"Dueling Chefs" fundraiser declared a success

EPCC Marketing

Special to Tejano Tribune

El Paso Community College Culinary Arts Department, along with the EPCC Foundation, presented 'Dueling Chefs' Thursday, featuring Campus Deans Chef Daniel Guerra and Chef Rick Webb in what was called a friendly culinary competition to benefit EPCC Culinary Arts department student scholarships.

But without question, the tongs were off as the two went plate-to-plate at the Culinary Arts restaurant location.

The chefs worked with two different teams of eight Culinary Arts students at EPCC's THIRTEENO9 Restaurant. The dinner also featured a social hour, kitchen tours by the EPCC Travel and Tourism department students in every kitchen, brewery and wine tasting, different arrays of food, pastries, oils, sauces, and live music. 

“It's actually a lot of fun to get out of the classroom setting, I enjoy it a lot," Dayanara Reyes, a second-year pastry student demonstrating vanilla extract for patrons of the event, said. “I'm pastry and she (Dania) is culinary, and we do not get to interact a lot, but for events like this, it's great to reconnect and talk about what we have learned." “I love these events, it's time consuming but very much worth it because you get to bounce ideas off of one another," Dania Armendariz, a second-year culinary student at EPCC said. “I like to see the difference in skill sets, like culinary is very fast paced, slightly messier, and others are not so much, so this is a rewarding experience."

Each chef showcased their signature style, culinary artistry, and passion for the plate. The Red Team, featuring Chef Guerra and his team, made crabcakes with homemade aioli, asparagus spears, and wilted greens for the first course. The second course was mesquite-smoked short rib topped with apricot and ancho chile sauce, served over a double-baked potato, with brussel sprouts and baby vegetables. The Dessert consisted of a Bavarois Torte with beauvau and cold-smoked mango, cinnamon, and jalapeno gelee.

“This is such a wonderful evening and a great opportunity for EPCC students," Executive Director of the EPCC Foundation Dr. Dolores Gross said. “We're so proud to showcase our culinary expert chefs, our students, and their talents. They've been working on this for weeks, so we're very proud."

The Blue Team, led by Chef Webb and his students, made a classic THIRTEENO9 salad, followed by a Cherry Bourbon braised short rib with demiglace atop sauteed field greens, accompanied by garlic and herb red potatoes, and a roasted vegetable medley. The final plate was a Torta Dulce de Chaja – vanilla cake with peach infused simple syrup, sweet peaches, and meringue for dessert.

“We try to get these students as much real-life experience as we can," Chef and Dean Rick Webb said. “So, they can couple that with the theory they learn in the classroom, and then apply it in these types of settings. I am so proud of them tonight, and we're so grateful that the community supports these students and this program like they do."

Chef Webb enjoyed a final event at EPCC as he is retiring later this year. Webb joined EPCC in January 2000, later serving as director of the Culinary Arts department, and currently Dean at the Transmountain campus. Meanwhile, Chef Guerra started as a Culinary Arts student under Webb in 2001, later following him as Director, and currently is a Dean at the Valle Verde campus.

For more information on the EPCC Culinary Arts department, please visit: https://www.epcc.edu/Academics/CulinaryArts