ANSONIA >> The culinary skills of four competitors in a Healthy Cooking Challenge Monday belied the fact that they are all sixth graders.
The contestants, all girls, had won competitions in their own districts earlier in the spring. Student chefs were Kiersten LaRue from John G. Prendergast School in Ansonia; Madysen Miller from Perry Hill School in Shelton; Faith Rousseau from Seymour Middle School and Natalia Wyszkowski from Derby Middle School.
Faith won the contest with her black bean and corn salad.
The VITAHLS Healthy Cooking Challenge was sponsored by the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center at Griffin Hospital in Derby.
VITAHLS stands for Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools. Valley school districts have been participating in the initiative since 2011, said Cindy Brooks, director of Seymour Food Service.
The event was held at Molto Bene Italian American Kitchen. Owner Drew Pickering said the restaurant is normally closed on Monday. He and employee James Gerosa duplicated the recipes to serve to school administrators, family and friends who attended the challenge.
Emcee was Neil Fuentes, also known as The Singing Chef, who has been featured on Connecticut Style on WTNH and “Chopped,” a Food Network show.
Judges who sampled the salads created by the students were Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti, former Derby Mayor and current Town Clerk Marc Garofalo representing Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto, Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti and Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.
The girls arrived an hour before the event to start prepping their salads. They each had at least one adult alongside them in the restaurant’s kitchen to offer advice and lend a hand if needed.
After washing their hands and donning thin plastic gloves, they got to work.
Kiersten’s creation was Wonton Bowls with Buffalo Chicken Salad. She was assisted by Dominic Golia, Ansonia Food Service director, and Eileen Garcia, a FoodCorps representative based at Massaro Farm in Woodbridge, who has been working with Ansonia students.
Pickering cooked the chicken pieces for the recipe.
Madysen created a Broccoli Raisin Salad. She was assisted by Sodexo managers Karen Rosa and Linda Stanisci.
Faith made Black Bean and Corn Salad with help from Seymour Assistant Food Director Cindy Guerra.
Natalia was helped by Derby physical education instructor James Rosa. They made Natalia’s fruit salad she calls Rainbow Riot.
Fuentes said cooking is a “wonderful” activity. “Cooking has awakened children,” he said. “Kids are now dirtying their hands and putting in efforts to learn.”
Katz, a renowned nutrition expert, reminded the audience it’s important “to love food that loves us back.”
He told Madysen she “was very creative to combine broccoli with raisins.” Katz also gave a bit of fruit salad advice to Natalia. “It was beautifully displayed,” he said, but he urged her to dice the apples for the mixture rather than serve them in slices.
Pickering said all four recipes will be featured this week on the restaurant’s menu.
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