Dining / Cooking

Cooking with class: Davenport Central teams gear up for national competition

By Kay Luna | Wednesday, May 07, 2008 | () comments

Four members of the Davenport Central High School culinary team, from left, Teresa Foster, Kelsey Daufeldt, Erin Waters and Hollee Despain practice for an upcoming national competition in San Diego. (Larry Fisher/Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

Ever try to make a three-course gourmet meal without the use of running water or electricity?

No?

Well, how about preparing it with only two propane burners, three helpers, limited table space and very specific cooking and sanitation rules?

Oh, and you have one hour to finish it all.

A team of four Davenport Central High School students — Kelsey Daufeldt, Hollee DeSpain, Teresa Foster and Erin Waters — has been doing just that about every Monday afternoon since February.

Soon, all of that practice will be put to the test as they go up against hundreds of other high school students at a national invitational competition in San Diego.

That team and the school’s culinary knowledge team — comprised of Marcus Brandt, Dorian Potter, Daufeldt and Foster — both progressed to the nationals after winning first place in a state competition earlier this school year.

This is the sixth year for the school’s ProStart food-service curriculum, and it also will be the sixth time teacher Jill Akers has taken both teams to the National ProStart Invitational, set for April 24-26, she said.

“It’s a big deal,” said James Preszler, 38, executive chef at the Davenport Country Club and mentor for the ProStart program, which is a two-year curriculum designed to teach high school students management skills they would need in a food service career.

As a 1987 graduate of Central High, Preszler said he volunteers to help students who are serious about wanting to get into the culinary field. The competition is a good chance to see what the profession is really about, he said.

More than 4,200 students across the country competed at the state level in hopes of advancing to the national event, which will feature just 300 students.

The culinary students are asked to demonstrate the preparation of a meal, consisting of a starter, entrée and dessert, all in one hour.

In a separate test, knowledge teams show off their food service business know-how by competing in a case study during which the students are tested on their communication skills and ability to apply industry knowledge to practical situations.

Most of the 40 or so teams who go to nationals defeated many other ProStart teams in their own state before qualifying. In Iowa, Davenport Central is one of just three such teams in the state. The other two are in the Des Moines area.

“When you get in the competition on the national level, I’m surprised no one has done a documentary at these things because it’s amazing,” Preszler said. “Our teams are so good and they’re so dedicated, but they’re going to be going up against machines.”

They’re also learning how to adapt to sudden change. One of the culinary team’s original team members had to bow out because of an injured arm, meaning a substitute is trying to get up to speed, he added.

The looming competition clearly is weighing on their minds.

“Hey, I had a dream last night that we whipped the cream so much that it turned to butter,” Daufeldt said at a recent practice, laughing as she whipped cream for a raspberry mousse dessert.

The others smiled and nodded, continuing their work at nearby stations. One was stirring a small pot of smoked-gouda risotto. Another simmered a compote of shiitake mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions.

A third student tasted a little of his homemade raspberry hazelnut vinaigrette dressing, which, on the first try, seemed too vinegary.

“Did you miss any ingredients?” Akers asked, puckering a little as she threw away her plastic taster spoon. “Better check.”

Hurrying to finish, the team still went overtime by several minutes during that practice session. But they squeezed in time to partake of the gourmet dishes they had prepared.

“It’s good practice,” DeSpain said. “We eat it every Monday, but it’s still good.”

Kay Luna can be contacted at (563) 383-2323 or kluna@qctimes.com.

WHAT IS PROSTART?

The ProStart program is a two-year curriculum designed to teach high school students management skills they would need in a food service career. It encompasses 60,000 students and 1,600 teachers in 47 states, territories and districts.

The program was developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and is managed nationally by National Restaurant Association Solutions in conjunction with state restaurant associations.

When students pass two national exams, complete a checklist of competencies and participate in at least 400 hours of mentored work experience, they are awarded the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement, which signifies they are ready to enter the industry.

James Preszler, 38, executive chef at the Davenport Country Club, is a volunteer mentor for the ProStart program at Davenport Central High School, from which he graduated in 1987. Every year for the past five, he has helped lead teams to the national ProStart competition, which will be Thursday-Saturday.

“I wanted to help them to be successful at the competition, but, even more importantly, I wanted to help them see if this is maybe something they want to do for their career,” he said. “I’ve employed some of the students I’ve had on the ProStart teams in the past, and two of them on my team two years ago are at the culinary school I went to.”

The fast-paced national competition will feature teams of students who won first place in state culinary competitions. They will compete for the national title and scholarships.

In 2007, $1.3 million in scholarships were awarded to winning students.

“This event is the culmination of many months of hard work and dedication for these students, who represent the top tier of ProStart students nationwide,” said Bill Nolan, director of ProStart, National Restaurant Association Solutions.

For more information about the program or the National ProStart Invitational, go online to weareprostart.org.

THE MENU

Salad: Red-leaf and Bibb lettuce, Asian pear, warm goat cheese medallion and raspberry hazelnut vinaigrette dressing

Entrée: Salmon medallion with a compote of shiitake mushrooms, bacon and pearl onions on a bed of smoked-gouda risotto and seasoned asparagus

Dessert: Chocolate ramekin with raspberry liqueur mousse