Culinary competitions all have rules and standards and expectations, but most competitors understand that success often rides on understanding just what the elusive ‘something’ is that judges want to see on a plate.
That’s true, too, for both the preliminary and final C-CAP competitions, which are made easier for judges by having published criteria for each level.
But – and this is a big, fat, hulking but: BUT every year brings some changes in the judging line up and expectations from judges.
Chef Glenn Humphrey, CEC, CCE, of the Arizona Culinary Institute, has been C-CAP Arizona’s lead judge for the annual competitions for more than a decade. He says, “The semi-finals are hard. In terms of the sheer number of competitors, it’s necessary for some of the judges to cover the kitchens and some the tastings.
“That’s when the written standards become important. It helps us make sure the judging is fair and even across the board. It’s a real balancing task.”
Chef Glen points out that, while the written objectives and standards haven’t changed greatly, “There’s a higher level of expectation, and the GPA’s are higher.
“We have kids with GPA’s of 4.0. The grade standards have been raised, and the levels at which the instructors are training have been raised, as well.”
He’s adamant that the key to success is practice and focus, for both instructors and students.
“Keep in mind that students who compete at the semi-finals need to execute at their absolute best to get to the finals. This means they need to understand exactly what needs to be done, how to do it – and they need to time everything.”
Instructors need to understand exactly what the students compete on, which is made clear, Chef Glenn notes, when both students and instructors attend the scheduled practice seminars.
“Those practices, though, should be time to practice with professional assessment from Jill and the other chefs who participate,” he adds. “Students who are clear about winning are also clear that they will need more practice.”
He has specific suggestions, too.
1) “Practice. Read the recipes to understand them. And practice will boost your confidence level.”
2) “Find a chef-mentor to help you, if it’s at all possible.” He urges students to...
3) ...“Take the initiative. You’ve got to be able to put yourself out there. If you do, I don’t think there’s a chef out there who wouldn’t agree to critique your work and help you improve.”
4) “Knife skills. Be comfortable with holding and using your knife. If you’re shaky, there are (extra) classes you can take.”
5) “Sanitation skills. It’s critical to know how to keep your work space sanitary.”
6) “Organize. Understand how to approach the dish.”
Coming next: This week’s practice – and tips from the rest of this year’s judges.
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