LAKELAND, Fla. — Yulianna Andujar is carefully layering her Puerto Rican plantain lasagna — aka plantelon — a delicious, sophisticated dish that needs a chef's touch.
It looks hard to make, but Yulianna says, nope, it's actually quite easy. She's watched her mom make it, and her grandmother before that.
WATCH: Future chefs are young and talented at innovative Lakeland charter school
This is probably a good time to also reveal that Yulianna is a 5th grader at IDEA Lakeland, a free public charter school. She's competing in an innovative program that pairs kids with professionals and turns them into mini chefs.
But no mac & cheese here.
Along with Yulianna's dish, a 1st grader is making Brazilian cheese bread, and another 5th grader is making Italian Marry Me chicken.
The kids were tasked with perfecting a nutritious international dish.
But more than that, they were offered a chance to build confidence, creativity, and calm — life skills that work in and out of the kitchen.
"They can learn how to cook for themselves and be self-sustaining," says James Quenneville of Sodexo, a food service group that feeds IDEA Lakeland.
Quenneville oversaw the cooking competition. Judges voted Yulianna's dish best among peers in Lakeland and Jacksonville. Her long-beloved family recipe will now compete among other states.
For more Sean Daly stories, follow him on Instagram at @seandalytv.
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