Culinary Arts Students Take on the PA Farm Show

For the first time, students in the College’s Culinary Arts program participated in the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s PA Preferred Culinary Connection competition. Each year, talented chefs showcase dishes made with PA Preferred and local ingredients at the Farm Show, highlighting the connection between the Commonwealth’s farms and kitchens. Students from schools across the state are also invited to test their skills during daily competitions and challenges. Eight students from CCP were selected to shadow a local chef throughout the day and then compete against each other in a timed competition, “Chopped”-style.

“It was like a renaissance pretty much for me,” said Quy Dahn, a Culinary Arts student who is graduating this semester. Quy participated mainly in the Pork Day competition. Two teams of four CCP students each walked on stage with no idea what they were about to cook and serve, just an assumption that it would involve pork, given the day’s theme. “So, you had no like plan going in. You're just like, ‘Let's put something together.’”

Both teams worked together to think quickly and create a dish for a panel of judges. “It was only a 30-minute-long competition...[we had to] look at everything we had and decide, ‘Hey, what can we do with this?’” said student Aedan Young. Aedan enjoyed the challenge of having to think creatively with his team under pressure.

For all of the students involved and their instructors who accompanied them, the spirit of teamwork was the most rewarding part of the day. “I think working with their peers, not in the classroom setting, and also getting to work with the chef, not in the classroom setting...I think that was important,” said Chef Tonii Hicks, one of the CCP instructors who brought students to the Farm Show. “I love the teamwork. I love the sportsmanship. I loved all of those things and seeing their creativity.”

In addition to the cooking competition, the students were also paired with a chef to shadow during the day. “So, the students were prepping samples to give out to all the guests at the farm show,” Chef Tonii said. Each student got the opportunity to work directly with this chef to prepare their original recipe. The chef chose a blueberry sausage recipe and shared his knowledge with the students. “He helped explain his process of why he added certain things in,” Aedan said.

An experience like the Pennsylvania Farm Show’s cooking competition is a valuable one for students, pushing them out of their comfort zones and encouraging them to work together as they would in a real restaurant setting. Chef Tonii is hopeful that the program will continue to bring students back to the Farm Show each year.