FLIP THOSE EGGS! CARVE AN EDIBLE CENTERPIECE! PLATE THAT GOURMET MEAL OR DESSERT!

Oh, and while you’re at it, do it within a specified time limit under the watchful eyes of judging chefs and other culinary world volunteers who are making sure you’re following the guidelines set forth in the Orange County Public Schools Annual Hospitality and Culinary Competition. After all, with 220 competitors registered for the hospitality or culinary portion of this 5^th annual competition, each student will want to showcase his or her specialized skills for the maximum benefit.
As one of the judges who has watched this competition grow each year, I am in awe of the talent and training our future hospitality and culinary staff are receiving. Sure, they’re competing for trophies and awards that honor their school program as well as their own abilities, but what’s at stake could also be scholarships to college programs. The first year I judged, I tasted about 20 desserts beginning at 10 am. Let’s just say I was happily shifted, and where I’ve remained each year, to judging the final presentation of edible centerpieces. I watch them carve fruits, craft shapes and create vignettes from apples and melons and flowers and I am constantly amazed.
This year there were 360 students in attendance. While they may not have all competed, they could take a tour of the kitchens or watch chef demonstrations of knife skills or on how to mold chocolate into a Christmas tree with hanging glittery balls.
As it has been since I began judging, the competition took place at the Orlando World Center Marriott, which generously donates space, judges, event staff, tour guides, AV equipment and staff, banquet staff, and the HR staff. They also prepare a buffet lunch to feed all the students, staff, families and judges who have had to smell the aromas wafting throughout the ballroom since the early hours of morning. UCF Rosen College and Johnson & Wales University organized the hospitality portion and the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association donated the trophies, awards and food expenses. Keiser University donated staff, volunteers, demo chef, and shared the lunch costs.
Each year something new is added to the overall competition. This time it was Egg Flipping. Don’t laugh. How often have you perfectly flipped eggs in an 8” pan? It happens to be a skill I mastered long ago but which never fails to impress friends and family the first time they see it.
The other new entry was called “Cooking Up Change.” They were situated near the Edible Centerpieces so I could watch between judging. The competition, sponsored by Food and Nutrition Services, challenges teams to come up with a full meal that will meet the budgetary constraints and nutrition requirements of high school cafeterias while still tasty to teens. The aromas were positively tantalizing. The meals were prepped, plated, sampled and judged for aesthetics, cost and taste.

For the first time, high schools competed separately from Tech Centers. Here’s who participated this year:
Colonial HS – Culinary Arts and Hospitality and Tourism
Cypress Creek HS – Culinary Arts
Evans HS – Culinary Arts
Freedom HS – Culinary Arts
Wekiva HS – Culinary Arts
Winter Park HS – Culinary Arts
Oak Ridge HS – Hospitality and Tourism
Dr Phillips HS – Hospitality and Tourism
Gateway School – Culinary Arts
Mid Florida Tech – Culinary Arts and Hospitality and Tourism
Westside Tech – Culinary Arts
Orlando Tech – Culinary Arts
The OCPS competition occurs each December. Volunteers are always needed. If you want to join in the fun as a school or as a volunteer, contact Patricia Breeding, Instructional Support. patricia.breeding@ocps.net or give her a buzz after the New Year at 407-317-3200, ext. 2690 (200-2690).

Culinary Event Winners
 

Event	School	Home School	Student Name
Edible Centerpiece
First place	Cypress Creek HS		Esmeralda Lopez
Second place	Wekiva HS		Autumn Skates
Third place	Mid Florida Tech	Timber Creek HS	Raymond Jaiman
Dessert High School
First place	Cypress Creek HS		Grant Baldinger
First place	Cypress Creek HS		Gabrielle Rivera
Second place	Winter Park HS		Daniella Sauri
Second place	Winter Park HS		Gabriela Groff
Third place	Winter Park HS		Tiffany Castro
Third place	Winter Park HS		Kimberly Cheng
Dessert Tech Center
First place	Mid Florida Tech	University HS	Brianna Diaz
First place	Mid Florida Tech	University HS	Tatiana Torres
Second place	Mid Florida Tech		Jonathon Monroig
Gourmet Meal
First place	Winter Park HS		Antonio Cepero
First place	Winter Park HS		Melissa Morales
First place	Winter Park HS		Nickolas Conroy
Second place	Wekiva HS		Keishla Olivaras
Second place	Wekiva HS		Jessica Harman
Second place	Wekiva HS		Dustin Hamilton
Third place	Freedom HS		Amandalys Joseph
Third place	Freedom HS		Urbaez Gabin
Third place	Freedom HS		Zachry Rendon
Gourmet Meal Tech Center
First place	Westside Tech	Olympia HS	Tyler Trainer
First place	Westside Tech	Freedom HS	Paige Blew
First place	Westside Tech	Ocoee HS	Kaylan Grant
Second place	Mid Florida Tech	University HS	Valeria Torres
Second place	Mid Florida Tech	University HS	Stephanie Torres
Second place	Mid Florida Tech	Edgewater HS	Kristopher Davies
Knife Skills
First place	Winter Park HS		Joshera Davila
Second place	Cypress Creek HS		Jacob Fletcher
Third place	Mid Florida Tech	Boone HS	Tierria Edwards

 

Event	School	Home School	Student Name
Waiter’s Relay
First place	Mid Florida Tech	Timber Creek HS	Sharon Cordero
First place	Mid Florida Tech	Freedom HS	Doina Madonici
First place	Mid Florida Tech	Freedom HS	Jessica Polonia
Second place	Cypress Creek HS		Adam Manzanet
Second place	Cypress Creek HS		Sunil Alicea
Second place	Cypress Creek HS		Carols Ardila
Third place	Freedom HS		Sarah Jameer
Third place	Freedom HS		Giselle Negron Muniz
Third place	Freedom HS		Karen Sanchez
Egg Flippin
First place	Freedom HS		Martin Murcio
First place	Freedom HS		Amanda Perez
Second place	Evans HS		Evelyn Dubiusson
Second place	Evans HS		Habacus Exantus
Third place	Winter Park HS		Austin Phillips
Third place	Winter Park HS		Jose De La Cruz

 
 
Hospitality Competition Winners
 

Event	School	Home School	Student Name
Hospitality Competition
First place – Overall	Mid Florida Tech	Boone HS	Esly Sarmiento
First place	Mid Florida Tech	Boone HS	Diddenia Ramos
First place	Mid Florida Tech	East River HS	Roger Longmore
First place	Mid Florida Tech	Lake Nona HS	Bryan Droz
Second place- Overall	Dr Phillips HS		Tia Humphries
Second place	Dr Phillips HS		Cassidy Brown
Second place	Dr Phillips HS		Alexandrea Nguyen
Second place	Dr Phillips HS		Madison Fitch
Third place – Overall	Dr Phillips HS		Sayyaaf Walani
Third place	Dr Phillips HS		Shakil Kabani
Third place	Dr Phillips HS		John Morgan Ring
Third place	Dr Phillips HS		Christian Eady
Food and Beverage Case Study
First Place	Dr Phillips HS		Tia Humphries
	Dr Phillips HS		Cassidy Brown
	Dr Phillips HS		Alexandrea Nguyen
	Dr Phillips HS		Madison Fitch
Event Project
First Place	Colonial HS		Ryland Britton
	Colonial HS		Lesley Lopez
	Colonial HS		Patricia Mateo
	Colonial HS		Linda Cartagena
Room Inspection
First Place	Dr Phillips HS		Tia Humphries
	Dr Phillips HS		Cassidy Brown
	Dr Phillips HS		Alexandrea Nguyen
	Dr Phillips HS		Madison Fitch
Sales and Marketing
First Place	Mid Florida Tech	Boone HS	Esly Sarmiento
	Mid Florida Tech	Boone HS	Diddenia Ramos
	Mid Florida Tech	East River HS	Roger Longmore
	Mid Florida Tech	Lake Nona HS	Bryan Droz

 
 
Karen Kuzsel is a writer-editor based in the Orlando area who specializes in the hospitality, entertainment, meetings & events industries.  She is a Contributing Editor-Writer for Prevue Magazine and is an active member of ISES and MPI. She writes about food & wine, spas, destinations, venues, meetings & events. A career journalist, Karen has owned magazines, written for newspapers, trade publications, radio and TV. As her alter-ego, Natasha, The Psychic Lady, she is a featured entertainer for corporate and social events. karenkuzsel@earthlink.net; www.ThePsychicLady.com; @karenkuzsel; @thepsychiclady.