DEADLINE FOR 2008 DATE CHEF COMPETITION ENTRIES
IS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 29
Official Entry Forms Online at www.DatesAreGreat.com
INDIO, CA. – (February 15, 2008)
The
Call for Entries for professional chefs to
enter the 2008
California
Date Chef Competition is still open.
Entries must be postmarked or emailed by 5 p.m.
Friday, February 29.
Official entry forms are
available online at
www.DatesAreGreat.com or call
1-800-223-8748 to request a facsimile
version.
Among the qualified entries, 15
finalists will be selected to present their
entry for judging at the 2008 California
Date Chef Competition held
Sunday, April 27 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino’s Special Events
Center.
Appetizer, entrée or dessert category
entries must include a color photo and use California date varieties
of Deglet Noor, Halawy, Khadrawy or Zahidi.
Because of federal regulations,
Medjool dates are exempt from the
competition.
Finalists
compete for top prizes in the Appetizer,
Entrée and Dessert categories, as well as
Best of Show and People’s Choice.
Winners take away more than $5,000 in
award money, trophies and the opportunity
for their restaurant to show off the award
winning recipe for a month at their
establishment.
The eighth annual competition is open
only to professional chefs currently
employed by or owners of a restaurant,
catering service, or hotel.
“The professional blind judging takes
place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. when the nine-member panel of chefs, food writers
and experts will taste and evaluate the
finalists’ entries, judging for best use of
dates, originality, flavor, texture and
overall presentation for 100 possible
points,” said Chef Spokesman Freddy Rieger,
executive chef at Fantasy Springs Resort
Casino.
The event is open to the public from
2 – 4:30 p.m. during the Gala Awards
Reception.
Guests are invited to sample all the
entries, visit with the chefs, talk with
Date Industry leaders, and vote for their
favorite to win the People’s Choice Award.
Tickets to the event are $35 per
person and benefit the California Women for
Agriculture’s Culinary Scholarships.
The event is sponsored by the
California Date Administrative Committee and
Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
Sponsorship opportunities are
available to support the benefit event.
The competition celebrates the partnership
between the Coachella Valley’s
tourism and agriculture industries.
For further information, call the
CDAC
office at (760) 347-4510 or toll free
800-223-8748.
or visit online at
www.DatesAreGreat.com
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