Two Young ACCC Chefs Just Cooked Their Way to $7,500 Scholarships

Two freshmen in the Atlantic Cape Community College's Culinary Arts Program (ACA) won $7,500 scholarships during the annual Vincent DeFinis Restaurant Gala Scholarship cooking competition.

The contest, held on Friday, September 25, at the College’s Mays Landing campus, featured six freshman students – three baking & pastry and three culinary – competing for the two scholarships.

During the cooking competition, Payton Sinou selected a multi–generational dessert for her quick bread baking & pastry submission.

Along with Jazmin de La Rosa Andujar, they both earned a $7,500 scholarship, provided by the Atlantic Cape Foundation, that will help cover tuition and fees for one of their ACA program semesters.

Payton Sinou Made a Family Recipe Pumpkin Bread

Payton Sinou, from Toms River, made her great-grandmother Wilma’s pumpkin bread with cinnamon cream cheese frosting recipe.

Payton said she grew up having the bread, which her grandmother, mother, and aunts had perfected over the years. And now Peyton has, too.

After her win, Sinou spoke about why she selected such a time–honored recipe for this competition and what receiving this scholarship means to her. “Winning this scholarship means the absolute world to me because my dream is to open my own bakery one day, and that's a financial burden.

So, by this scholarship being awarded to me, it makes me not have to pay as much for college, so I can put that money towards opening my own bakery one day.”

“I wanted to dedicate this to my great-grandmother by making it because I never ever got to meet her. I make this recipe like 10 times every single fall. We have always made it ever since I was little. I would make it with my mom, my grandmothers made it every single year, and my aunts make it every year as well. Over the generations, it’s continued to be passed down.”

 De La Rosa Andujar Prepared a Roasted Tomato Bisque with Sun-dried Tomato Bread

The competition's other winner, Jazmin De La Rosa Andujar, a Galloway resident who graduated from Absegami High School and studied culinary arts there for four years under ACA alumni Chef Erin Adaaczik and Chef Christina Martin, has had a lifelong passion for cooking.

De La Rosa Andujar thanked her mom for giving her the love of baking.

My mom always inspired me to be creative and she never held me back from that. Two years ago, she got me into baking, which wasn't my field, but she got me into baking cakes and then I started selling them. Now, I have a small home–based business in Galloway where I sell the cakes,” said de La Rosa Andujar.

She created a delicious roasted tomato bisque with sun-dried tomato bread for her culinary hot food submission. For inspiration, De La Rosa Andujar used a class research paper on farm-to-table cooking, how to create a simple dish, and how chefs elevate the finished product.

De La Rosa talked about the importance of the scholarship prize.

“It means so much to me because this is something I am dedicated to. I have always disciplined myself to get myself somewhere with cooking because I want to become a private chef one day. That's my dream, while continuing my business and expanding my knowledge.”

How the Competition Worked

The six freshman students – three baking & pastry and three culinary – competing for the two scholarships on this day were judged on their dishes’ taste, texture, portion size, presentation, utilization of the ingredients, and culinary technique.

Each student had two hours to prepare their dish and 10 minutes to serve for the judges. They were also expected to keep their workstations organized and clean throughout the process while focused on maintaining sound and safe standards and practices.

Judges for this year’s competition included Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Specialty Chef Denise Percoskie, a 1997 ACA alumna, and Atlantic Cape Digital Communications Manager Yasmin Razzaq.