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With Crawfish, Chicken and Sausage, the 76th Class competes to make the best Gumbo!

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08.27.2009 --

The journey for the best Gumbo began on Monday as students researched and tested various recipes and ingredients. Working in teams, they evaluated each others strengths and weaknesses, assigning roles so they would be prepared for the upcoming competition.

On Wednesday, the competition began. Teamwork was necessary for success. "I mix the sauce, Anthony does the rice and Margaret chops the chicken and fries the shrimp," explained Douglas King, a member of Team Bon Appetite. "We were assigned our teams, so have to learn to work with different personalities."

Jami Byer (pictured above), the Executive Chef and Director of Operations for the Kansas City Community Kitchen in Missouri, joined the students as a visiting chef, tasting and coaching the teams towards the prize-winning Gumbo. The Kansas City Community Kitchen also has a 12-week Culinary Job Training program modeled after DC Central Kitchen's program. "We are looking to expand and build a new kitchen that will be self-funded," explains Chef Byer as she peers into a pot of Gumbo. "I'm meeting with DCCK directors to learn about their revenue generating programs."

At 2:00pm, the teams presented their Gumbo dishes to the judges. Evaluated on presentation, creativity, preparation techniques, composition and taste, the students wait while the judges analyze each dish. "Our recipe is good. We put together all of our creativity and knowledge to incorporate the best flavors," says Kevin Baker, a member of Team Flava.

And in fact, Team Flava won the cook-off! Congratulations to team members Kevin Baker, Johnnice Coleman and William Dubose for preparing a delicious Gumbo.

Special thanks to our judges:

 
 
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