The future of Alaska's culinary scene went knife to knife in an Iron Chef style cooking competition held in Anchorage.
On Saturday, the 2013 Alaska ProStart Invitational was held at the Lucy Cuddy Hall at the University of Alaska Anchorage. High school teams from across the state competed in a restaurant management competition and a culinary challenge.
Seven teams were given one hour and challenged to create two identical dishes that included one appetizer, one entree' and one dessert.
"It was down to the wire," Delta Junction High School student Natalie Zarecki said. "We were getting really nervous and we thought we were going to go over honestly and then we finished and we were like whoa, we actually did it."
The teams couldn't use electricity or running water and they were only allowed two mini stove-tops powered by butane burners and an hour to complete their food masterpieces.
Amber Zerbe, ProStart Coordinator, says this year's contest was meant to get students back to the fundamentals of cooking.
"I think here in Alaska, we're pretty unique with our hospitality industry," Zerbe said. " We're very focused on using Alaskan seafood and we're very proud of our state. I think the sustainability that we adhere to in our restaurants is unique."
In the end, Chugiak High School took the cake. Both Chugiak teams won the management and culinary contests and were awarded scholarship to the Louisiana Culinary Institute and the Art Institutes.
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