Students from the Throop elementary school sautéed chick peas with carrots and swiss chard for the first round of the “Battle of the Basket” cooking competition Thursday.
Credit: Sadie Brown
Over a dozen Bronx students turned up the heat in Brooklyn Thursday as they competed in the “Battle of the Basket,” a cooking competition where students from two schools used their skill and creativity in the kitchen to impress the judges.
Teams of around four young chefs had 60 minutes to complete savory dishes in the first round of competition and 40 minutes in the second round to complete dessert. Each round the teams were given a mystery basket containing mandatory ingredients that they had to use in their dishes.
Eighth grader Elijah Colon, who attends Luisa Dessus Cruz middle school in the South Bronx, said that he felt the pressure as he worked with his team to come up with winning dishes and creative plating.
“ We might have argued a little bit, but at the end of the day, we still worked,” Colon said. “We still got everything cooked perfectly fine, everything. And we made sure we had fun at the end of the day.”
Students from the Throop elementary school in the East Bronx and Luisa Dessus Cruz middle school were split into three teams; one from the elementary school, one from the middle school and a third “fusion” team with students from both schools. The competitors were all part of an afterschool program organized by New York Edge, a nonprofit that brings young New Yorkers free academic, wellness and leadership programs in underinvested communities.
The students traveled from the Bronx to Brooklyn Thursday to battle for kitchen supremacy at Level BK in Williamsburg, an apartment building owned by one of the event’s sponsors, Douglaston Development.
For the savory competition the young chefs had to use chick peas in their dishes. The room quickly became a flurry of motion as students rushed back and forth to the pantry to grab extra ingredients, each wearing a paper chef’s hat and an apron. Group leaders from New York Edge stood by offering encouragement and watching out for safety as the students chopped, sauteed and blended their ingredients.
Sixth grader Mylee Aytch said that she came into the competition with a positive mindset and that once she started cooking, her nerves started to settle and she was able to focus.
“ [I was] nervous at first, but at the end it was getting better because the only thing that we did was have great mindsets and just have fun,” Aytch said. “Win or lose we are still winners at the end.”
As the clock ticked down, students hurried to get their culinary creations plated for the judges. The room counted down the last 10 seconds on the clock together, the tension building as the young chef’s visions started to take shape.
Each team then presented their dishes to a panel of judges, professionals in the food industry who would evaluate the students’ efforts and ultimately crown a “Battle of the Basket” champion.
Lorie Nicholas, who teaches cake decorating at “It’s Just Cake by Lorie,” said that she was looking for a beautiful presentation and cohesive flavors.
“ Do all the seasoning work well together?” Nicholas said. “And the flavors as we are eating it-is there crunch? Is there smoothness?”
Once the judges finished scoring, it was time for the young chefs to move on to the dessert round, opening their baskets to find mint as the mystery ingredient, but also another twist. A set of three spoons indicated that the students must make their sweet creations impress the judges in a single bite.
With 40 minutes on the clock the students got to work creating a bite-sized morsel of flavor in hopes of taking home the championship. The teams melted chocolate into ganache and hand-whipped fresh cream all while making sure to pack the most possible flavor into a single spoonful.
The team from Luisa Dessus Cruz middle school bounced up and down excitedly as they watched the judges sample their mint chocolate cookies. Nicholas complimented the team’s innovation.
“They made a cookie in an air fryer, and that was amazing,” Nicholas said. “The taste was awesome.”
After tasting all the desserts, the judges stepped away to deliberate over which team would become the “Battle of the Basket” champions.
Students held their breath as the judges began to award the final medals. Judge Benjamin Loadholt, owner of Catering by Betrell’s Place, congratulated the students on their teamwork and dedication.
“Remember this; in everything you do, be the best at it,” Loadholt said. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do it, because you can.”
The room offered a drumroll as the judges announced the third and second place winners until the only team left standing was the youngest team of chefs from Throop elementary school crowned the “Battle of the Basket” champions.
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