Practice makes perfect for aspiring chefs on CSN team

There's a young woman over here chopping chives, a guy behind her making salad, a guy next to him getting started on the white chocolate mousse, another woman preparing the asparagus that will go with the chicken.

Edward Reyes watches over them all like a head coach. That's essentially what Reyes, 28, is on this Thursday afternoon, the head coach at the last practice before the playoffs start.

"When it's all said and done, when the academics are done with, you want to look back and say, 'I did something special when I was in college,' " he said.

Reyes is the captain of the Hot Food Culinary Team at the College of Southern Nevada, a perennial powerhouse when it comes to cooking competitions.

The team is representing Nevada for the 17th year in a row next week at the Western regional competition put on by the American Culinary Federation.

Teams from 10 Western states will compete in several areas, with the hot food competition the main event. They will have to prepare a full four-course meal on the site, starting from scratch.

That's why practice is so important.

The winners of the regional competitions will compete nationally.

CSN's team will leave for Reno on Sunday and compete Monday and Tuesday. The endeavor is funded by donations.

Faculty adviser Levy Acosta, who everyone calls Chef Levy, said it's a prestigious event that the students spend much of the year preparing for.

They come in at 5 or 5:30 in the morning on some days, spend a couple hours practicing, attend class, and then spend more time cooking.

None of it's required, but Acosta said the students get a lot out of the experience. "It prepares them to be a professional chef," he said.

That's why most of these students are here. They want to be chefs.

Acosta stopped by Thursday's practice to check in before heading to a class he had to teach.

"Don't take your time," he told them, mindful it was the last time they would be practicing before the competition. "You've got to act like you're competing, OK?"

So they did. Pots and pans clanged in a sea of stainless steel as the students took their places.

Queen Mica Anne Canimo chopped the chives, laid out the items she would need, set the timer.

Jason Isaacs got the veggies ready for the salad.

Gerald Berja sliced strawberries for the dessert.

Andrea Reyes, Edward's sister, picked at the asparagus, readying it for the main dish, a butter poached chicken.

"All right, everybody. Let's get started" Edward Reyes said. He smiled and nodded.

"This is our last practice."

Contact reporter Richard Lake at rlake@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307.