Assignment: Plated Dessert Battle!

BAKING & PASTRY
2022-11-30T16:52:52Z

Due: Mar 15, 2023 by 11:59pm

We are starting a new group competition where the class will be split into two teams. Your teams will be battling head to head in a "Plated Dessert" inspired food battle. Over the next few weeks, your teams will be creating a dessert that could be served at a high-quality restaurant (something between high-end fine dining and a casual restaurant). The only rule is that you must make something delicious, balanced with flavors/textures, and visually appealing.

RULES (subject to change):

You must use seasonal ingredients (things that grow in the winter time).

Ask Chef Sepehr if you have any questions about availability of ingredients.

You must choose cooking techniques that are possible in our classroom kitchen (I can't buy new equipment).

The price of the dish must be realistic. It cannot be too high or too low. Ask Chef Sepehr if that doesn't make sense.

Other than that cook whatever you want.

On the competition day, your team will be split between presenters and cooks. Half your team will do a presentation detailing the specifics of your dish, while your kitchen team will prepare the dessert within a ten minute time frame.

Everyone on your team MUST have a role

Points will be deducted for serving your dish late

Points will be deducted for safety/sanitation errors

You have ten minutes to set up, ten minutes to cook, and ten minutes to clean

GRADING (100 points total):

Your whole team will receive the same grade based on your performance/execution

The winning team will get an extra 10 points added to their overall score

The grading Criteria will be 50 points for your presentation/preparation and 50 points for the judges tasting:

Presentation of idea: 10 points

How well you can explain your dish and the idea behind it.

Visual aides will help

Selection of ingredients and cooking techniques: 10 points

Are your ingredients seasonal? Do your cooking techniques work well with each ingredient?

Costing: 10 points

Chef Sepehr will help you with this. You are going to compile the cost of all your ingredients and find a cost per portion. Using that cost, you will find a selling price at 33% Food Cost.

Ordering/Prep Lists: 10 points

You will write order lists telling me EXACTLY what ingredients you need. You will write prep lists telling me EXACTLY what prep needs to be done and in what order. I will help guide you with this as well.

Mise En Place List: 10 points

You will write a list of all the equipment you need to cook your dish and what you need it for. You will be graded on the accuracy of this list. If I have to use equipment that is not on your list, I will deduct points.

Flavor: 10 points

Judge will determine the overall deliciousness of your dish.

Texture: 10 points

Judge will determine how enjoyable the texture of your dish is.

Appearance: 10 points

Judge will determine if your dish is visually appealing.

Value: 10 points

Judge will determine if your dish is worth the price you are charging for it.

Presentation: 10 points

Judge will determine how effectively you are able to explain the idea of the dish.

Things to consider:

You are in charge of distributing tasks between your team. One person can do all the work, or you can distribute it evenly into teams. This is how it works in the "business world". Make the best decision for your team.

You are in charge of your own schedule. You may create any type of communication between your teammates to keep the conversation going outside of school. It's 100% up to you.

You will be graded honestly. I won't be overly critical or overly lenient. If you put in the work, you will do fine. If you don't get your work done, it will negatively affect your whole team. This is the reality of the restaurant business. You're only as good as the dish you put up. Do your best.

I will ensure that the judges are not-overly critical as well. You will be graded fairly throughout the whole process.

You will only have ten minutes of cooking time. However, you can prep your dish however you want, so that the actual cooking on competition day is expedited. You'll want to have everything prepped ahead of time and have excellent mise en place to plate up your dishes quickly.

You will also have ten minutes of each set-up and clean-up time.

Communicate your ideas with me and I will give you honest feedback.

I will help lead you down the right path, but that is only if you ask questions. I will not give you all the answers, though. Communicate with me when you have questions and we'll figure it out together.

"A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe." - Thomas Keller

We are starting a new group competition where the class will be split into two teams. Your teams will be battling head to head in a "Plated Dessert" inspired food battle. Over the next few weeks, your teams will be creating a dessert that could be served at a high-quality restaurant (something between high-end fine dining and a casual restaurant). The only rule is that you must make something delicious, balanced with flavors/textures, and visually appealing.

RULES (subject to change):

You must use seasonal ingredients (things that grow in the winter time).

Ask Chef Sepehr if you have any questions about availability of ingredients.

You must choose cooking techniques that are possible in our classroom kitchen (I can't buy new equipment).

The price of the dish must be realistic. It cannot be too high or too low. Ask Chef Sepehr if that doesn't make sense.

Other than that cook whatever you want.

On the competition day, your team will be split between presenters and cooks. Half your team will do a presentation detailing the specifics of your dish, while your kitchen team will prepare the dessert within a ten minute time frame.

Everyone on your team MUST have a role

Points will be deducted for serving your dish late

Points will be deducted for safety/sanitation errors

You have ten minutes to set up, ten minutes to cook, and ten minutes to clean

GRADING (100 points total):

Your whole team will receive the same grade based on your performance/execution

The winning team will get an extra 10 points added to their overall score

The grading Criteria will be 50 points for your presentation/preparation and 50 points for the judges tasting:

Presentation of idea: 10 points

How well you can explain your dish and the idea behind it.

Visual aides will help

Selection of ingredients and cooking techniques: 10 points

Are your ingredients seasonal? Do your cooking techniques work well with each ingredient?

Costing: 10 points

Chef Sepehr will help you with this. You are going to compile the cost of all your ingredients and find a cost per portion. Using that cost, you will find a selling price at 33% Food Cost.

Ordering/Prep Lists: 10 points

You will write order lists telling me EXACTLY what ingredients you need. You will write prep lists telling me EXACTLY what prep needs to be done and in what order. I will help guide you with this as well.

Mise En Place List: 10 points

You will write a list of all the equipment you need to cook your dish and what you need it for. You will be graded on the accuracy of this list. If I have to use equipment that is not on your list, I will deduct points.

Flavor: 10 points

Judge will determine the overall deliciousness of your dish.

Texture: 10 points

Judge will determine how enjoyable the texture of your dish is.

Appearance: 10 points

Judge will determine if your dish is visually appealing.

Value: 10 points

Judge will determine if your dish is worth the price you are charging for it.

Presentation: 10 points

Judge will determine how effectively you are able to explain the idea of the dish.

Things to consider:

You are in charge of distributing tasks between your team. One person can do all the work, or you can distribute it evenly into teams. This is how it works in the "business world". Make the best decision for your team.

You are in charge of your own schedule. You may create any type of communication between your teammates to keep the conversation going outside of school. It's 100% up to you.

You will be graded honestly. I won't be overly critical or overly lenient. If you put in the work, you will do fine. If you don't get your work done, it will negatively affect your whole team. This is the reality of the restaurant business. You're only as good as the dish you put up. Do your best.

I will ensure that the judges are not-overly critical as well. You will be graded fairly throughout the whole process.

You will only have ten minutes of cooking time. However, you can prep your dish however you want, so that the actual cooking on competition day is expedited. You'll want to have everything prepped ahead of time and have excellent mise en place to plate up your dishes quickly.

You will also have ten minutes of each set-up and clean-up time.

Communicate your ideas with me and I will give you honest feedback.

I will help lead you down the right path, but that is only if you ask questions. I will not give you all the answers, though. Communicate with me when you have questions and we'll figure it out together.

"A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe." - Thomas Keller