Yesterday Wade and Michelle cooked four dishes each for the two guys from Rising Star Chefs. They are in town, eating and tasting dishes from over sixty chefs and will eventually pick twelve from Hawaii.  Wade and Michelle both did good.  It's funny watching them get nervous.  It's good for them to compete and try for something that actually takes them out of their comfort zone.  For me, entering that competitive arena is important because it takes courage, commitment, and a lot of work if you want to do well.  Usually, cooks do as well as they have prepared.  It is a learning process of a lifetime.  Too often have I seen young culinarians work so hard and position themselves to do some great things in their young careers, only to get derailed or distracted and end up not really doing all they possibly can.  For the ones who do put in the work, have the right attitude and the right guidance, there are no limits to their potential.

~AW