LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational winners announced

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) hosted the 14^th Annual Louisiana Seafood ProStart^® Student Invitational, March 3-4, 2015 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The Invitational showcased the culinary and academic talents of students from 20 high schools across Louisiana, and featured two primary components: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition.

This was the third of a multi-year relationship with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the competition’s title sponsor, and was represented by its Executive Director Karen Profita, who addressed the students, teachers and parents during the awards ceremony.

Lakeshore High School wins the 2015 LRAEF
Louisiana Seafood ProStart Culinary Competition

During the Culinary Competition, teams demonstrated their knife skills, poultry fabrication and creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course, gourmet meal in 60 minutes. All teams’ menus had to feature at least one type of the six Louisiana seafood species.

The winner of the Culinary Competition, for the second consecutive year, was Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Judy Achary and students Irelan Crosby, Autumn Hamm, Hunter Trahan and Gianna Nastas. The second place team was West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, led by instructor Amy Dreher and students Kevonte Davis, Jonathan Tate, Sarah Alford, Jonah Fowler and Jordan Bringedahl. The third place team was Dutchtown High School in Geismar, led by instructor Traci Martin and students ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Haley Stone, Cameron Gautreau, Mitchell Bailey, Joube Ryan and Monique Theriot.

Lakeshore’s winning menu was: appetizer-Louisiana Shrimp Étouffée Cavitelli: ricotta cavitelli pasta, shrimp étouffée; entrée-Rabbit and Lobster Rissole: Rabbit and lobster roll, fried kale, turnip root purée, rabbit reduction; and dessert-Marscapone Lemon Curd Bombe: Marscapone and lemon curd bombe, raspberry macerate and crunchy twill.

Teams participating in the Management Competition demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant concept, including the menu, design, budget and marketing strategies, which they presented to a panel of judges as an entrepreneur would pitch to a group of investors.

The winner of the Management Competition was West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, led by instructor Amy Dreher and students ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Lexi Auxt, Jacob Manieri, Dalton Clevenger and Brandon Oliveaux. The second place team was Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Judy Achary and students Alex Gautreaux, Jacob Heffner, Gianna Nastas, Tracie Romano and Cole Krieger. The third place team was Hammond High Magnet School, led by instructor Angie Drago and students Todreion Amos, Savannah Hall and Terenisha Porter.

West Feliciana wins the 2015 LRAEF
Louisiana Seafood Management Competition.

West Feliciana’s winning restaurant concept was “Dalton’s Diner,” a restaurant serving Cajun and Creole classics in a 1950’s style diner, adjacent to a college campus.

Lakeshore High School and West Feliciana High School will represent Louisiana in the National ProStart Invitational in Anaheim, California, April 18-20, 2015.

Schools were also recognized for their individual achievements in various categories within the two competitions.

Culinary:

• Knife Skills Award: Dutchtown High School
• Safety & Sanitation Award: Grace King High School
• Judges’ Pick- Appetizer: West Feliciana High School- pan seared sea scallop, oyster and crimini mushroom ravioli, with tarragon cream sauce and micro greens
• Judges’ Pick- Entrée: St. James Parish Career & Technology Center- crab meat stuffed Louisiana jumbo shrimp with Mardi Gras potatoes and sautéed asparagus with hollandaise
• Judges’ Pick- Dessert: Lakeshore High School- Marscapone and lemon curd bombe, raspberry macerate and crunchy twill

The courses chosen by the judges will be interpreted and served to the guests at the LRAEF’s annual Five Star Futures Gala Saturday, August 8, 2015 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.

Management:

• Judges’ Award- Restaurant Concept: West Feliciana High School
• Judges’ Award- Critical Thinking: West Feliciana High School
• Judges’ Award- Visual Display: Hammond High Magnet School
• Judges’ Award- Verbal Presentation: North Vermilion High School

The 2015 LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational Sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Louisiana Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Camellia Brand, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Louisiana Gas Association, Whole Foods, Alack Culinary Equipment & Supplies Superstore, Centerplate, Coca-Cola, Community Coffee, Custom Apparel, Ecolab, Freeman Decorating, Generations Hall and the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

ProStart is a nationwide career technical education program where high-school students learn from an industry-derived, competency-based curriculum that teaches culinary techniques and restaurant management skills, coupled with real-life restaurant sector experiences. In addition to industry-specific skills, a majority of ProStart students report learning critical employability skills, including workplace and professional behavior, communications skills and teamwork.

The LRAEF pairs ProStart students and LRA members together in a mutually-beneficial relationship. Students are required to complete a 400-hour work internship, thus providing hands-on training. Many of LRA members serve as mentors to ProStart students. 

Louisiana ProStart students compete for nearly $1.2M in scholarships

Louisiana Seafood on board as title sponsor

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) will host its 14th Annual Louisiana Seafood ProStart® Student Invitational, March 3-4, 2015 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Hall J. Nearly $1.2 million in scholarship opportunities will be awarded to students whose teams place in the top three in both the culinary and management competitions. The funds were donated from 10 of the leading post-secondary culinary and hospitality programs in the country, including: Culinary Institute of America, Louisiana Culinary Institute and John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, among others. The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board is the invitational’s title sponsor for the third consecutive year.

ProStart students compete in teams of
four and prepare a three-course gourmet
meal featuring Louisiana Seafood in
just one hour. 

“Nearly $1.2 million in scholarship awards available at a ProStart Invitational in a state of our size is impressive,” said LRA President & CEO Stan Harris. “It adds so much stature to our event and to our industry and illustrates that the schools providing these scholarships value the ProStart program.”

ProStart is a nationwide, two-year program for high school students that develops the best and brightest talent into tomorrow’s industry leaders. By bringing industry and the classroom together, ProStart gives students a platform to discover new interests and talents and opens doors for fulfilling careers. Students are required to complete a 400-hour work internship, thus providing hands-on training. Many of LRA members serve as mentors to ProStart students and also hire them.

The invitational showcases the culinary and academic talents of high school junior and senior ProStart students from 21 schools across Louisiana. The invitational features two primary components: the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition.

During the Culinary Competition, Tuesday, March 3 from 10:45 a.m. – 5 p.m., teams will demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course, gourmet meal. All teams’ menus must feature at least one type of Louisiana seafood. Twenty-four judges from the foodservice industry and post-secondary educational institutions will observe and rate their performance during the competition. Judges volunteering their time and expertise include Chef Haley Bittermann of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, Chef Brian Landry of Borgne and Chef Kelly Fields of Restaurant August.

Chef Brian Landry of Borgne Restaurant
gives ProStart teams immediate feedback
as a Culinary Competition judge. 

Teams participating in the Management Competition, Wednesday, March 4 from 8:25 a.m. – 2:05 p.m., will demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant concept, including the menu, design, budget and marketing strategies which they present to a panel of judges as an entrepreneur who pitch to a group of investors. Judges include Dr. Yvette  Green of the Kabacoff School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism at UNO, Octavio Mantilla of the John Besh Restaurant Group, Tom Pyburn of Emeril’s Homebase and Keith Rush of the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

The 2015 LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational Sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Louisiana Restaurant Association, National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Camellia Brand, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, Louisiana Gas Association, Whole Foods, Alack Culinary Equipment & Supplies Superstore, Centerplate, Coca-Cola, Community Coffee, Custom Apparel, Ecolab, Freeman Decorating, Generations Hall and the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

The participating schools in the Culinary Arts Competition are: Abbeville High School, Career Academy, Dutchtown High School, East Iberville High School, East St. John High School, Fontainebleau High School, Grace King High School, Hammond High Magnet School, John Ehret High School, Lakeshore High School, North Vermilion High School, Salmen High School, St. James Parish Career & Technology Center, Sulphur High School, Tara High School, West Feliciana High School, West St. John High School and Woodlawn High School. 

The participating schools in the Management Competition are: Alfred Bonnabel Magnet Academy, Donaldsonville High School, Lakeshore High School, Hammond High Magnet School, North Vermilion High School, Springfield High School, Tara High School, West Feliciana High School and Woodlawn High School.

The winning teams will go on to represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational April 18-20, 2015 in Anaheim, Calif., where they will compete for an additional $1.4 million in scholarship dollars. 

Louisiana ProStart alum takes top honors at Bull Burger Battle

By Wendy Waren, LRA VP of Communications

Grace King High School ProStart® Program alumnus Owen Hohl is making quite a name for himself, most recently with his now award-winning Cajun Burger. Hohl, who is the executive sous chef at Hot Tails Restaurant in New Roads, Louisiana, beat out 15 competitors June 14 at the Bull Outdoor Product’s Bull Burger Challenge in Baton Rouge; some of them much more experienced chefs than he.

Louisiana ProStart alum Owen Hohl wins Bull Outdoor Product's Bull
Burger Challenge in Baton Rouge, June 14 and heads to Las Vegas
in November to compete for the World Burger title. 

The nation’s best burger cooks and chefs squared off in the Bull Burger Battle, a series of five live burger cook-offs events in New York, Baton Rouge, Chicago, San Diego and Indianapolis.

Hohl competed in the 2013 battle and admittedly over thought his burger recipe.

“I baked my own bun, made my own Boursin cheese, grinded my own meat,” Hohl said. “I did everything from scratch.”

With all his efforts though, the judges felt his methods were overly complicated and his bite was too large. This year, he decided to simplify his processes, although his recipe was still multi-faceted. 

“I love making burgers and using ingredients you may not normally associate with a traditional burger, like grilled peaches with Swiss cheese to get that savory and sweet taste on the palate,” said Hohl.

With all the ideas of what burger he’d present to the judges on June 14, he decided to stick with the flavors indicative of his Cajun roots. The winning burger was made with balsamic caramelized onions in Andouille fat, homemade pickled peppers, smoked Gouda and his secret recipe for remoulade sauce. He took in to account his feedback from the previous year and made his patty smaller in size at 5 ounces.

“We had two hours and luckily I made an extra burger for myself, which with 10 minutes left before time was called, I was able to taste,” added Hohl. “I had some extra onions and Andouille left and decided to add more to the burgers for the judges and it paid off.”

Hohl’s score of 87 points placed him well ahead of the other competitors, with the second place coming in five points behind him. Fifty percent of the score was based on taste, 35 was based on execution and 15 for presentation.

As the Baton Rouge Challenge winner, Hohl will compete alongside the winners of the four other battles November 12-18 in the World Burger Championship as part of Team Bull at the World Food Championships in downtown Las Vegas. The wheels in his mind are already turning as the competitors do not have to compete with their original battle burger recipes.

“I may do a seafood burger with a crawfish topping or use pancetta,” said Hohl. “My decision will probably come down to the days right before I leave for Vegas.”

His cooking competition experience dates to 2006, when he was a junior at Grace King High School and first competed in the Louisiana ProStart Student Invitational Culinary Competition, where teams of four Prostart students prepare a four-course, gourmet meal in just one hour. During his senior year, he and his teammates competed in the ProStart Competition and won state and went on to represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational in Charlotte, NC.

“Competing in the ProStart Culinary Competitions really taught me how to manage my time, the process, seasonings and ultimately, present cuisine that I’m proud of and that impress the judges,” he added. “Those ProStart lessons served me well two years ago when I competed in Fete Rouge and I won first place in the seafood category.”

His winning Fete Rouge dish was a white étouffée, made with Louisiana seafood and coconut milk, served over purple Louisiana rice with a side of fried plantains.

When asked what advice he’d give ProStart students and other chefs who want to give it a go in the competition arena, he said, “Stay calm, stick with your plan and don’t second guess yourself.”

Between now and November, Hohl will test countless burger recipes before deciding what he will present to the judges in Las Vegas.

“I’m really excited to have the chance to compete at this level and regardless of whether I win, I’m just looking forward to the experience,” he said. 

ProStart gives students head start in culinary professions

Each year, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) hosts teams across the state in its annual ProStart Student Invitational. This year, 27 teams took part in either the Culinary Competition or the Management Competition.  For some schools, this was the first time they made the trip to New Orleans for the two-day events. This was the second of a multi-year relationship with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the competition’s title sponsor, and was represented by Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne, who addressed the students, teachers and parents during the awards ceremony. Teams in both competitions had to incorporate Louisiana seafood into their menus.

For Fontainebleau’s ProStart instructor Stacy Russell, this is the first time she prepared students for competition. She came to Fontainebleau after 15 years in the restaurant industry, having worked for the Taste Buds restaurant group, whose concepts include Zea Rotisserie & Grill, Semolina Restaurant and Mizado Cocina.

“Teaching the ProStart students in the classroom takes the same management techniques as those I used every day in a restaurant,” Russell said. “The great thing about coming into this position is I can give them a real world account of restaurant operations.”

Preparing for the culinary competition takes mentoring and practice. Matt Jones, a graduate from American Institute, and currently with the Besh Restaurant Group, consulted with the Fontainebleau team on their menu. Some items didn’t make the cut with the students.

“Early on the students were considering seared redfish and smoked tuna,” Russell added. “The team finally settled on pepper seared tuna steak, a pan seared duck breast and panna cotta for their three courses.”

“We practiced twice a week for three hours over the course of six weeks to perfect our organization, communications and time management,” said Brianna Alongi, Fontainebleau ProStart II student. “This process really forces us to work as a team and that is such a valuable experience.”

During the Culinary competition, judges monitor and score the team’s organization and teamwork, time management and safety and sanitation. Barry Blue, a retired registered sanitarian with 30 years of experience, carefully reviews all aspects of the team’s dishes and has participated as a judge for several years.

“Personal hygiene, cross contamination and sanitation are the three main areas I’m looking at when judging,” Blue said. “These teams are highly trained in these areas as ServSafe methods and techniques are used in their coursework and preparation.”

Experience the glory of the 2014 LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational

Couldn't make it to the LRAEF Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational? 

Check out our newest video complete with live action from the Culinary and Management Competitions and interviews with judges, students, instructors, LRA Chair Bruce Attinger and LRA President/CEO Stan Harris. 

Watch the video! 

For a full recap and to see the winners of the 2014 Louisiana Seafood ProStart Invitational Culinary and Management Competitions, click here.  

ProStart competitors to experience Louisiana Seafood Showcase

More than 200 Louisiana high school juniors and seniors in the ProStart program will convene in New Orleans for the Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational, March 25-26 to compete for $1.2 million in scholarship opportunities. For the second consecutive year, Louisiana Seafood is the title sponsor of the event produced by the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF), which stipulates that teams incorporate at least one of the six seafood species into their appetizer or entrée in the Culinary Competition, and include seafood into their menu as part of their restaurant concept in the Management Competition.

“We have such talented young culinarians in the Louisiana ProStart program,” said Alice Glenn, LRAEF Executive Director. “When they are tasked with using Louisiana seafood in their dishes, we’ve seen incredibly beautiful and deliciously creative cuisine, although, Louisiana seafood has long been a favorite protein by competitors in previous years.”

To further the Louisiana Seafood brand with the industry’s up-and-coming rising stars, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board is also sponsoring the Louisiana Seafood Showcase Dinner on the evening of March 25 for competitors.  The showcase features six notable chefs who will use one of the six Louisiana seafood species—crab, alligator, oyster, shrimp, crawfish and finfish—in a signature dish.

“The students will have the opportunity to taste Chef John Folse’s crawfish etouffee and Chef Peter Sclafani’s shrimp and grits,” added Glenn. “The chefs will also be there to speak with the students about why Louisiana seafood is superior to seafood from elsewhere.”

In addition to crawfish etouffee and shrimp and grits, the menu includes: blackened redfish burgers by Chef Austin Kirzner of Red Fish Grill, Drago’s Restaurant’s famed charbroiled oysters, crabmeat cheesecake by Chef Jason Ameen of Palace Café and alligator sauce piquante by Chef Brian Landry of Borgne, a John Besh Restaurant.

These Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) members have supported ProStart program since its inception and regularly mentor, volunteer and participate in fundraisers that benefit the LRA Education Foundation.

“Each student will receive a commemorative Louisiana Seafood Showcase Dinner Recipe Book to recreate these dishes,” said Glenn. “We are so fortunate to live in Louisiana and have such a bounty of indigenous seafood options to inspire our world-renowned culinarians.” 

Students get cookin' as ProStart competition season heats up

The run-up to this year’s National ProStart Invitational in May has officially begun, with high-school students from around the country prepping to compete in the culinary and management competitions, where winners will secure educational scholarships and pursue careers in the restaurant industry, officials of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation said.

The Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Invitational is scheduled for March 25-26, 2014 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.  ProStart teams placing in the top three spots for the culinary and management competitions will receive nearly $1 million in scholarships from the nation’s and Louisiana’s most notable programs.

“Nearly 200 Louisiana ProStart students will participate this year,” said Alice Glenn, LRA Education Foundation Executive Director. “For the second year, ProStart students will be required to feature at least one of six of the Louisiana seafood species—oysters, crab, shrimp, finfish, alligator and crawfish—in either their appetizer or entrée in the culinary competition.”

Management competition contenders are required to include Louisiana seafood in the restaurant concept menu.

The winning Louisiana team in culinary and management will go on to vie for a spot at the national event in Minneapolis, May 3-5, as well as scholarships from renowned schools, including Johnson & Wales University, Le Cordon Bleu and Sullivan University.

The ProStart program, created by the NRAEF in partnership with the restaurant industry, is administered and managed by 48 participating state restaurant associations around the United States, as well as programs in Guam and Department of Defense (DOD) high schools on U.S. military bases. It helps introduce students to potential career opportunities in foodservice and features a specialized curriculum – Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts – that was developed with the help of industry professionals.

According to Rob Gifford, the NRAEF’s executive vice president of philanthropic initiatives, total restaurant and foodservice employment is projected to grow by 11 percent over the next 10 years, and the Educational Foundation along with its state association partners “are committed to ensuring the development of highly trained and professional talent pool through scholarships and educational programs.

“Thanks to the dedication and leadership of our state partners, ProStart is part of a national movement to empower students with the training and opportunities they need to achieve fulfilling, lifelong careers,” he said.

The culinary phase of the National ProStart Invitational will highlight the creative abilities of each team as they prepare a three-course meal in 60 minutes using two butane burners and no access to running water or electricity. Teams will be evaluated on taste, teamwork, safety and sanitation, among other skills, while the management teams will develop a business proposal for an original restaurant concept and present it to a panel of industry judges, who will challenge them to address the issues restaurant managers face on a daily basis. This year’s event is expected to attract more than 900 attendees, including industry and academic leaders, NRAEF board members, state restaurant association representatives, ProStart educators, and the contestants’ friends and family members.

Students at this year’s state competitions will participate in 46 culinary cook-offs and 40 management demonstrations. The state competitions will run through April.

For more information about ProStart, visit NRAEF.org/ProStart, Twitter or Facebook.

Calling all foodies, professional and great gumbo cooks

Chef John Folse and L.A. Gumbo Festival serve up $4,000 in cash prizes

Renowned restaurateur and Louisiana’s Culinary Ambassador to the World, Chef John Folse, has teamed up with Alabama restaurateur and former University of Alabama and Miami Dolphin great, Bob Baumhower, to create the inaugural L.A. Gumbo Festival set for April 11–13 at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Ala.

 

The Ala vs. La showdown came from the “World’s Largest Gumbo” and “Tailgate Cook-off” that Chef Folse did in Tuscaloosa in November 2011.  It was so much fun, Bob Baumhower thought to pit the professionals against each other.

"I can’t wait to get back to Alabama to beat our ‘World’s Largest Gumbo’ record that was set in November 2011," said Chef Folse.  "Orange Beach and L.A., that’s Lower Alabama, are becoming a second home for me."

The festival features a Gumbo Cook-off, pitting Louisiana foodies and professional chefs against Alabama’s “alleged” gumbo cooks.  Both the foodie division and professional division begin cooking at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 13^th at The Wharf.  Judging begins at 11:30 a.m. with cash prizes awarded in both categories.  Prizes in the Foodie Category include $200 for 3^rd place, $300 for 2^nd place and $500 for first place. 

 

The same prizes will be awarded in the Professional Division, but prizes are awarded to both the Louisiana and Alabama chefs.  Additionally, the first place winners in the professional category for both Louisiana and Alabama will compete for the Grand Champion title and an additional $1,000.  Additional prizes of $500 each will be awarded for People’s Choice gumbo and Best Decorated Booth. 

The L.A. Gumbo Festival is free and open to the public.  Competition tasting tickets for the “People’s Choice” award are $2 each or 30 tickets for $20. 

Entry fees are for the Foodie Division $50 per contestant and for the Professional Division $250 per contestant.  Interested parties can register for the competition online at www.gumboforlife.com, then mail the registration form, payment and a copy of your recipe to: L.A. Gumbo Festival, 26801 Railroad Ave., Loxley, AL 36551.  Deadline for registration is Monday, April 5.

For rules, regulations and registration in either the foodie or professional division OR for more information on the festival, please visit www.gumboforlife.com or contact Kent Lynam (251) 408-7973 or email klynam@alohahospitality.com or Michaela York at michaelay@jfolse.com.

Think you've got the best gumbo? Put it to the test!

A good gumbo is the tell tale sign of a great Louisiana chef. Everybody claims their gumbo is the best and the L.A. Gumbo Festival in Orange Beach, AL, April 11-13, 2013 might be the perfect place to win over the taste buds of the masses. With the melting pot of diverse cultures, traditions and backgrounds that exists in Louisiana, it’s hard to pick a favorite.

This festival pits Louisiana chefs against Alabama chefs in the professional division and a first, second and third place winner will be chosen from each state by an independent panel of judges. Then, the first place Alabama and Louisiana chefs will go gumbo-to-gumbo for the Grand Champion Title and a $1,000 cash prize.

If you think your version of the delicious, rich bowl of goodness, we call it yumbo, has what it takes to beat an Alabama chef’s gumbo, then this contest is for you!

For registration information, please contact Kent Lynam at (251) 408-7973 or email klynam@alohahospitality.com

 

Great American Seafood Cook-off: 4-H Edition 2013

Sensational Seafood – The Healthy Way!

The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board and LSU AgCenter invites 4-Her’s from across the country to show off their culinary prowess at the 3rd annual Great American Seafood Cook-off:4-H Edition high school 4-H competition on Sunday, August 4, 2013, at the Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Eight teams of two to four contestants will compete for the title of 4-H Kings/Queens of Seafood.  The theme for this year’s event will be “Sensational Seafood – The Healthy Way.” Competitors will prepare dishes that highlight USA Domestic Seafood in a healthy way.  Dishes must contain 500 or fewer calories per serving. 

This contest is geared for high school (9^th-12^th grades) 4-H youth, who are interested in pursuing a career in the food service industry and have a general knowledge of cooking and food safety practices in the kitchen. The goal of this competition is not only to highlight the exceptional skills of 4-H youth from different states focusing on nutrition, food safety and presentation skills, but to promote workforce development by giving youth an up close and personal view inside the food service industry.

 

This contest promotes positive public awareness of the importance of consumers using fresh seafood at home with their favorite recipes to support the seafood industry. The contest will also highlight recipes that are healthy and easily replicated at home. Participating teams are also encouraged to include their state commodities in the dishes they present.

Not only will participants compete on the same stage as the professional chefs, but they will be given the opportunity to tour local farmer’s market venues in New Orleans and also sample some of the wonderful cuisine for which New Orleans is so famous. 4-H youth participants will have the opportunity to take a close look into the world of culinary arts by exploring both back-of-the-house operations as well as the front-of-the-house, where the chefs and service staff make magic happen.

       
The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board will give the first eight teams to register $500 to assist in travel costs.    

The winning team will take home the title of GASCO: 4-H Kings/Queens of Seafood and also receive awards from the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, Louisiana 4-H, and National 4-H. 

For more information on this event, or to enter a team from your state, please contact Quincy L. Cheek with the LSU AgCenter at qcheek@agcenter.lsu.edu or 318-767-3969 or 318-623-5217.    

Hammond and Rayne teams takes first place in Louisiana Seafood ProStart Competition

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) hosted the 12^th Annual Louisiana Seafood ProStart^® Student Competition, March 5-6, 2013 at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner. The competition showcased the culinary and academic talents of students from 17 high schools across Louisiana, and featured two primary components: the Culinary Arts Competition and the Restaurant Management Competition. This year began a multi-year relationship with the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board, the competition’s title sponsor.

During the Culinary Arts Competition, teams demonstrated their knife skills, poultry fabrication and creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in 60 minutes, consisting of: a soup, salad or appetizer; an entrée with a protein, vegetable and starch; and a dessert. All teams’ menus had to feature at least one type of the six Louisiana seafood species.

Hammond High Magnet School's team takes
top place in the Louisiana Seafood
ProStart Culinary Competition, March 5.

For the sixth year in a row, the winner of the Culinary Arts Competition was Hammond High Magnet School, led by instructor Patti Johnson and students Jacquita Jolley, Julia LaSalle, Edna Phares and Chantal Quillen. The second place team was Salmen High School in Slidell, led by instructor Allison Armand and students Sean Coats, Courtney Mobley, Lauren Pedeaux, Ta’Ron Rayford and alternate, Shilon Callahan. The third place team was first-time competitor West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, led by instructor Amy Dreher and students Warneiseya Davis, Chaselan Lee Eames, Amanda Mangham, Elizabeth Ritchie-Fudge and alternate, Deneshia Walker.

Hammond’s winning menu was: appetizer-pumpkin seed and curry crusted jumbo Anna Maria Gulf Shrimp, Mardi Gras slaw, pepper bacon and Creole cane sauce with jumbo lump Louisiana crab; entrée-braised pork “Osso Bucco,” bacon jam, cornmeal dusted, goat cheese grits and lardon field greens; and dessert-Red Velvet pan “cakes,” with cream cheese icing, whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, and garnished with a Ponchatoula strawberry.

Teams participating in the Restaurant Management Competition demonstrated their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant proposal, delivering a verbal presentation, creating a visual display and applying critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations.

Rayne High School's team takes first place in the
Louisiana Seafood ProStart Management Competition.

For the fourth year in a row, the winner of the Restaurant Management Competition was Rayne High School, led by instructor Kandice Dequeant and students Kelsey Burleigh, Sebastian Hebert and Beth Thibodeaux. The second place team was Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Angie Drago and students Dylan Bernard, Mark Gravois and Graham Roth. The third place team was Lakeshore High School in Mandeville, led by instructor Judy Achary and students Brandi Francis, Rachel Howard, Ricardo Najorro, Elizabeth Salazar and alternate, Katie Taylor.

Rayne’s winning restaurant concept was a food truck called Rock & Wrap, with the tagline, “Healthy Without the Hassle.”

Hammond High Magnet Academy and Rayne High School will represent Louisiana in the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore, Maryland April 19-21, 2013.

The 2013 Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Competition Sponsors include: Louisiana Seafood, Acme Oyster House, Auto-Chlor Services, Louisiana Hospitality Foundation, Performance Foodservice Caro, Atmos Energy, Louisiana Culinary Institute, Ocean Conservancy, Ovations, ECOLAB, Mestizo Restaurant, Notini’s Restaurant, Capitol City Produce, Centerplate, Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Freeman Decorating, Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center, Reinhart Foodservice and Sysco New Orleans.

“We are proud to sponsor the Louisiana Seafood ProStart Student Competition,” said Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board Executive Director Ewell Smith. “It is a great way for us to introduce the students to cooking with Louisiana seafood and demonstrate how it can be used to create award winning dishes like the ones we saw in the competition. I am glad to know that these talented students will be the future spokespeople for our restaurant and seafood communities.”

ProStart is a two-year comprehensive culinary management course for juniors and seniors in high school with two primary outcomes: to prepare students for higher education and to train students to go directly to work in Louisiana’s foodservice industry. The LRAEF pairs ProStart students and LRA members together in a mutually-beneficial relationship. Students are required to complete a 400-hour work internship, thus providing hands-on training. Many of LRA members serve as mentors to ProStart students.

Louisiana Seafood center plate at the 12th Annual ProStart Competition

Nearly 20 ProStart teams from across Louisiana demonstrated their culinary prowess during yesterday’s competition held at the Pontchratrain Center in Kenner. This year, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board was the title sponsor and teams used delicious Louisiana seafood in either their appetizer or entrees, and some teams opted for both.

"People visit Louisiana to enjoy our delicious cuisine and our seafood," said Stan Harris, President/CEO, LRA. "Having Louisiana Seafood as the title sponsor re-enforces its important culinary role to a captive audience --the future chefs and restaurateurs in our industry."

Students exhibited their impressive preparation skills with shrimp, crab, crawfish and finfish from our bounty rich waters before fellow teams, family members and members of the LRA Board of Directors.

"These students work so hard on their three-courses in hopes of wowing the chef judges like Chris Lusk, Haley Bitterman, Tariq Hannah and others," Harris added.

Each member of the top three teams in the Culinary Competition and the Management Competition will receive $870,000 in scholarships to notable schools in Louisiana and nationwide. The winning team of each competition will represent Louisiana at the National ProStart Invitational in Baltimore in late April.

Winners will be announced later today at the Closing Ceremony.

ProStart is a two year culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum offered in 45 high schools across Louisiana. The program is designed to attract students to meaningful and rewarding careers in our world renowned culinary and hospitality industries.

Louisiana seafood is not only delicious, but healthy

Hold the butter, batter and sauces! Louisiana seafood can be a stand-alone star of the plate. While a marinade or seasoning sprinkle complements the natural sweetness of the six species of Louisiana seafood—alligator, shrimp, crab, crawfish, finfish and oysters—the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board is challenging chefs to keep it healthy.

The contest Louisiana Seafood for Life is calling all restaurants! Chefs are invited to create a healthy menu item utilizing Louisiana seafood as the primary source of protein, then enter their recipe and information into the form here. Recipes must be under 600 calories and less than 20 grams of fat per serving.

“We take for granted the healthy benefits of Louisiana seafood,” said Ewell Smith, Executive Director of the LSPMB. “The bounty from our waters is an outstanding source of lean protein and omega-3’s.”

One might wonder, what is the incentive for a restaurant to create a healthy menu item using Louisiana seafood?

“Current trends point to diners seeking healthy options when eating out in restaurants,” said Wendy Waren, VP of Communications for the Louisiana Restaurant Association. “Secondly, there’s a huge potential financial benefit from participating in the Louisiana Seafood for Life program—a $10,000 in media advertising for the winning restaurant.”

How does a restaurant become a winner? The LSPMB will continually promote the program and highlight the online restaurant listings along with their menu items. The public will then vote on their favorite Louisiana Seafood for Life healthy seafood dish and the winner will reap the great reward of recognition and advertising in their market.

The promotion starts now and runs through November 30, 2012. Visit Louisianaseafoodforlife.com to sign up and learn more!

Monroe chef to compete for King of American Seafood

In competitive fashion, Louisiana holds a seafood cook-off in May to determine which chef will represent the state in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. This year, it’s Saturday, August 6, 2011 at the Louisiana Foodservice EXPO, where chefs from 16 states will battle to become the King or Queen of American Seafood.

2011 Louisiana Seafood Cook-off
winner Cory Bahr.

The 2011 Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off winner hails from the Northern part of Louisiana—Monroe. Executive Chef and newly-crowned King of Louisiana Seafood Cory Bahr won the title with his North Delta Bouillabaisse and ALC caught up with him to find out what inspires him most in the kitchen.

ALC: What inspired your dish for the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off?

CB: I wanted to stay true to using what was available locally in the Northeast region of the state. I’m a firm believer in being a good steward of the land and sea. To me, sustainability equals availability, and access to seasonal produce and seafood for my customers is important.

ALC: What Louisiana seafood did you include in your North Delta Bouillabaisse?

CB: Fresh black drum, gorgeous Gulf shrimp, plumb oysters and sweet lump crab were the stars of the dish. I made a stock from the drum bones, shrimp shells and oyster liquor to give it a depth of Louisiana seafood flavor. Supporting cast of characters included fresh tomatoes, and fennel and Brussels sprouts from a friend’s garden.

ALC: What does it mean to you to represent Louisiana in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off?

CB: I’m an avid fishermen…seafood is my passion at work and personally. There’s no better state to represent and we are blessed with a long growing season for produce and a various fishing seasons.