Barrington Future Chefs Challenge Finalists Named

This weekend, 16 fourth- and fifth-graders representing each Barrington 220 elementary school will put their best lettuce leaf forward in a unique competition sponsored by the school district’s food service provider, Sodexo. Two students from each of the eight grade schools were selected from 90 original recipe submissions. They will now face-off in preparing their healthy salad recipes for a panel of distinguished local and regional culinary judges. The contest is Sodexo’s third-annual Future Chefs National Challenge, but it is the first time the event has been held in Barrington 220.

The challenge will take place in the Barrington High School cafeteria (616 W. Main St., Barrington) beginning at 10:45 a.m., when the students will don a chef’s coat and toque blanche (white hat). They begin by prepping their salad ingredients, gaining key points for originality, ease of preparation, healthy attributes, kid-friendly aspects and plate presentation. When the kitchen clock strikes 12 noon, the judges will taste and evaluate each recipe in Barrington 220’s version of the Food Network’s Chopped.

From the 16 contestants, one gold medal, four silver medals and 11 bronze medals will be awarded. The judges are Chef Vince Pecora of local restaurant Ciao Baby!, Board of Education Vice President Penny Kazmier, Sarah Ewing of DePaul University’s acclaimed Side Dish radio show, Chicago-area food critics Deborah Pankey and Jerome Gabriel, Barrington Village President Karen Darch, Advocate Hospital dietician

and nutritionist Melodi Peters, and Barrington 220’s Health and Nursing Coordinator Eva Detloff. The winning salad recipe will be added to the menu at Chef Pecora’s Ciao Baby! restaurant soon after the competition.

Finalists are:

Arnett C. Lines Elementary

Charlotte Kim - 5th Grade Lily Smith - 4th Grade

Barbara B. Rose Elementary

Jason Phillips - 5th Grade Krish Patel - 4th Grade

Countryside Elementary

Emma Landenberger - 5th Grade Sanjiv Bhogaraji - 4th Grade

Grove Avenue Elementary

Alyssa Loomis - 5th Grade Zoe Nelles - 4th Grade

Hough Street Elementary

Mikey Lupa - 4th Grade
Josh Dunn - 4th Grade
No 5th grade students participated

North Barrington Elementary

Kelli Wills - 5th Grade Sophia Denison - 4th Grade

Roslyn Road Elementary

Mary Tierney - 5th Grade Brian Donlea - 4th Grade

Sunny Hill Elementary

Gaby Pietris - 5th Grade Ruben Maldonado - 4th Grade