The creative Italian-themed dishes prepared by five students from the Manhattan High department of Family and Consumer Science didn’t get them into the top four at last week’s ProStart competition in Wichita, but the group learned a lot from the experience where they had to come up with a menu concept and then execute it for the judges in some extreme circumstances.
The contest was extra complicated because the students only had two camp stoves to cook on and no access to electric or battery-powered appliances for the contest.
Seniors Charlotte Chilton and Taelor Goff, juniors Katelyn Leiker and Keller Holdenwhit, and sophomore Kodi Uphoff made up the team of four chefs and a manager.
“We kind of got inspired by some different things,” culinary teacher Heide Rippert said. “They did shrimp favo on a polenta cake for their appetizer, they did veal piccata with steamed asparagus as their entree and then they made a Napoleon dish with maple orange cannoli cream as the filling.”
The FACS students have had several competitions and activities this year through things like ProStart, from the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, and activities in the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America chapter, which several of them also belong to. Because of lower interest in FCCLA this year from students, this year has been a little slow, but students hope to build club membership back up again next year. The group has focused primarily on the culinary arts part of the program.
This year they have also started to take underclassmen to conferences and competitions, such as nationals, so the students can build leadership for next year to get the chapter back on track.
Freshman Nathan DeArmond was one of those younger students who attended the national convention and competed in knife skills, where he placed first.
“It’s going good so far. I haven’t really been involved that much since the competition,” DeArmond said. “I really like the culinary aspect of it.”
“We have a couple of our freshmen and sophomores going to our state FCCLA conference in Wichita,” Rippert said. “The students this year will be observing STAR events, which are Students Taking Action with Recognition, and they will be serving as runners, timers, and judges for the events. Then hopefully next year they can go back and participate.”
FCCLA is now preparing for their state conference and competition April 7, 8 and 9. They also have a competition in the summer in Washington.
“I like the competitions we go to. I really enjoy it,” sophomore Claire Molt said. “It’s going good.”
