From STAFF REPORTS

CORDELE — South Georgia Technical College’s (SGTC) culinary arts program got the chance to show off their cooking skills for several television networks during Cordele’s Watermelon Days Festival this year. The Crisp County Center program hosted local networks WSST-TV, WALB, and WFXL/WGXA for a televised cooking demonstration.
In the spirit of the Watermelon Festival, culinary arts instructor and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York Johnny Davis concocted a delectable meal of grilled chicken breast with watermelon salsa, accompanied by smashed potatoes, asparagus and carrots, and a grilled romaine lettuce salad topped with fried green tomatoes and a drizzle of chipotle ranch dressing.
Culinary arts students Qundra Ford of Unadilla and Esau West of Cordele assisted Chef Davis with the demonstration, and Davis answered the audience’s questions about the preparation of the meal as he and his students cooked and plated their dish. The event was well attended by members of the community, as well as SGTC staff and students, who got the opportunity to taste the meal themselves afterward, while Davis was interviewed by the three TV networks that filmed the demonstration.
This year was the 67th Watermelon Days Festival in Cordele, and this was the first time SGTC’s culinary arts department participated. They hope to make it a tradition from now on.