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Newark

High school students show their 'Chops' in reality cooking show

2025-02-06

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A group of students in New Jersey are putting their culinary skills to the test in a new high school reality cooking show called "Newark Chops."

The show teaches students how to handle the fast-paced atmosphere of a kitchen while they compete for a cash prize.

The stars of the show are students from Newark Vocational High School's Culinary Arts Academy.

Chef John Calache is their teacher and host of the show.

"They'll only go as far as you push them," he said. "To work under that pressure, under that time constraint that helped them reach so much more of their potential."

Nine upper-level students are split into three-person teams.

Creativity, timing and execution are closely watched by judges, like local celebrated chef Jesse Jones.

"They made some interesting things. I was happy to taste that after I saw it executed," Jones said.

"I have to say, they were all equally as good, but so creative because one team was making a plantain waffle, one person was crusting the cup with rice crispy treats," Calache said.

The show challenged the students' patience.

"They really took it head on, honestly. We would sit and talk, like 'how do you think you did, what could you do better tomorrow, so we really took it as a learning opportunity to prepare them for the work force, and teach them just how to deal with stress," said Newark Vocational High School's Culinary Arts Academy Principal Karisa Neis-Lopez.

The training helped one student named Luis earn a spot at the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

"I was pretty ecstatic about it. I like making dishes for people. Cooking is a way for me to express myself," he said.

Watch "Newark Chops" here.

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