Nerves and steel

High anxiety and palpable nerves. The 16 students assembled in the culinary arts classroom at Gilbert’s Mesquite High School are way past edgy.

And this is the practice competition.

Everyone here seems to feel underprepared, jitters showing as C-CAP’s Arizona director Jill Smith runs through tips and protocols. High on her list today? Timing and readiness, professional demeanor. And scraps.

She reminds the students not to throw out larger scraps – the judges will want to see how much product has been used and/or saved. And they’ll want to know what the plan is for the scraps. She reminds everyone that “stock” is a good – and acceptable response.

Everyone begins, working carefully, intently…slowly.

Needed: knife skills

Becky Magee, instructor emeritus with Mesquite, tours the room and reviews progress.

“They’re very focused, and that’s a good thing. But I’m seeing some need to work on technique. It takes practice. The judges will take their salads apart. You don’t learn this overnight and we can tell who’s practiced.”

She’s especially focused on knife skills, where speed and uniformity count.

Only two salads are finished when Jill first calls time. It’s another 10 minutes or more before there are only a few more to finish and omelet making begins.

That goes more quickly, especially after a few students turn to their electric

ranges rather than wait for a gas burner to work with.

Finally, presentation plates are lined up and ready. Jill begins judging.

Blunt criticism and lots of help

Jill might just have a trademark on the term “constructive criticism.” Listening to her calm, straightforward critiques, you can tell she’s most interested in helping each student reach a new level of perfection. Any problems in technique or presentation are presented simply as challenges to resolve.

For instance, “Your cuts are way too big, but they’re really nice, straight cuts. Get a ruler out.” And, “I don’t taste any sweet and the recipe calls for a teaspoon of sugar. You might try a little more salt – it’ll help bring out the sweetness.”

On the omelet: “There are no wrinkles, the edges are a little ragged, and here,” she pauses to break into the omelet’s puffy mid-section, “inside looks good. You could stop cooking maybe five to 10 seconds earlier, and use more salt.

“But your cooking technique is almost perfect.”

So it goes as she moves through 16 salads and 17 omelets (from the student who’s competing, but also had to play in a soccer game and only managed to squeeze in the omelet between runs to the field).

Each assessment brims with sharp observations and helpful assistance, not so much tips as specific how-to-make-this-better.

Each student steps up and listens carefully, Most, like Alicia A. of North High in Phoenix, pick up their plates and pack their kits.

She’s moving especially quickly. Set for one more mock competition and two practice sessions before this weekend’s preliminary competitions, she wants to squeeze in a couple more practice hours at home this evening.

Just like every other serious contender in these contests.