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Akeelah’s elevated Banana Panny Cake wins Young Chef New Providence District inter-island Culinary Contest

Fri, Oct 20th 2023, 10:13 AM
About Bahamians Food/Cooking

Akhepran International Academy’s Akeelah Maura, an eighth grade student who is passionate about fusion cuisine, emerged the winner of the second phase of the 31st Bahamas Young Chef New Providence District Inter-Island Culinary Competition. 

The annual junior high school contest sponsored by Mahatma Rice and Robin Hood Flour along with the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training (Family and Consumer Science Education Unit) was held Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at A.F. Adderley Junior High School to the theme “Celebrating our Jubilee: Bahamian Cuisine...Our Flavour Profile, Our Food Culture, Our identity."

Akeelah’s dishes wooed the judges. Her Flour dish: Banana Panny Cake with coconut crusted snapper fillet, drizzled with honey spiced hibiscus syrup.  Her Rice dish: Guava N’ Sea grape jasmine rice crème brulee.

Chef Celeste Smith, in her critique of the winning dish said, “A little imperfection on the top of the crème brulee, but I got the actual snap. The entrée was very unique. The banana pancake with grouper and pickled onions was a very nice appetizer.  Everything was uniform -- the savory, the sweet. All of that was like a wow-factor, how you realized the sweet and savory, and the pancake, and kept it a traditional Bahamian dish with an elevated form. That was really nice.”

Samuel Fortune, a student of A. F. Adderley Junior High School, one of two male students in the contest, pulled in second place. His Flour dish: Tropical Poached Buns with Island Breeze Bliss.  His Rice Dish: Peas 'N' Rice Seafood Risotto Style.

Chief Judge Chef Gerald Rolle congratulated the students and commended them for their work. He also singled out the two male students for taking the bold step to compete against females.

Said Chef Rolle, “You performed like professionals in the kitchen. In the past, juniors are the ones we run from. Over the years we are starting to see that juniors are now skillful and knowledgeable about the craft. They have the passion and love, and you can see it in their work ethic and confidence levels in the kitchen. Every year it gets better.”

Other competitors:
3rd – Aaliyah Cooper, D.W. Davis Junior High School
4th – Zahran Pickstock, H.O. Nash Junior High School
5th – Javania Wallace, L.W. Young Junior High School
6th – Lashawn Newbold, C.H. Reeves Junior High School
7th – Ta’Kell Miller, Bahamas Academy

Judges: Chief Chef Gerald Rolle, Chef Edwin Johnson, Chef Aliea Rolle, Chef Hazel Rolle, Chef Celeste Smith, Chef Michael Adderley, Chef Joel Johnson, and Chef Manuel Gibson.

The second phase of the Senior High School Division for the 31st Bahamas Young Chef New Providence District inter-island Culinary Competition will take place Thursday, October 19, at Anatol Rodgers High School. 

Akhepran International Academy’s Akeelah Maura, an eighth grade student who is passionate about fusion cuisine, emerged the winner of the second phase of the 31st Bahamas Young Chef New Providence District Inter-Island Culinary Competition.
 
The annual junior high school contest sponsored by Mahatma Rice and Robin Hood Flour along with the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training (Family and Consumer Science Education Unit) was held Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at A.F. Adderley Junior High School to the theme “Celebrating our Jubilee: Bahamian Cuisine...Our Flavour Profile, Our Food Culture, Our identity."
Akeelah’s dishes wooed the judges. Her Flour dish: Banana Panny Cake with coconut crusted snapper fillet, drizzled with honey spiced hibiscus syrup.  Her Rice dish: Guava N’ Sea grape jasmine rice crème brulee.
Chef Celeste Smith, in her critique of the winning dish said, “A little imperfection on the top of the crème brulee, but I got the actual snap. The entrée was very unique. The banana pancake with grouper and pickled onions was a very nice appetizer.  Everything was uniform -- the savory, the sweet. All of that was like a wow-factor, how you realized the sweet and savory, and the pancake, and kept it a traditional Bahamian dish with an elevated form. That was really nice.”
 
Samuel Fortune, a student of A. F. Adderley Junior High School, one of two male students in the contest, pulled in second place. His Flour dish: Tropical Poached Buns with Island Breeze Bliss.  His Rice Dish: Peas 'N' Rice Seafood Risotto Style.
 
Chief Judge Chef Gerald Rolle congratulated the students and commended them for their work. He also singled out the two male students for taking the bold step to compete against females.
Said Chef Rolle, “You performed like professionals in the kitchen. In the past, juniors are the ones we run from. Over the years we are starting to see that juniors are now skillful and knowledgeable about the craft. They have the passion and love, and you can see it in their work ethic and confidence levels in the kitchen. Every year it gets better.”
Other competitors:
3rd – Aaliyah Cooper, D.W. Davis Junior High School
4th – Zahran Pickstock, H.O. Nash Junior High School
5th – Javania Wallace, L.W. Young Junior High School
6th – Lashawn Newbold, C.H. Reeves Junior High School
7th – Ta’Kell Miller, Bahamas Academy
Judges: Chief Chef Gerald Rolle, Chef Edwin Johnson, Chef Aliea Rolle, Chef Hazel Rolle, Chef Celeste Smith, Chef Michael Adderley, Chef Joel Johnson, and Chef Manuel Gibson.
The second phase of the Senior High School Division for the 31st Bahamas Young Chef New Providence District inter-island Culinary Competition will take place Thursday, October 19, at Anatol Rodgers High School. 
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