Posted by The Independent-Enterprise, ID on June 07, 2008 at 11:12:30:
Cutts to cook in national competition
By Sean Hart - Independent-Enterprise
Thursday, June 5, 2008 9:05 AM CDT
Maddie Cutts, 17, captured the district and state FCCLA titles in culinary arts and will now head to the national competition July 12 through July 18 in Florida. (Photo by Sean Hart)
Ever wonder how your cooking measures up?
New Plymouth’s Maddie Cutts knows how good her culinary skills are.
In fact, at a Family Community Career Leaders of America (FCCLA) culinary arts competition Cutts, 17, took the cake.
“I took the top gold in districts,” Cutts said. “Then I went to state and won state too.”
The state competition was on a Thursday, Lisa Higby, New Plymouth High School’s FCCLA advisor and culinary arts teacher, said. Cutts was at a softball tournament when the awards were presented the following Saturday, so Higby had to call her to deliver the good news.
“Of course, I was crying. I could hardly speak,” Higby said. “It was definitely exciting.”
And it was even more exciting for Cutts when she received the call.
“It was awesome,” Cutts said. “I ran outside and was like, ‘Mom, I won.’ ”
Cutts said she and her mother both started crying, and to cap off a great day, Cutts’ team won the softball tournament.
Now, she will be representing Idaho at the national Family Community Career Leaders of America competition July 12 through July 18 in Florida.
FCCLA is an extracurricular club with a focus on values such as “getting involved in your community,” Cutts said. The contests are comprised of about 30 events students can choose from.
Competitors in the culinary arts event face several challenges.
“You show up, and you’re paired with someone you’ve never cooked with,” Cutts said. The newly-formed team then has 30 minutes to plan and one hour to cook the meal.
“At state, we cooked chicken and mango salsa, sugar snap peas and mushrooms sauteed in an oyster sauce, a honey Dijon vinaigrette and a salad and cream cheese crepes,” Cutts said.
All the teams in the competition prepare the same dish, Cutts explained, so the judging is based on use of sanitary practices, how well it tastes and presentation …#8221; of the dish and the chef.
“It’s really nerve-racking,” Cutts said. “It’s a pretty particular business.”
Cutts has racked up quite a bit of experience in the culinary industry. She was hired to cater the junior-senior banquet at the high school this year, Higby said, and prepared cupcakes Wednesday for the retirement of a New Plymouth School District employee.
The extra work has helped Cutts raise a portion of the $1,500 estimated cost of the trip to the national competition and hasn’t got her down.
“I’ve just always been cooking,” Cutts said, “and it’s what I enjoy.”
Now, it’s the community’s turn to enjoy a sampling of Cutts’ latest cuisine at a fundraiser for her trip at 7 p.m. June 7 at the First Baptist Church in New Plymouth.
“I’m making a lasagna,” she said. “It’s a mean lasagna.”
The meal will be offered for donations, Cutts said, and will wrap up at around 8 p.m. or when everyone is done eating.
“I’ll probably be there all night cleaning,” she said. “That’s the worst part of cooking.”