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Paula Deen, Culinary Students Team for "Party Challenge"
April 9,
2013 by in UnCategorized 
By Home Furnishings Business in on April 10, 2013
Food celebrity Paula Deen and Guilford Technical Community College culinary students are teaming for a centerpiece design competition at High Point Furniture Market.
"Paulas Great Party Challenge," set for Sunday, April 21, 3 p.m. at the High Point Theatre, should present a mix of drama, creativity and pressure.
Deen will host the event along with Eric Chilton, host, anchor and meteorologist for the Good Morning Show on WFMY News 2 in Greensboro, N.C.
Im sure that many of the students participating in the competition got their love of cooking by watching their mothers, fathers and even grandmothers in the kitchen, similar to my boys who spent a great deal of time helping me, says Paula Deen. Holidays and other family celebrations are such special times for everyone. I cant wait to see the finished works of edible art. I know we are sure to be entertained.
The 18 students currently enrolled in Chef L.J. Rushs second level culinary skills course at GTCC have been divided into five teams for the competition. Each team will design and prepare an edible centerpiece inspired by one of five family parties.
Over the many hours of practice, each team member took on a specific role in the centerpiece creation, says Chef Rush, interim department chair of the School of Culinary and Hospitality Management at GTCC. In some ways, it is like a choreographed dance, since each step needs to follow the next in a logical order. Students have spent a combined 360 hours practicing for this competition since they will have under an hour to put their centerpieces together. There is little room for error.
The five party themes are New Years Eve, graduation, a childs birthday party, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.
"On the Horizon" celebrates New Years Eve with a sculpture consisting of a tree representing the upcoming year with 2014 spelled out, bordered by numbers for the current year of 2013 and a rising sun over it all. It will be made of pulled sugar, poured sugar, deco sugar and gummy bears. The team members are Emeka Anumba, Nitaya Blakeney and William Frasier.
"Success" honors graduation with a large chest of drawers on top of which will be a graduation cap as well as other items found on a grads nightstand the night before graduation such as keys, phone and a wallet. There will be a sash across the dresser honoring different area schools. The chest and items will be composed of flour, salt, water and egg white. The team includes Matthew Capozio, Jacob Gordon, Johnny Layton and Tim Thompson.
"Lil Rascals" celebrates a childs birthday with a red wagon featuring a clown and many gifts inside for the childs party. Ingredients are pastillage, rice cereal and royal icing. The student teammates are Nadine Elie, Alycia Flynt and Megan Searcy.
"Red Hot Freedom" pays tribute to the Fourth of July with a carved eagle and American flag. The word Freedom will be inscribed overhead along with fireworks. The centerpiece will be carved out of fruits and vegetables including watermelon, cantaloupe and squash. The four students on this team are Zachary Foster, Amanda Hart, Shaina Jenkins and Jerry Marsh.
"Wild Turkey" celebrates the Thanksgivings of yesteryear by showcasing a wild turkey with colorful feathers in a corn field along with a miniature pilgrim getting ready to go hunting, made of marzipan. This team of four is made up of Rahshar Darden, Reginal Harris, Shakera Reed and Willie Simms Jr.
The Culinary Arts curriculum at GTCC provides students with specific training required for positions as trained culinary professionals in a variety of food service settings, including full service restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, catering operations, contract food service and health care facilities.
Students in this competition come from as far away as Haiti. Some are new cooks while others are looking to hone their skills. Their long-term goals range from owning a restaurant or a bakery to operating catering services and food delivery services.
The event, which is only open to attendees of the High Point Furniture Market, is sponsored by the High Point Market Authority with Universal Furniture.