The 2007 TABASCO® brand Hottest Chef Contest™ Winners
Desserts Take the Cake
in the 2007 TABASCO® brand Hottest Chef Contest™
Chef Gregory Retz, CEC wins $10,000 for his
"Crusted Panna Cotta
Diavalo"
NEW ORLEANS, LA - Dessert recipes featuring sweet and spicy flavors took
top honors in the 2007 TABASCO® brand Hottest Chef Contest™, helping
one talented chef win a $10,000 grand prize in the international culinary
competition.
Gregory Retz, executive chef/foodservice director for Beth Sholom Village,
a retirement facility located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, won the $10,000
grand prize for his "Crusted Panna Cotta Diavalo" original recipe,
which featured heavy cream, dark chocolate and TABASCO® brand Chipotle
Pepper Sauce.
Laura Curtis, a chef-in-training at the Culinary Institute of America
located in Hyde Park, New York, took the competition's student category
prize - $2,500 cash and merchandise - for her citrus-flavored "Orange
TABASCO® Cake with Mascarpone Honey Glaze" dessert. Contestants
were invited to enter breakfast, appetizer, entrée, and dessert
recipes.
"Both winning dishes are a testament to chefs' understanding of
how TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce can be used in non-traditional ways to
bring out the best in recipes - citrus flavors are brightened and chocolate
is enriched to get the most out of these ingredients in their dessert recipes," said
Martin Manion, Vice President, Corporate Marketing for McIlhenny Company. "The
days when TABASCO® was just for gumbo or the classic Bloody Mary are
long gone. Consumers want big, bold flavor and today's chefs must know
how to deliver it in every part of the menu."
The contest challenged competitors to "Splash Into The Mediterranean" to
incorporate today's bold flavor trend, fresh ingredients, and TABASCO®
brand products into their original recipes inspired by the cultures of
the Mediterranean coast.
Professional chefs, sous chefs and lead-line cooks at restaurants and
non-commercial foodservice establishments across the United States and
Canada were invited to enter the competition. Contestants were invited
to request more information by calling 1-888-HOT-DASH and to enter by mail
or on-line at TABASCOFoodservice.com. Qualifying contest entries were required
to feature one or more TABASCO® flavors, including Original TABASCO®
brand Pepper Sauce, TABASCO® brand Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce,
TABASCO® brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce, TABASCO® brand Garlic Pepper
Sauce, and TABASCO® brand Habanero Sauce.
The contest included survey questions to contestants - as well as the
judges - about future trends in the foodservice industry. In addition
to judging the contest entries, eight top New Orleans chefs participated
with McIlhenny Company President and CEO, Paul C. P. McIlhenny and Corporate
Executive Chef Jason Gronlund, in a focus group session to review
contestants' trend predictions and to forecast their own future flavor
trends in foodservice. The increasing popularity of vegetarian cuisine,
the appearance of more regional dishes and fresh, locally produced ingredients,
and health and wellness were cited as important foodservice trends that
will continue to grow in the near future.
Ten professional and five student dishes were selected for the final judging session, which was conducted….The judging panel included: (pictured from left to right) Chef Susan Spicer/Bayona and Herbsaint; Chef Tory McPhail/Commander’s Palace; Chef Donald Link/Herbsaint and Cochon; Chef Ian Schnoebelen/Iris; Paul C. P. McIlhenny/President and CEO, McIlhenny Company; Chef Stephen Stryjewski/Cochon; Chef Thomas Wolfe/Peristyle and Wolfe’s in the Warehouse; Chef Scott Boswell/Stella! and Stanley; Chef Jason Gronlund/Corporate Executive Chef and Director of Ingredient Sales, McIlhenny Company; Chef Haley Gabel/Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group.
This year marks the 139th anniversary of TABASCO® brand Pepper
Sauce, which is now labeled in 21 languages and sold in more than
160 countries and territories around the world.
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