Student chef cooks traditional Spanish paella

The Mesa Culinary Arts/Management program’s fundraising event “Taste of Mesa” showcased the creativity and skill of student chefs, Culinary Arts alumni, and professional chefs from local restaurants. The event which took place on Oct. 26, raised about $6,000 for the culinary program. The evening‘s proceeds will allow the department to buy farm-to-table ingredients that come from local farms, and can be used mere minutes after picking.
A traditional Spanish paella was an impressive display with all of the clam and mussel shells split open on the yard long paella pan. The charcuterie table done by Chef Bernadette Chaplin was a bounty of salami, prosciutto, wedges of cheese, dangling grapes, pistachios and almonds in luxurious piles, golden honeycomb, and edible flowers.
The cook-offs between student chefs and culinary alumni had the guests enrapt in the mincing, sautéing, pureeing, and plate presentations. In the student chef cake-decorating competition, their cakes were frosted and piped with icing in a rainbow of colors. In the spirit of competition, the chefs gave it their all.The winners of the student vs. alumni cook-offs were alumnus Tyler Banta and alumnus Luis Gordon. The event VIPs tasted and judged the cook-offs, as well, and their choice for winner was Beck Seivrd. The people’s choice for cake-off winner was Karla Parra.
The student chefs who were prepping in the kitchen had their own ideas of what they would like to cook. Student chef Ian-Russel Alcayaga would love to cook with more exotic meats that aren’t common in San Diego, like snakes, alligators, and venison. Student Chef Jusimi Otero would like to bring more of her family’s native Puerto Rican cuisine, into the San Diego region. She would really like to create something new and inspiring. Otero’s enthusiasm is one of the reasons this program is successful. All of the student chefs were excited to talk about food, and obviously have a passion for it. Alumnus and previous “Taste of Mesa” winner Chef Anne Villalpando of George’s at the Cove explained why she loves cooking. “You take something that’s simple and experiment with it to create something that’s new and different. We get to play with our food.”
The silent auction prizes included cooking classes with local chefs, Kevin Templeton of Barleymash, Flor Franco of Franco on 5th and Mark Schmitt of Fort Oak, to name a few. The San Diego restaurant community, close Mesa partner and champion for student success, the Knife Merchant and the Mesa culinary alumni came together to support the culinary program and ensure its success.
The funds raised from Taste of Mesa will enable the students to go on field trips to local farms to purchase specialty farm-to-table products, and purchasing specialty tools. The use of farm-to-table ingredients exposes the students to a larger variety of products.
According to culinary professor Tonya Whitfield “the students have the opportunity to showcase their skills and the excitement of competing keeps them engaged in their futures.”