Rossi Student Earns Top Chef Recognition

Rossi Elementary School student Paul “Paulie” Coia created the winning recipe in the recent Vineland Public School’s “Top Chef” contest. He made “Paulie’s Cluck-Tastic Tacos,” a chicken cutlet inspired twist on a classic taco.

Top chefs from the district’s elementary schools donned signature white hats and jackets and prepared their custom creations for an enthusiastic live audience and attentive judges at Wallace Middle School. The students submitted dozens of recipes featuring healthy, creative dishes. One semi-finalist was selected from each school.

The Future Chef competition is sponsored by Sodexo, the district’s food service provider and is in its 13th year. Final judging was based on health-conscious ingredients; simple, kid-friendly preparation; taste; and best table presentation.

The judges were Board of Education President Cedric Holmes and board members Rob Buono and Donna Perez They scored each dish on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.

In addition to keeping his chef jacket and hat, Coia received a cookbook, a cookware set, and additional cooking tools. All participants were awarded certificates and had the opportunity to keep their chef uniforms in recognition of their efforts and creativity.

The event recording can be found on our official district YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/WQjQ5A26hrA.