At WorldSkills National Competition, 2008 in Sydney, we meet competitor chef Nenad, who will be competing in the cooking challenge.

Nenad will be given 15 minutes to make a two-course meal out of every day ingredients found in a kitchen. He does not know what will be available for him – that will be unveiled when the challenge starts.

He chats about each ingredient, what dishes they are best for, how to cook them and other ingredients that compliment them. He shows and tells us how to cut, prepare and cook the ingredients: and the challenge begins!

He shares advice about what those wanting to be masters in the kitchen should always stock.

Worldskills Cooking Challenge:

There are 18 competitors in this category. On the first day of competition they will be making a selection of canapés and a poultry dish. On the second day they will be making a warm dessert and a trio of desserts and on the final day the competitors will be required to make a 3-course mystery menu.

They are judged on preparation, presentation, timing, taste, technique, creativity, OH&S, hygiene and environment factors including food and water wastage and how they use their recycling bins.

About Nenad:

Nenad studied commercial cookery at school and while doing work experience at the Regis Hotel decided to become a chef. The first two years of his apprenticeship were at the Sydney Convention Centre then in the third year moved to Establishment.

His mother says he was always keen on cooking and spent all his time with her in the kitchen trying to help her cook. Nenad says he doesn’t have a lot of spare time left over to socialise and that most chefs socialise with other chefs because of the hours they work.

Nenad is planning on doing a pastry chef course and would like to write a cookbook one day. He highly recommends people compete at the WorldSkills event.

Most of the best chef’s in Australia have done it and it‘s a prized title. The best advice Nenad has for someone in the kitchen is “Always follow the recipe”.