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Shaler Area Middle School students test their kitchen skills in the first Titan Top Chef
   

Shaler Area Middle School students tied up their aprons and took over the classroom kitchen to compete for the title of Titan Top Chef.

Close to one dozen seventh- and eighth-grade students participating in the school’s first Titan Top Chef cooking competition in March 2016.

Students were challenged to use locally grown ingredients to prepare healthy recipes. In the first round, students had about one hour to prepare and plate a recipe of their choosing. The first round produced recipes such as caprese salad, Texas sheet cake, curry chicken, stir-fry chicken, crepes and fruit, quiche and apple crisp.

The chefs from the two winning dished moved on to round two in which they had to prepare a dish from the remaining ingredients from the other students’ recipes with the added ingredients of roasted chicken, fresh pineapple, flatbread and peppers. Students also were given two secret ingredients for round two: butternut squash and dandelion greens, of which they had to chose one to incorporate into their new recipe.

Visiting chef Dave Caplan, who works at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks, provided culinary tips and guidance during the competition. He also prepared a dish from the available ingredients during the final round and explained various cooking techniques, presentation and career opportunities as a chef.