I had the opportunity to judge a cooking contest last week for FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America).  It was my first time as a judge at a live competition.  It took place at Kendall College and the competitors were very nervous high school students.

The task was to prepare a series of fairly simple dishes — a salad, a side dish, an entrée and a dessert.  The students were teamed up with other students they had not previously met.

The big “aha moment” for me was seeing a very real example of how stress can make smart, well intentioned people make very bad decisions — trying to make pastry cream in a sauté pan or starting to work before you have a plan of action or even worse, forgetting the basics like washing your hands.

Overall, the competition didn’t yield the results the sponsors were hoping for but it did yield a lot of teachable moments for the kids.   Be prepared, be nice to the people around you and never forget to take the time to breathe.