QUINCY - If too many cooks can spoil the broth, imagine the commotion 34 high school students at seven work tables and a half-dozen ovens, competing to turn out healthy school lunches in under 1 1/2 hours, can make. Yet not a pizza drops, not a salad bowl topples, or a foot gets stepped on.
The students, all participants in Future Chefs, a school-to-career program that works with teens interested in the culinary arts, are meeting for a day of friendly competition and roundtable discussions with professionals. On this Saturday at Quincy High School, there are high school teams from Somerville, Everett, and Quincy. It is a day of teamwork, fun, learning, and good eating.
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Future Chefs connects students to employment, internships, and mentoring opportunities in the food service industry. The program also teaches skills such as time management, interviewing, networking, and resume writing. Since 2008, more than 200 students have been enrolled. Founder and executive director Toni Elka, 59, explains that it’s a risky time for some students, who may not receive assistance at school or at home about their plans after high school. Food service education and jobs help the kids make the adolescent-to-adulthood transition, she says. From its inception, the organization has drawn support from Ashmont Grill, Hungry Mother, Rialto, Highland Kitchen, Myers & Chang, Fenway Park, and others.
The day’s events kick off with a question-and-answer session with six chefs who share their perspectives on the business. Panelists are Matthew Barros, chef de cuisine at Market; Barry Joyner, line cook at the Salty Pig; Bryce MacKnight, chef at Brick & Mortar; Steve Postal, executive chef at Fenway Park; Tara Lightbody, chef at Belmont Day School; and Alex Emmott of Boston Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.
In the two months before the competition, students tested recipes, analyzed nutrition data, and determined if their dishes would pass muster with their peers. They were asked to make pizza, a side dish, and dessert.
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At the cook-off, vegetables and fruit feature prominently. All pizzas are made with whole-wheat dough. The Somerville team covers a pie with homemade barbecue sauce, grilled chicken, pineapple, onions, and tomatoes. Quincy’s entry is topped with broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, and mozzarella. The Everett team rolls super-thin flatbread, brushes it with olive oil, and sprinkles it with broccoli, garlic, and mozzarella.
Side dishes include sauteed vegetables, Asian cabbage slaw with chicken, and a crisp romaine salad with chicken and zesty pesto dressing; the salad wins for best dish.
Desserts offer an element of surprise. Some people know that the Somerville team’s brownies have a secret ingredient, which turns out to be pureed black beans. Other entries are Quincy’s refreshing pineapple gelato (made with buttermilk) and Everett’s pineapple bars.
In many cases, recipes are adjusted to meet nutritional guidelines. Everett senior Robert Giunta, 18, says, “Our pizza had too many carbs, so we made flatbread.’’ To reduce the fat in the pineapple bars, the Everett team substituted applesauce for butter, yogurt for cream cheese in the frosting. Quincy’s Asian slaw contains reduced-sodium soy sauce.
The students are aware that food has to look good. “If it doesn’t, you wouldn’t want to eat it,’’ says Flor Duarte, 17, a Somerville junior.
As the future chefs chop vegetables, saute chicken breasts, and stretch pizza dough, Tara Lightbody of Belmont Day School notices a wide range of skill levels. “You can go to school for cooking, but it’s not until you experience working in a kitchen that you know if it’s for you,’’ she says.
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The final results honor every school: Quincy wins best overall menu; Everett best individual dish and teamwork; and Somerville best presentation.
Students are inspired. Xristos Vardakostas, 16, a Quincy sophomore who wins best team leader, says, “Someone will always be better than you, which makes you want to try harder.’’
Lisa Zwirn can be reached at lisa@lisazwirn.com