because you can’t be a really good cook unless you have good knife skills. It’s one of the first steps to preparing good food.” Curtis mentioned that he frequently cooks at home, and perhaps that practice was helpful to him in catching the judges’ attention.
Other award categories included sanitation, teamwork, team spirit, professional menu design, “Essence of Taste,” management, and creative “plating,” which refers to how appealing the appearance of the dish is when it is served.
Though the knife skills award was the only one brought home by her teams, NRHEG Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) teacher Kelly Delacruz commented, “They’re all winners as far as I’m concerned. They worked very hard and paid a lot of attention to detail as they worked and planned for this event.
“They prepared professional-level meals in one hour, and produced very high-quality products.”
All teams taking part in the all-day event were required to present an appetizer, main entree and dessert to judges after a meticulously-timed one-hour cooking session. Most of the 18 participating teams, including both from NRHEG, worked right up until the end of an out-loud countdown of the last 10 seconds.
One team included Pierce Anderson, grade 11; Peyton Curtis, 11; Melina Monrreal, 11; Erik Nelson, 11, and Madison Corkill, 10. Their appetizer was “a buckwheat crepe with bacon, tomatoes, baby spinach, white mushrooms and gruyer cheese.” The entree was “seared tilapia with steamed asparagus” with a side of “sauteed potatoes season with parsley, lemon zest and capers. The dessert was “coffee mousse with chocolate shavings and a mint sprig.”
Of his group’s performance, Nelson said, “I think we showed a lot of teamwork. We divided the tasks fairly. The judges’ comments seemed very positive.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished.”
Curtis observed, “I think the high-pressure situation really brought us together.” Team member Anderson said, “I knew we had it down. It was mostly a matter of doing it the way we practiced and keeping it together.”
Members of the other team were Jackson Chrz, grade 12; Jaylin Raab, 12; Reese Routh, 12; Seth Staloch, 11; and Zoe Wilson, 10. This group’s appetizer was a “lemon asparagus salad with shallots, pistachio and a poached egg.” The entree was “honey garlic glazed salmon” alongside “haricot vert and white rice with a lemon zest and diced red pepper. Their offering for dessert was “lemon mousse with which chocolate, pistachios and fresh blueberries.”
Team member Raab observed, “The judges’ comments were really complimentary. They used words like “genius” and “favorite.” Members of this group, too, expressed pride in their accomplishments.
“ProStart” is a program sponsored by the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. During the competition, food critic and radio personality Jason De Rusha of WCCO Radio provided introductions and colorful commentary. In addition to the competition, the day featured a career fair and an optional tour of the Xcel Energy Center’s food preparation and service systems.