Last week was a busy one for our Culinary Arts students. On Thursday, November 7th, we participated in the Healthy Schools Campaign’s Cooking up Change competition. Clemente was one of 17 Chicago high school culinary programs fighting for the top spot. Students in the competition worked together as teams for weeks ahead of time to create a healthy and tasty school lunch. Using a list of ingredients from the CPS cafeterias, students were challenged to come up with a meal that fit the USDA nutritional guidelines and cost less than a dollar! Clemente’s team cooked up a tantalizing Buffalo chicken mac and cheese paired with crispy zucchini fries and an apple/pear salad. The culminating event was a fundraiser at which the student meals were showcased for judging by an esteemed panel of culinary experts – and then devoured by the paying guests! While Clemente’s dishes were quite well-received by the guests, they did not take the top spot. We are looking forward to coming back with a vengeance next year!
On the following night, the Clemente Culinary Arts department participated in the Illinois Restaurant Association’s annual scholarship fundraiser, From the Chef’s Table. Each year, Chicago chefs create their own signature delicacies to feed the patrons of the event. This year, 600 guests paid to sample the offerings, helping raise money for culinary scholarships. Clemente was the only high school to participate in the event, along with twenty-six top Chicago restaurants. Staying true to this year’s theme of “Fire and Ice,” our students served spicy Rumaki and cold Gazpacho. With the help of Ms. Bonney from the science department, we also had a display of fire and ice adorning our table. We hope to be back for many years to co