Schools
Fairfield University Students Compete in Sodexo's 'Cooking Skills Showdown'
Fairfield University students will battle in the kitchen once again.
Fairfield University students will battle in the kitchen once again this year as Sodexo, dining services partner on campus, hosts the 2nd annual “Cooking Skills Showdown”.
The competition is scheduled for April 15 and local produce will be a key ingredient in celebration of Earth Month.
The event will take place on the first floor of Barone Student Center which allows spectators to see what the students are preparing.
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Three teams of two students each and a professional culinarian from Sodexo will be given access to a table full of ingredients, including proteins, produce, and spices. They will then be given 30 minutes to prepare an entrée using induction burners and sauté pans.
“We recognize that students are very interested in culinary experimentation,” said Jay DeGioia, Dining Resident District Manager. “The showdown allows our students an opportunity to explore that passion a little further. We could be helping to cultivate the next Bobby Flay.”
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According to Rebecca Shaw, area marketing coordinator, last year’s event was a huge success and students have been asking for an encore event.
At 5pm, student teams will be given access to a table full of ingredients to prepare an entrée. Judges will be served at 6pm and will score the teams on “originality,” “plate presentation,” “taste,” and “marketability of the entrée.”
First, second and third prizes will be awarded. As kudos to participants, the recipes created will be featured at the Create-A-Meal station in the days following the event and the first place winners’ recipe will be featured on the menu.
The judges will be volunteers from Fairfield University faculty and staff. The event will be emceed so spectators can follow the competition.
Promotion for the event will include working with vendors to highlight as many local ingredients as possible in early April. This is a standard practice for Fairfield Dining Services and all of the local ingredients featured are those that are regularly offered in Barone Dining Hall.
For more information, contact Rebecca Shaw, area marketing coordinator at 203-721-5239 or Rebecca.shaw@sodexo.com.
