Student earns top scholarship prize

Fred Horstman, a student at Newton Senior High School, has been accepted to Le Cordon Bleu in Minneapolis, Minn., earning the top scholarship prize of $5,000 in the school’s annual cook-off competition.

Students first write an essay answering the question “What culinary memory will make you get up at 6 a.m. when there is a foot of snow on the ground and come into class?” Writers of the top 10 essays were chosen for a cook-off on April 21. Each student had to make a strip steak, a starch and a vegetable dish in one hour using only the ingredients in the kitchen. A list was sent to each student to allow them to practice.

During the competition, they were judged on the taste, presentation, food temperature, cleanliness in the kitchen, organization and other criteria. Horstman earned the top prize for his New York Strip in wine sauce, Rissole potatoes and spinach salad with candied oranges.

The scholarship will be awarded for his second year at the school.