Chefs Norma Costrello and Nicole Martinez won the coveted Golden Spork Award with their chicken tzatziki naan. (Credit: Telford Happenings)
The event sold out for the second consecutive year, highlighting the strong community interest in cooking competitions
Cajun chicken pasta, bangers and mash, lula kebab, carrot cake cupcakes and more were on the menu at the ‘So You Think You Can Cook’ competition Wednesday, April 2.
Tickets sold out for the 9th annual cooking competition at the Perseverance Volunteer Firehouse. The 22 competing amateur chefs prepared and served a medley of dishes, while attendees were handed scorecards and three tickets with which to vote for their favorites.
“The competition was fierce, the food was delicious and the community spirit was unbeatable,” said a spokesperson for Telford Happenings, the event’s host.
This year’s winners were as follows:
Golden Spork Award – Norma Costrello and Nicole Martinez with chicken tzatziki naan
Celebrity Chef Award – Tom and Lisa Cinciripini with chicken puff pastry
Runner-Up Celebrity Chef – Dorothy and Aubrey Pernie with roast pork sandwich
Fan Favorite – Norma Costrello and Nicole Martinez with chicken tzatziki naan
Best Décor – Jean Wieder and Jo Anne Riley with carrot cake cupcakes
Other dishes included chicken and dumplings, New Orleans gumbo over rice and a sourdough piggy mac sandwich. The chefs were primarily drawn from local municipalities, with approximately half competing for the first time.
Tickets sold out for the 9th annual ‘So You Think You Can Cook” competition at the Perseverance Volunteer Firehouse in Souderton.
The amateur chefs prepare and serve their dishes
Attendees sample different dishes.
Chef Chase Briscoe samples his carrot cake cupcakes with brown sugar cream cheese frosting.
Chef Paul Lorenz samples his bangers and mash.
State Rep. Steve Malagari samples a lula kebob from chef Kellie BruntonThe event sold out for the second consecutive year, highlighting the strong community interest in cooking competitions, said event organizer Liz Peitzman.
“It’s something that everybody looks forward to,” said Peitzman. “This area really enjoys this kind of event.”
“The community just absolutely loves it,” said Liz Herman of Telford Happenings. “And it’s a great way for the chefs to spotlight their business and network with other passionate business people.”
The event is also a key fundraiser for Telford Happenings, whose funding is set to shrink due to local budget cuts. Last year’s competition raised $3,000, and Telford Happenings is anticipating roughly the same amount this year, said Herman.
“We are not gonna be getting as much funding from the borough,” said Herman. “Every municipality is struggling, so we need the community’s help more this year than we have in the past.”
Moving forward, Telford Happenings is committed to preserving the popular event for the foreseeable future. The organization is currently contemplating expanding the competition to include additional chefs, said Herman.
“It’s a lot to put on, but it’s such a great event and people enjoy it so much that we may think about growing it at some point,” said Herman. “We’re just happy that we can continue this great tradition in the community, and we look forward to doing it for many more years.”
A moment of silence was held for former chef Kent Christy, who passed away from brain cancer in January. (Credit: Alexis Christy)The event was preceded by a moment of silence for Kent Christy, a former chef who passed away from brain cancer in January.
“Kent was a remarkable person, having experienced complete blindness as an adult, writing a book about that experience, and competing here as the only ever blind chef in our competition,” said Scott Little, Vice President of Commercial Lending for Harleysville Bank, one of the event sponsors.
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