InsPEARational Culinary Student Competition Accepting Entries through March 31
USA Pears has issued a challenge to all post-secondary culinary-arts students to enter an insPEARational recipe competition. Students must create an original recipe using any fresh USA pear variety (Bartlett, Anjou, Comice, Seckel, Concorde, Forelle, Bosc, Starkrimson) in the following categories: breakfast, salad, soup, appetizer, side dish, entrée, dessert. Enter online by March 31, 2011 at www.usapears.org/students.aspx.
All entries will be judged based on prominent use of fresh USA pears, originality, creativity, taste/texture and appearance. Three semi-finalists will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Portland, Ore., to prepare their dishes for a panel of professional judges. Grand prize is $2,500 cash for the student, plus the student’s culinary department will receive $250 for supplies or scholarship fund. Second place winners will receive $1,000 cash and third place, $500 cash.
The goal of the contest is to reward future culinary professionals for their creativity and demonstrate the versatility of fresh pears across all menu and day parts. The 2010 winner, Keith Paugh of The Texas Culinary Academy, was chosen for his savory “Pear and Scallops” creation.
The Pear Bureau Northwest is a nonprofit marketing organization established in 1931 to promote the fresh pears grown in Washington and Oregon, home to 84% of the U.S. fresh-pear crop. The bureau represents 1,600 pear growers and develops national and international markets for Northwest pear distribution. For more information, visit www.usapears.org, follow @USApears on Twitter and “like” USA Pears on Facebook.