Plainfield Central to host Sodexho's Culinary Celebration

Forks and flames will fly at Plainfield High School-Central Campus on Tuesday, May 9, when the school plays host to a "Culinary Celebration." Sodexho, the food service provider for Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202, will serve as the host for the event, which will be a competition in the vein of the Food Network's "Iron Chef." Joining District 202 in the competition will be representatives from the East Aurora, Hinsdale, Lyons Township, New Trier and St. Charles school districts.

Each team will have five participants - individuals who ordinarily prepare school lunches - and will be required to prepare an entrée, side dish and salad. The cooks will arrive at 2 p.m. to begin preparing their dishes, and each team will be given a mystery item they must incorporate into one of their dishes. At 5 p.m., guests from each school district will be allowed to sample the food.

Judging will be done by representatives from Sodexho and other guests. Dessert will be prepared by students in the WILCO culinary arts program.

District 202's representatives will include Plainfield Central's John Riley, Indian Trail Middle School's Judy Hook and Diana Woloszyk, and Timber Ridge Middle School's Pam Kurzawa and Kerry Nilsen. They will prepare fig stuffed pork loin with balsamic fig reduction, warm truffled Yukon gold potato salad and goat cheese pear salad with pancetta and peppered pecans.

Plainfield Central is located at 24120 W. Fort Beggs Drive in Plainfield.

For more information, contact District 202 Food Service Director Eloise Sopka.