The Dover Public Library and teen librarian Liz Strauss hosted Chopped, a cooking challenge that drew the attention of local teens. The Nov. 22 event was held at the library in Dover and was the perfect way for kids to kick off their Thanksgiving break.

Much like the popular television show that is a cooking competition that requires its contestants to have skill, speed, and ingenuity, the teen version was every bit as exciting.

Liz Strauss, teen librarian, said, “We are always trying to come up with programs that will attract kids to the library. We have a core group of kids that show up a lot and we’d like to see that grow.”

Austin Quillen, a Dover High School 12th-grader, said he never comes to the library unless he has to. “I learned about the Chopped program when it was mentioned on morning announcements at school. I like to cook so I thought I’d check it out.”

Strauss partnered kids together to work in teams. They were given three must-use ingredients: deli turkey, flour tortillas and peppermint candy. Teams were required to create an appetizer, a main dish and a dessert.

In addition to the must-use ingredients, the teams were permitted to draw from a pantry of items that included tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, mustard, peanuts, peanut butter, Nutella, Miracle Whip, ketchup, milk, crackers, pudding, bacon bits, popcorn, soy sauce, cheese and seasonings.

A microwave was the only means of cooking or heating.

As soon as the competition began it was obvious the teams knew their way around a kitchen. Quillen was partnered with John Sawko, a Dover Middle School eighth-grader. Teamwork was obvious as they began making a cheese sauce that would later be used in a cheesy turkey wrap.

Their appetizer was a popcorn tomato salad and they finished with a dessert quesadilla complete with chocolate pudding, melted marshmallows and crushed peppermint candies.

Jovannah Velasquez, a Dover Middle School eighth-grader, and partner Sonia Ixcoy Lopez, a Dover Middle School sixth-grader, worked diligently to create a salad appetizer, a turkey and cheese enchilada main dish and peanut butter s’mores for dessert that featured cinnamon popcorn. Their meal also included mint peanut butter chocolate milk.

Te-Jehn Quickly and partner in culinary crime, Gaven Carlisle, both seventh-graders at Dover Middle School, showed up a few minutes late, but that didn’t keep them from creating a turkey and cheese quesadilla appetizer, a main dish they deemed Love-on-a-Sub, which was a bacon, lettuce and cheese enchilada, and a dessert drink of peanut butter, cinnamon, and chocolate milk.

When the taste testing began, Carlisle hollered out to Strauss, “Miss Liz, hurry and try our drink before it settles!”

“I chose ingredients I liked because I knew I was going to have to taste the creations,” said Strauss. “The kids really surprised me with their creativity. I was expecting them to all make about the same thing and they each came up with their own unique dishes.”

Quillen and Sawko won first place, Velasquez and Ixcoy Lopez were second, with Quickly and Carlisle earning third place.

All contestants had the opportunity to choose from prizes provided by the library.

Paula Quillen, Austin’s mom, stopped in to see how the competition was heating up. She was not surprised to see he won first place. “He’s always liked to cook, since he was a little boy. He’s doing the turkey for Thanksgiving. Last night he made a pecan pie. I‘ve never made a pecan pie in my entire life. He’s going to study culinary arts at Hocking College next year.”

The next teen event at the library will take place Dec.13, where participants can build and decorate their own gingerbread houses. Call the library for more information at 330-343-6123.