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Stop for Gambas
Stop for Gambas
Final product of my Gambas Al Ajillo that I presented to the judges
Menu wars was definitely a process. Some of it was fun and some of it was on the harder side. When we found out about the project I was very excited to compete against my classmates and I really wanted to win.
A picture of my first draft of my dish sketch
The first part of this assignment was to come up with the food that I wanted to make. This was an easy task for me. My overall Food Lit. theme is tapas. Tapas are traditional spanish meals that are defined as small bites of food. At first, I was deciding between Patatas Bravas and Gambas al Ajillo. I talked to Chef Gans and Chef Becca and both of them immediately chose Gambas Al Ajillo. I agreed with their decision because I knew this dish would come out tasting amazing and would have the best flavor. The picking of this dish was very easy and I thought that it would be much harder.
The day after we chose our dishes we found out our teams, we practiced making our dishes. I was a little bit worried about my team because my team was filled with people who are easily distracted but as time continued this worry slightly disappeared. I was also less stressed after I practiced making the dish in class. It came out so good and I, MAYBE, had two shrimp because my friends came to taste my meal and when I came back to it, it was all gone.
Practice of my dish
First and final draft of the menu
In english we started working on our menu and it was a very difficult process. This was because I missed one of the classes for an AP exam and I was behind on some of the aspects of the project. As well, my group had gotten behind on the day that I was not there, so it was difficult to get my group back on track. At that point I was very worried about the product of the menu creation because not a lot of my group members had their dish description done. My description had been done on time and it was perfect. Chef Gans said I added everything to it that was needed for it. The first draft of our menu was interesting but it was a draft. When we finally got to the final draft I was very happy with the outcome because it was exactly what I wanted it to be. I was colorful and had airplanes that explained why my group was called Stop Over. The reason why we were called Stop Over was because our dishes all came from different parts of the world and we were stopping all around the world for different flavors.
The prep day was really good and low stress. I prepped my shrimp by marinating them in different seasonings and put them in the fridge so they were ready for me on cook day. As well, I got my dishes cleaned and made the tables up with Chef's help in the dining room. The prep day was good for my team to get ourselves together and make sure we know what we are doing for the actual presentations.
Shrimp after being prepped
Then the day arrived. It was menu wars time and I was very excited. I got straight to work when I walked in the door and was very ready for the competition. Making my dish was very easy because I knew exactly how to make my dish. I had no problems when I was making my dish and I was able to help my teammates get their dishes done and serve them. When I presented my dish I was a little nervous and could have gone into a lot more detail of the dish, but I think that the judges were impressed by my presentation. I was very proud of how my plate looked because it looked so professional. I helped serve and clear all of my team mates' plates from the judges. I learned the right way to serve a plate and I helped explain it to all of my teammates so it was more professional. The clean up went very smoothly and everyone pitched into make sure we finished before the bell. At the end of the day, I felt very good about my team and I thought my team was definitely going to win.
Prep of my meal
Garlic cooking in pan with olive oil
Shrimp after being cooked
My plates that I am very proud of
The day after menu wars we got our feedback back as well as the results of the competition. Stop Over Won! I was so happy and in addition the feedback that I received was that everything was perfect about my meal. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the sauce had just the right amount of everything. I am so proud of myself and my team and I am so happy that I was able to be a part of this experience. This experience has taught me that there might always be a rocky start to a group project but in the end everybody will pull through.
Recipe can be found here
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