The contest starts April 17 at the Art Institute of Colorado, 1200 Lincoln Street; at the cook-off, participants' creations will be judged on taste, presentation and culinary technique. The first-place winner will receive a $3,000 scholarship to the Art Institute of his or her choice, and will also be flown to compete in the Best Teen Chef Competition finals in Houston on May 15.
Last year, Kaitlyn McKissick, a high school senior from Olathe, earned first place in the Colorado competition after wowing chefs with her shrimp cocktail and paprika-encrusted chicken. McKissick went on to grab second-place honors at the national competition, and is currently using the scholarship she won at the Art Institute of Colorado. McKissick has aspirations of becoming a chocolatier.