The Culinary Arts Team at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center (CTC) finished fifth in the state's National Restaurant Association ProStart Culinary Competition held recently at East Central College in Union, Mo. Dennis "Doc" Cain, Culinary Arts Instructor at the CTC, posed with the team in the photo above. Left to right are Cain, Alex Gabriel of Cape Central High School, Jacob Wiley of Jackson High School, Lindsey Whitener of Woodland High School and McKenzie Slayton of Jackson High School.

The team fabricated (cut-up) a whole chicken with precision and maximum usage specifications, presented knife skills showing four different cuts of vegetables, and prepared two identical dishes consisting of a starter, entrée, vegetable/starch and dessert. The twenty six competing teams were scored on a variety of criteria including presentation, difficulty and taste, while racing against a clock. It was the best showing for the Culinary Arts program in three years of competing. Cain's wife, Karen, who is employed in Special Services at the CTC, assisted at the competition.