Nicole Scherff impressed the judges with her cool in a very hot kitchen. Scherff took the top prize at Chicago's Best Teen Chef 2007 local competition held today at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, beating out 17 other competitors. A senior at Dearborn High School, Scherff chopped, simmered and sautéed her way past her fellow competitors to win a shot at taking the Best Teen Chef title and a full-tuition scholarship worth approximately $40,000 at the Best Teen Chef 2007 national competition to be held on Saturday, May 5 in Dallas, Texas. Scherff has had a love of cooking since she was about 11 years old. Her grandma was the first person to instill a love of cooking, teaching her to make things such as Christmas cookies and spaghetti dinners on Sundays. More recently she has taken culinary classes at Dearborn High School, where she has gained experience in the school's full-service restaurant. Students prepared a menu of shrimp cocktail and chicken rice pilaf. They were judged on taste, cleanliness, mise en place (organization, taste and presentation). Participating Art Institute campuses include The Art Institute of Atlanta, The Art Institute of California ­ Inland Empire, The Art Institute of California - Los Angeles, The Art Institute of California ­ Orange County, The Art Institute of California ­ San Diego, The Art Institute of Charlotte, The Art Institute of Colorado, The Art Institute of Dallas, The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, The Art Institute of Houston, The Art Institute of Indianapolis, The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas, a division of The Art Institute of Las Vegas, The Art Institutes International Minnesota, The Art Institute of New York City, The Art Institute of Philadelphia, The Art Institute of Phoenix, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, The Art Institute of Seattle, The Art Institute of Tennessee ­ Nashville, The Art Institute of Tampa, The Art Institute of Vancouver, The Art Institute of Washington and The Illinois Institute of Art ­ Chicago. About The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, located at 350 North Orleans Street (at Mart Center) attracts a diverse mix of students from throughout the Chicago area and world. A second campus is located at 180 North Wabash, and is a satellite location of The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. The college's bachelor's degree programs include Advertising, Digital Filmaking & Video Production, Game Art & Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing & Management, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Interactive Media Design, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics and Visual Communications. The college's associate's degree programs include Culinary Arts, Fashion Merchandising, Fashion Production, Interactive Media Production and Graphic Design. Graduates are trained for entry-level positions in their chosen fields through curricula that emphasize actual job skills and competencies necessary for success in the field. For more information about The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago call the college at (312) 280-3500.