Chef cooks her way to Olympics
FERNDALE - Teacher and chef will go to Germany to represent South Africa in the Culinary Olympics with her pastry skills.
A teacher and pastry chef at the HTA School of Culinary Art in Ferndale, was chosen to be the sixth member of the South African team that will represent the country in the Culinary Olympics Germany.
Minette Smith, who succeeded in a number of selection processes, will now travel to Erfurt in Germany in October. She explained that there is a number of skills that each chef must have in order to be chosen to compete.
Smith said that she is one of two pastry chefs in the team and will be responsible for the plated desserts on the cold table challenge. “I have to display six different types of desserts. If one dessert has mousse in it then the other one can’t have mousse,” explained Smith. These desserts are only for display and won’t be eaten by the judges.
On the second day of the competition, there will be a “restaurants of the nation” competition.
“Visitors choose what team’s food they want to have.” The teams will have to prepare a three-course meal for 110 people, but four plates go to the judges. “It is so much pressure already and then you don’t know which plates go to the judges,” said Smith.
Smith added that the six South African chefs have already practiced for two years as a team. They practice once a month. Smith graduated from Warwick’s Chef School in Hermanus in 2008, after which she went to London for a year. She worked alongside chef, David Higgs and gained a lot of experience. “He is my mentor,” said Smith.
Smith said that she prefers pastry as there is a science involved. “You must understand the science as well as respect the ingredients. One ingredient can make or break the end product,” said Smith. Her favorite dessert is carrot cake. “I can eat cake for days,” concluded Smith.
For the fifth time, Erfurt in Germany will be the home of culinary art for four days from 22 – 25 October as it hosts the IKA/Culinary Olympics. The four-day olympics will take place at The Erfurt Exhibition Centre. A total of 45 nations will take part in this professional competition.
Details: HTA School of Culinary Art, 011 285 0916.
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