| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Angelyn DeYoung |
| September 8, 2005 | (406) 444-2402 TTY (406) 444-4687 |
Chefs' Competition to Feature Montana Products
HELENA, Mont. — Montana chefs plan to match culinary skills and recipes featuring Montana products for a chance at bragging rights in the Culinary Excellence Awards competition next week at Big Sky.
The Montana Department of Agriculture is sponsoring the 2nd annual Montana Restaurant Connection & Chef Competition on September 12, 2005, at Buck's T-4 Lodge in Big Sky. Fourteen chefs have been invited to showcase their original Montana product recipe creations in three categories: appetizers, entrees and desserts. Judges will determine the winners based on the recipes' originality, flavor and taste, as well as the chefs' creative use of Montana products.
"Providing an opportunity for our Montana food manufacturers to connect with chefs and the restaurant industry is the key purpose of this event," says Nancy K. Peterson, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. "Chefs pride themselves in providing distinctive entrees and are aware that travelers often select locally produced items from the menu. Enhancing this connection supports our agricultural industry and encourages those businesses that add value to our agricultural commodities."
Director Peterson and Jane Brophy, the Governor's residence manager, will host the award ceremony and press conference in the Montana Room at Buck's T-4 Lodge, 4:30 – 7 p.m., September 12, 2005. Montana-inspired hors d'oeuvre and a no-host bar will be provided for all guests.
Judges for the event are Katy Keck, trend expert and marketing consultant, Savoir Faire Foods in New York City; Tom Campbell, president, Montana Chefs Association; Carl Kurakowa, chef and owner, Juliano's Restaurant in Billings; Eric Stenberg, board member, Chef's Collaborative - Montana in Bozeman; and Mike Callaghan, director of marketing and business development, Food Services of America - Montana in Billings.
The Chef's Collaborative, a national culinary organization, and Montana culinary organizations including the Montana Chefs Association, a chapter of the American Culinary Federation, Montana Chefs and Cooks Association and the Montana Restaurant Association, support the event.
"We’re very proud to endorse this event," says Tom Campbell, president of the Montana Chefs Association, a chapter of the American Culinary Federation. Jeremy Bernhardt, president of the Montana Chefs & Cooks Association agrees. "With our state’s restaurants and chefs working together to offer more Montana products on their menus, we can meet customers’ demands while helping Montana’s economy," Bernhardt says.
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.
Winning recipes from the 2004 Culinary Excellence Awards can be found on the Visit Montana website at www.visitmt.com/virtualvisitor/MCE.htm.
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. Keck will discuss national restaurant industry procedures and trends.
Another featured participant will be Tom Campbell, president of the Montana Chefs Association and director of the Culinary Arts Program at the University of Montana, College of Technology. Campbell is a certified executive chef and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Throughout the years, he has also served as corporate executive chef and executive chef, and has worked with his peers in many charitable and community events.
For more information on the event, visit www.agr.mt.gov, or contact Angelyn DeYoung, Montana Department of Agriculture marketing officer, at (406) 444-2402, or by email at agr@mt.gov.
