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Nyammings and Jammins

Published:Thursday | October 24, 2013 | 12:00 AM
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Sixteen-year-old Shadae James shows off her winning chicken potato cook-up.
Executive chef at the Grand Palladium and Taste of Jamaica Champion Chef, Ernest Levy, conducts a food-carving demonstration.
Shadae James' winning chicken potato cook-up dish in the St James 4-H Nyammins and Jammins cook-off. - PhotoS by Claudia Gardner
Kimmario Lewis' chicken stew placed second.
The sweet and sour pepper cup by Oral Samuels of St James High School was third.
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Claudia Gardner, Assignment Coordinator

WESTERN BUREAU:

Sixteen-year-old Shadae James emerged winner of the patrons cook-off at the St James 4-H Club's Nyammings and Jammins food festival on Monday.

The event was held at Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre in Montego Bay on Heroes Day. James was one of four 4-H clubbites who entered the competition.

Kimmario Lewis, 16, of St James High School, placed second; 17-year-old Shashieka Fairclough of the Westmoreland 4-H Club placed third; while Oral Samuels, also 16, of St James High School, placed fourth.

"I have been in the 4-H Club since ninth grade and now I am in 11th grade. I feel very elated to be the winner because I was nervous at first, but when I heard I came first, I was happy. I cook at home every day; I love to cook, and I have been cooking since primary school," said James, who is also president of the Herbert Morrison Technical High School's 4-H Club.

The four competitors were provided with ingredients including sweet pepper, sweet corn, cucumbers, carrots, and condiments, including bullion cubes, cock soup and soy sauce, and the main ingredients - chicken breasts and sweet potatoes, to prepare dishes of their choice.

"She came out on top with presentation, and she also came out on top with taste. Her meal is balanced. It is not salty; it is not fresh," said chief judge and parish development officer of the Trelawny 4-H Clubs, Natanish Hines.

Newly crowned Taste of Jamaica's Chef of the Year Ernest Levy, of Grand Palladium in Hanover, was also part of the three-member judging panel. He told The Gleaner that he was impressed with the output by the quartet.

"The four competitors did a very good job. They used all the ingredients to get the best flavour out. However, all dishes tasted different, even though they used the same ingredients, and that demonstrates that they used different cooking techniques," Levy said. "A couple of the dishes were a bit salty; however, there was good flavour and balance in the dishes. I think they did a good job. Some of them gave their dishes names, so there was a lot of thought going into it."