March 23, 2009 — Four culinary students from the St. Croix Educational Complex will travel to New York next month to vie for the title of America's Best High School Chef.
The four are students of Chef Anton Doos, who teaches culinary arts at the school. They, Doos and five of their fellow students will make the trip to New York for the contest, which will take place April 17 through 19 at the Culinary Arts Center at Monroe College in New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City. Monroe College sponsors the competition.
America's Best High School Chef is a three-day culinary competition emphasizing teamwork, skill and leadership. Teams from all across the United States submitted entries, and 16 were selected for the second round. They submitted menus and recipes, which were prepared at the college's test kitchens. Based on those results, eight teams — including the team from St. Croix — were selected for the final round.
In New York, four teams will compete on the morning of April 18, and another four that afternoon. In that round, the teams will have 30 minutes to set up, two and a half hours to prepare their menus and 20 minutes to "plate" the food.
The two winning teams will then compete head to head the morning of April 19. In the final event, the members of the winning team will compete against each other for the title of America's Best High School Chef.
The four members of the Education Complex squad are team captain Afiya Augustus, Linda Rawlins, Leonce Mitchell and Senablorde Ofori.
The menu the team came up with draws from their island heritage, Doos said. The appetizer is coconut-infused puree of acorn and butternut squash glazed with ginger and curry, accompanied by fried plantain chips.
The main course will be braciola of marinated beef flank steak and wild spinach, accompanied by sweet potato mash and sautéed christophenes garnished with wild spinach and pan gravy.
For dessert, the team will make an almond brittle basket and lime cheesecake topped with fruit and berries, garnished with a dollop of passion fruit and ginger sour cream.
The prizes for the top competitors are nothing to sneeze at. The student named America's Top High School Chef will win a full college academic scholarship to attend Monroe College's School of Hospitality Management and the Culinary Arts, and admission to the study-abroad program in Italy for 15 weeks, which has a total value of $35,000. The prize is a $2,500 scholarship if the student plans to attend another college or university. Prizes also include recognition and a publicity campaign, along with the opportunity to meet New York City's leading chefs and restaurateurs, a one-week internship at a leading restaurant and a trophy.
Each member of the winning team will receive a $7,500 scholarship toward Monroe College tuition or a $1,500 scholarship to each team member who plans to attend another college; recognition and a publicity campaign for the high school and winning team; a $2,000 donation to the high school for the enhancement of its culinary program; $750 to each team member; and trophies for each team member and high school.
But above and beyond the rewards are the new vistas that such a trip opens for th students, Doos said. He is planning to take all nine students on a "culinary excursion" in New York.
The trip is made possible in large part by a $5,000 donation by Green Cay Marina, which covers about half of the cost of the trip, Doos said. The team is still raising the rest of the money, mostly by catering events. To schedule an event call Doos at 690-9521, or send a donation to St. Croix CTEC, P.O. Box 1218, Kingshill, St. Croix 00850.
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