For the second year in a row, a team of Ulster BOCES Culinary Arts students have been named New York State ProStart champions. The team faced off against schools in New York and Vermont during the prestigious New York State Restaurant Association Education Foundation's 2017 ProStart Competition, which took place at Monroe College in New Rochelle on March 24 and 25.

In addition to the championship title, the team also received $5,000 to help cover expenses to compete in the National ProStart Invitational on April 28-30 in Charleston, S.C.

Also, the students –Maya Gray of Saugerties High School; Greta Gottardello of Onteora High School; and Joshua Charles, Ryan Matulewich, and Troy Miller, all of Kingston High School– each received scholarship offers of varying amounts from The Culinary Institute of America, SUNY Cobleskill, The Culinary Institute of New York at Monroe College, Schenectady Community College, and Tomkins Cortland Community College Foundation.

As part of the culinary competition, the students had 60 minutes to prepare a three-course meal using only two butane burners and no running water or electricity. The team was evaluated on criteria that included taste, knife skills, safety, sanitation, and teamwork. The students' meal was comprised of a Spicy Shrimp and Calamari Salad, Vietnamese Pork, and a Lemon Trio dessert.

Ulster BOCES instructors Linda Carter, Irene Powell, and Victor Arnao guided the team in the competition.

Gray, whose team won the state competition in 2016, says this year's meal was more elaborate than last year's submission. "This year was shrimp and calamari intricately plated and a dessert that had seven components," says the senior, who has been accepted to both the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson & Wales University. Gray says that although challenging, the experience has added to her professional repertoire. "It helps you think of different ways to improvise, like if you don't have electricity you can do something different." It also gave the senior a "flavor" for what it's like working in different types of kitchens. "It gave you a sense of what it's like to work in tight quarters," she said.

Career & Technical Center Principal Dean Lucera was impressed with his students' performance. "We are very proud of this team and their instructors for their hard work and dedication to getting their recipes right. We were able to watch them grow and work closely on their own time after school to perfect their work."