Duck

I love competition, and I think that may be evident with my past participation in them. I get a rush from creating and redefining the perimeters of my abilities. I have grown exponentially in my culinary career by pushing myself to enter into these situations in which I may fail. it is true that I have not always won or excelled. I think my main strength is that I continually put myself out there, especially when I do not win. it is easy to keep doing something that you are successful at. It is much harder to dust yourself off and return with the same intensity that you started wit. For me, I just tell myself that a loss is an opportunity to prove yourself the next time.

I have to give a big thanks to Sullivan for supporting me through all this. I am constantly encouraged to keep trying. I have a wealth of knowledge and experience at my disposal through instructors that guide me and offer their advise. when I doubt myself, it is always great to hear from a professional that I am on the right track. I get a beaming sense of pride that swells up inside of me when I present a dish that I have reworked a million times, and I get positive feedback. I encourage everyone to push themselves to try at least one thing that makes them uncomfortable. If you do not succeed, try again. persistence is the key to getting a desired outcome. Even if it does not end in an award, the pride comes in knowing that you put out a great product. I would much rather loose to someone that created a better dish, then to win with something that was just the best of a bad situation.

For my next competition I am looking to enter the Maple Leaf Farms Duck Competition in the professional category. I know this I a big step, since until now I have competed as a student. It is just another level I must push myself to get to so that I have the confidence I need to make an impact on the culinary world.

Kamisha Jones