2015 Taste of Elegance Finalists Announced

LANCASTER, WI – Eight chefs from throughout the state of Wisconsin have been selected to compete in the 2015 Wisconsin’s Taste of Elegance contest. The contest will be held at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Wisconsin Dells on January 29. 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 January 29 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 2015 Wisconsin’s Taste of Elegance are:

·        Chef Michael Althen, Elite Catering & Bakery, Baraboo

·        Chef Mario Giuliani, Carnevor-Steakhouse Moderne, Milwaukee

·        Chef AJ Hurst, Vintage Brewing Company, Madison

·        Chef James Jens, Dinners with Class, Cedar Grove

·        Chef Van Luu, Locavore Restaurant, Milwaukee

·        Chef Jamie Pospeschil, Big Foot Country Club, Fontana

·        Chef Keith Stefani, Champions Restaurant, Sheboygan Falls

·        Chef Mitchel Weber, Piggy’s Restaurant & Blues Lounge, La Crosse

The Taste of Elegance is sponsored by Johnsonville Sausage; Resource Engineering Associates, Inc; 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 January 29-30 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 atwww.wisconsinsoybean.org. For pork recipes and cooking tips, along with more about the Wisconsin Pork Association, visitwww.wppa.org. For more information about the Wisconsin Corn/Soy Expo, visit the website atwww.cornsoyexpo.org