• Hometown: Atlas, Pa.
• Theme: New Orleans
• Date: Wednesday, March 20

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: I had a dream about opening a food truck and a passion for cooking since I was little.

Culinary inspirations: My first instructor at vo-tech, Mr. Shivony, and the head chef of the Heritage Restaurant, Shamokin, Pa., Mr. Jayce Marge

Future: I would like to work in a local restaurant as a line cook to start out. My main goal is to open my own food truck.

About the region: Common ingredients include shrimp, crawfish, rice, sausage, Cajun spices, okra, red beans and hot sauce. Cooking methods include stewing, sauteing and frying.

• Hometown: Sunbury, Pa.
• Theme: New Orleans
• Date: Wednesday, March 20

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: Always hungry and easier career to do.

Culinary inspirations: Friends and family, Frank Suchwala (associate professor of hospitality management/culinary arts at Penn College)

Future: Work in a restaurant with good pay until I can own my very own.

About the region: Sausage, shrimp and greens are common ingredients.

• Hometown: Weatherly, Pa.
• Theme: Heartland
• Date: Wednesday, April 3

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: I always loved cooking, from the moment I was old enough to help in the kitchen. I felt it was just the thing I was meant to do for the rest of my life.

Culinary inspirations: Chef A.J. Burke from Carbon Career & Technical Institute inspired me a lot and was a great teacher. All the chefs I have worked under here at the college have also been an inspiration.

Future: I hope to work around the industry in different positions and locations around the country, eventually owning my own restaurant somewhere. I would love to work on a cruise line at some point in my career in any back-of-house position.

About the region: The food of the Heartland of America is mostly defined by the rich farmland in the area. There is a lot of beef, dairy, grains, and potatoes. The favorite methods of cooking seem to be a tie between baking and frying.

• Hometown: State College, Pa.
• Theme: New England
• Date: Wednesday, April 24

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: I was thrown into the restaurant industry when I had to take over the grill one day when the head chef at a restaurant I used to work at called in sick. I’ve been working in kitchens ever since. The same head chef that called off that one day recommended that I pursue culinary school and seeing as how both of my uncles went to culinary school, I decided it was the career path I wanted to take, making me the third chef in the family.

Culinary inspirations: I don’t follow many celebrity chefs, but the advice from the first chef I worked with was enough. That and support from my family and advice from my uncles is enough inspiration.

Future: I feel like going directly into owning my own restaurant is a bad idea; there are too many risks. I want to get sous chef experience first and work with professionals to get a true understanding of being in the field. I don’t have a specific style of kitchen I would like to work in. In school we run a higher-class style of service, but my background consists of mainly family restaurants. I am more interested in the experience of working in various different kitchens and learning new techniques along the way.

About the region: New England style focuses primarily on seafood, as well as traditional English and Irish style cooking. This involves a lot of stewing, baking, steaming, and boiling.

• Hometown: Landisburg, Pa.
• Theme: Southern Style
• Date: Wednesday, April 10

Why she chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: It’s always been an interest of mine growing up. I would help my dad make family meals or I would take it upon myself to do it at a young age. For me it’s all about being creative and letting people enjoy my food. In some way I always knew this would be my career choice.

Culinary inspirations: I don’t really have a chef that inspired my culinary interests. Instead, my inspiration stems from everyone who has supported me over the years: my coworkers, my manager Erin, most importantly my mom and dad. My parents have supported me through everything, and seeing them work hard to support their family has helped me work hard for myself. I would not be where I am without them, and they inspire me every day.

Future: My plans are to work in a restaurant for a while and learn as much as possible from other chefs in the industry. I would love to work in a full-service restaurant and further down the line open my own food truck and café.

About her menu: The menu for Southern Style includes lots of different proteins such as chicken, pork, and ribs, along with some dietary options. It includes lots of hearty vegetables such as tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes. This menu includes some braised, pan-seared and fried dishes. There is something for everyone and lots of traditional Southern flavors.

• Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
• Theme: Southwest
• Date: Wednesday, April 17

Why she chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: I went to a technical school, which had different careers that we had to rotate in based off what we applied for during freshman year. I wanted to be a veterinarian, but then when we went through the different careers and did the hands-on things, I grew to like being in the culinary arts field, so I stayed in that field for the next four years in the high school, and I have grown to love cooking even more and decided to purse it. 

Culinary inspirations: Chef Claire Dacko was my instructor during my four years in high school, and she was such a great inspiration; she just showed us a lot of different skills and built a relationship with all of us and always made sure we were OK. She always has stories and will give you great feedback on your cooking and will always be there to help better your cooking. Overall, she just is a great chef who wants to give her skills to everyone she teaches.

Future: I would like to be a personal or private chef that cooks for people either on a cruise ship or just in their homes for special occasions.

About the region: For my region the most common ingredients include corn, beans, a lot of spices, and squash. Most of their cooking methods involve slow cooking, simmering and  sautéing.

• Hometown: Bellefonte, Pa.
• Theme: New England
• Date: Wednesday, April 24

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: When I was 5, my mom would let me make pumpkin rolls with her during Thanksgiving. I instantly fell in love with making food, and I started exploring how to make all different types of food. It led me to wanting to become a chef after years of cooking with my mom.

Culinary inspirations: Gordon Ramsay is one of the most inspiring chefs; he’s been so successful in his lifetime. He’s had many businesses in hospitality and many TV shows that have all been very successful.

Future: I would like to get a job where I can learn from an experienced chef to help build my knowledge even more. I don’t want to go straight into leading; I would like to learn as much as I can before leading a kitchen. I would like to work in a fancy restaurant so that I can learn a lot about the top-tier restaurants that get attention from everywhere in the country. I think a good capacity to work in would be around 100 through 200 people. I think that’s a mix between busy and standard, so it gives me experience in how to stay calm during busy times. 

About the menu: We will have a braised leg of lamb with crispy Parmesan potatoes and spring vegetables. The leg of lamb will be seared in a pan at high heat on all sides then covered with stock and finished off in the oven to cook all the way. The potatoes are roasted in the oven then covered in Parmesan and put in the oven till it crisps over the potatoes. 

• Hometown: Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
• Theme: Southwest
• Date: Wednesday, April 17

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: I’ve always wanted to work in a field where I was on my feet most of the time. With a small interest in cooking, I decided to take up the opportunity to learn in a vocational school. Here I met amazing people who gave me a more solidified interest in becoming a chef.

Culinary inspirations: My instructors In my vocational school

Future: If an opportunity comes up that appeals to my interests, I’d love to follow it. Besides that, I plan to get back into the workforce and learn from other chefs to be a more dependable team member. I would like to work a variety of different types of jobs. One of the reasons I enjoy this field so much is that there are so many options you can branch out to.

About the region: Some common ingredients are beans, tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, jalapenos, chicken, rice, and spices. Common cooking methods involved are frying, grilling and baking.

• Hometown: Dumfries, Va.
• Theme: Napa Valley
• Date: Wednesday, March 27

Why he chose to pursue a culinary-arts education: I decided on a career in hospitality/culinary due to my love and enjoyment of making food and serving it.

Culinary inspirations: I have been inspired by Chef John Folse, mainly by his ideas of food sustainability, as well as his very bold seasonings and the footprint he has left on Cajun and Creole cooking.

Future: Following the completion of my Culinary degree, I will be attending Northern Virginia Community College where I will be pursuing my business management degree. Following the completion of my business degree, I will begin to work under skilled chefs and gain as much knowledge as I can before I eventually start my own restaurant. I would like to work in a high-end restaurant that has a semi-high pace.

About the region: Napa Valley is known for very fresh ingredients, especially fruits such as avocados, figs, and pears. Napa Valley is also heavily known for the use of cooking wines, such as Pinot and Merlot, in many dishes. Braising and brining is also heavily used in Napa Valley to enhance the flavors of the proteins used.