High school students cook up success in culinary competition
<span>Local high school students showcased their chopping, grating, sautéing, baking and other culinary arts skills in the Platinum Chef Competition held at Red Bud High School on March 23.</span>
<span>Teams from eight area high schools competed in culinary arts challenges to create unique dishes from a variety of ingredients.</span>
<span>The annual competition is co-sponsored by Southwestern Illinois College, Monroe-Randolph Regional Office of Education and Okaw Regional Vocational System.</span>
<span>"We're proud to offer local students the chance to show off what they have learned in high school culinary classes through this event," said SWIC Culinary Arts and Food Management Program Coordinator Leisa Brockman. "These students really get to exercise their skills and creativity."</span>
<span>SWIC Culinary Arts faculty and other local culinary experts judged the students' work on the taste and appearance of the food, sanitation and students' ability to explain their dishes. </span>
<span>The winners were:</span>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best of Competition, First Place: Columbia High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best of Competition, Second Place: Red Bud High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best of Competition, Third Place: Marissa High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Test Score: Red Bud High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Utility/Support Team: Columbia High School </span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Display Table Presentation: Belleville West High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Appetizer: Chester High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Salad: Red Bud High School </span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Entrée: Columbia High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Dessert: Marissa High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Oral Presentation of Dishes: Columbia High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Best Presenter: Josh Stuart, Columbia High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Overall Competition MVP: Emily Wilkerson, Marissa High School</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Belleville West: Israel Griffin</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Chester: Alexis Doolin</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Christ Our Savior Lutheran: Erica Unnerstall</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Columbia: Allison Murphy</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for East St. Louis: Claresha Outlaw</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Marissa: Emily Wilkerson</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Red Bud: Megan Thompson</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Team MVP for Waterloo: Evan Thorpe</span>
</li>
</ul>