NEW YORK—Twenty high-school seniors got a taste of the pressure, timing, and perfection required in five-star restaurants during a citywide cooking competition on Tuesday at the Institute of Culinary Education.
“It was exciting, nerve-wracking, but it feels rewarding; after we practiced for so long and to get here and do well is rewarding,” said Tianna Ottley, a senior at Food and Finance High School.
Within two hours, the students had to prepare from memory a two-course French meal: Hunter’s chicken with turned, sautéed potatoes, and crepes with pastry cream and chocolate sauce. Local executive chefs, such as Amy Eubanks of BLT Fish, and others involved with the industry judged the competition.
“I was incredibly impressed,” said Eubanks. “Honestly, in someone that young, I haven’t seen that kind of cooking in a very long time.”
Richard Grausman, founder and chairman of Careers through Culinary Arts Program, which held the competition, congratulated the students. “These dishes are gorgeous,” he said. “On the whole, this is the best competition I have ever seen. You all have a future in the industry.”
The field of students was whittled down from 60 in the February preliminaries. At stake are cash and scholarships to the top cooking schools in the nation—Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and Johnson and Wales University. Results will be revealed on April 5 at an awards breakfast.
