After an intense four hours, two chefs along with their assistants, who participated in an Emancipation day cook-up competition yesterday, were rewarded with prizes which include a catering contract with ANSA McAL for their mouth-watering renditions of the rice and lentils fusion
The competition, which was a collaboration between ANSA McAL and the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), was held in the National Park on Carifesta Avenue.
Gordon Moseley, Odessa Primus and the principal of the Carnegie Home of Economics, Myrna Lee were judges of the competition and they judged each group on the taste, aroma and presentation of the food. Moseley revealed that it was very difficult judging over thirty plates. “It ain’t easy eating over thirty cook-up,” he said.
Waveney Dorris and Nichola Davis along with their assistant cooks were rewarded with $100,000 each, a hamper and a contract to cater for ANSA McAl at events. They spent hours trying to render the perfect cook-up. Pinky Kerr and Tabitha Singh and Brittny Grant along with their assistants won $30,000 and a hamper for placing second in the non-vegetarian and vegetarian categories respectively while Joan Hill and Onecka Butcher and their assistants won $20,000 and a hamper for third position.
Davis who entered the competition with her daughter, Stacy as her assistant told this newspaper that they were confident that they would’ve won the competition so it was not a surprise. Davis revealed that she also participated in the competition last year. She said she basically used ingredients such as red peas, black eyed peas, green and yellow lentils with Tripe, salted and fresh beef along with chicken.
The winner of the vegetarian competition, Dorris, who is a cook by profession and is a third-time winner of this particular category said that competitions are a very nice experience for her because she loves cooking and does it for a living at a restaurant. While she noted that there was no secret ingredient she said that apart from the seasoning that was provided, her cook-up comprised of red peas, channa, onions and plantain with a garden salad at the side.
Participants in the vegetarian category included Rajdai Doris, Randy Williams, Randy Paul, Lawshawna George, Seemouan Phillips, Olga Bacchus, Shavon Brown and Elizabeth Arjune. Participants in the non-vegetarian category included Gem Hall, Merlyn Holligan, Nikita Williams, Kenola George, Bernadette Mentis, Agnes Caesar, Lotoya Thompson, Lavina Williams, Dan James, Desriee Heywood and Lisa Smith among others.
According to a representative of ANSA McAL, Tami Ramsay, more than thirty persons took part in the competition this year. Each of those persons was allowed an assistant cook. Ten persons and their assistants participated in the vegetable cook-up category while eighteen persons along with their assistants participated in the non-vegetarian cook-up. While there were no rules to follow, each participant was required to use the Chief brand seasoning.
During the intense cook-out session participants were quite jovial with their fellow competitors while cutting up their seasonings, grating more than four coconuts and stirring their huge pots all the while listening to the sound of steel pan music.
After the winners were announced the public was invited to sample the cook-up, which finished in a very short period of time. One person said that she sampled five of the contestants’ cook-ups. Her favourite, she revealed was the vegetarian calaloo cook-up.
Shelina Richards who attended the emancipation festivities for the first time said that she got a taste of one of the vegetarian cook-ups which tasted “very lovely.”
