UB Chef Kaprishia Covington has been selected to compete in the Culinary Challenge at the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS) Northeast Regional Competition taking place March 5 at Boston College.

The Culinary Challenge, which recognizes the exceptional culinary expertise within collegiate dining, is a live competition, with regional winners advancing to NACUFS’ National Conference, where they will compete before a live audience.

The individual competitors will face off against the clock to prepare their original recipe featuring mandatory ingredients: two 3–5-pound skin-on gutted whole catfish and fresh okra. The chefs must prepare the protein using two different cooking methods while building a nutritionally balanced plate that includes starch, vegetables and sauce.

Covington will prepare a dish called “Southeast Coasts,” featuring catfish and okra-stuffed napa cabbage with curry sauce, along with a seared, five-spice catfish over a crispy rice cake topped with a pickled salad and served with sautéed vegetables.

A graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Covington says her dish is inspired by her Southern roots and an affinity for Asian cooking. She describes it as a “cosmic gumbo of Southeast and East Asian meets Southern U.S. flavors, ingredients and cooking techniques.”

With more than 20 years of cooking experience, this will be Covington’s first solo cooking competition. She was part of the UB culinary team that won a silver medal at last July’s American Culinary Federation Collegiate Team Competition.

The winner from each of NACUFS’ six regions will compete at the national conference July 15-18 in New Orleans.