OCC chefs to compete in three-day culinary contest

A team of five OCC culinary students will take to Las Vegas July 14 to compete in the nation’s biggest collegiate cooking event, the American Culinary Federation competition.

The Pirates have fared well in the past — taking first place in 2006 and winning the Western Regional in 2004 and 2007 — and look to put their best cooking skills on display during the three-day event.

The team has been practicing by holding taste tests for participants at the school’s on-campus restaurant, the Captain’s Table.

Led by instructor Bill Barber, the squad’s menu features items like cauliflower puree, Poulet Sauté Bercy and white peach Bavarian atop almond cake for dessert.

— Jack Salisbury