Five teams representing schools from the Farmington Municipal School District on April 13 showcased their culinary skills in friendly competition at the the Farmington High School auxiliary gym.

The teams were Mesa View Middle School Forks and Spoons, Tibbetts Middle School Papa Louie, Heights Middle School Knights, Piedra Vista High School Munchy Maker and Farmington High School Dudes. The teams ranged in size from one to three chefs.

The Dudes, Forks and Spoons, The Knights, and Papa Louie’s and Munchy Maker were team names.

Teams prepared dishes for a chance at winning monetary prizes or to be featured on the district menu.

The theme, “Taste of Italy – New Mexico Style,” gave students the opportunity to show a flair, while completing their work within an hour. Two plates were to be prepared – one presented restaurant-style, and one as a sample for the judges.

Students were expected to prepare the dishes by hand with provided equipment without previously prepared ingredients.

Judges were FMS student nutrition coordinator Maria Johnson, Food Corps program coordinator Tatyana Trujillo and former chef and FMS substitute Jill Mayer.

Before the event, students were given tips on originality, taste, appearance, wellness and the ability to replicate.

Germayne James and Cory LeClaire were there supporting their student, Tibbetts seventh grader Adam Topaha.

Topaha took interest in the competition on his own, signing up himself and a friend for the day of cooking, LeClaire said.

At home, Topaha cooks ramen and eggs and has experience with sauteing since he was 10 years old.

Topaha mainly used YouTube videos to prepared for the competition, and he practiced cooking chicken the night before, James said.

Besides the occasional microwaveable popcorn and mac and cheese, Judah Dickenson, Heights seventh grader, had not cooked a dish this large, Patty Dickenson said.

“He learned how to cut onions, for this and he learned how to use a can opener,” she said.

Jaclyn Broderick said her son, Ben Broderick, a seventh grader at Heights, was excited to do something different. He has experience cooking eggs.

Dickenson said before the event she gave words of encouragement to the team, telling them to have fun and be safe around the cutting utensils.

The FHS auxiliary gym had energy with the aroma of sauces and meats once the cooking time began.

The Knights prepared a green chile marinara sauce with butter noodles. On their printed recipe, the team broke up tasks among themselves.

“We all knew what we're doing at the same time and knew all the steps,” Broderick said. “We helped each other out.”

While cooking, team members Topaha and Enzo Begay had to overcome remaking the sauce after it burned.

The team constantly checked on one another during the competition, Topaha said.

Troy Longoria, a Piedra Vista freshman, was a one-person team of Munchy Maker. He made green chicken spaghetti.

Longoria said the biggest challenge of the competition was using an unfamiliar hand blender.

After an hour of cooking, judges determined the winners.

Winners

Best Presentation: The Dudes, Farmington High School.

Best Recipe and Taste: The Knights, Heights Middle School.

Best Team Spirit: Forks and Spoons, Mesa View Middle School.

Best Effort: Papa Louie, Tibbetts Middle School.

Top Junior Chef: Munchy Maker, Piedra Vista High School.

As winners of best recipe and taste, The Knights will see their recipe on the lunch menu next year.

Best presentation won $100 and the Top Junior Chef won $1,000.

Longoria said he thought his competitors did well and thinks it’s important to have culinary skills for life.

Mayer said she was looking for creative use of New Mexico ingredients in the dishes and was impressed to see the students using their knife skills that day.

Her advice to the young cooks was to research, watch cooking shows and to continue practicing.