How to get to C-CAP finals

Getting to the C-CAP finals (guaranteeing you'll win at least $1000 in scholarship funding!) is the same path you'd take to Carnegie Hall:  practice, practice, practice.

So here's the scoop on practicing (which, by the way, every single one of C-CAP competition judges ranks as the first requirement for getting through the competitions):  There are both formal and informal practice sessions.

Below, there's a list of equipment needed for both practice and competition.  Do not substitute equipment - the right tools will make your work easier. 

You will also see a list of suggestions from C-CAP.

Please check the February edition of Restaurateur of Arizona for remarks on how to win from judges and competition experts.

Check this space, too, for more ideas from Chefs Glenn Humphrey (C-CAP Arizona's lead competition judge), Francine Marz (international culinary competition team leader), Jared Porter (C-CAP winner, judge and Phoenix restaurateur) and Gwen Ashley Walters (blogger and restaurant critic). 

For your convenience, we are reprinting the 2013 practice schedule below.  And, here's the link to the C-Cap teacher's guide (hey!  students!  check the teacher's guide, too!) http://www.ccapinc.org/pdfs/2012-13_NA_Teacher_Guide.pdf.

Good luck, everyone - see you at practice!

2013 Preliminary Competition Suggested Equipment List 

Sanitation

Sanitation bucket or spray bottle (sanitizer solution will be provided at competition site)

Classic French Omelet

Stainless steel bowl for mixing eggs

Whisk or fork

non-stick sauté pan 6” pan = 2 egg omelet, 7 or 8” pan = 3 egg omelet

Heatproof spatula

Side towels

Gloves for plating

C-CAP Salad

Cutting board

Rubberized mat (or use wet paper towels) to prevent cutting board slipping

Chef knife

Paring knife

Measuring spoons

Peeler

Whisk

Large stainless steel slotted spoon

Small pot for boiling water for tomato concasse

Stainless steel bowl for ice bath

Stainless steel bowl for vinaigrette

Stainless steel or plastic container for trash

Ring mold (2 inches high by 3 inches wide)

Mesh strainer

Cheesecloth

Gloves

Tasting Spoons

Kitchen Uniform – Mandatory for all C-CAP Competitions

Chef coat

Hat (no baseball caps)

Black or checkered pants (no jeans)

Neckerchief (optional)

Kitchen – type shoes (closed-toe, non-skid soles) – absolutely no tennis shoes

No jewelry, nail polish, fake nails

All hair must be under hat

2012 C-CAP Preliminary Competition Tips/Suggestions

Preparing the competition salad - step by step

1.     Core, score, blanch and shock tomato – leave in ice bath only until cool, put back on mise en plus tray

2.     Make vinaigrette, taste, adjust seasonings and put on ice bath

3.     Peel and cut jicama (small dice – ¼ inch by ¼ inch) – add to vinaigrette

4.     Cut bell peppers into small dice – add to vinaigrette

5.     Cut onion into small dice – add to vinaigrette

6.     Peel, seed and cut tomato into small dice – add to vinaigrette

7.     Cut cucumber slices for ring mold

8.     Plate cucumber slices in ring mold

9.  Taste and adjust seasonings

10.  Strain all vinaigrette from diced vegetables

11.  Put strained vegetables into ring mold

12.  Clean plate

Suggestions

1.     Have only one tool and one food product on cutting board at one time

2.     Wipe cutting board and knife with clean side towel (not sanitizer) between each vegetable preparation– sanitize only when needed

3.     Fill ring mold with diced vegetables to the top of the cucumbers – do not overfill or underfill

4.     Cut only the amount of vegetable as needed – this shows good time management and good product management (use all bell pepper and tomato given- other vegetables can be cut as needed)

5.     Put all usable food product back on mise en plus tray – not in trash container

6.     Use chef knife to make all small dices and to cut cucumber slices

7.     Line cucumber slices on the top of the cutting board as sliced off of the cucumber– this method keeps the slices in order, makes plating easier, and saves time

8.     Practice to the 35 minute mark, time deductions will be taken for every minute salad is late

9.     Wear gloves while making and plating salad, no bare hands on ready-to-eat food

10.     Wet paper towels or rubberized mats only under cutting board (no side towels under cutting board)

11.     Practice, practice, practice!


2013 competition practice schedule
      

January 9	Safford High School      1400 West 11th Street, Safford, 85546       Host Patty Whitmire	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment.    RSVP to Jill Smith by January 8.
January 10      3:45pm – 6pm	Mountain View (Tucson) High School      3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd, Tucson 85742      Host:  Sean Frederick	Canyon Ranch Chefs and C-CAP Teachers will determine Tucson-area practice schedule.      Omelet practice, bring equipment for omelet only.      RSVP to Jill Smith by January 9
January 12      10 am – 1pm	EVIT      1601 W. Main St, Mesa 85201	Omelet practice only, bring equipment for omelet only.      Teachers - pick up C-CAP product donations.      RSVP to Jill Smith by January 10
January 15       3:00-6pm	Le Cordon Bleu      8100 E.Camelback Rd.,Kitchen C10,  Scottsdale - THIS IS A CHANGE!! There are two LCB campus, please make sure you have the right address	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment.      Students can arrive anytime between 3 and 4 and can leave when they have made a salad an omelet.       RSVP to Jill Smith by January 14
January 17       12pm - 3pm	Chino Valley High School      115 N. Highway 89, Chino Valley 86323       Host:  Dolisa Pehl	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment       RSVP to Jill Smith by January 15
January 22       3pm - 6pm	Le Cordon Bleu      8100 E. Camelback Rd.,Kitchen C10, Scottsdale - THIS IS A CHANGE!  There are two LCB campus, please make sure you have the right address	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment.       Students can arrive anytime between 3 and 4 and can leave when they have made a salad an omelet.       RSVP to Jill Smith by January 21
January 26      10 am-1pm	Metro Tech High School      1900 W. Thomas, Phoenix 85015      Host:  Dean Wilberscheid	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment       RSVP to Jill Smith by January 23
January 29       3pm - 6pm	Le Cordon Bleu       8100 E. Scottsdale Rd., Kitchen C10 - THIS IS A CHANGE!  - There are two LCB campus, please make sure you have the right address	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment.       Students can arrive anytime between 3 and 4 and can leave when they have made a salad an omelet.      RSVP to Jill Smith by January 28
January 30      3:30-5:30pm	Glendale High School       6216 W. Glendale Ave, Glendale 85301      Host:  Shawn Morris	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment      RSVP to Jill Smith by January 28
January 31                12pm - 3pm	Flagstaff High School      400 W. Elm Avenue, Flagstaff 86001      Host:  Patti Pastor	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment      RSVP to Jill Smith by January 29
February 9	Preliminary Competition, Heat 1,2,3      Le Cordon Bleu	Competition, details to be sent separately
February 12	Senior Finalists Announced	Teachers are notified by email if their student did/did not advance to Final Competition

Win big with Meatless Monday chili!

Vegetarian chili:  it's what's for winners! 

Yes!  There is definitely still time to enter the Meatless Mondays recipe contest.  And you definitely should because this contest is limited to C-CAP groups across the country.

This means entrants will compete against just six other winning recipes from across the country.  That's right - there's a one in seven chance the winner could be from Arizona.  And, if you're reading this blog - that means you or someone you know.

Recipe help

If you want to come up with a winning recipe, think simple.  You want something you can put together easily, with ingredients you can find at your local supermarket. 

(What does that mean?  Means ditch the desire to show off your skill with tofu.  Most U.S. kitchens don't have this as an ordinary ingredient. Think about  something you or your mom would put together for a quick family dinner.)

While you're thinking simple, think budget-smart, too.  This recipe is about chili, and you want people to see this as a recipe they could turn into a family favorite.

(What does this mean?  Think carefully about the most popular, ordinary vegetables.  What's in standard chili recipes?  What about regional variations?)

And while you're thinking smart, think a little about style, too.  You want people to feel this is food for today (and, yes, that still means you can remind them of foods they cherish). 

(What does this mean?  Think about the top food trends for last year and for 2013, too. Heading the list?  Sour, acidic notes, complementary fruity/savory tastes, and popcorn is the snack of the day. Cauliflower is  very in, as are Asian tastes.)

More entry aid

This is a simple contest, with simple rules, so follow them carefully.  And also:

Think about visual appeal.  You need a great photo of your dish to go with your recipe.

Which reminds us:  You also need a great name for your recipe.  Think about what inspired you, think about a little story about that inspiration.

Try out your dish, then try it again, stopping to write down every ingredient you add.  At the end, aggregate your ingredients, listing them in the order in which they're used.

Include both weight and volume in your measurements, and be both clear and brief in your methods/directions (e.g., "Cook onions about 5 minutes, or until very soft but not browned.").

Give cooking times and temperatures, and the number of servings.  If you can, include an estimate of prep time, too.

If there is more than one element to the dish (for instance, a pastry and a filling), separate the ingredients and the directions for each  (for the pastry/make pastry; for filling/make filling).

Separate each step into a different paragraph, and, at the end, include instructions for plating and serving.  (Remember, you can't add "serve with rice" if you haven't included rice as part of the recipe!)

All recipes submitted through Arizona C-CAP will be tested and tasted by a panel of professionals and home cooks before a winning recipe from Arizona is chosen.  (Photos of this event will be posted on this blog no later than January 21.)

Good luck! Your deadline is January 11.

(And you can also check this "winning recipe cheat sheet," with this handy clip'n'paste link: http://justcooknyc.com/2011/04/14/recipe-writing-cheat-sheet/)            

Competition practice, 2013

January 9	Safford High School 1400 West 11th Street, Safford, 85546 Host Patty Whitmire	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment.  RSVP to Jill Smith by January 8.
January 10 3:45pm – 6pm	Mountain View (Tucson) High School 3901 W. Linda Vista Blvd, Tucson 85742 Host:  Sean Frederick	Canyon Ranch Chefs and C-CAP Teachers will determine Tucson-area practice schedule. Omelet practice, bring equipment for omelet only. RSVP to Jill Smith by January 9
January 12 10am – 1pm	EVIT 1601 W. Main St, Mesa 85201	Omelet practice only, bring equipment for omelet only. Teachers - pick up C-CAP product donations. RSVP to Jill Smith by January 10
January 15 3:00-6pm	Le Cordon Bleu 4301 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 85251 - There are two LCB campus, please make sure you have the right address	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment. Students can arrive anytime between 3 and 4 and can leave when they have made a salad an omelet. RSVP to Jill Smith by January 14
January 17 12pm - 3pm	Chino Valley High School 115 N. Highway 89, Chino Valley 86323 Host:  Dolisa Pehl	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment RSVP to Jill Smith by January 15
January 22 3pm - 6pm	Le Cordon Bleu 4301 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 85251 - There are two LCB campus, please make sure you have the right address	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment. Students can arrive anytime between 3 and 4 and can leave when they have made a salad an omelet. RSVP to Jill Smith by January 21
January 26 10 am-1pm	Metro Tech High School 1900 W. Thomas, Phoenix 85015 Host:  Dean Wilberscheid	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment RSVP to Jill Smith by January 23
January 29 3pm - 6pm	Le Cordon Bleu 4301 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 85251 - There are two LCB campus, please make sure you have the right address	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment. Students can arrive anytime between 3 and 4 and can leave when they have made a salad an omelet. RSVP to Jill Smith by January 28
January 30 3:30-5:30	Glendale High School 6216 W. Glendale Ave, Glendale 85301 Host:  Shawn Morris	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment RSVP to Jill Smith by January 28
January 31 12pm - 3pm	Flagstaff High School 400 W. Elm Avenue, Flagstaff 86001 Host:  Patti Pastor	Salad and omelet practice, bring all equipment RSVP to Jill Smith by January 29
February 9	Preliminary Competition, Heat 1,2,3 Le Cordon Bleu	Competition, details to be sent separately
February 12	Senior Finalists Announced	Teachers are notified by email if their student did/did not advance to Final Competition

ALL of these practices are optional. 

Each practice has a separate RSVP deadline.  AZ director Jill Smith must have a students' RSVP to be prepared for food product needed.  Teachers may RSVP for their own students.

ALL practices require proper kitchen attire to include, kitchen shoes, chef coat, hat.  Please see individual practice for equipment requirements.

Practices at Le Cordon Bleu do not have a hard start time, these practices will be structured to allow students to set up and practice as they arrive, this will give students a chance to arrive without missing school (unless you are coming from outside the Phoenix metro area.)  There are two LCB campusus, please make sure your students are coming to the campus on Scottsdale Road, address is on the attachment.  If your student is interested in being considered for an LCB scholarship, please encourage them to attend at least on of these practices.

Canyon Ranch sponsored practice dates will be determined at the January 10th practice.  ALL Canyon Ranch sponsored practices will be in the Tucson metro area.

Please contact Jill Smith via email (jsmith@ccapinc.org) with any questions, concerns and to confirm practice participation.