Spring Break
Students face off in culinary contest
Natalie Tosh
Issue date: 2/8/08 Section: News
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The two seniors, Erik Silverman and Rachel Orner, were up against culinary students from Johnson and Wales-Charlotte as well as the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Orner, whose dish was a winter duck confit with foie gras and crispy leeks, said she was in Brussels when Drexel told her she was selected for the competition and was therefore inspired by French cooking; she has also always had an affinity for French cuisine.
"My favorite dishes to create are ones using classic French ingredients and styles of cooking. I appreciate that these traditions have impacted culinary arts so greatly and are still being widely used today," Orner said.
She plans on continuing her work at Alison at Blue Bell right outside of Philadelphia. Orner began her culinary career after "seeing how much my cooking could make people happy."
"Knowing that my food affected others gave me such gratification," Orner said.
The other Drexel competitor, Silverman, cooked a pan-seared black sea bass with fennel, with leek ravioli and a ruby grapefruit champagne emulsion. He started his college career off as an engineering student, and after the first semester decided to go with a major he found more enjoyable - culinary studies.
Silverman was a participant last year and said that he has gained a lot of experience from the Almost Famous competition. His recipe was created from "inspirations I found in different books and complementary flavors," Silverman said.
According to Silverman, he picked sea bass because it "tells you when it's done," compared to meat, which can be more temperamental. Silverman added a personal touch from using eggs straight from his father's UPS route.
Recently, Silverman has been interning at Rats Restaurant in Trenton, N.J.
Upon graduating, he said he plans on continuing his studies to develop better as a cook. Eventually, he would like to start a restaurant or catering service with his colleagues.
The winner of the competition, Heather Tidwell of Johnson and Wales University, will receive a $10,000 cash prize as well as a year-long job opportunity to work with a nationally recognized chef. She will also fly out to Napa Valley, Calif., for the finals to compete in three events: the Harvest Mystery Basket, Signature Dish, and People's Choice Tasting Gala.
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