August 6, 2009
Classes Can Enter "Xtreme Cuisine" Contest To Win Cooking Session With Chef
Florida teachers and other youth activity coordinators with students aged 10-15 can enter to win a cooking session to learn “Xtreme Cuisine” techniques for preparing healthy, kid-friendly recipes.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in recent years has introduced youths around the state to the world of cooking and good nutrition through its “Xtreme Cuisine” program. Cooking schools for middle-school students have been held in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, Pinellas Park, Ocala and Naples.
Using the “Xtreme Cuisine” curriculum, students learn to prepare whole-wheat pizzas, fruit parfaits and other nutritious and tasty treats. They also learn how Florida fruit and vegetables used in these recipes provide vitamins and minerals that can help prevent heart disease and other obesity-related illnesses. In addition, students learn the dangers caused by excessive amounts of salt, sugar and fats in their diet, and how fiber could eliminate their desire for high-calorie, low-nutrition snack foods. They also learn how many calories are needed for their age and gender, the vitamin and mineral content of many Florida fruit and vegetables, and how to read a food nutrition label.
“Many children often prepare their own after-school snacks when they come home each afternoon,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. “We want to help them change their snacking habits. Instead of automatically reaching for junk foods, we want them to explore healthy alternatives by using fresh Florida fruit and vegetables as ingredients for fun and delicious snacks.”
Now in its second year, the “Xtreme Cuisine Chef Demo Contest,” provides teachers who conduct and document their own cooking class locally, an opportunity to win a complimentary session with the Department’s “Xtreme Cuisine” Chef. These students will learn advanced cooking techniques and prepare recipes. All food and promotional items will be supplied for the winning classes of up to 75 students.
To enter, teachers must set up and conduct an “Xtreme Cuisine” class with at least 10 students in which the students prepare at least two “Xtreme Cuisine” recipes using at least six total fresh Florida fruit and vegetables. The classes must use the existing curriculum, which can be ordered online at www.Florida-Agriculture.com/education/xtreme.htm, and must be held between September 30 and December 31, 2009. At the completion of the classes, teachers must fill out the “Xtreme Cuisine Chef Demo Contest Entry” and submit it with the required accompanying documents and photographs, specifying the categories they are entering.
A winning class will be selected in the following categories:
- First -- The first completed entry to be postmarked with accompanying documents will win.
- Great -- The coordinator with the greatest number of participating students will win.
- Smart -- The class that demonstrates the most impressive knowledge gained from the local class will win. Student essays, photos, quotes, drawings, and other descriptions are encouraged.
Classes can be organized by public and private school teachers, agriscience teachers, school food and nutrition managers, and youth activity coordinators with County Cooperative Extension Offices, FFA chapters, Florida Farm Bureau groups, and other related areas.
Entries must be postmarked on or before December 31, 2009. The winner will be notified on or before January 30, 2010, and the “Xtreme Cuisine Chef Cooking Demo” will be held prior to May 31, 2010.
“The nutritional information provided at the ‘Xtreme Cuisine’ events helps students make healthy eating choices as they become adults,” Bronson said. “Learning the importance of good nutrition at a young age is the key to a healthy future.”
In 2009 more than 180 students in the three winning classes were treated to chef demonstrations. The “First Award” for the first entry submitted in the contest, went to the Escambia County Extension Office class coordinated by Kay Brown. Their chef demonstration was held April 21. The “Great Award” for the class with the greatest number of students participating, went to the class from Lincoln Middle School of Palmetto, coordinated by Kimberly Lough. Their chef demonstration was held May 11-12. The “Smart Award” for the class that gained the most impressive knowledge, went to the Volusia County Extension Office class coordinated by Laura Cash, Jill Taufer and Lisa Valentine. Their chef demonstration was held April 7.
