On Thursday, Jan. 27, Mrs. Brown’s 8th-grade Consumer and Careers Skills classes finished their semester by competing in an exciting ‘’Chopped Challenge’. The activity, based on the show ‘Chopped’, enlisted student teams in creating dishes using mystery ingredients in only 22 minutes.
The mystery ingredients were eggs, shredded cheese, celery, pepper, tortillas, frozen sausage links, and an apple. Students were each designated a different job for the cooking process, which also include plating and presentation, as well as clean-up. “Over the past few weeks of the cooking unit, students have learned all about being in the kitchen, from cooking skills to safety and sanitation rules, to working well with one another. This challenge allows them to take everything they’ve learned and use these skills in a fun, collaborative way,” said Mrs. Brown.
Once the fast-paced 22 minutes was up, teams moved from the kitchen to the judge’s table and took turns presenting their dish in front of the randomly-selected judges (L-R, Tanner Roode, Ciaran Day, and Jayce Dickinson.)
Just like the show ‘Chopped’, these judges scored each dish based on three factors: taste, presentation and overall creativity.
After deliberation, the judges announced third and second place, and finally named Team 2 (L-R Lydia Moss, Carter Palmer, Oskar Zorn) as the winners of the Chopped Challenge! The winning team was crowned with champion chef hats and a place in history books (2022 QMS Yearbook).
Culinary Arts is just one of the many units taught in Consumer and Careers Skills, with others including personal finance, avoiding scams, applying to a part-time job and healthy relationships.
“I like this class a lot. This class really helps prepare us for real life and the future,” said Ciaran Day.
The cooking unit has been Jayce Dickinson’s most-loved unit; “the cooking unit has been my favorite because I want to become a chef when I’m older. Being a judge for this Chopped Challenge was a very fun experience for me. I get to watch what my friends are cooking and can’t wait to see that end result!”