ECI culinary students advance to second phase

Emanuel County Institute students Clorinda Camillo and Carly Salinas have advanced to the second phase of the Georgia Department of Education School Nutrition Department Student Chef Competition. The competition consisted of two parts: recipe development and a recipe cooking demonstration.

For the recipe development part of the competition, Clorinda Carrillo developed the recipe during her Food Science class while she was working on her food invention project. Teacher Anna Johnson said she had learned about the program and knew Clorinda and Carly Salinas would make a great team. The competition required students to work in teams. “Clorinda and Carly modified Clorinda’s recipe to fit the nutrition requirements, and then they submitted their product to be judged in phase one,” said Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson and the team were excited when they received notice that they had been selected to advance to the second phase.

During the second phase of the competition, representatives from the Georgia Department of Education Nutrition Division will visit ECI to observe the students preparing the recipe in the kitchen. They will taste their recipe, interview the team, and judge for the overall state winner. The top recipe in the state will have the opportunity to represent Georgia at the Southeastern Regional competition in Antioch, Tennessee.

This competition is a great opportunity for students to showcase their culinary skills and gain valuable knowledge and skills in recipe development, food preparation, teamwork, and local food systems. Additionally, winning recipes may be featured on school lunch menus across Georgia.