Iron chefs in training

ARLINGTON, VA -- Together with Family, Career and Consumer Leaders of America (FCCLA), the USA Rice Federation announced winners of the FCCLA U.S. Rice Classroom Challenge this week.  USA Rice and FCCLA conducted the online contest to challenge family and consumer sciences teachers to teach their students the benefits of U.S.-grown rice as part of a healthy diet.

The two winners are Cheryl Landers of Grandview High School in Grandview, MO and Kylee Strohm of University City High School in University City, MO.

In Landers' classroom, students were taught about the health benefits of rice and also how to cook different varieties.  Landers then challenged her students to come up with recipes for a competition she called Iron Chef: Rice.

"The Iron Chef project was one of the students' favorite activities of the semester," said Landers.  "They loved creating dishes with rice."

Strohm incorporated information about rice into her lesson on seasoning and then asked students to create recipes including any variety of rice and up to five seasonings for a Rice Cook Off.

Teachers were instructed to create a lesson plan using USA Rice resources including U.S. Rice in the Culinary Classroom.  The contest was limited to rice growing states and gave teachers the opportunity to create and share lesson plans that teach the benefits of cooking and eating U.S.-grown rice.  The winning lesson plans will be published on the USA Rice website as a resource for teachers.

Contact:  Katie Maher, (703) 236-1453

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