IOWA - VENETO CHEF CONTEST
The finals of the culinary event "Iowa - Veneto Chef Contest", born on the occasion of the 25th anniversary (1997-2022) of the twinning between Veneto and Iowa ("Sister States Relationship"), took place on Tuesday 11 October 2022. The competition aims to enhance and promote the most popular foods in the American state, leaving their free interpretation of junior chefs under 25 residing in Veneto.
The contest was organized by Sirman and the Iowa Sister States organization (www.iowasisterstates.org).
The recipes presented by the young chefs had to use at least one of the following foods as the main ingredient: pork, corn and derivatives, wheat and derivatives, tomato and derivatives.
The selections took place in two distinct moments: by December 25, all junior chefs had to send their recipe and a mini video presentation of the same. Among these, 8 candidates were selected who challenged each other in a live competition at the “Sirman Lab” in Pieve di Curtarolo (PD). The company, leader in the production of professional equipment, has been producing the best equipment for professionals in the kitchen and retail for over 50 years.
All 8 finalists were awarded the planetary mixer “Plutone 7 Minneapolis” by Sirman, while the victory went to Anna Chiara Didonè, closely followed by Simone Filippo Rossi. The two chefs on the podium won a trip and stay in Des Moines (Iowa), to meet and exchange experiences with their American colleagues, from 12 to 26 November 2022. All participants were given a digital thermometer as a gift.
The jury boasted exceptional chefs: for the FIC (Italian Chef Federation) Giorgio Nardelli, cooking master, Gianluca Tomasi, manager of the NIC (Italian Chef’s Team), Stefano Pepe, Paolo Rossetti, the eclectic Marco Valletta, vice president of the hotel and restaurant institute of Castelfranco (TV) and directly from the state of Iowa Micheal and Lisa La Valle. In addition, Danilo Freguja, master pastry chef, Ferruccio Ruzzante, journalist and president of the Zafferano magazine and Walter Frontalini, corporate chef at Sirman.
