FCCLA chopping, stirring, and plating again
NC junior Rachel Charleston and a visitor from a neighboring school prep their table prior to the start of the annual, multi-school competition. Throughout the course of the morning, students faced not only cooking the meal but how to best present their delicacies. NC has not participated in this regional cook-off for the past three years, so this day grants rookie chefs a fresh opportunity to measure their skills among their peers.
February 12, 2019
Turning up the heat, NC’s FCCLA club hosted and participated in a Regional cooking competition on Friday, February 8 against Palmer High School, Paulding County High School, Pope High School and Calhoun High School with the aspirations to proceed to state competitions on March 15.
“There was a lot that went on behind the scenes to pull off this event; communicating with the different schools on how to access the culinary room and emailing back and forth to make sure that our facility remains clean and that we are able to provide all the necessities required for the competition. That was a lot of pressure since I had to ensure my classes do not lag behind in the process, but thankfully we were able to pull it off,” head of culinary department Chelsea Hughey said.
From practicing at home to staying after school to polish their kitchen skills, NC sophomore Christina Anderson, junior Rachel Charleston, and junior Johan Fajardo worked together with Hughey in preparation for their cooking D-day.
The students prepared well-rounded delicacies consisting of mustard cream chicken, apple truffle, sauteed broccoli, and rice pilaf. The participating schools prepared the same meal, which left little room for error with judging based on presentation, use of all ingredients, proper maintenance of hygiene, and following of instructions. With a maximum of two schools permitted to proceed to state, NC’s FCCLA culinary team did not make the cut.
“I think they did fantastic. As a teacher, I take things personally— when they lose I feel like I lost, but all we can do is reflect on how we did and learn how to improve from here. We learn from our mistakes. I think if they improve on their communication skills with each other and realize that even the little things matter, they shall succeed,” Hughey said.
Despite their loss, the students portrayed a sense of optimism and vibrancy to behold for the upcoming year. They hope for improved performance and future success.
“In another competition, there will probably be different people with me or different circumstances, so I aim at knowing where I went wrong and doing better next time,” Fajardo said.
This marks the end of the road for FCCLA culinary team this year, however, keep an eye out for the different catering events they will host to help keep their skills up to par for next year.
