Chef Leah Scurto Wins $5,000 For Serious Californian Entry in 3rd Yearly True California Pizza Contest
Napa, Calif. (Oct 29, 2021) – Right after 9 chefs spent a competitive working day crafting and doing the job pizza dough, creating distinctive toppings and sauces, and combining modern blends of California cheeses, on Oct. 20 the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) identified two champions in the 2021 Actual California Pizza Contest – a countrywide research for the best pizza recipes making use of Actual California Cheese.
The Grand Prize winner, Spencer Glenn, from Pizza My Coronary heart in Pacific Grove, Calif. took dwelling the leading prize for his Lifestyle is Gourd pie, representing the Plant-Forward class. Influenced by a recipe shared with his late grandfather, the pizza featured a California Asiago/Romano blend, Toma and Mozzarella along with fried newborn sage leaves, pomegranate arils, and pistachios.
Glenn also experienced the winning pizza in the Cal-Mex class. His Elote con Chorizo was a tasteful homage to conventional Mexican street corn, pairing California Oaxaca, crema, and cotija with fresh chorizo and tangy Tajin. Glenn obtained $5,000 for profitable each group and an more $10,000 for the grand prize difference, for a overall of $20,000.
The Genuine California category winner was Chef Leah Scurto, the owner of PizzaLeah in Windsor, Calif for her modern Nico Pie, which utilised numerous cheese from California to enhance two quintessential Golden Point out make items: artichokes and garlic. The CMAB awarded Scurto $5,000 for her winning pizza.
The seven other finalists gained $500 every single for reaching the bake-off finals
“This year’s contest highlighted quite a few top rated trends in foodservice,” explained Mike Gallagher, Enterprise and Market Improvement Marketing consultant for the CMAB. “The finalists impressed the judges with exclusive recipes, daring interpretations inside of our ground breaking types, and an overarching motivation to the innovative use of California dairy in the course of every single pizza.”
The 3rd once-a-year Authentic California Pizza Contest, which was held at The Culinary Institute of The usa (CIA) at Copia in Napa, Calif., was open to professional chefs and culinary pupils across the U.S.
A renowned panel of judges – Tony Gemignani, 13-time Earth Pizza Winner Glenn Cybulski, qualified pizzaiolo and award-profitable government chef and Ricky Webster, founder of Rind & Wheat Bakery in Spokane, Wash. and 2020 RCPC Grand Prize Winner – presided more than the contest. The judges based mostly their scores on a selection of factors which includes flavor, texture and the ingenious use of cheeses made with Real California Milk.
“When the pizza market is healthier, the California dairy industry is wholesome,” stated John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “As the range a single producer of milk and mozzarella, so a lot of our business goes into pizza, it’s important for California to advance and innovate in the pizza group.”
The complete checklist of finalists for the 2021 True California Pizza Contest is as follows:
Plant-Forward
- GRAND PRIZE AND Class WINNER: Spencer Glenn, a professional chef from Pacific Grove, Calif., operates at Pizza My Coronary heart.
- Michael Bacon, a professional chef from Aberdeen, SD, is the Standard Manager at Danger von Dempsey’s Pizzeria & Brewhaus.
- Patrick Costa, a qualified chef from Los Angeles, Calif., is operator of De La Nonna.
- Lauren Katz, a experienced chef from Ashburn, Va., is the govt pastry chef and recipe developer at The Big difference Baker.
The Real Californian
- Group WINNER: Leah Scurto, a expert chef from Windsor, Calif., is the operator of PizzaLeah.
- Cliff Buchanan, a specialist chef from Bodega, Calif., is the operator of Pizza Bodega
- Lauren Katz, a experienced chef from Ashburn, Va., is the executive pastry chef and recipe developer at The Change Baker.
- Dean Nole, a expert chef from New Hartford, Y., is the co-proprietor, with his brother Jason, of Café CaNole.
Cal-Mex
- Category WINNER: Spencer Glenn, a qualified chef from Pacific Grove, Calif., works at Pizza My Coronary heart.
- Steven Barrantes, a expert chef from San Jose, Calif., is the owner of Slice of Homage.
- Cliff Buchanan, a specialist chef from Bodega, Calif., is the owner of Pizza Bodega.
- Lars Smith, a expert chef from Palo Alto, Calif., is the proprietor of State of Thoughts Public Household and Pizzeria.
The full online video of the bake-off finals and the awards presentation is offered at: 2021 RCPC Award Presentation. Extra particulars on the bake-off, the pizza chef finalists and the CMAB are out there at True California Pizza Contest.
About Authentic California Milk/the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Office of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm family members who guide the nation in sustainable dairy farming techniques. With a eyesight to nourish the planet with the healthful goodness of Genuine California Milk, the CMAB’s plans target on growing demand for California’s sustainable dairy merchandise in the condition, across the U.S. and about the entire world via promotion, general public relations, exploration, and retail and foodservice advertising plans.
The Foodservice Division of the CMAB supports foodservice operators and distributors that use Genuine California dairy solutions. The CMAB presents advertising and marketing and advertising assist for foodservice operators that obtain dairy items with the True California Milk seal, which indicates they are made with 100 per cent milk from California’s much more than 1,100 spouse and children dairy farms, applying some of the most sustainable dairy methods in the country.
For a lot more information and facts on sourcing cheese from California, get hold of the foodservice group at 209.883.6455 (MILK), [email protected] or RealCaliforniaMilk.com/Foodservice, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
