Submitted by Rene Carroll
Seven Washougal elementary students put their culinary skills to the test at Sodexo’s Future Chefs Challenge at Washougal High School on Wednesday, March 21. This years’ theme was to prepare healthy Asian fusion recipes.
The student recipes were judged on criteria such as originality, taste, presentation, and use of healthy ingredients. The finalists prepared and presented their creations with the help of high school culinary students and Sodexo staff at the high school commercial kitchen.
“Our high school culinary students were amazing working with the contestants,” said Mark Jasper, Sodexo Nutrition Services Director at Washougal School District. “It was our smoothest event so far and it was because of the highly organized high school students under the tutelage of Brenda Hitchins, WHS Culinary teacher.”
The first-place winner was Hannah Carlin, Hathaway Elementary 3rd grade student with her Asian Rice Bowl. Mari Jayne Kaphart, a 4th grade student at Hathaway, earned second place with Mari Jaynes Famous Egg Flower Soup. Taking home a third place with her Asian Cashew Chicken Wraps was Charlotte Bisila, a 3rd grade student at Hathaway.
The participants also included: Makayla Cain, 3rd grade; Mackenzie Olkowski, 4th grade and Silas Hall, 3rd grade from Hathaway Elementary and Lily Mayer, 3rd grade, from Columbia River Gorge Elementary.
The culinary contest is one of the ways that Food and Nutrition Services teaches kids about making healthy eating choices.
