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Culinary arts students compete for title
Nantucket's culinary arts students in Bob Buccino's high school class are no exception. This year four of his senior students will compete for the first title of Nantucket Junior Chef during Nantucket Restaurant Week. The students — Carl Johnsen, Brittany Watson, Haley Cabre and Carla Gomez — have been teamed with chefs from island restaurants and are collaborating with their mentors to develop the dishes they will enter into the competition to be held at Cisco Brewery between noon and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5. The four students were a winning team at last year's statewide event, the Prostart Culinary Competition held at the Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute in Providence, R.I. Their winning entries were an appetizer of freshly pulled mozzarella with a slice of tomato, prosciutto, cranberry vinaigrette and basil; an entree of seared scallops, rice pilaf, a beurre blanc sauce and assorted vegetables and a dessert of lemon curd mousse with toasted almonds. The idea for the junior chef's competition came from Orla LaScola, co-owner of American Seasons with her husband, chef Michael LaScola. American Seasons is a Nantucket Restaurant Week participant, as are the other restaurants with chefs working with the high school seniors. The students have been given the three ingredients of corn, tomatoes and squash from which they must fashion appetizers, entrees and desserts. The vegetables are being donated by Bartlett's Farm and the restaurants will add other ingredients necessary to prepare or complete the dishes. "Bob Buccino chooses the teams, so it's not one, it is a team of two who will win," explained LaScola. "Bob Buccino and the kids at the culinary arts program are doing a great job and we have a great culinary background on Nantucket, so it just seemed like a nice combination. It gives the kids the opportunity to go into restaurants and practice the dishes they will do for the competition. It has given them the opportunity to work in commercial kitchens, which they wouldn't have the opportunity to do, and under different chefs. "The chefs and kids will choose one ingredient and design a dish for the competition," she explained. "The ingredients with that dish will be paired with a complementary ingredient. They don't have to use all three ingredients in each dish, but they will be making a dessert from corn, tomatoes or squash. They are all very talented and very focused and they need a lot of support. Bob has been doing a great job with the kids and this gives the chefs an opportunity to meet the kids who are in the program. Bob is doing an awesome job, and we support it." Carl Johnsen and Brittany Watson have been paired with Michael LaScola, Jason Albus of Languedoc Bistro and Gabriel Frasca of Straight Wharf Restaurant. Haley Cabre and Carla Gomez are learning with Chris Freeman of Oran Mor, Seth Raynor and Liam Mackey of The Pearl and Robert Nelson from Water Street Restaurant. "It's really fun," Gomez said of working with the chefs. "They are all really nice and they are helping us a lot." "I went into the competition a little worried that I didn't have enough experience," said Watson. "It has ended up the greatest teaching experience. They are just there to help you. A couple of the chefs have invited us to come after the competition and just hang out with them in their kitchens. Above all, it has been the best learning experience and better than winning anything." The competition will be judged by well-known cookbook author Marion Morash, along with chefs and other culinary industry experts. All proceeds from the competition will benefit the Nantucket Culinary Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to Nantucket High School students who are continuing studies or training in the field of culinary arts. Tickets to the competition are $20 for adults and $5 for students and may be purchased at Nantucket Magazine, 17 North Beach St. or by calling Becky Becker at 228-1515. I |
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