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Judges William Kinnare, Moira Walker, School Resource Officer James Riley and Erika DiBiasio tasting the food prepared by Diman Culiunary Arts students.
Diman culinary students Gabrielle Bernier, Ben Braga and Austin Souza working on a lamb soup recipe for a cooking contest.
Alexi Resendes uses a large immersion blender to make kubocha squash soup
Diman culinary students Olivia Slater and Chelsey Benoit bread cardone, an Italian celery, to deep fry.
Nicole Resendes coating a balloon with chocolate. The balloon is transferred to the refrigerator for the chocolate to harden. The balloon is carefully deflated and the student ends up with a chocolate bowl.
Diman students recently participated in a culinary cookoff. "We do this contest once a trimester," said Culinary Arts instructor Scott Botelho. "They get a mystery basket, and from their tray of food, students have to make a soup or salad, appetizer and entree."
By Michael Gagne
Herald news Staff Reporter
FALL RIVER — Perhaps it was the lamb shank soup that won the judges over. Or the braised beef shoulder carefully plated over a mound of rice pilaf and surrounded by brussel sprouts.
Either way, Team 2, composed of senior Tyler Audet, juniors Benjamin Braga and Gabrielle Bernier, and sophomores Austin Souza and Catreena Perry emerged as the victors in the most recent culinary cookoff at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Two other teams also competed.
"We do this contest once a trimester," said Culinary Arts instructor Scott Botelho. "They get a mystery basket, and from their tray of food, students have to make a soup or salad, appetizer and entree."
Students get 30 minutes after receiving their mystery food items to come up with a menu. "Once they submit it, they've can't change it," he said.
The cookoff started as an informal contest, with the thinking, "Here, let's see what you can do," Botelho said.
"We try to source out some really obscure things. It really gets the creativity going."
Teams in this cookoff received a basket of ingredients that included the very common, like iced tea, saltine crackers, cabbage and green grapes. And the not all-that-common, like cardone — a fibrous Italian cousin to celery, students said — allspice berries, burrata and duck confit.
Botelho said it gives students the chance to showcase the cooking methods they've learned and the time management skills they developed.
Students had to make a salad course that did not include any greens, Botelho said.
On whether winning the cookoff resulted in any prizes, "It's definitely bragging rights," Botelho said. "Also, the winning team is exempt from washing pots and pans."
The cookoff's judges devoured plates and bowls full of lamb shanks, a stuffed cabbage appetizer, hummus with fried cardone, smoked salmon, and more.
They included Bill Kinnane, an alumnus of the Diman Culinary Arts shop; School Resource Officer James Riley; Moira Walker; and paraprofressional Erika DiBiasio.
"It was wonderful. The kids did a great job," Walker said.
DiBiasio agreed. "The dishes were delicious and very creative."
The cookoff was followed by a second cookoff — a dessert contest with another group of teams.
Judges William Kinnare, Moira Walker, School Resource Officer James Riley and Erika DiBiasio tasting the food prepared by Diman Culiunary Arts students.
Diman culinary students Gabrielle Bernier, Ben Braga and Austin Souza working on a lamb soup recipe for a cooking contest.
Alexi Resendes uses a large immersion blender to make kubocha squash soup
Diman culinary students Olivia Slater and Chelsey Benoit bread cardone, an Italian celery, to deep fry.
Nicole Resendes coating a balloon with chocolate. The balloon is transferred to the refrigerator for the chocolate to harden. The balloon is carefully deflated and the student ends up with a chocolate bowl.
By Michael Gagne
Herald news Staff Reporter
Either way, Team 2, composed of senior Tyler Audet, juniors Benjamin Braga and Gabrielle Bernier, and sophomores Austin Souza and Catreena Perry emerged as the victors in the most recent culinary cookoff at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Two other teams also competed.
"We do this contest once a trimester," said Culinary Arts instructor Scott Botelho. "They get a mystery basket, and from their tray of food, students have to make a soup or salad, appetizer and entree."
Students get 30 minutes after receiving their mystery food items to come up with a menu. "Once they submit it, they've can't change it," he said.
The cookoff started as an informal contest, with the thinking, "Here, let's see what you can do," Botelho said.
"We try to source out some really obscure things. It really gets the creativity going."
Teams in this cookoff received a basket of ingredients that included the very common, like iced tea, saltine crackers, cabbage and green grapes. And the not all-that-common, like cardone — a fibrous Italian cousin to celery, students said — allspice berries, burrata and duck confit.
Botelho said it gives students the chance to showcase the cooking methods they've learned and the time management skills they developed.
"All of that is the same (as in their shop classes). It's just with ingredients they're not familiar with."
On whether winning the cookoff resulted in any prizes, "It's definitely bragging rights," Botelho said. "Also, the winning team is exempt from washing pots and pans."
The cookoff's judges devoured plates and bowls full of lamb shanks, a stuffed cabbage appetizer, hummus with fried cardone, smoked salmon, and more.
They included Bill Kinnane, an alumnus of the Diman Culinary Arts shop; School Resource Officer James Riley; Moira Walker; and paraprofressional Erika DiBiasio.
"It was wonderful. The kids did a great job," Walker said.
DiBiasio agreed. "The dishes were delicious and very creative."
The cookoff was followed by a second cookoff — a dessert contest with another group of teams.
Madeline Bly pipes chocolate on a plate that will hold a caramel heart.
One of the Diman cooking contest entries, lamb shanks with brussel sprouts.
