FOOD & DINING

Meet the three Top Home Chef finalists

Karen Fernau
The Republic | azcentral.com
Chilled shallot custard and sugar snap pea consommé with market spring vegetables, fried shallots and toasted duck fat brioche.

Our third annual search for the Valley's best cook led us to three finalists. Once again, picking the top three out of 60-plus applications was a nearly impossible task. We are humbled by your talents and enthusiasm.

Here are the 2015 Top Home Chef finalists, selected by The Republic's Food & Dining team with input from last year's winner, Darin Taverna. To view all entries, go to dining.azcentral.com.

- Jo Birlin of Sun Lakes. Appetizer: Roasted quail with spicy candied orange and ginger chutney. Entree: Fried lobster tail stuffed with crab meat and a fresh vegetable. Dessert: Individual chocolate-almond ganache tortes with Frangelico whipped cream and almond brittle.

- Lisa Cassidy of Ahwatukee. Appetizer: Risotto ai funghi porcini, an Italian rice dish made with wild mushrooms. Entree: Vitello in umido, an Italian braised veal stew, served with polenta. Dessert: Mele cotte alla Friulana, or apples cooked Friulana-style in butter and grappa, served with grappa-scented whipped cream.

- Alison Tedor of Phoenix. Appetizer. Chilled shallot custard and sugar snap pea consomme with market spring vegetables, fried shallots and toasted duck fat brioche. Entree: Braised beef short ribs with toasted Asian spices, celery root puree and coffee-roasted rainbow carrots with a carrot biscuit crumble. Dessert: Chocolate-beet cake with Greek yogurt cremeux, a sugared beet "best" and raspberry-beet sauce.

The three finalists will be hosting meals for the Food & Dining team over the next several days. Look for a review of the first dinner and recipes on Wednesday, April 15.