The Garden City Telegram

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Local students please palates at competition

Published 7/16/2011 in Local News

By JEROME P. CURRY

jcurry@gctelegram.com

Kansas cooks.

And, if the Kansas chefs came from Garden City High School, and they do, they cook all the way to third best in the nation at the annual national culinary arts competition, part of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America national leadership conference held this year in Anaheim, Calif.

Those national class chefs are Wendy Benitez, Amanda Perkins and Charla Norquest, all 18, all now GCHS graduates and headed to college in the fall.

"Charla basically did the chipotle potatoes," said Karen Burden.

Burden and Patsy Fort are the GCHS FCCLA advisers and the pair that guided the GCHS competitors to the state championship this year and the right to represent Kansas at the nationals in California.

"Amanda was in charge of kabobs," Burden continued. "Wendy was in charge of the mousse. They helped each other wherever they were needed."

In past years, the culinary contenders worked in kitchens. This year, the venue was a Hilton-Anaheim Hotel Ballroom. Judges handed the competitors from 38 states a menu and said start. That was Monday. Each had a couple of electric burners and a grill, a few assorted spoons, spatulas, pots, pans and other kitchen tools.

Norquest took the point on the maple coriander ketchup and the chipotle mashed potatoes. Perkins was spinning skewers as she stacked eight-ounce chucks of beef tenderloin, shiitake mushrooms, onion, green peppers, tomatoes and other stuff on them. Don't forget the fresh cilantro. Benitez was producing the dessert — cappuccino mousse in chocolate cups with a few sprigs of chocolate curls.

No spectators were allowed, including their sponsors. Judges only. It took about an hour. Then on Thursday at the awards gathering, the Buffalo chefs found out the results.

"It was the best feeling to finish third in the nation," Norquest said. "It feels like everything paid off at that point, which it did since we received two scholarships for being third."

The scholarships are for the Culinary Institute of America or The Arts Institute, both of which have campuses in several U.S. cities.

"It was a challenge," Benitez said, "but we did our best and ended up being third in the nation."

All three chefs won gold medals in addition to finishing just behind the Virginia and Georgia state champions in the final culinary cook off.

They weren't the only GCHS gold winners at the FCCLA nationals.

Those included Kara Barb and sophomore Lauren Walz for their chapter showcase manual; graduate Elvis Gutierrez, illustrated talk; graduates Ana Carrillo, Marisa Martinez and Leslie Diaz, interpersonal communications; and Melissa Lopez, job interview.

Martinez said: "Anaheim was absolutely beautiful. It really inspires me to make something of myself in the near future."

Just 15, Walz said she planned to win her way to the nationals again next year. She and partner Barb were in line when it was announced Garden City had received gold. "It was the best feeling in the world and I can't wait to go back," she said.

"Getting a gold medal in a national competition was just icing on the cake," said graduate Carrillo, 18. "FCCLA gave me great opportunities. ... I got the chance to see Albuquerque, N.M., and Anaheim, Calif.

"I'll never forget it," Lopez, 18, said. "I feel well-accomplished when it's all said and done now that I'm graduated."

Silver medals were won by Lindsee Roth and Amparo Ramos for their marketing campaign to promote the FCCLA chapter in Garden City; Kelsi Munoz for teaching and training; plus Jocelyn Rich for food innovations.

Ramos, 18, and another graduate, was more philosophical about the contests: "We work very hard and we always get rewarded. We always have a lot of fun."

Junior Roth, 16, called her experience "amazing." She said she learned new skills and doing well in the competition "was just the highlight of our trip."

Munoz, 18, and another new GCHS graduate, eventually plans to enter the field of special education.

"This competition has only solidified my future career choice," Munoz said.

Burden and Fort said the team began its return from California late Thursday, the day they learned of their success, on a flight from Anaheim to Denver where two vans waited in the Denver airport's parking areas to take them home.

"We got back at 3:30 a.m. this morning," Fort said in the series of interviews conducted on Friday.

Said Walz: "When we arrived in Anaheim, everywhere you looked there were Palm trees. It was great."

Said Ramos: "It was a lot cooler there than it is here in Kansas."

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