Dining Chicago

Denzel Thornton

They’re on their way! 25 aspiring young chefs are that much closer to their goals with more than $400,000 in cooking-school scholarships, awarded as prizes to high-school students in this year’s Careers through Culinary Arts Program Chicago Cooking Competition.

Top winner Denzel Thornton of Chicago’s Corliss High School won a full-tuition scholarship to Johnson & Wales University, valued at $88,596.

To win their prizes, each competitor had two hours to whip up from memory a two-course French meal: poulet chasseur avec pommes de terre chateau (hunter’s chicken with turned, sauteed potatoes) and tarte de baie fraiche avec le creme de patisserie (fresh berry tart with pastry creme).

How long would it take you to make that?

And the judges were a tough crowd: Chef David Muchowitz of Washburne Culinary Institute; Chef Rick Gresh of David Burke’s Primehouse; Chef Cheryl Carrado of the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago; Chef Richard Camarota of Custom House; Chef Phillip Foss of Lockwood; Chef Mark Mendez of Carnivale; Chef Seth Siegel-Gardner of C-House; Chef Carrie Nahabedian of Naha; and Chef Graham Elliot Bowles of Graham Elliot.

Students also received cash awards to help defray the costs of college expenses and knife kits by R.H. Forschner. Winners were:

Roberto Clemente High School

• Octavia Banks, Washburne Culinary Institute/C-CAP Education Scholarship, $3,500
• Moriah Dobson, Washburne Culinary Institute/Hockberg Scholarship, $5,000

Corliss High School

• Eric Drakes Jr., C-CAP Education Scholarship, $1,000
• Walter Fells, Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, $47,000
• JeLaah Jackson, The Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago, $25,000
• Denzel Thornton, Johnson & Wales University, $88,596

Curie Metropolitan High School

• Estela Martinez, Harold Washington Hospitality Management, $5,000
• Eunice Avitia, Gourmet Catalog, $3,000

Dunbar Vocational Career Academy

• Stacy Goodar, Lexington College, $40,000

Hyde Park Career Academy

• Angelica Smith, Washburne Culinary Institute/C-CAP Education Scholarship, $3,500

Manley Career Academy

• Periun Anderson, Joliet Junior College/Charlie Trotter/R.H.Forschner Knife Kit, $1,337
• Curtis Hooks, Charlie Trotter/R.H.Forschner Knife Kit, $2,837
• Lottie Jones, NECI Certificate/C-CAP Education Scholarship, $11,313
• Marita Wade, NECI Certificate/C-CAP Education Scholarship, $11,313

North Grand High School

• Suri Rosales, Joliet Junior College/Charlie Trotter/R.H. Forschner Knife Kit, $5,837
• Alexander Ruiz, St. Augustine/C-CAP Education Scholarship, $3,000
• Zuleyma Rodriguez, Charlie Trotter/R.H. Forschner Knife Kit, $2,337

Richards Career Academy

• Julia Ordonez, Lexington College, $40,000

Simeon Career Academy

• Chanika Bledsoe, Washburne Culinary Institute/C-CAP Education Scholarship, $5,000
• Oliver Brown, Art Institutes/Las Vegas, $25,000
• LaDarius Dupree, C-CAP Education Scholarship, $2,000
• Brandon Hayes, Culinary Institute of America/Community College stipend, $47,360
• Hannah Hill, Monroe College, $20,568
• Ashanti Jimerson, Gourmet Catalog, $2,000
• Betty Smith, C-CAP Education Scholarship, $4,000