Five outstanding high school culinary arts students competed at the Sunshine Kitchen Cookoff in Fort Pierce. Each high school student was paired with an Indian River State Culinary Institute student to form a team for the event. Each team started with sirloin beef donated by Adams Ranch, potatoes, and vegetables, and created their own recipe for the judges. Big thanks to our judges Chef Mike Febre, True Roots Catering, Chef Leslie Moyers, Indian River Estates Assisted Living Facility, Chef Jacques Larson, Crane Club at Tesoro Port St Lucie, Cathy Townsend, St Lucie County Commissioner, timekeepers Pamela McNair and Paul Lankow.
Congratulations to the winning team from Fort Pierce Westwood the WEST Prep Academy, Yesenia Guadarrama, and Adiel Mazariegos-Cordoba, from Indian River State College Culinary Institute who each won a $1,500 scholarship.
Big thanks to Gina McCants, St. Lucie County Tcerda Research Park, Mike Adams at Adams Ranch, Chef Deb Midkiff, IRSC Culinary Institute, Chef Jeanne Gray, Fort Pierce Westwood Academy, Chef Cindy Swertfager, Fort Pierce Central High, Chef Jesse Strell, Fort Pierce Central High, Chef Julia Cruz, Treasure Coast High, Chef Chris Gedke-Balaschak, St. Lucie West Centennial High, Chef Evan Fraum, St. Lucie West Centennial High, Chef Kevin Sassano, Port St. Lucie High, Chef Jen Tremblay, St. Lucie West K8, and Chef Tiffany Tredor, Northport K8 who made the event possible!
Congratulations to all the culinary competitors: Team 1 Kait Owens from St. Lucie West Centennial High and Kyla Benjamin from Indian River State College Culinary Institute, Team 2 from Fort Pierce Central High Alberto Gamboa-Bermudez and Tarissa Wright from Indian River State College Culinary Institute, Team 3 Yesenia Guadarrama from Fort Pierce Westwood the WEST Prep Academy and Adiel Mazariegos-Cordoba from Indian River State College Culinary Institute, Team 4 Yedah Augustin from Treasure Coast High and Antonio Kocen from Indian River State College Culinary Institute, and Team 5 Ko’Mari Bailey from Port St. Lucie High and Joshua Dove from Indian River State College Culinary Institute.
Thank you to the young chefs a.k.a. culinary students at Northport K8 and St. Lucie West K8 who served delicious refreshments to the crowd at the Sunshine Kitchen as well as Steve Devlin and Doug Simpson for recording the event.
This event is a great collaboration between St. Lucie County, Indian River State College Culinary Institute, St. Lucie School Board Culinary Teachers, and Career and Technical Education, and the Sunshine Kitchen. It’s a stellar example of what can be accomplished when we work together.
