FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Competition lets young chefs put imagination on plates
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
 |
|
|
At last Saturday's regional tourney, I served as a judge — an opportunity to track food trends, consider the art of menu-planning and presentation and see what I could learn from these young people, all of whom are younger than 27 and working in the field (though some are still in college).
Our task was formidable: to closely consider and taste 27 different courses from nine competitors and — true penance for me — NOT to talk among ourselves as we did so.
The winning chef receives an all-expenses-paid trip to San Francisco to the national competition, as well as a resume boost and a chance to rub shoulders with people who might be very useful to them in the future.
The theme of the day was variety. For the moi, scallops and shrimp in their must-use baskets, contestants devised recipes that included dim sum, crispy cakes, tortellini, a roulade, a cold salad and a paté.
I noted how much more willing the chefs were to experiment with desserts; it's the place where they seemed to feel free, perhaps even a little reckless. My favorite for sheer indulgence and creativity was a steamed chocolate cake with a melting center. The winner's entry was an extremely sophisticated nod to that old home favorite, "Neapolitan" ice cream: a square of silky raspberry mousse perched atop a wedge of chocolate cake in a pool of creme Anglaise (vanilla sauce) — both visually impressive and an exceptional example of taking foods that people already love to eat to a new level.
As we ate (and ate and ate), I was formulating my advice, humbly offered, for the young chefs, which might also be useful for home cooks entertaining guests:
- Courses should complement each other, avoiding sameness and progressing logically with a balance of light to heavy, subtle to robust.
- Color is important, shape is important, but flavor and texture are paramount. You are, after all, making something to eat.
- Pity the poor diner. Some food that looks fantastic is difficult to tackle with the usual implements. If you must go architectural, keep the inedible "building" to one side, leaving at least one portion accessible. If you paint with chocolate, don't weld it to the plate. If you drizzle with fruit glaze, include at least one good-sized pool that actually can be consumed.
The Young Chef awards were given out Saturday night at a rich, multicourse meal (for which the competitors actually got to sit down) at the O'ahu Country Club. The winner was Alexander Caday, a Waipahu High School and Leeward Community College graduate who works at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. His menu: roasted pork tenderloin on gingered Okinawan sweet-potato puree with port-wine reduction; poached shrimp and moi with seared scallops on mascarpone, shiitake and corn risotto with butter sauce (I want this recipe!!!) and chocolate cake with raspberry mousse and creme Anglaise.
