Preliminaries over - time for more kitchen practice!

It's final competition! Preliminaries are over; it's time to start peeling potatoes, folks - it takes a lot of practice to make those eight (yes! eight!) sided tournees!

The full list of senior culinary students competing in the 2018 CCAP Arizona finals is below. 

What's more important now is to begin focusing on the dishes needed for tasting and presentation for finals.

These are culinary classics, requiring an array of essential kitchen skills for professionals.  Chicken chasseur with tourneed potatoes and vanilla-cream crepes with chocolate sauce and a strawberry garnish help display both technique and style.

Passing the preliminary competition means students are ready for the next steps, and judges at the 2018 preliminaries didn't stint on both compliments and criticism.

Lead judge Chef Marcos Seville (executive chef at the Omni/Montelucia in Phoenix) says, "Overall, there's a high quality in performance. There's a good sense of urgency, and that's important."

Chef David Lapinski, of the Pine Canyon Resort, Flagstaff, agrees, saying, "The organization overall has been good."

Professional chefs judging preliminaries also included Frank C. Costantino, dean of The Culinary Institute of NY at Monroe College, John Hohn of The Gap Ministries in Tucson, Angel Hoy with U.S. Foods, Cruz Perales with Guckenheimer Services, Noel Ridsdale of The Art Institutes of Phoenix, Lenard Rubin with the DC Ranch County Club, Lonnie Schatz of Cult Coffee, and Rebecca Tillman with The Phoenician Resort in Phoenix.

While generally quite impressed with skill levels, these judges offered a number of tips for students moving on to finals - or moving on to other experiences in the culinary professions.

Here's what seniors getting set for finals should remember as practices begin:

·      Cut, cut, cut! Practice knife skills every day and make sure your knives are sharp

·      Organize! When your organize tasks, you save time…

·      Saving time can help you gain a sense of urgency as you work

·      Watch how you handle waste - and know which scraps can be saved for other uses

·      Don't stuff your (equipment) box with tools you don't need or use

Sanitation is also critical, reminds lead judge Chef Marcos Seville.  "Watch out for dirty towels and keep your cutting boards clean."

Want more info on how to be tops in culinary competition? We'll have tips from a former CCAP judge and a winner in national competitions coming up soon, so watch this space!

35 senior culinary students to compete in 2018 CCAP Arizona final competition

A record number of senior students reached success in this year's CCAP preliminaries.  Those who will compete for scholarships ranging from $1,000 stipends for initial post-high school study expenses to full scholarships for associate or bachelor degrees in culinary include

David Ayala, Millennium High School

Santiago Calixto, Glendale High School

Angela Lozano Damian, Glendale High School

Savannah Duran, Basha High School

Zane Gaffney, Goldwater High School

Kori Gailliot, WAVE

Valentia Galaz, Ironwood Ridge High School

Adriana Garcia, Rio Rico High School

Joseph Garza, Glendale High School

Kyle Gelito, WAVE

Jackson Gilmore, Flagstaff High School

Ashley Glass, Bullhead City High School

Sara Goldsobel, Hamilton High School

Alejandra Gutierrez, EVIT

Sydney Halwood, Chinle High School

Emily Havey, Perry High School

Cody Hedrick, Ironwood Ridge High School

Liliana Flores Hernandez, Central High School

Gary Kent, Perry High School

Marcos Lira, Casa Grande High School

Derek Lockwood, Moon Valley High School

Diana Diaz Mendez, Glendale High School

John Nguyen, Independence High School

Nicholas Perricone, Ironwood Ridge High School

Melania Ramirez, Maricopa High School

Connor (Jason) Redford, Payson High School

Kayley Saunders, Liberty High School

Eli Stockwell, Pinnacle High School        

Cameron Torres, Flagstaff High School

Aura Christina Villasenor, Glendale High School

Brock Webb, Paradise Valley High School

Marilyn Williams, Casa Grande High School

Shae Wolff, EVIT

Alyssa Yazzie, Ganado High School

Top students from among the junior year competitors include:

Wesley Cervantes, Mesa High School

Azucena Coronado, Payson High School

Brianna Crutchfield, Liberty High School

Gabriela Calderon Cruz, Glendale High School

Tristan Galaraneau, Ironwood Ridge High School

Omar Galindo, South Mountain High School

Jocelyne Gonzalez, Apollo High School

Melyssa Preece, Highland High School

Sophia Seiferth, Pinnacle High School

Penelope Xicohtencatl, Chinle High School