Four Turlock High School culinary students will be headed to Coos Bay, Ore. on Thursday to participate in the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute’s Invitational, a two-day cooking competition for high school culinary programs.

The students, Ivan Maya, Gabbie Modica (seniors), Gerardo Ricard-Godinez and Gaby Godinez (juniors), will travel with Regional THS/ Occupational Program Instructor Robert Sheets.

“This is a good chance for us because we want good competition and it will also give our students a opportunity to look at the Culinary Institute and campus, maybe someone will want to go there for college,” said Sheets.

Winners of the competition can take home scholarships to OCCI ranging from $2,000 per student (first place) to $1,000 per student (third place). In addition, teams could receive cash prizes from $500 (first) to $300 (third).

The students plan to prepare zucchini crab soup, sea bass with a mango chardonnay cream sauce and a side of green rice and beans. For desert they will prepare hazelnut cheesecake parfait.

In the competition, teams will have 60 minutes for cooking and 15 minutes to plate. THS must provide its own equipment and no advanced preparation of vegetables is allowed.

To contact Jonathan McCorkell, e-mail jmccorkell@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141.