February 7, 2011 Contact: Tammy Vaassen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 608-723-7551
Janesville Country Club Chef Wins 2011 Taste of Elegance
Chef Robert Gamble, Janesville Country Club, Janesville, captured the Chef Par Excellence award at the 2011 Wisconsin’s Taste of Elegance competition with his entrée Fennel Crusted Pork Steak. Chef Gamble competed against five other finalists for the $750 award. As the Chef Par Excellence, Chef Gamble will be able to polish his expertise with pork at the Culinary Institute of America in Greystone, CA, which is sponsored by the National Pork Board.
In addition, Christine Lindner, the 63rd Alice in Dairyland will be hosting a ‘Night with Alice’ at the Janesville Country Club, where she’ll team up with Chef Rob Gamble in an effort to promote pork and raise awareness of pork’s nutrient content, versatility, and great flavor
Chef Tom Jordens, Holiday Acres, Rhinelander, received the $500 Superior Chef recognition for his preparation of Copper Pork Tenderloin. In addition, Chef Jordens received the People’s Choice Award and $250 for his entrée. Chef Aaron Fidder, Wisconsin Machine Shed, Grand Chute, was the recipient of the Premium Chef award and $250 with his entrée Nilla Chop.
The Taste of Elegance featured six of Wisconsin’s finest chefs who prepared an original pork entrée that has not been previously featured on their menu. The Wisconsin Pork Association; Elanco Animal Health; The Hanor Company of Wisconsin, LLC; Pork Checkoff; Rural Mutual Insurance Company and Tyson Foods sponsor the 2011 Taste of Elegance event.
The program was created to encourage pork menuing in a creative and non-traditional manner. Chefs present their entrées to a panel of three judges, who are looking for taste, appearance and originality.
Chefs throughout the state were invited to enter the contest. From the entries received, six chefs were invited to participate in the Wisconsin contest. Entries are judged based on originality, appearance, and taste. Judges for the evening were Chef Jeff Igel, Culinary Arts Manager, Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton; Chef Miles Breed, 2010 Chef Par Excellence, The Great Karoo Restaurant in the Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dell; and Chef Mike Obois, House of Embers, Wisconsin Dells.
To receive a copy of the recipes, contact the Wisconsin Pork Association by phone 608-723-7551, or e-mail them at wppa@wppa.org.
Competitors represent a wide spectrum of dining establishments, from fine dining restaurants to healthcare operations. In fact, participation has increased each year as more and more foodservice professionals use pork to create dishes that consumers enjoy and operators are proud to serve.
The Wisconsin Pork Association’s mission is to insure the future success of the Wisconsin pork industry. WPA represents the interests of the pork industry members with a strong emphasis on social issues, public and government policies, environment, animal welfare and safety.
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PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Wisconsin Pork Association * P.O. Box 327 * Lancaster, WI 53813