Milton Students Take Part in ‘Iron Chef Jr.’ Competition

Young, aspiring chefs took part in a cook-off competition recently in Milton.

Professional chefs, local officials and 20 elementary students in Milton prepared meals in "Iron Chef Jr." Oct. 21.

As part of an ongoing effort by the Milton Public School Food Service program and Director Jacqueline Morgan, the event sought to expose students to new and exciting food choices in order to help students establish healthier eating habits. The funding for the program came from a grant provided by Mass Action for Healthy Kids, a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving better nutrition in schools and fighting childhood obesity.

Twenty elementary school students, divided into six teams, prepared a meal from a “secret basket” of ingredients. Led by one of the six local chefs, each team prepared a school lunch and served it to the judges. The panel of “celebrity judges” included Superintendent Mary Gormley, Milton High School Principal James Jette, Milton Police Chief Richard Wells, State Representative Walter Timilty, and DESE Director of Nutrition Program and Services Katie Millet.

Among the cast of local chefs included Tony DiRienzo of Abby Park, Suzanne Lombardi of The Plate, Meghan Thompson of Steel & Rye, Lauren Barone of Seasoned Palette Catering, Stephanie McFadden of Cooking In With Stephanie and Alex Tillotson of Whole Foods in Dedham. The winning team, self-titled “Team Awesome”, was headed by Steel & Rye Chef Meghan Thompson.