The Fresno State cooking duo was the first out of the gates in a staggered start for the three competing college teams in the inaugural Garlic Bowl and the first to whet the palates of the six judges at Friday’s 35th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.
But the Bulldogs tandem of Executive Chef Erik Debaude and Sous Chef Bryan Kramer, competing in their very first timed competition, left a lasting impression, winning Friday’s one-hour, two-dish event held on the Cookoff Stage on the park side of Christmas Hill Park.
“It’s truly an honor to be the first Garlic Bowl winners, and I’m very proud to represent Fresno State,” said Kramer, a 1987 Fresno State alumnus. “I think it’s a great idea. We have a big football rivalry with them.”
The first-time event, which pit executive chefs representing San Jose State, Fresno State and UC Berkeley in a one-hour, two-dish cook-off, was a bold attempt by the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association to attract college students and alumni to help boost opening day attendance numbers at the three-day garlicky extravaganza.
Kramer assisted Debaude in making two dishes: “Fresno State Corn and St. André stuffed Crepes with a Tarragon and Lavender Garlic Cream Sauce” and “Seared Duck Breast with Red Currant Sauce, Garlic Purple Mash Potatoes with Beet Croustillant, Stuffed Fig with Chive and Garlic Goat Cheese.”
“It’s nice to have started the tradition. Next year when we come back maybe another team can keep the tradition going,” said Debaude, who was born and professionally trained in his native France.
“Everything turned out exactly as we planned, taste-wise and presentation-wise,” continued the Executive Chef for the Save Mart Center Arena, home of Bulldog athletics. “We wanted to go out first anyway, so the judges would eat our two dishes first.”
The winners – who were presented with a orange glass garlic bulb trophy by Garlic Queen Olivia Echeverria and her court – earned $5,000 for their college’s general scholarship fund, a 10-piece Calaphon cooking set and, of course, a pair of garlic braids.
The college-themed culinary competition brought out alumni from each Northern California university, some sporting their school colors among the packed house crowd inside the arena.
“We want to support our chefs,” said Brisbane native Debbie Guill, manager of the residence dining hall at Fresno State. “Erik is a very unique chef. He brings a little different flair because he was trained in France.”
Adding to the festive collegiate atmosphere was the presence of “Sparty,” San Jose State’s mascot, as well as “Krazy” George Henderson, a professional cheerleader, who stakes claim as the inventor of the celebratory wave, where fans, in one section and then the next, stand up with their hands raised, giving the impression of a wave. Henderson, who pounded his snare drum and led SJSU supporters in chants throughout the competition, also had everyone do the wave.
“We’re going on offense immediately,” said Henderson, a 1970 SJSU alumnus who started cheerleading at his alma mater in 1967 and has done the same for National Football League teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Houston Oilers and Kansas City Chiefs.
San Jose State’s culinary crew of Executive Chef Michele Rogers and Sous Chef Carlos Duque, which started in the second position 10 minutes after Fresno State, placed second with their play on surf and turf. Rogers prepared “Butter and Garlic Poached Lobster with Smoked Applewood Bacon Jam with Fresh Heirloom Tomatoes topped with Herb Salad and Garlic Chips.” Duque handled the turf – a deconstructed Kobe beef Wellington.
“We did the best we could,” said Rogers, whose hands were visibly shaking as she plated her beautifully poached lobster and then swiftly helped Duque with the final touches on the turf before the final seconds ticked off their hour-long clock.
The clock ran out on the UC Berkeley tandem of Executive Chef Mary Ferrer and Associate Director of Culinary Arts Ida Sheen – who only plated one of their two required dishes.
However, the only judged dish – “Seared Halibut with Summer Vegetable Hash Bacon – Garlic Nage and Toum, a Lebanese Garlic Mousse” – received the highest score of any dish by the judges.
“Restaurant quality,” remarked judge Tucker Bunch, Chef-Instructor for the Culinary Institute of America Greystone in St. Helena. “They’re going to run away with it.”
“I wanted to finish it off,” added fellow judge Danae McLaughlin, Executive Sous Chef and Director of Special Events for The Harker School in San Jose.
Judge Beat Giger, Director of Special Events and Corporate Chef for Pebble Beach Resorts, who sat with the other four judges – including Jay Marshall, Culinary Specialist/Executive Chef for Sysco Food Services and Ward Bushee, Executive Vice President and Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, at a dining table on the front corner of the stage, rated the halibut a “10 of 10.”
The dish that the judges eventually tasted but could not issue a score to because it was plated late was “St. Joseph’s Pastry with Garlic Almond Brittle.”
Regardless, both the teams from SJSU and Cal-Berkeley received $1,000 towards their university’s general scholarship fund as well as the Calaphon dinner set and garlic.
San Jose Sharks play-by-play radio announcer Dan Rusanowsky teamed up with Jason Gronlund, Executive Chef of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, to provide commentary throughout the first ever college culinary competition.
