Culinaria Kids Cook-Off winners pose with Chefs Stephen and Pete
On Sunday, June 28th, the Culinaria kitchens were buzzing with activity thanks to eight very talented kid chefs! Culinaria’s first Kids Cook-Off kicked off with the unveiling of the ingredients – chicken breasts, potatoes, bell peppers, fresh herbs – plus open access to our bountiful dry pantry. The kids and teens had 15 minutes to gather ingredients and plan their menus which needed to include two dishes: one entree and one side or one appetizer and one entree.
With 90 minutes to complete their dishes, timing was a critical component of the competition. The contestants had to make sure their dishes weren’t finished too far ahead of time for the judges to taste. The dishes were judged on a scale based on four criteria: taste, creativity, plating and organization. Our esteemed judging panel included Culinaria chefs Marilena Leavitt and Brian Batsel, both of whom teach our kids and teens summer camps as well as other classes for both kids and adults throughout the year. Local business owner and restaurateur, Michael Amouri, rounded out the team and lent his keen eye and palette to the competition.
Culinaria Kids Cook-Off Contestants pose with their finished dishes
When it was time to crown a winner, our judges had their work cut out for them! These competitors definitely knew their way around the kitchen and amazed us all with their focus, determination, creativity and skill. Finally the decision came in and the winners were announced: Fatima Lledo, age 11 in the kids group and Luke Konson, age 13 won the teens group.
The winners received their own professional chef’s knife and all of our participants received an apron and certificate for their hard work. Stay tuned for information on our next Kids Cook-Off, coming soon!
