Most parents try to keep their children away from the kitchen, but on Tuesday, March 14, at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, parents and coaches placed their 4-H and FFA members in an arena set up as a temporary kitchen.
The Show welcomed talented future chefs to the green shavings, yesterday, for the ultimate cook-off and learning experience at the Food Challenge Contest. The contest, which teaches students about nutrition and food safety, and proper food purchasing and preparing habits, featured participants ranging in age from 8- to 18-years-old, and each team consisted of three to five 4-H or FFA members.
Upon arrival to the contest, teams were assigned one of the following food categories: main dish, fruits and vegetables, breads and cereals, or nutritious snacks. Contestants were allowed to bring their own approved equipment for the challenge, and were provided ingredients to prepare a dish. Using the ingredients provided, each team then created their own recipe — in a matter of 40 minutes.
Newburg 4-H member and high school junior, Lillie Krug, 16, has participated in the Food Challenge Contest for the past eight years. She said the contest is all about the learning experience — not just learning how to cook, but also how to lead others and work as a team. However, it is not just her own learning experience Lillie focuses on. Lillie said her first year in the contest, she had very little preparation or knowledge, and she learned along the way. Now, she and her teammates, are helping give back to their chapter by teaching younger members about the competition.
“We have little kids we mentor, and we came here with them today,” Krug said. “We just teach them how to present the food nicely and help them as much as we can.”
The contest promotes food knowledge, and a spirit of teamwork and service. Not all of the members who participated will grow up to be chefs, but all of them walked away, today, with a few more skills in food preparation and relationships.
