Jason Gronlund, the 2012 Gilroy Garlic Festival’s Garlic Showdown Champion, will donate the top prize of $5,000 he captured during the July 29 competition to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Gronlund’s donation is in conjunction with Hard Rock Cafe San Francisco’s “Rockin’ to End Alzheimer’s” event, which celebrates the national launch of the Walk to End Alzheimer’s. The walk is the nation’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.
Gronlund, Hardrock’s international executive chef, will present his $5,000 prize money during the event, which takes place at 6 p.m. this Friday at Hard Rock Cafe, located at 256 Pier 39 in San Francisco.
During the July 29 competition at the Gilroy Garlic Garlic Festival, Chef Gronlund joined Manny Pulido of Gilroy’s The Spiced Palate, Jason Lavinsky from the Hyatt at Fisherman’s Wharf, and Mike Yakura from Dobbs Ferry in San Francisco in an “Iron Chef”- style competition in the Garlic Festival’s Cook-Off Theater. Gronlund prepared beef tenderloin.
Contestants were allowed to bring their favorite spices and cookware. The contestants were presented with a “secret ingredient” (lavosh) and had two hours to prepare, plate and serve their creations to a select panel of judges.
