Sinclair Community College’s culinary competition team took a bronze medal home in January from the American Culinary Federation’s, Junior Hot Food competition held at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio.
Team member Randy Napier said the team went into the competition feeling pretty uneasy but with expectations to do well. Although they are very proud of their accomplishment, the real prize they took away from the competition was the connections they made with each other.
“It was very nerve racking, but we went in with high hopes not really knowing what to expect. So to go there not knowing and to win a medal, well it just feels good,” Napier said. “We all have become really close during the year though and that’s really the best thing I got from it, the friendships we have made.”
He said the competition started with a skills salon that consisted of knife cuts of a variety of meats, vegetables, fruits, filleting of fish, making a quart of pastry cream and rolling out dough — all to be completed in 80 minutes.
The team was then given 30 minutes to setup for the cooking phase. It consisted of making an appetizer, which was chosen by the ACF judges from one of renowned chef Auguste Escoffier’s recipes, a salad, entrée and dessert that were chosen collectively by the team. The courses had to be prepared and served to the judges within 90 minutes.
Some of the food that the courses consisted of included filets de sole floreal, Tartan Terrace signature salad, pan seared duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, a crème filled crepe with berry sauce and lemon lime mint sorbet.
The team was judged by one of 69 Certified Master Chefs in the world.
“To have somebody like that staring over your shoulder can be kind of intimidating,” team member Steven Rose said. “You could tell his critiques were different than the other guys. He was really sharp. He was the nicest one out of all of them though.”
All teams were judged by how well they followed the ACF standard and on a points system that determines the first three places.
Sinclair has a two-year culinary program, and although most of the members are hoping to graduate this spring, coach Randy Hixon hopes that a few will be back next year.
“If we could at least get three to return and compete next year, I am sure we can do even better,” Hixon said.
The team has been practicing since May 2009 putting in at least eight hours a week for the competition and Chair of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts Steven Cornelius believes it has paid off.
“This is one of the most organized teams in a number of years. That’s what the bronze shows, that they practiced and worked well together,” Cornelius said.