Culinary students Kazlyn Roberts, McKayla Johnston and Katelyn Penn walk through the aroma of spices, herbs, meat and other ingredients into a large conference room in Dallas turned state culinary contest site. The competitors scout out their competition while simultaneously glancing at their ingredients and envisioning creating their best meal yet. 

Seniors Roberts and Johnston competed at the FCCLA state competition in culinary alongside Penn, a Randall junior. Culinary teacher Carrie-Anne Stanglin said the culinary team consists of three team members, and each team is required to prepare a given menu.

“Even though the menu is given and they know what they need to cook, the team has no idea what exact amount of ingredients and spices they will be given,” Stanglin said.  

The culinary team was not allowed to use a recipe in their competition, so their performance was completely based on their own knowledge.

“These CISD culinary students are dedicated to excellence,” Stanglin said. “They truly want to strive for the best. They are always looking for ways to improve, even when their meals are just about perfect.”

Stanglin said the students practiced at least once a week at school and in their own homes on their own time.

“This was our first year to compete in the FCCLA Culinary Team competition,” Stanglin said. “We spent a lot of time brainstorming and practicing for every possibility that might occur.”

Roberts said the hardest task in the competition was trying to divide up the ingredients.

“They are kind of stingy with the ingredients,” Roberts said. “It was definitely hectic, because the ingredients weren’t the same as what we were practicing with.”

Stanglin said she loves her students and loves watching them excel in what they are doing.

“The goal of the culinary program is to produce employable students for the food-service industry,” Stanglin said. “Even if they choose another direction in life, they have learned how to cook from scratch, how to clean, how to sweep and mop, how to do laundry, but most importantly, how to be responsible.”