Esmerelda Garcia, a student at Indiana Digital Learning School, and Ann Frost, a teacher at the same school, joined to discuss the K12 Cook-Off.

This event is part of K12’s Enrichment programs, where students from across the country showcase their skills and talents in competitive events.

This year’s K12 Cook-Off features judges David Ho, a Chopped champion, and Isabel Coss, Food & Wine’s Best New Chef of 2023.

They will judge the six finalists on the taste of their dishes, presentation, creativity, time management, food safety, and preparation.

The 2024 K12 Cook-Off is the first in-person event after two virtual competitions in 2021 and 2022. Over 350 participants entered this year, and six finalists made it to the final competition.

Five of these finalists were chosen by judges, while one was selected by public voting as the people’s choice.

Esmerelda, an 11th grader, is one of the six finalists. Her dish was chosen from over 300 submissions for its excellence.

As a finalist, Esmerelda earned a paid trip to Arlington, Virginia, where she competed live in a commercial kitchen on July 13th.

This gave her and the other finalists a chance to meet and be judged by David Ho, the Food Network’s Chopped winner.

The K12 Cook-Off is a unique opportunity for students to demonstrate their culinary skills and creativity nationally.