SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) — From the rhythm of chopping to pans sizzling, students brought the heat as Scranton High School hosted its annual Food Wars culinary showdown, putting their skills to the ultimate test.
Local schools gathered as students showcased their skills in a two-course challenge, presenting their dishes to both peer judges and professional chefs at separate tables.
Having been involved since the competition began and now passing on her expertise, Precious Gilliard, General Manager of Aramark Food Service at Scranton School District, shared more on Food Wars.
“We’ve been doing it for a substantial amount of years, and it just gets bigger and bigger. This year, we had about 100 applicants and we only had 20 spots. So, I think that the momentum is going absolutely here in the district,” said Gilliard.
“What we have here tonight is a representation of all four. We have Stem Academy here, we have West Intermediate here. We have South Intermediate, and we also have Northeast. So, they’re going head to head in order to compete for who’s the best. They’re going to get a bunch of prizes, they get a plaque that stays within the winning schools,” said Gilliard.
“Everyone has different things. We’re going to be testing their technical skills. Like I told the teams, the testing and usage of recipes and how they’re using the basket items to incorporate into the meal,” said Gilliard.
Taking top honors in the entrée round, Team Gourmet Gladiators impressed judges with a delicious chicken and vegetable dish. They shared what they believed set their plate apart from the competition.
“I think the sauce. I feel like the seasoning was very good. It felt like something was missing and I added a little bit of Italian, and it helped a lot. It made it better,” said Phoenix Vandebunte.
“The yams were also really good with the maple sirup and sugar. We worked with what we could. Our brussels sprouts were also very good with garlic and shallots. Those were very flavorful, not too salty,” said Lariya McCloe.
Gilliard said the competition is about more than just cooking. Proceeds from the event support the district’s ‘Safe Play’ initiative, helping fund recess programs and additional safety improvements across the schools.
“The great thing about it is Aramark Food Service provides a charitable contribution towards safe play here in the district with the elementary school students. And that’s one of the reasons why I initiated this program. Whichever winning contestants get to pick who is the recipient of the charitable contribution that goes towards safe play within the district,” said Gilliard.
The second phase of Food Wars featured a dessert competition, where contestants showcased their creativity with cupcakes.