3…2…1…Cook! February 16 through 18 were busy days for West High’s Foods students. Under the direction of teachers Ms. Cantrell and Ms. Hall along with the help of FCCLA, they hosted a cooking competition to show off what they had learned so far this year. Like busy bees, the Foods students ran in and out of their classroom to get food, clean up, and more. Students excitedly went to check out the variety of foods set up along Building 2, creating a long line that led all the way out to the adjacent walkway. They could try all the different foods made and vote on their favorites after. 

   The FCCLA has funded this competition from the very beginning when it started 10 years ago. Ms. Hall, one of the two Foods’ teachers at West explained, “It’s a very expensive thing [to do]; This is about four to five hundred dollars. It’s so expensive because we are doing three to four batches of everything.” Thanks to the help of the FCCLA, this class was able to fund an event of this scale!

   Due to COVID-19, this is the first time this competition has been held in two years. To stay safe, the competition followed CDC policy and state laws on what they could and couldn’t do. For example, the tasting was held outdoors rather than inside the classroom like it had been in previous years. Students were also given hand sanitizer before touching any food. This way, they could minimize the risk of contamination while still holding an event that had been put on hold for so long.

   There was a large variety of goods put on display every day for students to try. From Oreo truffles and checkerboard cake to BLT roll-ups and donut holes, just about anything someone could think of was out there. Students participating in the competition were tasked with creating some kind of food that could be handed out easily. Erika Fung (10) and her group chose to make orange chicken. “A lot of groups actually decided to do sweet foods, so we thought we would have more of an advantage if we chose to do a savory food,” explained Fung. Due to budget constraints though, her group faced the issue of not having enough chicken and ran out very quickly. Nonetheless, they still managed to put out a finished product for students to try. 

   The winners of this competition were yet to be announced as of press time, but the team with the most votes does get an undisclosed prize if they win. 

   Warrior Chef was not only a good way for Foods’ students to show off what they have learned — it also attracted interest for other students who might want to take the class. “This became like a promotional event for our department. And a lot of kids on campus don’t even realize this classroom exists!” said Ms. Hall. It’s a useful and fun elective to anyone looking for an elective to fit in their schedule, so if you’re interested in learning more about cooking and baking make sure to check out Foods Class!