Eight chefs from throughout the state of Wisconsin have been selected to compete in the 2016 Wisconsin’s Taste of Elegance contest. The contest will be held at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells on February 4. The Taste of Elegance encourages creative pork menuing and will feature original recipes from Wisconsin’s top chefs. At stake in the competition is $2000 in cash prizes and a complimentary trip from the National Pork Board to the Culinary Institute of America in Greystone, CA.
The public is invited to experience the flavor and quality of foods produced by the state’s farmers and chefs at a reception on February 4 beginning at 6:15 p.m. Attendees can sample menu specialties from the chefs competing in the Taste of Elegance and vote for their favorite entrée to determine the $250 People’s Choice Award. A panel of judges will determine the Chef Par Excellence, Superior Chef, and Premium Chef based on each entrée’s taste, appearance, and originality. A $250 Best Use of Soy Award, sponsored by the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, will also be presented to a chef featuring soy accompaniments with their pork entrée. Tickets to the Taste of Elegance are $30.00 and available for purchase the day of the event.
The eight chefs selected to compete in the 2016 Wisconsin’s Taste of Elegance are:
- Chef Michael Althen, Elite Catering & Bakery, Baraboo
- Chef Ace Champion, Chef Champion LLC, De Pere
- Chef Diane Pedersen, Living Oaks, Iola
- Chef Jamie Pospeschil, Big Foot Country Club, Fontana
- Chef Nestor Sanchez, Milwaukee Athletic Club, Milwaukee
- Chef Charlie Stephens, Jacks or Better, Little Chute
- Chef Kurt Wagner, Machine Shed Restaurant, Pewaukee
- Chef Rodrigo Juarez, Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells
The Taste of Elegance is sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage; Pork Checkoff; Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board; and Wisconsin Pork Association. The event is held in conjunction with the Corn/Soy/Pork Expo, which takes place February 4-5 at the Kalahari Resort, Wisc. Dells.
To learn more about soybeans and their uses for livestock feed, soybean oil and soyfoods, visit the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board website at www.wisconsinsoybean.org. For pork recipes and cooking tips, along with more about the Wisconsin Pork Association, visit www.wppa.org. For more information about the Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo, visit the website at www.cornsoyexpo.org.
