Meet the three Top Home Chef finalists
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.