Article by Melinda Eddleman

The heat not only rose weatherwise but also in the outdoor kitchens during the Texas Food Championship (TFC) at Water’s Edge Park this weekend. Five Del Mar College (DMC) student teams comprising Culinary Arts Program or Baking/Pastry Program majors competed in four categories–burger, dessert, pasta (open category) and seafood–over a two-day period, hoping to win a Golden Ticket to move on to the World Food Championships in Indianapolis next month.

Del Mar College has been the lead supporter of the event.

During the Sept. 27 awards ceremony, TFC officials announced all the winners, including Baking/Pastry major and Dessert Category solo competitor Alyana Willingham. On Friday, she prepared a lemon olive oil cake with lemon curd, Pistachio Creme Fraiche, blueberry compote, pistachio crumble and candied zest. That cake won Willingham a Golden Ticket after competing against five other teams. She was coached by Department of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Baking/Pastry Instructor Bryan Carrizales.

The second-year DMC student graduated from Calallen High School and plans to complete the college’s Culinary Arts Program after finishing her Baking/Pastry training. She credits her grandmother and mother for inspiring her to pursue a career in the food industry as well as the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain.

Willingham hasn’t figured out what she wants to prepare during the World Food Championships but says she has some time. “I haven’t figured that out yet,” she said, adding, “I have a couple of weeks to decide and practice.”

During the award ceremony, DMC officials also announced that the five winners of the Texas Junior Chef Championship for high school-age competitors will receive scholarships to attend the college’s Culinary Arts, Baking/Pastry and Hospitality Management Programs.

The Texas Food Championship attracted some 150 competitors, including home cooks and professional chefs from across the state, vying for their place in Indianapolis either as individuals or on a team. TFC officials noted that Team Texas will be headed by two-time World Food Championship winner Preston Nguyen as team captain. He won those titles while attending Dallas College and is now a chef in Arlington, Texas.

During this weekend’s championship, judges evaluated each dish using the E.A.T.™ methodology – execution, appearance and taste. Those judges included Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department Interim Chair Lisa Pollakis during the BBQ! Chicken Category on Friday and DMC Regent David Loeb during yesterday’s Texas Junior Chef Championship.

Pollakis added, “The college is also grateful to our faculty and staff coaches whose mentorship, guidance and devotion helped students elevate their skills and performance to a very high level. This experience demonstrates the talent, determination and bright future of Del Mar College’s students majoring in the culinary, baking and hospitality pathways.”

In addition to Carrizales coaching the college’s two Dessert Category competitors, DMC Executive Chef Matt Axtell coached the Burger and Pasta teams while Associate Professor of Culinary Arts Chef Israel “Izzy” Villanueva mentored the team competing in the Seafood Category.

The World Food Championships attract between 300 and 400 teams annually, including competitors from across the United States as well as those who have earned a Golden Ticket from nearly 40 countries. The “heat in the kitchen” for Del Mar College TFC winner Alyana Willingham turned up a few more degrees as she plans and practices to become a “world champion.”

They haven’t packed their bags, yet, for the adventure that awaits them in France. The trip is  just a little more than a month away.

Currently enrolled as Del Mar College (DMC) Baking/Pastry majors with the Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department, Mazzy Tagliaferro and Tina Walsh were selected to represent Corpus Christi this summer through the Sister City Culinary Exchange that’s overseen by the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce.

The two students will experience an immersive exchange in the city of Agen and throughout the surrounding area that builds on their current culinary skills.

“Experiences like this broaden perspectives, build confidence and bring back knowledge that benefits our local economy and community,” Arreola adds.

Corpus Christi’s Sister City Exchange Program also partners with four other cities––Keelung City (Taiwan), Toledo (Spain), Veracruz (Mexico) and Yokosuka (Japan)–– giving both high school and college participants the opportunity to see another part of the world. Guided by Sister Cities International, the program focuses on four pillars: Arts & Culture, Business & Trade, Community Development and Youth & Education.

The nearly two-week exchange with a June 1arrival to and June 12 departure from Toulouse will immerse the two DMC students in the gastronomy, culinary traditions and agricultural heritage of the Lot-et-Garonne region of southwest France where Agen is located.. The exchange combines hands-on kitchen training with leading chefs, visits to local producers, educational presentations and cultural experiences organized by the Agen Sister City Committee.

Tagliaferro is no stranger to the culinary world, having grown up around food with her father owning since 1987 the popular restaurant Island Italian located on Padre Island. And she has already earned associate’s degrees through the college’s Hospitality & Tourism Management and Culinary Arts Programs.

Of her upcoming culinary exchange experience in Agen, she says, “It’s exciting. I’ve never left the country, and I never thought about going to France. We’re going to get to do a lot like working in actual French restaurants, visiting a cheese farm, attending agricultural-type classes and giving demos [featuring American food for both high school and elementary students],”

In fact, highlights of Tagliaferro and Walsh’s experience will include:

• professional kitchen rotations at Restaurant Le Bistronome inAgen and Auberge LePrieuré in Moirax,
• visits to regional producers including vineyards, cheese makers, oyster farms and prune producers,
• cultural and historical visits in Agen, Bordeau, and the surrounding countryside,
• giving culinary demonstrations in local schools, and
• exchanges with members of the Agen Twinning Committee.

Walsh , who plans to pursue her associate’s degree in Culinary Arts next, currently serves as the Culinary Arts Club  secretary. She says that the community-minded student organization engages in activities such as fundraisers, food drives and other events such as KEDT’s annual fundraising events, the  Food and Wine Classic and Classic Brew, with students serving culinary samples that club members have prepared..

She first had reservations about applying for the Sister City Culinary Exchange Program but then told herself, “No, I’m going to go for it!”

Walsh notes that the process included submitting the online application, providing a video showing the preparation of a recipe, holding the required grade point average and then sitting through an in—person interview with the selection committee.

Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management Department Interim Chair Lisa Pollakis notes, “Del Mar College’s partnership with the Sister City Culinary Exchange Program celebrates more than food.––it celebrates cultural connection, an opportunity to learn global techniques and traditions and the power of hospitality to bring communities together across borders.”

Pollakis adds, “The program shows current and future students what’s possible in our Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, and Hospitality & Tourism Programs and elevates the educational experience while creating momentum and greater student interest and enrollment.”

Del Mar College’s Culinary Arts and Baking/Pastry Programs are accredited as “Exemplary” by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission. The Culinary & Hospitality Department offers:

• Baking/Pastry: Associate of Arts degree
• Culinary Arts (Chef Training): Certificate and Associate of Applied Science degree
• Hospitality & Tourism Management: Certificate and Associate in Applied Science degree

Interested individuals can also reach the main departmental office at 361-698-1856.