By Nancy Patterson

director of Public Relations

Three students majoring in hotel and restaurant management technology at Northwest Mississippi Community College’s DeSoto Center campus placed first in the State Culinary Competition on Jan. 26 in Jackson, according to adviser Katherine Mistilis.

“This is the second year in a row we have won first in the culinary competition,” said Mistilis. “The judges thold them that their food was the best they had put in their mouth all day, that their plate presentation was the best, and their marketing and costing was the best.”

Competing was Nakevia Joyner of Hernando, who was a member of last year’s team. She and the two winners in 2009 went on to competition in Anaheim, Calif., and were in the top 12 at that level.

Others competing were the mother-and-daughter team of Amanda Sayles and her mother, Judy Macknally, both of Crowder.

“This is a first for me to have a mother-daughter in the classroom,” said Mistilis.

The award-winning dish was a homemade pasta ravioli stuffed with ground beef brisket and an alfredo sauce and seasoning. It was placed around a chunky tomato sauce and sprinkled with alfredo sauce.

The garnish was bacon bits, green onions and parmesan cheese presented on a red square plate with black trim.