Bernazir De la Cruz, 18, originally from the Dominican Republic and now a senior at Edward R. Murrow High School in Brooklyn, NY, won first place at The Art Institutes Best Teen Chef 2009 Local Competition, at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. De la Cruz is a self taught culinarian, honing her skills in her mother’s restaurant Carmen’s Dominican Bakery & Restaurant in Brooklyn. “I love cooking,” says De la Cruz, “I can express myself and let my imagination flow. I especially like to cook Spanish foods. My friends like Sancocho which is a bean, meat, plantain, pumpkin soup.”
De la Cruz says of her first place win in Fort Lauderdale, “I felt good because I practiced a lot and was prepared.” Her only regret was, “I wish I could have added more parsley.” She attended the school’s College Connection last summer, participating in a week-long workshop in the culinary program. “I knew then that this is where I wanted to go to school.”
Currently living in the Ridgewood area of Queens, NY, De la Cruz is passionate about her cooking and wants to be able to mentor other young people interested in culinary arts. “Where I come from, there aren’t a lot of opportunities for teens and I think cooking is a wonderful thing for them to get involved in.”
After graduating high school, De la Cruz plans to attend The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in October 2009. She hopes to one day own a restaurant and teach teenagers about the art of cooking.