Slow Food Gold & Treasure Coast Future Chef Competition

Slow Food Gold & Treasure Coast just hosted their 2nd Annual Future Chef Competition during Food Day 2015.  Four chefs, Chef John Carlino, Chef Chris Pawlowski, Chef Rasheed, and Chef Leslie Moyer oversaw the event, with young people from several area schools.  The students represented Northport K-8 and St. Lucie West K-8, among other schools.  It is noteworthy that the K-8 students went head to head with the high schoolers from the Culinary Arts elective.   The winners were Treasure Coast HS, all 1st year students.

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that this is a continuing effort on the part of Slow Food Gold & Treasure Coast, the schools, the chefs, and their sponsors and students, with the Competition quickly becoming a tradition.  You cannot state enough how important it is for our children to take an interest in their food, how to prepare it, where it comes from, and whether or not it is healthy for them.  The very fact that schools, Slow Food, the Chefs and all the sponsors are willing to step up to the plate and offer instruction, funding and competitions like this one shows how seriously the subject of food is taken.  And it shows how seriously the youth themselves take cooking and food more than anything else. 

Here are some well-deserved congratulations to the winning team and all participants, and we hope to see everyone back next year for the 3rd Annual Future Chef Competition of 2016.

Special thanks to the Sponsors:

Downtown Ft. Pierce Farmer’s Market

Coldwell Bankers Paradise, Mike and Amy Dahan

South Florida Heritage Farm

Helpful notes and links:

http://www.slowfoodgtc.org

All photographs courtesy of Ronnie (Veronica) Paul and Valerie Smith when available.

Future Chef Competiton in Gold and Treasure Coast, Florida

Future Chef Competition

By Sheryl Paul,

Guest Blogger

Saturday October 18, 2014

Slow Food Gold & Treasure Coast in cooperation with the Downtown Ft. Pierce Farmer’s Market and the St Lucie County Schools Culinary Arts Council held a competition between area schools culinary arts classes.

Each participating high school prepared an appetizer and an entrée, made from ingredients found at the Farmer’s Market.  The students had to devise the recipe, and then prepare it, all within the time allowed.  They were judged on presentation, taste, and creativity.

The middle school students were tasked with making desserts and had the same criteria.

Participating schools:

Ft Pierce Central High School                        Forest Grove Middle School             

Port St Lucie High School                               Northport K-8

Treasure Coast High School                                                                                                                                              

The winners of the Competition were Port St Lucie High School and Northport K-8  both schools will receive $100.00 donation to their Culinary Arts Department.

 Port St Lucie High; Left to right; Amanda Keefe, Jeneve Pruitt, Ryan Lauricella, Isis Osorio.

Instructor:  Roland Foerster

 
 Northport K-8; Left to right; Gianna Sneider, Cassandra Andrade, Issac Robinson, Jarred McNair, Zachary Shelton, Sophia Blanco, Tyler Nixon, Michael Giachetti, Dominique St. Hilaire

Instructor:  Rachel Ellsworth

We would also like to thank our volunteers, Timekeeper Hal Solinger, Slow Food information table, Rosa Solinger, Chefs Runners, Nichola Faraci, Karisa Manale, Shannon Murray, Announcer Gerri Beinger

And the student chefs and instructors from the Culinary Arts Department of Virginia College for being there to help with set up. 

A special thanks to our judges, Chef Chris Pawlowski from Palm Beach Organics, Anthony Westbury, Columnist from TC Palm, Kathryn Hensley, St Lucie County School Board and Chef Rasheed, Olive Oil of the World.