HELENA — Over the weekend, 12 Helena students from grades 3 through 5 made their mark in the kitchen, competing to have their recipe debut at the regional and even national level.
Madelyn Heath reports - watch the video here:
“I enjoy cooking because it is fun to try new recipes and just really fun to see what you can make,” said fourth-grade competitor, Evelyn Dorrington.
This year, students created dishes from all around the world, with the theme being 'Passport to Flavor'.
Robert Worthy, the Helena Public School’s food service director, said, “It is not things you are going to see like walking into McDonald’s, these are things you are going to see going to different restaurants at a higher quality.”
Like third-grade student Isaac Bell, who made a curry carrot soup, “It’s healthy, it tastes good, and I just really love the theme of it.”
The Sodexo Future Chefs Competition has been going on in Helena for two decades and grows every year.
“Whether they are using a knife, a mixer, whatever they are doing, frying the food, we have all different levels,” Worthy noted.
Sixty youngsters submitted recipes, and 12 were chosen to whip up their dishes in a commercial kitchen, one for display and dozens of samples the community could try.
Bell shared, “If my entire family liked it, then maybe the public will like it.”
For the students, it is about more than winning, like for Dorrington, who gets to share her grandma’s heritage.
“It is really fun, and I hope that I can make it for my kids and grandkids,” Dorrington said.
This year, Joel Mozer, a third grader from Jefferson, took home the grand prize for his chicken katsu and jasmine rice. Now the top recipes will be submitted for the regional level.
