Honolulu (KHON2) – The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival is calling on students to submit their best dishes for the next generation of chefs for the Hawai’i Gas Presents Localicious® Recipe Contest.
2015 turned 2021 Judge Sophia Stark won with Crispy Panko Eggplant with Spinach Salad, a twist on a classic dish for her family, Eggplant parmesan.
Sophia joined Living808 to talk about the experience. “The experience was certainly a memorable one,” says Sophia. “It helped to fuel my passion for the culinary arts and created many unique opportunities.”
The contest led to other opportunities. “In March of 2018, I appeared as a contestant on season six of FOX’s MasterChef Junior,” adds Sophia. “The cooking experience I gained while learning from Gordon Ramsay and the other judges was invaluable. Due to my 2015 recipe contest win, I was already equipped with culinary knowledge and a competitive mindset. I had just turned twelve years old when filming began for MasterChef Junior, and I am proud of how much I have grown as a chef and as a person.”
The recipe contest is for students in grades 4 through 12 (2 age categories: 4-8 and 9-12.) Each student is required to use at least one locally grown, caught or raised product in their dish. Recipes should have a story behind it, include healthy ingredients, be relatively simple and affordable to make. And of course, they must be delicious!
Top three finalists in each age category are selected to face off in a live cook off on October 30, 2021 and present their original, healthy dishes to celebrity chef and HFWF co-chair Alan Wong, 2015 Winner Sophia Stark and President and CEO of Hawai’i Gas, Alicia Moy.
Finalists grades 4-8 will receive a culinary kit valued between $100-$300 while finalists grades 9-12 will receive scholarships from $100-$300.
Recipe contest deadline is September 30th. Entry forms, official rules and further instructions can be found online.
Website: https://hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com/recipecontest/