Douglas student competes in national cooking contest

Douglas High School junior Amanda Soto flew to Florida on Thursday, but not for vacation.

She was one of 20 students from across the U.S. competing in the 20th annual High School Chef of the Year competition, which was at Johnson & Wales University's North Miami campus on Saturday.

"I'm really nervous, but really excited for the experience and excited to meet people," Soto said on Wednesday. "I'm the only one coming from the West Coast."

Soto, 17, has wanted to be a chef ever since she took a home economics class in seventh-grade.

"I figured out I liked it and wanted to do it," she said. "I want to be an executive chef with a background in baking, and both hot and cold culinary. I want to know it all."

During the summers, Soto cooks for a restaurant in Lake Tahoe. She's also completing her second year of culinary arts at Douglas High School.

"Amanda is a young person with a very aggressive time line to achieve her goals," said Kerry Stack, Douglas High culinary arts instructor. "She decided long ago that she wanted to become a chef and has worked in the industry, and has made her college plans in preparing for this goal.

"She is extremely energetic, and has a confidence in her abilities usually not found in a person her age."

Soto brought her culinary confidence to the national stage with a white chocolate hazelnut cake, topped with white chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries.

The dishes in the competition were judged on overall quality; flavor, taste, texture and doneness; presentation; creativity; mise en place; sanitation and cooking techniques.

Finalists for the competition were selected from more than 500 entries from high school juniors and seniors.

Ten students competed in the dinner category and 10 in the dessert category.

Results from the competition were not available by deadline, but the grand prize winner from both the entree and dessert categories will receive a full-tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, valued at more than $80,000, and the opportunity to meet JWU alumnus and Food Network star Tyler Florence.

This year's judges included Zach Bell, Cafe Boulud, Palm Beach (JWU graduate), Cary Neff, Pear Restaurant Group, Jennifer Appel, Buttercup Bakeshop, New York City, Wolfgang Bierer, ACF judge (head judge), Sue Harrell, Florida Strawberry Growers, and Kathy Martin, The Miami Herald.

For more information, visit www.jwu.edu.