Food Truck Wars: CPS students battle for the best food truck recipe

Josue Cervantes figured out to prepare dinner from the women in his loved ones. His mom shared recipes from her mom and his grandmother shared his excellent-grandmother’s recipes. Now, Josue wishes to open up his own cafe someday.

“I’ve often explained to (my mom) that I want to provide back again hidden gems that are not truly represented listed here in the United States and that are usually uncovered in Mexico,” reported Josue, 17. “I want to … carry out new flavors and deliver out a new palette into people so they could have a minimal bit of an insight of what Mexico truly is.”

Josue has been refining his techniques via CPS’s Profession and Technical Education and learning Method at North-Grand High College, 4338 W. Wabansia Ave. in Humboldt Park.

The complex application usually takes lessons from each day classes, this kind of as math and science, to offer teaching in genuine-planet workplaces, like the culinary and hospitality fields.

“If they go to culinary artwork faculty or any other pathway, the techniques they’re studying are transferable and precious to our learners,” stated Sherry Franklin, CPS Instructional Assist Professional.

On Friday, Josue and a team of five some others shown some of these competencies at a meals truck-themed competition versus 3 other universities.

Each individual college pitched small business plans for a truck along with a menu. Then, they made available samples, which the students experienced cooked that morning at university.

Manley Career Academy’s Burrito Newborn truck highlighted breakfast burrito bowls Roberto Clemente School’s truck, named Things It, presented hen gyros. North-Grand decided to perform up 90’s toddlers nostalgia.

“We needed to bring back some hidden reminiscences locked inside of us teenagers and older people,” mentioned Josue. He said the intention was to evoke the experience of seeing cartoons on a Saturday early morning. So they produced The Krusty Sponge, showcasing SpongeBob SquarePants-inspired krabby patties (a veggie burger marketed in the cartoon).

That effort and hard work attained North-Grand honors for most effective meals truck design, for their colorful burgers and lemonade, as perfectly as ideal pitch.

But it was Vaughn Occupational’s huge range of ice lotions — hand-churned and manufactured with herbs from their hydroponic back garden — that won greatest recipe.

Judges integrated reps from close to the culinary business, together with Hill Food items Solutions Consulting, Aramark Foodstuff Solutions and Everfi, which offers a program in which students operate a simulated meals truck.

“One detail I was seeking for was the depth of believed that went into the notion they required to deliver to this food stuff truck,” said Jonathan Barnes, a decide from Everfi. “Food vehicles are tremendous well known so we had been seeking for actually impressive ideas, but also definitely terrific foodstuff.”

Barnes explained the ice product from Vaughn was some of the finest he’d at any time tasted.

“You can taste the entertaining that they experienced generating it and the really hard perform they set into discovering the proper stability and the appropriate mixtures,” he said.

Anthony McPhee, software director at Occupations through Culinary Arts Systems, was shocked the students experienced hand-churned the ice cream.

“It preferences delightful,” he stated. “This would quickly be a $3 to $5 bowl. And they have their personal backyard garden — which is a superior instance of farm-to-table proper there.”

Anna City from Everfi urged the pupils to search for out more chances to get included in the culinary arts discipline. “Keep hoping and keep functioning on it. It’s this kind of a rewarding occupation industry that I feel like all these children could actually do nicely in.”

Numerous college students on Friday shared tales identical to Josue’s. Vaughn’s Gustavo Patino, 22, turned fascinated in culinary right after watching his mother cook for the loved ones. Tatianna Bowlton, 17, from Clemente, made use of to follow her grandfather all-around in the kitchen area. And Antonio Anderson, 17, who attends Manley, explained his mom applied to talk to for his support when he was small.

That is why Tatianna mentioned there ended up no challenging thoughts toward the winners.

“We’re nevertheless proud,” claimed Tatianna, introducing that Friday was a lot more about the expertise than strolling away with a prize.

But she and all the other students ended up astonished when Dr. Brian Hill, owner of Hill Food Support Consulting, reported they would each individual get $100 to obtain monogrammed chef’s jackets.

“I want a pink a single,” Tatianna reported, laughing.