Two New York City teen chefs traveled to a Long Island City, N.Y., restaurant to debut the winning dishes they created for the 2011 “Top Future Chef” contest in Manhattan. Lazurus Lynch and Shania Thomas, students at Food and Finance High School, turned surprise ingredients on contest day into tilapia with an avocado cream and roasted red pepper (Lynch); and almond cloud pastry with cream and drizzled fruit sauces (Thomas). The restaurant, El Ay Si, will serve the dish for a full year, donating profits to the students’ scholarship funds.

Food and Finance High juniors Shania Thomas, left, and Lazarus Lynch at El Ay Si restaurant where their contest-winning dishes will be featured on the menu for a full year. (Photo, FOOD AND FINANCE HIGH SCHOOL)