Chefs Taste Challenge Comes to NOLA!

I’m super proud to announce that ANS will be covering and blogging live from the event this Friday!

If you follow my Instagram account, you know I love food. I literally live to eat. Although, I love all things food, I’m not the most health-conscious when it comes to dining at my favorite eatery. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all about trying healthy dishes, but not when I’m eating out. I save those experiments for my kitchen at home. But this weekend, I think I’m going to step out of my kitchen and into a few healthier options at this year’s Farm to Table!

from farm to fork (or table)
1. used to refer to the various processes in the food chain from agricultural production to consumption.

The first-ever Farm to Table Chefs Taste Challenge is coming to NOLA this weekend during the Farm to Table International Conference at the Ernest N. Moria Convention Center.

Here’s a little bit about the event, via website:

The Farm to Table Chefs Taste Challenge (CTC), scheduled for August 7, 2015 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, aims to broaden awareness for the use of fresh, healthy, sustainable ingredients in preparing food.

Ten chefs from various geographical regions across the United States will compete to create the best dish that utilizes farm-fresh items from a pantry of seasonal ingredients donated by State Agricultural Departments.

The term “farm to table” indicates locally-sourced product, but this unique national competition will showcase what locavores are eating around the country. It’s pineapples from Hawaii, seafood from the Gulf of Mexico or Yellow Squash from Texas, attendees will experience the best and freshest ingredients, all in a single dining event.

The dinner is also a competition that will be judged by a panel of industry-renowned judges who, along with event attendees, will be asked to vote for their favorite dishes.

Featured Chefs:

Chef Craig Baker, Local Eatery & Pub, Indianapolis, Indiana
Chef Frank Brigtsen, Brigtsen’s Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana
Chef Rocky Durham, Santa Fe Culinary Academy, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Chef Matthew Farmer, Apolline Restaurant, New Orleans, Louisiana
Chef Joshua Galliano, Companion Bakery, St. Louis, Missouri
Chef Richard Jones, Green Door Gourmet, Nashville, Tennessee
Chef Joel Navejas, The Farmhouse at Jessup Farm, Fort Collins, Colorado
Chef Hari Pulapaka, Cress Restaurant, DeLand, Florida
Chef Carmen Rodriguez, Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, Lake Arrowhead, California

Judges:

Chef Brad Barnes, Director, CIA Consulting, The Culinary Institute of America
Chef Kevin Belton, New Orleans School of Cooking
Chef Izabela Wojicik, James Beard Foundation
Gary Prell, Vice President Culinary Development, Centerplate
Chef Sue Zemanick, Executive Chef, Gautreau’s

Follow @anicolespills on Instagram, Snapchat, and Periscope to see my live coverage of the event. If you’d like to attend (and/or say, “Hi!”), purchase tickets!

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