Event Wed Apr 22 2009

Careers Through Culinary Arts Competition

This past Saturday I joined students, parents and chefs at CHIC to watch 25 talented high school seniors compete in the 16th annual Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP) Chicago Cooking Competition for Scholarships. The students were asked to prepare a two-course French meal for a panel of notable judges, including Graham Elliot Bowles of graham elliot, Carrie Nahabedian of Naha, and Mark Mendez of Carnivale.

The students prepared Hunter's Chicken with Turned Sautéed Potatoes and a Fresh Berry Tart with Pastry Cream from memory within a two hour time limit. The students were judged on organization, cleanliness, work flow, cooking technique and skill, timing, the final product of their work, and a personal interview.

C-CAP was founded in 1990 in New York by Chef Richard Grausman and now includes programs in Arizona (statewide); Chicago; Hampton Roads, Virginia; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; and Washington, D.C. In Chicago, C-CAP works with the Chicago Public Schools to provide interested students with cooking skills, training, scholarship opportunities, internships and career advice. Juniors and seniors are selected to enter the program based on academic performance, personal essays and interviews. During the 2007 - 08 academic year, C-CAP Chicago worked with 1,650 students and provided $315,450 in scholarships.

All 25 of the finalists received some type of award, ranging in value from $1,000 to $80,000. The top three finalists were Suri Rosales, Estela Martinez, and Walter Fells. Juniors in the program had previously competed for scholarships to attend summer "culinary boot-camps" at culinary schools around the country.

C-CAP is a registered nonprofit and relies on donations and grant money to provide students with equipment (like knives and uniforms), scholarship money, and training opportunities. If you would like to support this program, donations can be made on their website. Industry professionals can also get involved by offering internships, job shadowing opportunities, and donating fine dining experiences. Please contact Program Director Nicola Copeland at ncopeland AT ccapinc DOT org for further information.

— Gemma Petrie / Comments (1)