Article by Debra Freeman with photography by Fitz
Combine popular cooking competition shows such as The Taste and Chopped, and the outcome is the Culinary Institute of Virginia’s annual Perfect Pairing competition taking place on July 27 where faculty and alumni are paired with current students to create dishes in three timed rounds. The event is one of the many unique opportunities that is integral to the student experience at CIV, and this signature challenge marries the simultaneously creative and educational culture that exists on campus.
Perfect Pairing competitor and CIV alumnus Jonathan O’Brien at CIV
In the first round, students are challenged to create a bite of food that encapsulates each component of their meal, and this singular bite determines who will advance in the competition. In round two, each student is paired with either a faculty member or a CIV graduate and given a mystery basket of ingredients to prepare an appetizer. The final round also uses unknown ingredients, and the remaining participants have 45 minutes to prepare a one of a kind dish. In the past, competitors have found everything from lime jello to durian fruit in the basket to cook with.
Program Director Dave Miller has participated in all of the Perfect Pairing competitions, and says “I don’t consider myself as competitive. This really suits me because I get to work with students. I just love it.”
CIV graduate Jonathan O’Brien, who also participated in the challenge as a student, will return and compete as an alumnus, and doesn’t dwell on the competitive nature of the event either; “There’s no reason to stress. This industry is high stress already…let’s just have fun.”
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Through the competition, students have an opportunity to learn how to work under pressure and to receive valuable feedback on their plates, and winners of the competition will be awarded scholarships. Current CIV student Ahmard Neely was recruited to compete in Perfect Pairing, and noted this competition mirrors his experience at CIV; “It’s been so wonderful to learn every aspect of cooking here, and hard work pays off. This [challenge] is just like that.”
Perfect Pairing competitor and CIV student Ahmard Neely at CIV
The Perfect Pairing competition takes place on July 27 at The Culinary Institute of Virginia’s Norfolk campus, located at 2428 Almeda Avenue, Suite 106 at 10:30 a.m. To learn more about CIV, visit https://www.ecpi.edu/college-of-culinary-arts.
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