| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Angelyn DeYoung |
| June 9, 2004 | (406) 444-2402
TTY (406) 444-4687 |
Restaurant Competition to Feature Montana Products
BIG SKY, Mont. -- The Montana Department of Agriculture will host a chef competition for the Culinary Excellence Award on June 14, 2004. Chefs from around the state will converge upon Buck's T-4 Lodge in Big Sky, touting recipes featuring Montana products. To increase offerings of Montana products in restaurants statewide, Montana chefs were invited to submit recipes featuring Montana products. The recipes were reviewed, and 12 chefs were invited to participate in the final competition at Big Sky. Local and national chefs and restaurant brokers will judge the recipes on originality, flavor and taste, as well as creative use of Montana products.
Montanans and travelers to Montana seek out restaurants that offer locally produced products in their menus, says Ralph Peck, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. "The Montana Chef Competition encourages our state's chefs to incorporate more locally produced foods into their menus, giving customers what they want. This, in turn, helps Montana's agricultural industry and overall economy."
The Montana Chef Competition will culminate in a reception, at which Lieutenant Governor Ohs will announce the winners of the Culinary Excellence Awards. Hors d'oeuvre and beverages will be provided, and the finalist chefs will present their Montana product recipes for the public to view and sample. "We're very proud to endorse this event," says Brad Griffin, executive director of the Montana Restaurant Association. "With our state's restaurants and chefs working together to offer more Montana products to their customers, we can meet customers' demands while helping Montana's economy. It's a win-win situation."
To introduce even more Montana products into restaurants, the event will also feature the Montana Restaurant Connection, a showcase of Montana products for restaurant managers, chefs, brokers and distributors. Products showcased will include sauces, beer, mustards, soup mixes, beef, cereal, sausages, honey, caviar, smoked fish, goat cheese, bison chili, granola, mushrooms, ketchup, huckleberries, wine, pasties, canola oil, herbs and jams.
An educational session featuring chefs and distributors will also be offered in order to educate Montana companies about industry trends and selling procedures. The panel includes members from Juliano's restaurant in Billings, Buck's T-4 restaurant in Big Sky and Intermountain Food Distributors in Billings.
A special highlight of the event is involvement by Katy Keck, a nationally recognized chef and culinary professional and journalist from New York City. Her accomplishments include styling culinary segments for The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Today Show and Late Show with David Letterman. Ms. Keck will participate as a chef competition judge and provide an address discussing national restaurant industry procedures and trends.
Another featured participant will be Chef Dieter Doppelfeld, a Certified Master Chef and board member of the American Culinary Institute's National Chef Board. His accomplishments include working as an executive chef for the Westin hotels in Chicago and Anchorage, advising the University of Alaska on the creation of its food service department and directing the program there for 17 years. Most recently, Doppelfeld was part of the faculty at the Culinary Institute of America's Greystone campus in Napa, Calif. He will judge the chef competition and speak on the topic of recipe development.
For more information on the event, contact Angelyn DeYoung, Montana Department of Agriculture marketing specialist, at (406) 444-2402, or by email at agr@mt.gov.
