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For Riverview Students, Time To Get Cooking

Tribune photo by JULIE BUSCH

Brooke Champagne, left, and Sam Light work with Chef Instructor Todd Jent after school. Light and Champagne competed in the ProStart Culinary Competition in Orlando on Feb. 7.

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT

yhammett@tampatrib.com

Published: February 25, 2009

RIVERVIEW - For months, the gourmet cooking team at Riverview High worked to perfect three recipes they would use to compete in a statewide culinary contest.

Then, the world started imploding.

The week before the Feb. 8 competition, a team member ended up in the hospital. The remaining members quickly rounded up a replacement. And two days before the competition in Orlando, the replacement landed in the hospital, too.

Both students would recover, but the smell of jinx permeated the air.

Not to be discouraged, Brooke Champagne, Sam Light and Josh Izzi prepared for the Florida ProStart Culinary Team Competitions - the students' equivalent of The Food Network's Kitchen Stadium.

They spent a day off from school earlier this month loading Champagne's living room with groceries, knives, spatulas, cutting boards and fancy gadgets such as zesters, mandolins and juicers.

"We go online to find recipes, then tweak them, then practice and practice and practice," said Light of Brandon, explaining how the gourmet team settled on an appetizer of tomatillo salsa with cilantro and lime foam, topped with southwestern shrimp.

Practice day was organized chaos, but they were ready.

Izzi of Riverview crushed garlic as part of the knife skills portion of the competition. Light diced plum tomatoes while Champagne, also of Brandon, worked the tomatillos.

"All I ever watch is Food Network," Light said. "I've been interested in cooking since I was in middle school."

While Izzi didn't admit to being quite so fanatical, he did confess to practicing his skills outside the classroom.

"When I'm at home, when something needs to be cut, I practice my speed," Izzi said. "It gives my mom a break and helps me practice."

Meanwhile, Champagne's face began to show signs of fatigue as she whisked and whisked and whisked a bowl of meringue she later would poach in an orange cream combination destined for the top of a no-bake chocolate cheesecake.

With practice behind them, the team prepared for Orlando.

"We were kind of nervous when we started," Champagne said. "We couldn't use our martini glass for the appetizer, so we ended up with a new presentation. And we forgot some cutting boards but were able to borrow some."

In the end, the team finished on time. Members completed their dishes in one hour using only two burners. The appetizer and dessert were complemented by an entree of chipotle rice with chorizo empanada and cilantro lime sour cream.

"For the menu they prepared, they did a great job," said Riverview High Chef Instructor Jessica Evans. "They literally, to the last second, were plating their dishes. When they finished, both the girls burst into tears.

"I thought the dishes were phenomenal, and the fact that they did it all on their own, like they are supposed to, was great," Evans said. "They stayed focused the whole time."

Three other Riverview High teams also competed. Students Rachel Comito, Xiomara Richardson, Michelle Hope and Cassie Douglas made up the restaurant management team. Dom Walker, Stephanie Ticer and Haley Jenkins made up the waiter relay team. Alex Thompson competed solo in the edible centerpiece competition.

Reporter Yvette C. Hammett can be reached at (813) 865-1566. To see a photo gallery from the competition created by Chef Instructor Jessica Evans, go to southshore.TBO.com, Keyword: Riverview Culinary.

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