ProStart® Recipe Competition encourages creativity and cooking skills.

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) has been providing support and resources to students interested in a career in the food service or hospitality industries since 1995. With a Board of Directors comprised of restaurateurs, industry experts, and educators, the LRAEF offers access to real-world expertise and opportunities to practice the craft to students across the country.

Thinking outside the bag.

The Louisiana ProStart® Recipe Competition — featuring dishes made with Camellia beans — was no exception. During our travels across the state, we met many creative and enthusiastic student chefs who amazed us with their fresh ideas for cooking with beans. The team of judges — Connelly Hayward from Camellia, Wendy Waren from the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and Brendan Young, Chef at Squeal Bar-B-Q — tasted dishes from appetizers to desserts, all of which were delicious and demonstrated the students’ solid knowledge of flavors and technique. It was truly a difficult task to choose a winner, and we applaud the efforts of all involved, along with enjoying every bite!

And the winner is…

Pearl River High School! Team members Brianna Hale, Isabelle Rigby, and Savannah Walker created a truly delicious “Blapple Pie” made with apples and black beans — which means you can enjoy a fabulous dessert that’s good for you too. Not only that, but the black beans added a depth of flavor that worked really well with the cinnamon and cayenne pepper, in a way we would never have imagined. Their innovative recipe won us over, and we’re proud to award them the first prize.

A unique twist on an old favorite.

The team at Ascension Parish ProStart® School — Taylor Christy, Emma Boyd, Royell Cobb, and Marquise Bell — took a familiar dish, stuffed peppers, and added a little local flavor with their “New Orleans-Style Stuffed Peppers.” Adding red beans, sausage, and rice to the mix resulted in a dish that is familiar — but even better than you remember. The smoky flavor of the beans and the meaty richness of the sausage made this dish a standout, and garnered the team a place as the first runner-up.

Future advocates of our culture.

We’re proud to have have been a part of a worthwhile endeavor like the LRAEF ProStart® Recipe Competition, and even prouder of every one of the fantastic student chefs who entered. Keep cooking — and we look forward to trying more of your dishes in the future!

Try the winning recipes.

Blapple Pie
Pearl River High School

New Orleans-Style Stuffed Peppers
Ascension Parish ProStart School

The recipe contest will challenge high school students in each of the participating 52 ProStart Programs statewide to create an original recipe featuring one or more Camellia Brand products: Red Beans, Lady Cream Peas, Black Beans and Crowder Peas. Details were presented to ProStart students at the beginning of school year and each team will develop recipes throughout the fall semester before submitting them to be reviewed by LRAEF and Camellia Brand selected judges.

Ten finalist teams will be invited to prepare their recipe in person for a LRAEF and Camellia Brand tasting panel of judges. First and second place recipes will be selected by judges based on taste, presentation, creativity, and originality. The winner will receive a $5,000 cash award and the runner-up will receive a $1,000 cash award payable to the school to be used for support of the ProStart Program.

The winning recipe will be featured in promotional materials and on the Camellia Brand website. The winning students will be celebrated at a luncheon and offered paid cooking demonstration and brand ambassador opportunities at Camellia Brand-involved trade shows, events and festivals. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in live stream video opportunities and Camellia Brand’s new product line developments.

“So many of us grew up eating Camellia Brand beans,” said LRAEF Executive Director Alice Glenn. “This is a great way for the students to not only pay homage to such a long-standing Louisiana staple, but also to give them an opportunity to show their skills and ingenuity in creating a new dish. Who better to ask for recipe innovation than ProStart students, the future leaders of Louisiana’s culinary and restaurant industry?”

“Louisiana ProStart Program students take the initiative to really understand how one of our state’s life bloods – the restaurant industry – works. They deserve our full support since they are the future advocates of our culture and we hope this recipe contest will really challenge them to put their generation’s twist on indigenous cuisine,” stated Vince Hayward, CEO of L.H. Hayward and Company, the internationally recognized packager of Camellia Brand dry beans, peas and lentils. “Louisiana restaurants have always supported Camellia Brand. With recent discussions surrounding a lack of skilled workers in the Louisiana restaurant industry, we wanted to do something to help improve the situation at its core.”

About LRAEF ProStart® Program

ProStart is a two-year, culinary management program for high school juniors and seniors with a curriculum designed to teach students culinary techniques as well as restaurant management skills. By brining industry and the classroom together, ProStart provides students a platform to discover new interests and talents, and opens doors for fulfilling careers. ProStart is in 50 high schools statewide and more than 1,500 students participate in the program. ProStart is a registered trademark of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.

As the philanthropic foundation of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, the LRAEF exists to enhance our community through expanded educational career opportunities, the formation of strategic partnerships and the elevation of our professional standards and practices.