Georgian Named Best Teen Chef

LAS VEGAS -- A Georgia teenager is the winner of a culinary school scholarship and the title "Best Teen Chef 2008." Jonathan Miller of Windsor Forest High School in Savannah took the title in a weekend competition in Las Vegas sponsored by the International Culinary Schools at the Art Institutes. Thirty-one high school seniors from across North America sliced, diced, and sauteed their way through the two-hour competition.Competitors were given two hours to prepare three dishes from an Italian inspired menu of Braciole Calabresi - Stuffed Pork Bundles; Peperonata - Peppers Sauteed with Olive Oil and Capers; and Orechietti con Carciofl - Orechietti Pasta with Artichokes. The teens were judged on cleanliness, taste and presentation.Aldo Sandoval of Emporia, Kansas, earned second-place, while Joaquin Gaytan of Mesa, Arizona, took third. The 18-year-old Miller won a full scholarship worth more than $40,000 to study at the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Atlanta. He also will have a chance to intern for a day at the Food Network kitchens. Miller credits his mother as his inspiration for cooking. While he was growing up, "every day we would sit together and watch 'Great Chefs of the East' and 'Great Chefs of the West,'" said Miller. Officials say more than $250,000 in tuition scholarships were awarded in the Saturday event, which has been held since 2000.