Deck: Hazelnuts and Chocolate
This competition began in 2001, where eight LBCC culinary students compete against each other.Using an original recipe with hazelnuts and chocolate for the best appetizers, main dishes, and desserts.
The Fourteenth Annual Hazelnut Competition was held April 26. Hosted by one of their instructors , Chef Kathy Body.
Judges this year were local community members and program supports, JoAnne McQweary, personal chef and LBCC culinary instructor Adrienne Ewanchyna, Margi Dusek with LBCC Business office, and Lori Fluge-Brunker with LBCC College Advancement.
The Oregon Hazelnut Marketing Board donated the cash prizes. Local hazelnut growers and long-time supporters of the college culinary program Wayne and Joanne Chambers supplied the hazelnuts for the competition.
Body has been an instructor at LBCC for 27- years. She has hosted this event since it began in 2001.
"I want to thank the Chambers for all of their support they give to the culinary program." said Body.
All the students competed as a part of the Culinary Arts program.
Kara Carsner a second-year Culinary Arts student took first place prize of $250 with her chocolate hazelnut mousse cake with hazelnut milk.
Carsner wanted to use hazelnuts to the best of her ability, that's how she came up with the cake, but she also had to use chocolate, so she used a chocolate cage.
Carsner and a friend practicing with hazelnuts as garnishments, and that helped her to come up with the garnishment that she used.
When asked how Carsner felt when finding out she took first place, Carsner said.
"I was freaked out, so happy. I was jumping around the store, because I didn't think I would place. It was really fun, so I'm glad I did it. It was a good experience. I want to thank the Chambers for supplying all the hazelnuts every year."
Nan Dong taking second place, winning $150 for her French hazelnut chocolate moon cake, using a recipe from China, that's how she came up with her cake.
A festival held in China every-year has moon cake for a special dessert, Dong just had to add hazelnuts and chocolate to their recipe to have a winning cake.
Dong was asked how she felt about taking second, Dong said.
" I was surprised, because it was last minute, and I didn't think I had quite finished it, I had to leave to return to OSU. I was felling depressed before I found out, then I was happy."
First thing Dong did was call her mom to let her know the news, her mom cried.
"When I leave here to go back to OSU, I will miss all the Chefs. I didn't know anything about cooking or baking, they have helped me a lot. I want to thank them,I'll miss them when I go back to my country." said Dong.
Joseph Page a veteran, received third place of $100 for his smoked hazelnut crusted chicken with hazelnut mole sauce.
Page's wife's family is Mexican so he wanted to impress his wife's grandma with something she would recognize. He did his research and found out the first mole's were made from hazelnuts. That's where he came up with his recipe after change it a bit. He took out some of the pepper and chocolate to not insult anyone's palate.
Page knew the rest of the students were making something sweet, so he went the other direction with some savory chicken.
"I think that flavor won people over, getting a little brake from the sweet with the savory dish I prepared helped me a bit." said Page.
When asked what Page felt after receiving the news that he won, Page said.
"I was very excited and overwhelmed. This is like a second career for me. I'm a veteran and I'm attempting to have some fulfillment to my life. It's something I can teach my kids to help them be independent when it's time for them to be."
Page is from N. Carolina, "I'm a southern gentleman, everything I do is in spirit of that." said Page.
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