CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Tropical Foods, a food manufacturer that specializes in premium snack mixes, raw and freshly roasted nuts and seeds, has just announced the winners of its Flavors of Fall Recipe Contest. The contest was open to current Johnson & Wales Charlotte students and challenged them to create an original recipe using one of Tropical’s snack mixes as an ingredient. The competition offered culinary students a chance to win over $1,200 in cash prizes in addition to gaining exposure to the local culinary community.
The grand prize winner of the Flavors of Fall Recipe Contest is Dominic Towe. His original recipe for Mexicali Black Grouper, which featured Tropical’s Mexicali Fire snack mix, was awarded the grand prize due to its creativity, beautiful presentation, and unique combination of ingredients.
"We are pleased to announce our Flavors of Fall Recipe Contest winners and thank all the finalists who submitted their creative and original recipes," says Tropical Foods Marketing Director Chad Hartman. "These culinary students are at the beginning of their professional careers and Tropical Foods is proud to showcase their talents and bring them the exposure they deserve.”
Ten finalists competed in the live event tasting and prepared their dishes for a tasting audience and panel of culinary expert judges. Judges include Jon Fortes, Executive Chef at Mimosa Grill; James Satterwhite, Executive Chef at Charlotte Country Club; Tessia Harman, Pastry Instructor at CPPC; Amy Tormey with Compass Group; and Carolyn Bennett, owner of Tropical Foods and creator of the Tropical snack mixes.
Additional winners include 1st runner-up Elizabeth Vestal for her Fall-n-Fire Wontons featuring the Mexicali Fire Mix and 2nd runner-up Sally Foster for her Buffalo Bleu Tailgate Bars featuring Buffalo Nuts. The Tropical Foods Facebook page was very active during the competition with fans voting for their favorite recipe. The Facebook Fans Favorite, announced at the live competition, is Bella Bartha for her Apple Pie with PB&J Streusel, featuring Tropical’s PB&J Mix. The final award was given to the finalist that had the highest score from the tasting audience at the live competition. Agreeing with the judges, The Audience Vote Award goes to grand prize winner Dominic Towe.
The rest of the recipes along with photos and videos can be found at www.facebook.com/tropicalfoods. The finalists’ recipes with full ingredients and cooking directions will be featured in a recipe book early next year.
About Tropical Foods
Tropical Foods specializes in premium snack mixes, raw and freshly roasted nuts and seeds, dried fruit, and hundreds of bulk and packaged candies, spices, grains and specialty foods. Tropical Foods has an extensive line of retail branded products, including Grabeez®, Buffalo Nuts® and Christille Bay®. The company was founded in 1977 with an original product line of 100 items which has grown to include more than 3000 today. Privately-owned, Tropical is headquartered in Charlotte, NC, with additional operating centers in Atlanta, Memphis, Washington DC and Dallas.
Source: Tropical Foods
