Student "Top Chefs" Wow Judges & Guests

Winning team will travel to DC to speak up for healthy school food, see meal served nationwide

Student chefs from Tilden Career Community Academy High School took home the top prize in HSC’s Cooking up Change benefit and healthy cooking contest on Oct. 29, when teams of student chefs from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) wowed judges and guests with their creativity in crafting healthy, tasty school meals while bringing attention to the challenges that schools face in serving healthy lunches on incredibly tight budgets.

"We looked to southern traditions for inspiration for our meal," said Aljibri Reed, a junior on the Tilden team. "We worked as a family on our ideas, and besides using healthy ingredients, made our dish with love."

The Tilden team’s first-place meal—vegetable and chicken jambalaya with spicy cheesy cornbread and side salad—will be served to students nationwide and in the US House of Representatives cafeteria. Team members will travel to DC to meet with Assistant White House chef Sam Kass and speak up about the need for healthy, tasty school food.

"Cooking up Change gives students a forum to present their creative ideas about what healthy school food can be," said Rochelle Davis, HSC founding executive director. "And while the contest is fun, it carries an important message: schools need more money for better food."

Student teams created their meals in consultation with their culinary instructors, volunteer chef mentors and dieticians from Cooking up Change gold sponsor Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, which operates CPS’ school food program.

HSC offers many thanks to Cooking up Change platinum sponsor Applegate Farms, gold sponsor Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality, co-chairs Kelly Dettmann and Nina Winston, contest co-chairs Chef Lisa Gershenson and Chef Jill Houk, and to all of the incredibly generous sponsors and host committee members who make Cooking up Change possible. Many thanks as well to contest judges, mentors and everyone who took part in the fabulous raffle and silent auction.

Please join us in wishing special congratulations to all the winning student chefs!

Check out the winning moment:

 

School Lunch Awards

First place: Tilden Career Community High School Chicken Jambalaya with Jalapeno Cornbread and Cucumber Salad

Second place: Richards Career Academy Twice Baked Shepherd’s Pie with Pub Salad and a side of Cinnamon Bread Pudding with Spice Sauce

Third place: Chicago Vocational Career Academy Mom's Chicken Salad with Farmer's Market Vegetable Soup and Harvest Apple Crisp

Audience Choice Award

Corliss High School Cranberry-Raisin-Walnut Cookie

Cookie-preneur Awards

Chicago Vocational Career Academy Abracadabra Bars

Clemente Community Academy High School Spiced Pumpkin Cookie

Corliss High School Cranberry-Raisin-Walnut Cookie