FIVE TOP CHEFS COME AWAY WINNERS AT
THE 2006 DATE CHEF COMPETITION
Sixth Annual Event Held Sunday At
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino
INDIO, CA. – (April 25, 2006) Five
creative chefs reaped top awards at the
sixth annual California Date Chef
Competition on Sunday (April 23), from among
14 who competed in appetizer, entrée and
dessert categories. The annual event is
presented by the California Date
Administrative Committee (CDAC),
representing California date growers and
handlers.
Best of Show winner was Mark
Sickenberger, assistant executive chef at
Morongo Resort Casino, Cabazon, Calif., for
his spicy appetizer “Scallops and Savory
Date Bread Pudding, Zahidi Filo Crisp with
Date Vinaigrette.” Sickenberger incorporated
Deglet Noor, Halawy and Zahidi dates
creatively throughout the dish – from the
date pudding, to crisp Filo triangle, date
butter and date vinaigrette made with orange
and pomegranate juices.
First place appetizer, a
delicate “Fruited Date Insalata” was created
by Gregory Wiener, chef of Ristorante
Tuscany, Desert Springs Marriot Resort &
Spa, Palm Desert, Calif. Wiener balanced
Zahidi dates, pears, cherries, squash and
hazelnuts with micro greens on a pear chip,
finished with Chardonnay foam.
Originally from Thailand, Kue
Her, executive sous chef at La Casa Del
Zorro in San Diego county’s Borrego Springs,
won First Place Entrée for his three-way
version of “Dates in Asia.” Her’s winner
showcased Vietnamese rice paper wrapped Date
and Shrimp with Soy-Lime glaze; spicy Thai
chicken wing brushed with Date Barbecue
Sauce over Date Sticky Rice garnished with
radish salad; and Cantonese Coconut Tempura
Date stuffed with edamame and sesame seed,
dusted with red Hawaiian sea salt and
chives.
French-born Jerome Diop, senior
pastry chef at Renaissance Esmeralda Resort
& Spa, Indian Wells, Calif. took home the
First Place Dessert award for his “Four
Seasons of a Date” that featured Dates Pot
de Crème, Date Nib Chocolate Cake, Date
Truffle, and Date Shake. Diop is a former
winner and finalist at the Date Chef
Competitions.
People’s Choice went hands down
to the appetizer, Date & Lobster Cappuccino,
created by Eric Wadlund, chef de cuisine of
Azur restaurant, La Quinta Resort & Club, La
Quinta, Calif. Lobster tails sautéed in
date butter were added to Indio White
Corn-Artichoke Bisque served in a cappuccino
cup, topped with steamed milk with a Date
Biscotti on the side. Wadlund’s artful
entry was clearly a trompe-l’oeil (deceptive
appearance) in its presentation while
expanding on the theme of local
agriculture. Wadlund won the appetizer
category in previous years, and was Chef
Spokesman last year when the event was held
on his home turf at La Quinta Resort & Club.
All entries were judged in a
blind judging by professional culinary
experts including Bryon Vaughan, associate
publisher of Sante Magazine; Michael Osborn,
chairman of the California Restaurant
Association; Mildred Amico, program director
for the James Beard Foundation, New York;
Jackie Olden, chef, cookbook author, and
well known radio and television cooking show
host; Henry Fenwick, food columnist for The
Desert Sun; Donna Curran, food editor for
Palm Springs Life Magazine; Lloyd Soleta,
certified American Culinary Federation
judge; and Maurice Bratt, restaurant critic
on KGAM radio.
Other chefs competing were from
San Francisco, San Diego, New York and other
properties in the Coachella Valley.
Platinum sponsor of the 2006
Date Chef Competition was Fantasy Springs
Resort Casino and Executive Chef Perry
Mascitti was Chef Spokesman.
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