The heat is on as Kearny High School presents its first Culinary Arts Food Wars Competition Wednesday, April 9, 2025.
The event, co-sponsored by the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone, will showcase student chefs competing in teams to prepare the best dish in a themed, timed cooking competition. The challenge: Risotto.
While the public will not be allowed in the high school to view the event, the competition will be available for viewing afterward on the Kearny High School broadcasting class’s YouTube channel.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to Linda D’Isa and the KUEZ for initiating and organizing this exceptional culinary competition for our Kearny High School students,” Superintendent of Schools Flora Encarnacao said. “This event is more than a culinary showcase; it is an opportunity for our students to connect directly with local businesses, develop real-world skills and contribute to the vibrancy of our community. We are excited to display the talent and creativity of our students and our culinary program and we appreciate the KUEZ’s partnership in fostering a strong connection between our school and the community.”
The Kearny High School Culinary Arts students will be judged by a panel of Kearny eateries including owners and chefs from Curiosity by Nest, Denizen’s, The Greeks and others. These industry professionals will evaluate each dish based on flavor, creativity and presentation, offering valuable feedback to the aspiring young chefs. Winning chefs will also receive prizes, including gift cards from the participating restaurants.
“This is a perfect opportunity for us to connect our wonderful eateries here in Kearny with these talented students, especially as many of them look toward a career in the culinary arts,” D’Isa said. “We’re also excited to showcase this fantastic program at Kearny High School, one of the many things that makes our Town such a special place to live, work and play.”
For more information, contact Curtis Brack at cbrack@kearnyschools.com.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.