The Bakersfield Californian

Sweet dreams come true for local young chef with contest win

In John’s Incredible Kids Cook-Off, local chef wins $5,000 and a spot for her cookie recipe on the pizza chain’s menu

BY STEFANI DIAS sdias@bakersfield.com

Bakersfield, we have another winner. Clad in her signature tie-dye look, local teen Aliah Maness won the title of John’s Incredible Kids Cook-Off champion last week.

“When I found out that I won, my confidence boosted up so much,” said Aliah, 13, of the July 19 contest held by the West Coast chain. (Ever the pragmatist, she estimated that boost at 60 percent.)

Aliah worked hard to perfect her cookies — made without eggs and using the “secret” ingredient of sweetened condensed milk — that landed her in the finals for the contest.

“I started by using my own recipe that I made from scratch. ... Then I thought, ‘What could make this cookie better? If people go to John’s Incredible Pizza, what type of cookie would they want to have?’”

Leading up to the finals, held at the John’s Incredible Pizza in Carson, she said she tried a ton of addins, relying on her 7-yearold sister, Bella, for quality control.

“She was the taste tester. She said, ‘If I would go here (the restaurant), I would want M&M’s.’”

Along with an M&M’s version, Aliah made a chocolate chip and mint chip version, offering judges a trio of treats.

“I was confident in my cookie but these other kids made really great dishes,” she said of her competitors, one of whom also made a dessert while the other cooked a shrimp pasta.

The judges — John Parlet, owner and founder of John’s Incredible Pizza Co.; “Chopped” and “Fire Masters” champion chef Joe Youkhan; and Christy Jones, area director for the company — really liked the cookies, Aliah said. She

also was praised for her time management in the kitchen, preparing her dish and cleaning as she went during the one-hour cooking window.

There was one kitchen snafu involving the cookies but it wasn’t the fault of the young baker. Along with the judges’ plates, she made up a display with the rest of the cookies that the kitchen cleanup crew accidentally tossed, much to the dismay of the judges.

“Everybody said, ‘I wanted more.’”

After the contest ended, Aliah returned to the kitchen with Youkhan, who showed her how to make

pizza from scratch and offered her some other tips that she could use in her home kitchen. There were also plans for a recipe swap.

“We’re going to cut a deal,” Aliah said. “I’ll email him my secret cookie recipe and he’ll email a pizza recipe that I can try at home.”

She’s ready to be back in the kitchen with Bella, who she said she likes to goof off with and make a dessert for the family.

“I gotta be honest: When it comes to baking, it’s more about having fun.”

She’s also keeping in touch with her fellow competitors with whom she started a group text after the contest.

Along with a $5,000 prize, Aliah will also have

a version of her dish added to the menu at the chain’s all-you-caneat buffet restaurants/ entertainment centers in the next few months.

But for Aliah, it’s more than the accolades that

made this contest special.

“Even if I hadn’t won, I would still be proud of myself,” she said. “The experience was amazing.”

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2021-07-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-29T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://bakersfield.pressreader.com/article/281934545985102

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