Newsroom

Teen Battle Chef co-sponsor Councilman Brad Lander asks questions of the participants while Lyn Hill, Vice President for Communication and External Affairs at NYM

With physical activity and nutrition identified as a health priority in New York Methodist Hospital's (NYM) Community Service Plan, the Hospital recently partnered with Councilman Brad Lander to produce Teen Battle Chef, a program created with the goal of reshaping teens' approach to food and nutrition, while teaching them culinary skills.

Competitors from "Team Diversity." Left to right, Jessica Cantor, Lissette Rivas, Woody Gaston, Brandon Biscotti, and Kiana Hamilton.

The eight-week Teen Battle Chef program, based in the former John Jay High School building, which is located just north of the NYM campus, included hands-on training in the kitchen as well as cooking competitions. The students, who competed in two teams, were selectively chosen from the schools housed at the John Jay building. Each of the weekly contests featured a different "all-star" judging panel composed of community leaders, local restaurant owners, former Battle Chef contestants and New York Methodist employees.

Student chefs John Carter and Liliana Garita from "Team Numero Uno."

At the end of April, students from Park Slope Collegiate, Millennium/Brooklyn and the Secondary School for Law, three of the four schools housed in the John Jay building, gathered in NYM's cafeteria for the program's final competition. The students' enthusiasm for cooking shone through in the delicious, healthy dishes they prepared, and as judges heaped praise on all competitors, it was clear that Teen Battle Chef had been a great success.

Winners of Teen Battle Chef's final round Woody Gaston, Brandon Biscotti, Lissette Rivas, Tekiyah Newton and Kiana Hamilton