With only 30 minutes to prepare and plate, mixed with the challenge of adding “mystery ingredients”, the Tigers turned up the heat and whipped up some creative concoctions for the judges. Dubbed Team Veggie Raiders, the students created a delicious and nutritious meal consisting of Red Raider stuffed bell peppers to commemorate the Texas Tech victory in the Independence Bowl, zesty pico, vegetable quinoa, and tangy coleslaw finished with a spicy adobo sauce.
“The contest was very stressful, fun, full of pressure, exciting, and nerve wrecking,” said Frenship High School culinary teacher Delia McDaniel. “The contest had some surprises and some setbacks, but they got themselves out of the rut and went to business.”
The team included students Maddisen Painter, Solomon Vasquez, Rio Solis, and Simone Gutierrez and they never shied away from the challenges. For the mystery ingredients, they added jack fruit to the coleslaw, bok choy to the quinoa, and chipotle sauce to the adobo to add a spicy finish. “Students were asked to use two mystery ingredients, but Frenship used three, and the judges were impressed," said McDaniel.
For the past three months, McDaniel says the students practiced and prepared non-stop for the state competition to perfect their knife skills, safety and sanitation skills, public speaking, plating skills, and more. The team even had a test run and prepared the dishes for their parents, FHS Assistant Principal Shannon Merritt, Aramark Chef Elizabeth Williams, and Aramark Student Nutrition General Manager for Frenship ISD Ken Robinson.
“I have seen them sacrifice family time, free time, and friend time,” said McDaniel. “They even wanted to practice on Friday's, but I set the limit on that. I told them they needed to have their time. “
While the students did not place in the top three, McDaniel says the experience was eye opening for the students and she’s proud of the team’s work ethic and how they gave it their all. “The results for Frenship were hard work, determination, teamwork, perseverance, and courage,” said McDaniel. “They really felt like Executive Chefs. We know what we need to do to be able to compete with top schools. We need to set our goals high, standards high, and roar like a tiger!”
During their stay in Houston, the students had an added special treat. The Houston Astros executive chef took the Frenship students on a private tour of the executive dining room and kitchens.