The 5th Annual Sunshine Kitchen Competition brought together culinary talent from across St. Lucie County, pairing high school seniors with first-year IRSC culinary students in a sizzling showdown. Representing Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, senior Nimsi Moreno teamed up with IRSC’s Christina Theriault to compete against teams from PSL High, Ft. Pierce Central, St. Lucie West Centennial, and Treasure Coast High.
This year’s challenge? Reinventing classic comfort foods—grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese—while incorporating pork loin. Nimsi and Christina wowed judges with a gourmet grilled cheese featuring four cheeses, balsamic glazed onions, candied bacon, apple slices, and candied pork loin on grilled French bread, topped with a candied bacon sail. Their macaroni and cheese was equally impressive, loaded with candied bacon, scallions, and Nimsi’s signature fried onion slivers.
Their dish, titled “It’s the Best Thing We’ve Ever Tasted—with a French Twist,” earned them the Gold Medal and a $1,500 scholarship each to support their educational journey.
Congratulations to our culinary champions—your creativity and skill truly made FPWA proud!
