LCB California student wins Christopher Ranch Garlic Gridiron Challenge

At the inaugural Christopher Ranch Garlic Gridiron Challenge, Jo Anne Washburn, culinary student at Le Cordon Bleu (LCB) California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, won first place and a $500 scholarship with her Roasted Garlic and Blue Cheese Crab Dip (pictured, below).

The contest invited culinary students in California to create original, garlic-infused Super Bowl party dishes. The winners were announced on Feb. 7, during halftime of the Super Bowl. Annette Turek received second place and $200 with her Spicy Garlic Bacon-wrapped Mushrooms, and Shanda Cool won third and $100 with her Game Day Garlic Pigskin Peanuts. Turek and Cool are also students at LCB California Culinary Academy.

For more information, visit www.christopherranch.com.

Monroe College takes second at ACF Junior State Championship

In its first appearance at the 2010 American Culinary Federation (ACF) Junior State Championship, the hot food team from Monroe College, New Rochelle, N.Y., took second place behind the team from Delhi State University New York (Dehli SUNY). The Feb. 13 competition was hosted by Schenectady County Community College.

Front row (l to r): Lourdes Mejia and team captain Daisy Santiago; Back row (l to r): Kareem David, team coach chef Eric Pellizzari, James Daversa and Jesus Alvarez of the Dominican Republic

Led by team captain Daisy Santiago, a senior in Monroe College's Hospitality Management program, the team competed in a compulsory skills round, in which they fabricated chicken and fish, demonstrated knife skills with vegetables and prepared a tart shell and pastry cream. The second round of competition included preparing a four-course meal of poached sole, salad with roasted golden beets and toasted spiced hazelnuts, duck breast in an herb crepe with a gratin of parsnip and St. Andre cheese and a slow-roasted Pear Williams frozen mousse. For more information, visit www.monroecollege.edu.