Building on the success of last year’s first-ever Garlic Chef Jr. cooking competition, the contest will return on July 26 to the 2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival.
Young chefs ages 9-18 are encouraged to apply by May 1 to compete on the Garlic Cook-Off Stage. MasterChef season 9 winner Gerron Hurt will serve as emcee for the event.
Each contestant must create one cooked or baked dish using his or her own original recipe containing at least six cloves of garlic. Chefs will have two hours to prepare their dishes on the Garlic Cook-Off Stage and are allowed to have one adult, non-professional sous chef on stage to assist them. A panel of expert judges will evaluate each dish for taste, appearance, creativity and use of garlic. The winner will be presented with a gift valued at $500.
“We learned last year that we have a lot of talented young chefs in our community, and it was so much fun to see them competing on the Garlic Cook-Off Stage,” said Denise Buessing, co-chair of the 2019 Gilroy Garlic Festival Recipe Contest Committee. “We look forward to seeing some new contestants this year and can’t wait to taste what they cook up.”
The inaugural Garlic Chef Jr. contest was won by Addison Dell, who wowed the judges with her Garlic Mac N Cheese with Crispy Garlic Chicken Tenders and Roasted Asparagus.
Aspiring young chefs age can apply to the 2019 competition at gilroygarlicfestival.com/festival/cooking-events/garlic-chef-jr. Applications must be submitted no later than May 1.
For more information, visit gilroygarlicfestival.com.
