Being a Contestant

The chef at school organized an culinary competition with the Italy Atlanta Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on sharing the culture and traditions of Italy. I believe he tried to recruit upper classmen to participate, but got little response. Thus he notified and recruited participants from lower classmen, including my class. Since he was the initiator of the contest I got the feeling from him it would look poorly if no one registered.

Several of us committed to participate. We had to quickly that weekend write a paper on the region and develop a menu that reflected traditional fare from the region. I selected Veneto. I noted the region celebrates its patron saint, St. Mark, in April with a festival. At this festival it is traditional to serve a dish, risi e bisi (rice and peas) because this is when the peas are harvested from the lagoons and at their peak freshness. Since the contest is held mid-April I found this to be a fitting start to my menu.

Veneto is also home to prosecco (something I've previously found too sweet but since, while working for this competition, I've discovered lovely drier varieties). I decided to use this for a dessert, peaches marinated in prosecco with a whipped marscapone topping. Marscapone originates from the neighboring region of Lombardy.

To complete my menu I selected a regional fish, red mullet. While practicing I noted the red mullet really soaks in the herbs I insert into the body during cooking, much more so that other varieties I tried. Last, I added a green to this course, garlicky broccoli rabe.

Two days ago several of us went to school to practice our menus and obtain feedback from the chef. This went as well as possible considering it was a period of constant jabs and yelling. To quote Pat Benetar, "Love is a battlefield!"

I tried to get a commercial Kitchen Aid to work and was told by the chef, "This is why we like students to work in the industry before coming here." Hey chef, not all commercial kitchens believe in using heavy equipment. Some are purists and minimalist and have hardly any equipment... and hardly any ingredients, yet good food is continually produced from these kitchens. I work in one of these kitchens (and I have a Kitchen Aid at home) but I didn't know the bowl snapped at the back of a commerical version. Guess I should have worked in the industry for several years before attending school. Oh wait! Then I wouldn't need school.

I then tried to garnish my fish with thyme and rosemary sprigs, as I had used to flavor the inside of the fish. From across the room, another chef teaching a class screams "Dallas! Why are you putting that on there?!? Horses eat twigs, not people!" Oops! I'd obviously made a mistake there too. Was this reason to yell across the entire kitchen and through two classes? I think sometimes the chefs have three or four sets of eyes on their heads. Shouldn't she be watching the class she's teaching?

Earlier, I'd asked if we needed to call "five minutes," as we do for our practicals when a course is ready. My risi e bisi zuppa was ready. The chef replied that we'd need to have everything ready at once.

I decided then that my soup would have to sit while I prepped my other courses. I got the dessert ready and then started plating my fish and rabe. My fellow competitor plated her risotto course and was midway through her veal plating when she was accosted with "What are you doing? Stop right now! You don't plate everything at once. Who told you to do this? This is not how a competition is run."

All of us froze in amazement. Isn't that what he meant when he said everything needed to be ready simultaneously? And chef, none of us has been in a competition. That's why we're here today.

All production was halted at that point.

Chef then continued to talk to us about plating and gave some general critiques of the food that was already plated. He had us finish our courses one by one. He finally got to me and then proceeded to tell me that my soup was too thick and the rice overcooked. Duh! It sat there waiting 20 minutes after you had us halt cooking.

Once it was all over and we were cleaning up. There were no "thanks for participating" or "good menu selections," nothing. Chefs are finicky folk! Recall earlier my posts include "Chefs really are nice folk." I'm finally seeing the other side. I left wondering what other schools are even participating in this event.

Several days later, while writing this entry, I went to the Italy Atlanta Foundation website to research more about their mission, goals, etc. I found this press release, http://www.italyatlantafoundation.org/content/culinary-tour-italy-student-competition . I'd been selected as a finalist!

I didn't know I made it to the finals! What a coincidence, so did all my other classmates! And strangely, no other schools have participants. I wonder what school will win!

Stay tuned!