It was like a scene from the Food Network, with six of Centre County’s own Iron Chefs facing off in Boalsburg.
The challenge: Use local ingredients to create the best dish.
The question: Whose cuisine reigns supreme?
The prize: ownership of the Golden Basket, a prestigious trophy awarded to the winner by a panel of judges.
“It’s amazing,” State College mayor and judge Elizabeth Goreham said. “We have six different restaurants here and they’re judged on several criteria from flavor to the use of local ingredients and how easy it is for people to make the dish at home.”
Patrons of the market got a chance to watch chefs from six local restaurants up close and personal. The culinary display was part educational, part entertainment, and part delicious for the crowd. The chefs handed out samples as they went, feeding the crowd and the judges as they set their sights on the trophy.
The restaurants in attendance were Zola Kitchen, Benjamin’s Catering, Harrison’s Wine Grill, Fasta & Ravioli Co., Elk Creek Cafe, and the Nittany Lion Inn. Chefs representing these establishments created everything from grilled chicken to a traditional Viatnamese sandwich: the banh mi.
Erin Snyder, the head chef at Elk Creek Cafe for just one month, was the woman behind the Asian creation.
“It’s kind of a Viatnamese/Pennsylvania dish that I’m going for since it’s using local ingredients,” Snyder said. “I saw baguette and a lightbulb went off, because that’s your main component of a banh mi, bread with a soft inside and crusty outside.”
She used local pork from the market to make meatballs and paired that with local herbs, vegetables, and more to complete her sandwich. While Harrison’s eventually took the top prize, Snyder was happy to win awards for both best entree and best use of local ingredients. On top of all that, she had a good time along the way.
“I think it’s a lot of fun. I’m having a blast,” she said. “It’s nice to get out of the kitchen and get to see some people. We’re behind walls all day long, working long hours, and we don’t really get to see the customers so it’s nice to interact. And most of us know each other so it’s fun to see everyone.”
Something else that Snyder finds fun is working with local ingredients, a concept that was the focus of the chef competition.
“It’s a lot of fun to work with local ingredients. I think they taste better,” she said. “This is my first job where we’ve sourced locally and I’ve been working in the industry for 20 years. I tasted some arugula a couple weeks and it blew my head away. It was very fresh.”
Two of the patrons who stopped by the competition tent agree that local ingredients make for the best food. Jean and Chuck Franzetta enjoyed some samples from the restaurants on Tuesday afternoon.
“I come to the market every week and I knew this was going to be today,” Mrs. Franzetta said. “We’re here for the event to hang out and watch. I think it’s a great idea. People can come and learn from the chefs. I picked up some little tips here today and picked up some ideas on how to use the local produce.”
As for her husband, Chuck Franzetta is a big supporter of cooking with local ingredients, and getting a look behind the curtain of some State College restaurants was the icing on the cake — or the Sriracha mayonnaise on the banh mi.
“It’s always the best food. Fresh is always better,” Franzetta said. “And every one of these chefs has been very open to answer questions about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. There’s no secrets.”
