High school students competing for National High School Chef of the Year
NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – April 8, 2008 – Twenty teenagers from across the nation will be flying to South Florida this weekend, but not for vacation. They will be visiting Johnson & Wales University's North Miami Campus to compete in the 19th Annual National High School Chef of the Year competition.
The competition will be held Saturday, April 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Johnson & Wales University, 1701 NE 127th Street, North Miami, Fla. Winners will be announced at the awards dinner that night at 7:15 p.m.
Finalists were selected from more than 500 entries from high school juniors and seniors. Ten students will compete in the entrée category and ten will compete in the dessert category.
The grand prize winner from both the entrée and dessert categories will receive a full-tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, valued at more than $80,000 and the opportunity to meet JWU alumnus and Food Network star Tyler Florence '94 '04 HDR.
First runner-up in both categories will receive a $7,500 renewable tuition scholarship and second runner-up will receive a $5,000 renewable tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales University. A $3,500 renewable tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales University will be awarded to the remaining finalists. All the competitors will receive an autographed copy of Tyler Florence's latest cookbook, Tyler's Ultimate.
Entrée category finalists include:
Dessert category finalists include:
This year's competition asks high school juniors and seniors to create an original recipe that incorporates their family heritage or ethnicity. The recipe must be nutritionally balanced according to the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society dietary guidelines. One of the goals of the competition is to increase awareness of teen obesity. Details on the Chef of the Year competition are available online.
Each dish will be judged on overall quality; flavor, taste, texture and doneness; presentation; creativity; mise en place; sanitation and cooking techniques. This year's judges include Thomas Gosney '89, personal chef for Shaquille O'Neal; Izabela Wojcik, director of house events at The James Beard Foundation, and Wolfgang Bierer, a certified American Culinary Federation judge and culinary educator.
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association will be awarding an additional scholarship to high school juniors and seniors whose entries include the most creative use of strawberries. The first place winner receives $2,500, second place gets $1,500 and third place is awarded $1,000.
Johnson & Wales University, founded in 1914, is a nonprofit, private institution. A recognized leader in career education, we offer accredited degrees in business, hospitality, culinary arts, technology and education. With a diverse student body of more than 16,000 graduate and undergraduate students, representing all 50 states and 89 countries, JWU prepares students for personal and professional success by integrating rigorous academics and professional skills, community leadership opportunities and our unique career education model. The university is committed to urban revitalization and thoughtful historic renovation. Through active civic participation and by offering unique learning opportunities, JWU improves the quality of life in its campus communities in Providence, R.I., North Miami, Fla., Denver, Colo., and Charlotte, N.C. For more information visit www.jwu.edu.