Chilean Hass Avocado Crème Brûlée with Walnut Crust earned Seattle Culinary Academy student Emme Ribeiro the grand prize of a $1000 scholarship in the Chilean Avocado Importers Association (CAIA) third annual Culinary Student Recipe Contest. CAIA judges selected the winning entry and two runner-ups based on contest criteria that included originality, taste and ease of preparation.
A native of Brazil, Ribeiro explains the inspiration behind her award-winning dish, “We treat avocado as a fruit and mash it with sugar. My mother made avocado smoothies for us when we were growing up. I’ve also substituted mashed ripe avocado in place of butter in cake and brownie recipes, where it adds a delicious richness and a nutritional factor too. Not many people think of cooking avocado, but another favorite I enjoy making is avocado fettuccini Alfredo.”
Ribeiro, who inherited her love of cooking from her parents who own and operate Tempero do Brasil, a popular Brazilian restaurant in Seattle, decided to combine sweet and heat with the rich flavor and creaminess of Chilean Hass avocadoes to create a unique version of her favorite dessert, Crème Brûlée. She further made the recipe her own by scooping the mixture back into a hallowed out avocado shell and adding a walnut crust for a contrasting crunch. The idea paid off deliciously, enabling Ribeiro to win over 70 other entries submitted during the contest period, September 15 through December 15, 2011.
Two Runners-Up each received a $250 cash prize: Lorenzo Soto of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, for his Guacamole Ravioli with Spicy Chipotle Tomato Cream
http://avocadosfromchile.org/press-room/consumer-news/recipes/main-dishes/guacamole-ravioli-with-spicy-chipotle-tomato-cream, and Christine Wendland of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, for her Chilean Avocado, Wild Rice and Pomegranate Salad over Quick-Pickled Zucchini Ribbons: http://avocadosfromchile.org/press-room/consumer-news/recipes/salads-dressings/chilean-avocado-wild-rice-and-pomegranate-salad-over-quick-pickled-zucchini-ribbons
This year’s newly-named "Bravo for Avocados from Chile!" recipe contest will be almost identical, except that there will be two categories: one for culinary students and one for home cooks.
“The annual recipe contest has been so popular among culinary students that we felt it would be a natural evolution to expand the challenge to consumers as well, giving us twice the involvement and twice the exposure,” said Maggie Bezart, marketing director for CAIA. “Even amateur home cooks can come up with interesting usage ideas, and we hope the $1,000 grand prize will entice many people to show us their creativity.”
The contest will launch November 15 and run through February 15, 2013. Contestants can find more information and submit their entries online at: recipecontest.avocadosfromchile.org
Entries may also be submitted to: avocadosfromchile@gmail.com
Source: Avocados from Chile