Passaic County Technical Institute’s (PCTI) Culinary Arts students Ashley Gulliksen, Marlex Mirabal, and Aziel Shadey Velasquez recently competed in the NASA Hunch Culinary Challenge, a competition that encourages participants to design meals for astronauts to enjoy while aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This year’s contest challenged students to create a satisfying breakfast meal that met the standards provided by NASA HUNCH officials and the Johnson Food Lab Scientists. Much practice and diligence yielded the savory Tropical Steel Cut Oatmeal, which earned PCTI students a spot in the final round of the national competition!
As one of the top ten schools in the competition, students will travel to Houston, Texas on April 26th to compete for the final time It’s the third year PCTI has advanced this far in the competition. In 2016, they took home the gold with their Red Pepper Puree Risotto. The winning entrée was later launched into space to be enjoyed by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
PCTI Students Announced Finalists of NASA HUNCH Culinary Challenge
PCTI Culinary Arts students Marlex Mirabel (Passaic), Aziel Shadey Velasquez (Bloomingdale), and Ashley Gulliksen (Haskell) advance to the final round of the National NASA Hunch Culinary Challenge.
Ashley Gulliksen (Haskell), Aziel Shadey Velasquez (Bloomingdale), and Marlex Mirabel (Passaic) prep their Tropical Steel Cut Oatmeal at the NASA HUNCH Review Event held at Passaic County Technical Institute.