Matthew Clark and Marcal Haynes competed in a chopped-style K-12 Culinary Connection cooking contest December 9, 2021. . Clark prepared a dish of seared pork tenderloin with an apple brown sugar sauce and purple hull pea and corn succotash. Haynes prepared a dish of Pseudo Pork Roast wrapped in bacon with potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and onion and apples with caramel and brown sugar.
DHS Principal Jacob Lanehart, Katie Frizell, Culinary Connection Regional Director of Operations and Tommie Sue Hill, Child Nutrition Director judged the dishes selection Matthew Clark as the winner. The students were given five mandatory ingredients, the five student selected ingredients, and how the ingredients are used together. The dishes were judged based on taste, creativity, and presentation. All three categories carry the same weight with five points a piece with a top score of 45 points. Bacon, Purple hull peas, Barbecue Sauce, corn, and Granny Smith apples.
Matt Murr, Vice President of Culinary Operations, monitored the students as they prepared their dishes. He describes both dishes as being unique.
“We are working with high school students and we are not working with world class chefs. There is a little wiggle room for errors here and there. We encourage them to put their best foot forward. Try to plate it as neatly as they can. I try to give them tips and pointers as they are cooking,” Murr said.
This is the first year for Dumas to participate in the five year program. Murr selects five mandatory ingredients. The students are given the ingredients ahead of time to practice and then the K-12 Culinary Connection hosts a school competition where students compete against their classmates. The winners of the contest get entered into a pool and the top six schools from across the state will compete in Little Rock at the U of A pulaski tech Culinary institute. The top two winners there get a scholarship to the summer camp either baking or culinary. Prize packages are also sponsored by their suppliers and brokers throughout the year.
Murr said he hopes to grow it next year. Hopely one of them will go represent Dumas in April in Little Rock. Every single year they have had this competition they have had one student go on to pursue a career in culinary. He described the contest for some participants discovering a love of cooking and as a stepping stone to pursuing a culinary career.
The competitors for the top schools will be competing for the top two places at the Culinary institute at Pulaski Tech Saturday, April 16, 2022. The K-12 Culinary Connection is the only Arkansas based food service pantry company.
