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Kids compete at culinary contest
McCOOK, Neb. --Six elementary school finalists had no trouble putting their culinary chops to the test, at the "Sodexo Future Chefs National Challenge" Thursday.
Declared as top chef was Central Elementary fifth grader Matthew Pochop, with his recipe for "Matthew's Famous Crunchy Peach Smoothie with Baked Chips."
Third time was the charm for Pochop, who had been selected twice before as a finalist for the annual contest, once as a first grader and again last year as a fourth grader. The winning smoothie was a recipe he and his mother created in the kitchen one day, Pochop said.
"We tried to use as many of the bonus ingredients as possible," he said of his winning strategy.
And that's exactly what put him over the top, said one of this years' judges, Denise Ringenberg of Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department. "It was very close and the bonus points made all the difference." Ringenberg, along with Darcey Hansen, McCook Public Schools nurse and Tyler Esch, Family Consumer Science teacher at McCook Community College, awarded points to each recipe for originality, health attributes, ease of preparation, taste, plate presentation and whether it was kid-friendly. Bonus ingredients, such as apples, whole grain cereal and yogurt, earned extra points, all three items Pochop included in his smoothie.
The fourth and fifth grade finalists, decked out in miniature white chef coats embroidered with their names and chef's hats, prepared their snack recipe for the judges at the McCook Elementary kitchen. With help from Sodexo employees David Orr, Kimberly Heaslet, Carri Blake and Linda Babcock, who volunteered their time off-the-clock, the kids chopped, measured and stirred their way through their recipes, the only difficulties appearing to be the plastic gloves they had to wear.
Larry Young, Sodexo district manager for the McCook and North Platte school districts, reminded the young chefs before they got started in the kitchen that some things that might apply at home would not be allowed in the contest.
"The three-second rule, if something drops on the floor? That doesn't pertain here," he said.
The challenge was sponsored by Sodexo, a food service program for schools. Young said 2,500 kids were competing nationwide, with 1,000 school districts and 29 schools competing on this first level of the contest.
Winning the Kid's Choice Award, chosen by the finalists themselves, was Avery Broomfield and her "Strawberry Delight."
As winner of the McCook challenge, Pochop took home a basket of kitchen utensils and a trophy, his recipe advancing to the district level. Winning recipes from the district will compete at the national level, with a video made of the student chef preparing his/her recipe and uploaded to YouTube, the final winner chosen by YouTube viewers.
The five other finalists joining Pochop were: Avery Broomfield, fourth grade, "Strawberry Delight;" Parker O'Toole, fifth grade, "Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls;" Landon Snyder, fifth grade, "Cinnamon Apple Fries:" Max Weimer, fifth grade, "Quinoa Protein Bars;" Rebecka Winder, fourth grade, "Rebecka's Yummy Chicken Salad."
The winning recipe:
Matthew's Famous Crunchy Peach Smoothie
With Baked Chips
1/2 Cup Chopped Apples, Peeled
1/2 Cup Pineapple
1 Tbsp. Pineapple Juice
6 Ounces Lowfat Peach Yogurt
2-4 TBS Bran Flakes Cereal
Method:
1.Put apples, pineapple and pineapple juice in blender, blend well.
2.Add peach yogurt and blend about 30 seconds.
3.Pour into two glasses.
4.Top each glass with 1-2 tablespoons of bran flakes cereal
5.Serve with 1-2 ounce Baked Lays Chips