What judges want

Over the past few weeks, during practices and mock competitions, C-CAP Arizona director Jill Smith has offered very specific tips, detailing what judges expect to see during competitions.

“You want to err on the side of caution,” she says. “A lot of these are easy points, so don’t lose them needlessly,”

Here are a few of those she mentions most often:

• 1. Be professional in demeanor and appearance. (This counts for a total of 10 points in competition.)

a. Black or checked trousers, a neckerchief, a hat (no ball caps!). Sturdy kitchen shoes, not tennis shoes.

b. Little or no makeup, no nail polish, no acrylics and no jewelry.

c. Hair up in a hat, no tendrils or wisps.

• 2. Understand the size of different kinds of cuts and how to cut them (slice, baton, julienne, chop, dice, brunoise, mince, etc.) Learn to visualize the cuts as you do them and get out a ruler to practice if necessary.
• 3. Keep your cuts even, so that all the pieces in the salad are the same size.
• 4. Memorize the recipes. Save your scraps, but not the garbage. Think of what else you can do with the scraps (“’Stock’ is always a good response for vegetable scraps,” Jill says.)
• 5. Make sure your plates are clean after you’ve plated your food (clean up droplets, small spills, etc.)
• 6. French omelets are not like American omelets! There should be no browning, and eggs should be beaten so there are no remnants of white showing when the omelet is cooked.
• 7. Shake and stir, shake and stir – you want it creamy inside and out.
• 8. Get the whole seam of the omelet on the bottom of the plate. If you’ve shaken it enough, it shouldn’t stick to the pan at all.
• 9. Taste all along the way with each recipe. You want a balance in flavors – with a little zing in the salad dressing.
• 10. Practice, practice, practice.

One more thing. If you’re confident of your skills, know your recipes and your techniques, it’s okay to be nervous. You’ll be fine.