You could say Derby Middle School sixth grader Danny O’Hara is following in his chef father’s footsteps.
Michael O’Hara is a lifelong chef, having worked at Roseland Pizza and the River Restaurant in Derby, among others.
Son Danny’s recipe, “Pick-A-Pepper” Bean Salad, won the second annual Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools (VITAHLS) cooking contest May 18 at Griffin Hospital in Derby.
Competitions were held last month in Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, and Shelton school districts. The theme was to create healthy snack recipes. The four students who competed Monday had won in their respective schools to advance to the finals.
VITAHLS is a childhood obesity prevention initiative.
It is a collaboration among Griffin Hospital, Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, and the Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, and Shelton school districts.
The other three finalists and their creations were:
- John G. Prendergast Elementary School, Ansonia sixth grader George Fischer, who created Fruit “Ice Cream Cones”
- Seymour Middle School sixth grader Viktoria Biblekaj, who offered Vicky’s Honey Apple Sandwiches
- Perry Hill School, Shelton fifth grader Emily Vasser who entered her “Goodtella Cookies” recipe made with Nutella hazelnut chocolate spread.
(In the photo below, John G. Prendergast School Assistant Principal Sherrod McNeill, left, and Principal Joseph Apicella congratulate Prendergast sixth grader George Fischer)
Chef Neil Fuentes served as emcee. He has appeared as “The Sensational Singing Chef” on Connecticut Style on WTNH, and has also been featured on The Food Network hit show Chopped! and REWRAPPED.
“If you want to be a chef, it’s the craziest business in the world,” Fuentes told the kids.
Contest judges were Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti, Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto, Rick Belden, Assistant Superintendent, Finance Operations,Seymour Public Schools, filling in for Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller, Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti, and Cora Ragaini, a VITAHLS team member and dietitian for Grade A ShopRite.
Danny O’Hara said he got the idea for the salad from his father.
Asked how he felt when his recipe won, Danny simply said, “good.”
His mother, Rebecca O’Hara, said her contribution was the name of her son’s culinary creation.
Ansonia food service employee Debbie Gonzales helped George with his recipe preparations. Viktoria was assisted by her math teacher, Allison Acquavella, and Shelton food service director Linda Staniszi assisted Emily.
One of the coordinators of the event, Gina Smith, who works for Griffn Hospital Prevention Research and is a VITAHLs team member, said she attended the semi-final competitions at the schools and was “blown away” by the creative recipes the students had made.
Smith said the goal of VITAHLS is to get children to “get up and moving, and eating healthy.”
Prizes included donations from Chef’s Emporium in Orange and Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge.
(In the photo below, the finalists being feted after the second annual Valley Initiative to Advance Health and Learning in Schools cooking contest at Griffin Hospital in Derby. Pictured from left, Perry Hill School, Shelton, fifth grader Emily Vasser, John G. Prendergast School, Ansonia, sixth grader George Fischer, Seymour Middle School sixth grader Viktoria Biblekaj, and Derby Middle School sixth grader Danny O’Hara, whose bean salad recipe won the competition.)
