Nobody said it was easy…

And yeah - it really is gonna be this hard.

On the other hand, good to know that, like lead judge and placement director at the Arizona Culinary Institute, Chef Glenn Humphrey says, "These students are out early on a Saturday morning, to practice or compete, when most of their peers are still in bed.

"So they get credit for being here, and for making it to the competition."

You still need to know your way around those recipes and a cooking station.

According to several judges with whom we spoke recently, the biggest flaw in both technique and execution is a lack of attention to sanitation.

"You don't need to wear gloves constantly, but you need to be gloved when it's called for," says Chef Francine Marz, academic director of culinary education at The Art Institute of Phoenix.

"And uniforms.  C-CAP has a professional dress code.  You need to meet it."

Both overcooking and undercooking are serious issues for judges, but undercooking an omelet or a breast of chicken might mean the judges don't eat it.  And if they can't taste your dish…

"I do not want to eat raw egg, and neither do guests at a restaurant," says food writer and critic Chef Gwen Ashley Walters.

"We judges are looking for so many things during the competition," she adds.  "Students need to be on their toes from the moment they walk in until they pack up and leave at the end of the day."

"We look for organization and a sense of urgency," says Chef Glenn. 

 "Organization shows they have practiced for the competition and know what they need to do, and how to do it efficiently. We watch how students set up their stations, and how they proceed with preparations."

"You know, two by two is about the space you get in a professional kitchen," says judge and C-CAP graduate Jared Porter. 

"And if your station is disorganized and a mess, your cooking and plating will be, too."

Lists will help, Chef Jared suggests, as will "Practice.  The practices are the serious part of the competition.  And when you know you know what you're doing….as long as you can focus, the rest is almost easy."

Read more about what these judges have to say about the C-CAP competitions in the February edition of Restaurateur of Arizona magazine.  Click on the link in the list to the right!