Money for the American Culinary Federation’s Professional Chefs of New Hampshire Scholarship Fund and for the New Hampshire Food Bank was the goal of a Sept. 27 Slider Challenge, a mini-burger cook-off between a trio of teams at Nashua Community College.

There, culinary students from Nashua High School North, Alvirne High School in Hudson and Pinkerton Academy in Derry took on the task of transforming primo ground beef provided by Schweid & Sons – a New Jersey purveyor since 1978 – into sliders, mini burgers especially handy for on-the-goers.

“Our sliders were made with love,” said Nalisha Iraola, of Nashua High North’s Nashua Technology Center. “Each team made 60 sliders with condiments.”

The Nashua High North NTC team took the victory and an engraved award. Chef Instructor David Quimby of NTC and culinary students Abby Lee and Nalisha Iraola won the judges’ votes. Their sliders featured pan-seared patties, applewood smoked mozzarella, brown sugar bacon and other toppings.

The team from Alvirne High School’s Career Technical Center in Hudson included Chef Instructor David Bressler CEC, who also is ACF vice president for PCNH. Culinary students Mikalah Huntoon, Jesse Birch, Jessica Aldrich, and Aidan McGrade offered sliders adorned with house-made pickles, cheddar and several more delights.

Pinkerton Academy in Derry sent contestants from the school’s Career & Technical Education Center led by Chef Instructor Keith Desjardin.

Students Savannah Bedard, Abby Lagasse, AJ Townsend, and Ean Tasler prepared for judges’ consideration pan-seared sliders with BBQ pulled pork, caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese and other accoutrements.

Thirty guests who pre-registered paid a $10 entry fee, shared the fare, followed by some apres-slider freshly baked cupcakes. The PCNH is a chapter of the American Culinary Federation, an entity renowned for promoting the culinary industry.

More information can be had by contacting PCNH Chapter President Joseph Allison, Certified Executive Chef and culinary arts instructor at NCC, by email: joescooking@yahoo.com.

Teelegraph photo by LORETTA JACKSON The Slider Challenge fundraiser, an event benefiting the Professional Chefs of New Hampshire Scholarship Fund and the New Hampshire Food Bank, was hosted recently by the Nashua Community College culinary program at Nashua High school North. Hosts Professor John Knorr, left, and Instructor Joseph Allison, second from left, with champions from Nashua North’s Technology Center team of culinary wizards Abby Lee, Chef Instructor David Quimby and Nalisha Iraola, right.

Newsletter